Watchtrader & Co

Buying and selling pre-owned luxury watches in the UK

Watchtrader & Co presents itself as an established buyer and seller of pre-owned luxury watches, with a boutique in Newcastle upon Tyne and a branch in London. The company states it has one of the largest selections in the UK, with a catalogue that at the time of analysis exceeded 600 watches.

Its activity is structured around four operations: buying, selling, part exchange and loans, as well as insurance services through Zing Insurance and maintenance. The firm states that it maintains long-standing relationships with a network of established suppliers, which allows it to source high-end pieces.

Brands and models in the catalogue

The catalogue covers brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Cartier, Tudor, Omega, Breitling, Vacheron Constantin, Tag Heuer, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hublot, Panerai, Zenith, Bell & Ross, Chanel, Chopard, CVSTOS, Franck Muller, Girard Perregaux, Longines, Oris and Piaget.

Within Rolex, the shop organises its offering by model: Datejust (including the Lady Datejust 26, 28, 31, 34, 36 and 41 variants), Submariner, GMT-Master II, Day-Date, Daytona, Oyster Perpetual, Yacht-Master, Sea-Dweller, Deepsea, Land-Dweller, Air-King, Explorer, Explorer II, Sky-Dweller, 1908, Milgauss and Cellini. The search filters allow narrowing by price (up to £3,000, £5,000, £10,000 or over £10,000), case material (steel, platinum, ceramic, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, titanium), size (up to 30 mm, 31 to 39 mm and 40 mm and over), dial colour, age (modern, vintage over 30 years) and category (men's, women's, diamond, vintage).

Live auctions and audiovisual content

The company holds live auctions via eBay Live on Sunday and Monday evenings, with bids starting at £1 and no reserve price. At the time of analysis, the schedule announced sessions for Sunday 4 October at 17:00 and Monday 5 October at 17:30, with pieces from Rolex, Tudor, Breitling and Omega.

Purchase conditions and services

The shop states that its shipping is priority and insured, offers returns within 14 days and a 24-month warranty. It also mentions a price promise and the possibility of trading in a watch as part of the payment for another.

The firm operates a collectors' club, Watchtrader Collectors Club, which at the time of analysis had more than 1,540 subscribers and through which it distributes negotiation tips, offers and news.

Structure and registration details

The company that operates the business is Timepiece Trading Limited, which trades under the Watchtrader & Co brand. Its declared registered office is at 20-22 Bridge End, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4DJ, United Kingdom. It is registered in Great Britain with company number 12133403 and VAT number 331261737.