Before cleaning, winding, opening, servicing, or selling the two watches, photograph them as they are and keep each with its own papers and accessories. Their age or a name on a dial cannot establish what they are worth; first identify each watch, document its condition, and decide what kind of valuation you need.
What should you do first?
- Photograph each watch separately. Capture the front, back, visible markings, and any engraving. Take pictures before moving or cleaning them, and record where each was found.
- Keep related items with the right watch. Photograph and retain boxes, papers, chains, keys, receipts, and service records. Note any family history you know, such as who owned or wore each watch.
- Do not force or polish anything. If one is a pocket watch and its case does not open easily, leave it closed rather than prying it. Avoid forcing a crown or key, too. Advice about opening a watch depends on its type and condition; the watchmaker or appraiser can inspect it safely.
- Pause before making changes. Do not assume either watch needs service or restoration. For an unusual, potentially valuable, or condition-sensitive piece, seek a specialist opinion before authorizing work or offering it for sale.
If a watch has no suitable storage, keep it in its existing box or a soft pouch; there is no need to buy anything before you know what it is.
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How can you identify each watch?
Start with what is visible, but treat it as a record—not proof of identity or authenticity. Write down any maker name, reference or serial markings, case-material marks, and engraving. A dial name alone does not confirm that the case and movement belong together.
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Identification may depend on the movement, case, condition, originality, and documentary history as well as visible markings. A specialist may need to inspect the watch, especially if it is old or delicate. Keep the two watches’ details and associated items separate so evidence for one is not mistaken for evidence about the other.
#1 Best Overall
- Excellent Workmanship: The watch box is lined with soft velvet to protect your beloved watches from scratches, crafted with quality PU for long-term service, and equipped with a sturdy metal lock for better protection
- Clear Glass Lid: The large see-through glass lid of this watch case allows you to see and find the right watch at a glance. Plus, it’s durable and easy to clean
- 2-Layer Storage: The top layer with 12 slots offers a cozy home for your watches with a dial size up to 48 mm, and a bottom drawer with various areas offers extra space for your necklaces, rings, earrings, and more
- Gift for Loved Ones: Be it for an anniversary or birthday, this watch box organizer is a smile-inducing gift to any true watch enthusiast
- What You Get: A classic watch storage box with 12 slots, watch pillows that can be removed to store jewelry, and a glass lid that protects your watches from dust
How do you find out what the watches are worth?
There is no reliable value to assign from the fact that the watches belonged to your grandfather. Maker, originality, condition, provenance, documentation, market trends, and location can all affect an assessment; age alone does not establish value. PBS Antiques Roadshow puts it this way: “Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold.” PBS Antiques Roadshow’s explanation of a circa-1915 Patek Philippe dress watch appraisal also illustrates why quoted values need context: that particular watch was assessed at $5,000 at auction and $8,000 at retail in 2024. Those figures describe one identified watch and are not a price range or comparison for yours.
Ask what a quoted figure means. Auction value, retail value, private-sale value, and insurance replacement value describe different contexts, so they are not interchangeable. An exceptional historical sale is not a useful shortcut: the 1914 Patek Philippe pocket watch discussed by PBS sold at Sotheby’s in 2006 for $1,541,212 including buyer’s premium, and its identity and provenance were discovered later. That individual result is not a current comparable for two unidentified watches. PBS Antiques Roadshow’s account of that watch explains its specific history.
Rank #2
- Overall size: 7.48"D x 13.39"W x 5.31"H (19x34x13.5cm); with 12 slots and can fit different types of watches with a dial size up to 50 mm
- 2-Layer: The upper layer can hold 12 watches, and the bottom drawer offers additional storage for watchbands, cufflinks, bracelets, rings, pens, necklaces, and other jewelry, keep them in one place and protect them against dampness, shaking and friction, or missing
- Clear Glass Lid: Sturdy glass window display watches collection, keep watches from dust and scratching, find your fave at a glance to save time
- Quality Materials:PU leather exterior and soft lining for a stylish look to protect the watch from scratches; soft-yet-supportive pillows fit most sizes and styles of watches, keeping them in good shape
- Gifts for Loved Ones: Perfect for your family, friends, son, father, brother, boyfriends, grandpa, wives, and mothers on Christmas, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, etc. Or why not treat yourself? You deserve it!
When do you need a formal appraisal?
