Watch guides.

How to use these guides

Each of our guides answers one question properly, rather than a dozen questions briefly. Whether you are about to buy your first Rolex, wondering what a watch in the drawer is worth or trying to make sense of the numbers on a warranty card, there is a guide written for that moment.

The guides are practical. They explain what to check, what to ask and what affects value, in plain English. Where it helps, they point to the pages on our site where you can take the next step, such as a free valuation or an appointment at our showroom. You do not need to read them in order, and none of them assumes any prior knowledge.

The guides at a glance

Guides for buyers

If you are buying, start with Buying a Pre-Owned Rolex. It works through the checks worth making wherever you buy: the exact reference, matching numbers, honest condition, originality, servicing, box and papers, warranty and who you buy from. It also explains the warning signs that should make you slow down.

Two of the other guides support it. Rolex Reference Numbers Explained shows you how to read a reference such as 126711CHNR, so you know exactly which watch you are looking at. Box and Papers explains what a full set includes, how to check the papers against the watch and why papers alone never prove a watch is genuine.

When you are ready to look at watches, our model pages describe each family and show what is in stock, and all our listings state whether a watch comes with its box and papers.

Guides for sellers

If you are selling, What Is My Rolex Worth? is the place to begin. It explains why there is no fixed price list, how a valuer looks at the reference, condition, completeness, originality and demand, and how to prepare your watch and photographs so the answer is quick and accurate. Although it focuses on Rolex, the same principles apply to the other brands we buy.

The box and papers guide matters here too, because a complete set generally sells for more and is easier to sell. If yours are missing, the guide explains why that does not stop you selling or part exchanging, and what other documents help.

When you want a figure, our valuations are free and there is no obligation to sell. You can send photographs on WhatsApp for a quick initial valuation, book an appointment at the showroom, or send the watch fully insured if you cannot visit.

Guides for owners

Owning a fine watch raises its own questions. Our guide Are Luxury Watches a Good Investment? takes a balanced look at what helps a watch hold its value, the risks, the real costs of servicing and insurance, and why liquidity matters if you ever need to sell. It is general information, not financial advice, and it does not recommend any watch as an investment.

For servicing, repairs and restoration, our sister business Alpha Group works from the same building in Hatton Garden. See Service & Repairs. Keep the service paperwork with your box and papers, as both guides explain, because a documented history helps when the time comes to sell.

Reading a listing with the guides in mind

The guides are most useful when you put them next to a real watch. Take any listing on our site and you can work through it in the same order the buying guide follows.

• The reference. Read it with the reference numbers guide open, and confirm the metal and bezel match what you expect.
• The year and the papers. Every listing states whether the box and papers are included. If they are, the date of sale tells you whether any manufacturer's warranty may remain.
• The photographs. Look at the edges of the case, the bracelet and the clasp, as the guides describe, and ask for more photographs if you want them.
• The warranty. Unless a listing says otherwise, a pre-owned watch comes with our 12-month mechanical warranty, starting from delivery.

If anything in a listing is unclear, ask before you buy. A good question asked early is far better than a surprise later.

If you have inherited a watch

Inherited watches bring their own mix of questions, often at a difficult time. A sensible order is to identify the watch first, using the reference numbers guide, then look for the papers and any service records, which the box and papers guide helps with. The valuation guide then explains what affects the figure.

There is no need to decide anything quickly. Our article on selling inherited watches covers the mistakes people most often make, and our probate valuation article explains how valuing a watch for an estate differs from valuing it for sale.

If you are buying from a distance

You do not have to visit Hatton Garden to buy from us. Unless a listing says otherwise, every watch is physically held in stock and available for inspection before dispatch, and we are happy to send extra photographs or answer questions about a particular watch first.

UK delivery is free, fully insured and signed for, and orders are prepared within 2 to 3 working days of payment clearing, then tracked once dispatched. We ship internationally on most orders. As a fraud precaution we may ask you to verify your identity or payment before dispatch, and we only deliver to verified addresses. You then have 14 days to return a watch for a full refund. See delivery for details.

