The process

From hammer to wrist

We run 7-day sales for collector watches. Every lot is vetted before it opens, inspected by an independent authentication center before money moves, and held in escrow until the seller confirms payment.

01

Bid

Set a maximum once. We bid for you only as far as needed, and late bids extend the clock.

02

Prove funds

Upload a statement and ID. We verify, then ask the seller to ship — insured — to the authentication center.

03

Read the report

Specialists check every component against the reference. You see the written report before you pay a cent.

04

Pay, then collect

Transfer the seller by ACH or wire. The vault releases the watch and it ships to you, fully insured.

Buying

How bidding works

No card required, no deposit. A verified email address is all it takes to raise your hand.

Step oneRegister

Create an account and confirm your email. That's the whole barrier. Every bid is binding, so buyers who don't complete a purchase lose their account and forfeit the premium.

Step twoEnter your maximum

Tell us the most you'd pay. We bid in increments on your behalf, only as far as needed to keep you in front, and never above your ceiling. Nobody — not even the seller — can see it.

If there's a reserveReserves

A reserve is a secret minimum. If your maximum clears it, your bid jumps straight to the reserve and the lot is yours unless someone outbids you. Sellers can lower a reserve mid-sale, never raise it.

No snipingThe final minutes

Any bid in the last 2 minutes pushes the clock out by another 2 minutes. A lot only closes once 2 minutes pass with no new bid, so it can't be stolen in the last second.

What you pay usBuyer's premium

5% of the hammer price — minimum $100, capped at $5,000. Paid to the house by bank transfer alongside the purchase, and non-refundable once a sale is confirmed. All fees.

Ask anythingThe comment thread

Every lot has a public thread. Ask the consignor about service history, provenance, anything — and watch bids land in the same feed as they happen.

Missed the reserve? The lot stays open for direct offers. You name a price, the seller accepts, counters or declines within 48 hours, and an accepted offer runs through exactly the same authentication and escrow process.

Winning

After the hammer

Five steps, roughly a week, and at no point does anyone hand money to a stranger.

01Prove your funds

Upload a bank or card statement showing at least the total, plus a photo ID and your shipping address. Both are private, seen only by our staff.

02The seller ships

Once we've verified you, the seller sends the watch — insured for full value — to the authentication center, and you get the tracking number.

03Inspection

Specialists check the watch against the reference and the catalogue note. One to three business days, then a written report lands on your order page.

04Pay the seller

You have 2 business days from the report to ask questions and send the transfer. ACH takes one to three days to land, so start it early; wires land the same day.

05Release

The seller confirms the money arrived and the vault ships your watch, insured, signature required.

If a watch fails authentication the sale is void, your buyer's premium is refunded in full, and the seller pays return shipping. You are never out of pocket for a watch that wasn't as described.

Authentication & escrow

We don't grade our own lots.

An independent third-party center verifies the case, movement, dial, hands, bracelet and clasp against the reference, confirms the stated condition, and documents any service or aftermarket parts. Their report goes to the buyer before payment is due. The watch stays in their vault until the seller confirms the transfer — so a buyer never pays for a watch nobody has inspected, and a seller never posts a watch to a stranger.

Consigning

Selling a watch

Free to submit. $49 when it sells — no listing fee, no commission on the hammer.

01Submit

Brand, model, reference, condition, what's included, your photographs, and whether you want a reserve. Ten minutes.

02We review

A human reads every submission, usually within a business day. If it fits the catalogue we schedule a 7-day sale and tell you when it opens.

03Answer questions

Consignors who reply in the comment thread get more bids. You can lower your reserve at any point while the sale runs.

04Ship and get paid

When it sells we send packing instructions for the authentication center. Once it clears and the buyer's transfer lands in your account, the watch is released to them.

Add your bank details before the sale ends. Buyers pay you directly by ACH or wire, so a missing account number is the one thing that stalls a payout. It takes a minute in your account.

Why it's safe

Four things that never change

IIndependently authenticatedEvery lot is inspected by a third-party authentication center before a dollar moves to the seller.
IIHeld in escrowThe watch stays in the vault until the seller confirms payment. Nobody has to trust a stranger.
IIIInsured door to doorDouble-boxed, signature-required, covered for full value in both directions.
IVProxy biddingSet your maximum once. We bid only as far as needed, and late bids extend the clock.
Logistics

Shipping & insurance

Both legs travel on our label, declared at full value and signed for. The packing rules aren't optional — coverage depends on them.

LabelUse ours

Ship only with the carrier and label we issue. A parcel sent another way isn't covered and we can't claim on it for you.

PackingDouble-box

Watch box inside a new inner carton, inside a new outer carton, padded so nothing shifts. Padded envelopes never qualify.

DeliveryAdult signature

Required on every leg. A business address or carrier hold-for-pickup is safer than a doorstep.

Who paysOne leg each

The seller covers shipping to the authentication center; the buyer covers it onward.

For consignors

Photographing your watch

Photographs sell the watch and honest ones sell it for more. Wipe it down, shoot in soft indirect light, keep reflections off the crystal, and take more frames than you think you need.

  1. Dial, straight on. This becomes the cover image — get it square and sharp.
  2. Dial and hands, close. Shows lume, printing and any patina.
  3. Both sides of the case. Flat on, so the finishing reads.
  4. Lugs, both sets. Where wear and over-polishing show first.
  5. Crystal at an angle. Reveals scratches an on-axis shot hides.
  6. Caseback. And the movement, if it's exhibition.
  7. Clasp. Open and closed, including any stamps.
  8. Bracelet or strap. Enough length to count links and judge stretch.
  9. Box, papers and extras. Warranty card, service receipts, spare links.
  10. Every flaw. Scratches, dings, service marks — buyers trust a seller who shows them.
  11. A short video. Optional, but it answers a dozen questions at once.
  12. Serial number. Photographed beside the papers — private, used only to verify ownership.

We never publish your serial number, and photographs must be your own — images lifted from another listing are flagged automatically and the submission declined.

Ready?

Bid, or consign.

Registration takes a minute and costs nothing. Consigning is free until your watch sells.

Browse live lotsConsign a watch
How it works · J&E Watch Auctions