1. Many people don’t

Watch boxes are often bulky things, designed to impress at the point of purchase. This can make them difficult to store, consigning them to ‘the land that time forgot’ in the loft or a dark corner of the garage. Here they may get damaged or left behind when moving to a new house. Some owners just throw them out in frustration, storing their watches in a dedicated display box instead.

If you have kept your box and paperwork in good condition you are unusual – and so is your watch when you come to sell, and rarity is one of the factors that increases value. The older the watch, the more chance the packaging will have been lost and so the higher the premium if you have kept them.

2. Greater sense of authenticity

With the help of modern technology, box watch box and paperwork can be counterfeited – something our specialists check carefully for. That said, the presence of the original box and paperwork, especially for a period piece, lends an extra assurance of authenticity, giving the buyer confidence to pay more.

3. Greater sense of honesty

All the watches sold at Dreweatts are checked against the Art Loss Register to ensure that they do not have a shady past. The sale of a watch with all its attendant packaging reinforces this message of honesty as watches are rarely stolen as a whole ‘package’, especially given point 1 and the fact that they are usually stored apart.

4. More giftable

Watches make popular gifts, and while a die-hard watch collector may be delighted to receive a scruffy ‘barn find’ most would like to feel the watch is ‘as new’ even when they know it is not. When applied to a contemporary watch the recipient is more likely to compare their gift to the current retail price making the gift seem considerably more generous.

5. The good feeling that the watch had a caring owner

When buying a pre-owned watch, it is comforting to think that the previous owner took great care of it, wore it gently, and serviced it regularly, meaning that it has many more years of life to give its new keeper. It may not have been your pride and joy but when it come time to sell, the presence of box and papers at least marks you out as someone who, at the very least… can be bothered to keep the box and papers. This implies a greater level of care in all other areas.

For more information on buying or consigning watches at auction with Dreweatts, contact Adrian Hailwood: ahailwood@dreweatts.com | +44 (0)1635 553 553