The brands behind the guides

Most examples in our guides use Rolex, but we buy and sell six brands, and the same principles of reference, condition, originality and completeness apply to each.

• Rolex. Founded in London in 1905 and later based in Geneva, the maker of the Datejust, Submariner, GMT-Master II, Daytona and Day-Date.
• Audemars Piguet. Best known today for the Royal Oak, introduced in 1972 with its octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet.
• Patek Philippe. The Geneva maker of the Calatrava, the Nautilus, launched in 1976, and the Aquanaut.
• Richard Mille. A much younger brand than the others, known for technical, lightweight and openworked designs.
• Cartier. The Santos, created for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, is one of the earliest wristwatches designed for men.
• Hublot. Known for the Big Bang, launched in 2005, and for combining unusual materials.

Five ideas that run through all our guides

Read a few of the guides and you will notice the same principles coming back. They are worth knowing even if you only have a minute.

1. Start with the reference. The model name is not enough. The reference tells you the size, metal and bezel, and it is the first thing a buyer or valuer needs.
2. Condition and originality come next. Heavy polishing, replaced parts and aftermarket diamonds all count against a watch, often more than people expect.
3. Papers support the story; they do not prove it. The watch itself must be authenticated, and the numbers on the papers must match the watch.
4. Value is set by today's market. What a watch cost new, or what it was worth a few years ago, does not decide what it is worth now. Prices move in both directions.
5. Who you deal with matters. Authentication, a written warranty and the right to return protect a buyer. Clear terms and prompt payment protect a seller.

A short glossary

These are the terms that come up most often across the guides, explained briefly:

• Reference number. Identifies the model, and usually the metal and bezel. Shared by every watch of that version.
• Serial number. Unique to one individual watch.
• Rehaut. The inner ring between the dial and the crystal. On modern Rolex watches the serial is engraved there at 6 o'clock.
• Full set. The watch with its original box, papers and everything it was sold with.
• Papers. The warranty card or certificate from the original sale, showing the reference, serial and date.
• Aftermarket. Anything added or changed after the watch left the maker, such as diamonds set later.
• Unworn. A watch that has been sold before but never worn.
• Part exchange. Offsetting the value of your watch against one you are buying, in a single transaction.
• Secondary market. Where pre-owned watches are bought and sold, as opposed to new watches from a brand's retailers.

More reading from our blog

Alongside the guides, our blog covers individual models, history and news. A good place to start is our overview of the Rolex model line-up, which pairs well with the reference numbers guide, and our article on why fake Rolexes are harder to spot, which adds detail to the buying guide.

Why we write these guides

We buy and sell watches every day, and many of the questions we hear are the same. Good answers save time on both sides and help people make decisions they are happy with later. A buyer who understands references and papers asks better questions. A seller who knows what affects value is not surprised by a valuation.

The guides are also honest about what we do not do. We do not quote values in the abstract, because every watch is different. We do not make predictions about prices or give investment advice. And we are clear that Kings & Queens is an independent dealer: we are not an authorised dealer for any brand, not part of Rolex Certified Pre-Owned and not affiliated with any watch brand.

From the guides to the showroom

If a guide raises a question about a particular watch, the simplest next step is to ask us. Send photographs on WhatsApp at +44 (0)7888 888835, call 0330 043 7777 or use our contact page.

Our showroom is at 9 St. Cross Street in Hatton Garden, London's jewellery quarter for well over a century, a short walk from Farringdon and Chancery Lane stations. All viewings are by appointment, so the visit is private and uninterrupted. Opening hours are 10:30am to 5:30pm on weekdays and 12:00pm to 4:30pm on Saturdays; we are closed on Sundays. Appointments cover viewing and buying, selling or part exchanging, sourcing a specific watch, or simply a general consultation. See our Hatton Garden showroom.

Frequently asked questions

For the current Rolex collection, see the official Rolex website. Kings & Queens Watches is an independent dealer and is not affiliated with Rolex or any other watch brand.