A quick verbal estimate and a formal written appraisal serve different purposes. PBS describes a formal appraisal as a legal document generally prepared for insurance by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner. If you need documentation for insurance, an estate, legal matters, or a sale, ask a qualified watch appraiser what scope and valuation basis is appropriate. Estate and tax requirements vary by jurisdiction, so do not assume a general estimate satisfies them.
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A useful written appraisal should identify the watch, describe its condition and movement, state the purpose and valuation basis, and give an effective date. Ask how the appraiser reached the figure and what evidence or comparable sales support it. The FAIR Watch Appraisal Guide discusses the distinctions involved in watch valuation and appraisal.
Rank #3
- Overall size: 12.8"W x 4.3"D x 4.3"H (32.5x11x11cm); with 6 slots and can fit different types of watches with a dial size up to 50 mm
- 2-Layer: The upper layer can hold 6 watches, and the bottom drawer offers additional storage for watchbands, cufflinks, bracelets, rings, pens, necklaces, and other jewelry, keep them in one place and protect them against dampness, shaking and friction, or missing
- Clear Glass Lid: Sturdy glass window display watches collection, keep watches from dust and scratching, find your fave at a glance to save time
- Quality Materials:PU leather exterior and soft lining for a stylish look to protect the watch from scratches; soft-yet-supportive pillows fit most sizes and styles of watches, keeping them in good shape
- Presents for Loved Ones: Perfect for your family, friends, son, father, brother, boyfriends, grandpa, wives, and mothers on Christmas, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, etc. Or why not treat yourself? You deserve it!
How should you compare opinions or sale options?
If you get more than one opinion, compare the basis of each rather than choosing the largest number. Ask:
- Is the watch identified precisely, and was its movement examined?
- What condition and originality assumptions were used?
- Is the figure for auction, retail, private sale, or insurance replacement, and what is its effective date?
- What comparable sales or other evidence support it?
- For a sale route, what fees and selling costs apply, and is any offer conditional?
An auction department may be worth contacting if specialist triage suggests a watch could be notable; it is not a necessary first stop for every inherited watch. A watchmaker can advise on condition and service needs, while an appraiser can address a documented valuation. Before choosing whether to keep, insure, service, share, or sell either watch, consider your goals, who has authority over the estate property, your family’s preferences, and the evidence about each watch.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Excellent Workmanship: The watch box is lined with soft velvet to protect your beloved watches from scratches, crafted with quality PU for long-term service, and equipped with a sturdy metal clasp for better protection
- Clear Glass Lid: The large see-through glass lid of this watch case allows you to see and find the right watch at a glance. Plus, it’s durable and easy to clean
- 12 Spacious Watch Slots: This 12-slot watch display case offers enough space for your growing watch collection. Each slot is spacious and can fit different types of watches with a dial size up to 48 mm
- Gift for Loved Ones: Be it for an anniversary or birthday, this watch box organizer is a smile-inducing gift to any true watch enthusiast
- What You Get: A classic watch storage box with 12 slots, watch pillows that can be removed to store jewelry, and a glass lid that protects your watches from dust
Rank #4
- Protect Your Watches: Easy to close and open, organize all of your watches in one place and protect watches against dampness, shaking and friction, or missing
- Clear Glass Lid: Watch display case with sturdy glass window display watches collection, keep watches from dust, find your fave at a glance to save time; also charge your solar-powered watches
- 12-Slot: Watch Organizer can store 12 watches and fit different types of watches with a dial size up to 48 mm; Dimension: 12.9"W x 7.99"D x 3.43"H (32.8*20.3*8.7cm)
- Quality Materials: PU leather exterior and soft lining for a stylish look to protect the watch from scratches; soft-yet-supportive pillows fit most sizes and styles of watches, keeping them in good shape
- Gifts for Loved Ones: Watch box organizer for your family, and friends on Father's, Valentine's, Anniversary, Birthday, Graduation, Christmas, etc. Or, why not treat yourself? You deserve it
Sources and further guidance
- PBS Antiques Roadshow: Patek Philippe Dress Watch, ca. 1915
- PBS Antiques Roadshow: 1914 Patek Philippe Pocket Watch
- FAIR: Watch Appraisal Guide
- Mozeris Fine Antiques: Inherited a Pocket Watch? What to Do Next (pocket-watch handling guidance)
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