Viewpoints

A Guide to Pre-Owned with Laura Warrilow

By Yasemin Gumushan | 5 minute read

Here at Watches of Switzerland, we understand how important buying a watch is to you. It’s a momentous occasion with important decisions to be made. To find the perfect piece, there’s a lot to consider, from style to brand and budget.

With regular maintenance and care, quality watches are built to last. The beauty in this means that there is opportunity for more than one owner to enjoy the timepiece – at a fraction of the price. Selecting a designer pre-owned watch will put iconic names like OMEGA, Breitling or TAG Heuer within reach. Not only that, many second-hand watches belong to either vintage, discontinued or limited-edition lines, making them valuable collectors' timepieces.

Offering a hub of intrigue for any watch enthusiast, each piece is guaranteed to be in perfect working condition following a professional service and restoration.

If you’re looking to purchase the watch of your dreams, why not explore Watches of Switzerland’s vast collection of pre-owned watches? We spoke to Laura Warrilow, Pre-owned Business Manager, to find out more about buying and selling pre-owned at the Watches of Switzerland Group.

Laura has worked with watches for at least 23 years, with her career as a valuer starting 14 years ago. During this time, Laura played a key part in selling truly special and unique timepieces. Since joining the Watches of Switzerland Group, she has and will continue to have the pleasure to be a part of bringing pre-owned to life and see the service develop with the growing and ever-changing industry we know and love.

Can you explain more about selling a pre-owned watch or part-exchanging it at the Watches of Switzerland Group? How does it work and who would be eligible?

Anyone with a Swiss watch is eligible. We welcome anybody looking to find out more to bring their watch into one of our showrooms for valuation. The client will receive a price whilst they wait.

The process can last between 5-15 minutes and is based on the answers provided during the valuation, coupled with the visual appearance and condition of the watch.

Here at the Watches of Switzerland, we welcome any Swiss watch. From experience, we have found that the most sought after are Rolex core models and the Datejust, Cartier pieces, along with OMEGA Seamasters and Speedmasters.

Can you tell us more about the valuation assessment?

Firstly, we’ll look at the make and model and how old the watch is. We also consider whether the customer has the original box and papers.

Then, of course, it’s down to the condition. Here we’ll assess its working condition; does it have any chips or scratches; what condition is the bezel in; do any of the links need replacing and can it be refurbished? The valuation will collectively consider all these elements.

As valuers we also instinctively know how the market is working, the cost associated with any necessary refurb and what we can ultimately sell it for. From combining this together with what we know about the actual watch, we provide an expert valuation.

If a client is happy to part-exchange, can they use the valuation cost towards anything in store?

If a client does decide to part-exchange their watch, they can choose to use the valuation towards any product in-store: be it watches or jewellery, pre-owned or new. With the pre-owned market fluctuating daily, it’s important to note that our valuation price is fixed for 7 days before the process would have to restart.

We understand that choosing a timepiece is an important experience so, if a client cannot decide on their next piece, we offer a gift-card for future use. Don’t forget, our experts will be happy to provide a bespoke shopping experience to help you find your perfect piece in-store.

Discover more from our pre-owned collection here at Mappin & Webb.

Mappin & Webb is a trading name of Watches of Switzerland Company Limited. Registered Office: Aurum House, 2 Elland Road, Braunstone, Leicester, LE3 1TT, Registered in England and Wales, Company number 00146087. Registered VAT Number 834 8634 04. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited acts as a broker and not a lender and offers finance from Secured Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance and PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH trading as PayPal Credit. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Finance Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 308710. Credit provided is subject to age and status, minimum spend applies. Terms and Conditions apply. UK residents only. We may receive a commission if your application is successful, and the amount may vary depending on the product chosen and the amount of credit taken out. Not all products are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and FOS protection will not be extended to unregulated agreements. Please note the Consumer Credit Act states that should your purchase / loan amount cost more than £30,000 you will not be covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

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