Repurpose, Repair, or Sell? What To Do With Old Watches

Out with the old, in with the new. These valuable tips on what to do with your old watches will help you clear out your collection for something new.

Do you have some old watches lying about? Maybe they were unwanted Christmas gifts, just bad mistakes or maybe you want an upgrade. Either way, this informative guide will show you what to do with old watches.  

By the end of this read you will know how to repurpose, repair, or recycle an old watch. Or if you want to donate or dispose it of that too be will be explained in detail here.  

How To Recycle Watches

You can recycle a watch by giving it an entirely new use (I’ll talk about that later). Alternatively, you can recycle it by repairing it or giving it a new lease of life.

Are you looking to learn a thing or two about how to recycle watches this way? Here are a few ideas.  

1. Repair and Keep It

You might want to recycle a watch for a couple of different reasons. Maybe you want to fix up an old and broken watch so that you re-wear it. It’s a great way to save money if you don’t want to splash out on a new timepiece. 

Plus, vintage watches remain popular among collectors and watch enthusiasts. A resurgence in retro watches has prompted many collectors to discover a new-found love for their old timepieces.

2. Repair and Sell It

Alternatively, you may also want to recycle your watch to resell it. Vintage timepieces can be worth quite a bit on the pre-owned market. It all depends on the type of watch you own, its age, and its condition. Recycling a watch can include repair work or a service.

If you own a branded luxury Swiss timepiece, you should organize a repair directly with the brand. This is to ensure you don’t impact the value of the watch. 

So, if you own a Rolex, consider using an authorized Rolex service center or an experienced independent watchmaker, depending on your goals. Factory service may help maintain official records, but some collectors prefer independents for vintage watches.

It’s a way to ensure you don’t void or impair your warranty, an important factor when selling your watch.

Secondly, an official manufacturer will use its certified spare parts to repair your watch. Again, this preserves the authenticity of the watch. If an inexperienced or unofficial watch repairer opens your watch, its warranty (and value) instantly becomes void.  

If that fails, you can get your watch fixed with a certified repairer. These are watch technicians who have taken the time to qualify as a repairer for Omega, Longines, Rolex, etc. They can service and repair specialist timepieces to cut out using a “middleman”. 

Choosing to have your watch repaired in either of these two ways ensures it will sell better later down the line.   

If you choose to sell your watch without a repair or service, you still have options. Many companies will happily buy broken watches for spare parts. 

From here, they will use the spare parts for other repair work. Alternatively, the company may buy your broken timepiece to repair it and sell it.

What To Do With Old Watches: Are They Worth Anything?

Both used and broken watches can be worth something. The value of a timepiece is dependent upon the brand, on the type, whether it’s collectible or a vintage or antique piece. Limited editions and discontinued timepieces can also be investment-worthy.

Remember that age, condition, and rarity is key. Models produced in large numbers are easier to get hold of. These are less valuable than those in high demand. It doesn’t mean they won’t sell, but they won’t be worth as much.  

Digital watches and mass-produced designer watches are also worth little on the pre-owned market. Some people prefer to sell these watches in bulk to cut down on postal costs and make a better profit.  

Image: Vintage Bulova watch

The amount of money you make from selling a broken watch also depends on the model. Understandably, the components and parts belonging to a valuable watch are worth more because a buyer can reuse them. 

Likewise, a collector may be more than happy to buy a vintage watch, repair it, and sell it. He may even want it for himself since vintage watches grow in rarity over time.  

Although you won’t make as much money selling broken vintage watches compared to working ones, but they’re still worth selling.

How To Donate Watches

If you want to know how to donate watches, you’ll be pleased to know there are many options.  

First of all, you could start by asking your fellow watch-collecting friends. Family members and friends may also be happy to receive a used watch. 

Depending on its condition, something as simple as a strap change can spruce up an old, tired-looking timepiece.

Donating to a worthy cause is one of the most rewarding things you can do when having a watch clear-out. A watch recycling organization can make use of it, or you could send it to a charity store.  

Where To Donate Watches

Are you wondering where to donate watches? Many places would be happy to take your timepiece should you want to get rid of it.  

As I mentioned earlier, donating a watch is one of the most rewarding options of all. You won’t make a penny, but someone else will benefit from your generosity.  

Charity stores are a great way to dispose of an old watch. Provided the condition is good enough. 

As well as donating to a charity store, you can consider donating to watchmaking schools, training programs, or even horological organizations for educational purposes.

Always verify current donation policies before sending a watch. 

The NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) is another great watch-donating option. It takes anything from watches to clocks to horological memorabilia.

The association will either display the items in its museum or sell them to help finance the organization.

How To Dispose of Old Watches

As well as selling broken watches to platforms like eBay,Chrono24, Facebook Marketplace, watch forums, and local classifieds, you could also learn how to dispose of old watches. You can sell old watch parts to companies like Vintagecashcow.com and Usedjewelrybuyer.com. 

Recycling is much better than sending it to landfill and has become a preferred choice within the watch-collecting community. 

Recycling a watch is not just about selling it to a dealer or repairer for parts, however. It’s about repurposing it and giving it a whole new use. 

You may decide to detach the watch from its strap, for example, and wear it as a pocket watch.  

Another way would be to make a piece of jewelry out of the case metal. Or convert it into a key chain, maybe?

Image: A watch movement exposed

Of course, if you just don’t want to sell your old watch, you can recycle through an approved electronics or battery recycling program. Quartz or smartwatches may have batteries that can’t be disposed alongside household waste.

The local government and authorized vendors will collect and recycle these items.  

Closing Thoughts: A New Lease on Life

More often than not, we put broken watches in the back of the drawer with the hopes of one day fixing them. Then, we buy new models and forget about the old ones. Before long, we have a bunch of wristwatches in the drawer that haven’t seen the light of day in years.  

Most of the time, these disregarded watches are the quartz type. Before you discard, replace the batteries to inspect the contacts for corrosion. Many watches that appear broken only need a battery change and basic maintenance.

Generally, if we have a mechanical watch worth more, we tend to look after it a little better (or at least we should!). Taking care of your mechanical watch requires regular servicing to ensure it holds its value.  

When thinking about what to do with old watches in your collection, there’s a wide range of options to explore. You can repair a watch to wear it again. Or you can fix it up and sell it to a dealer or collector.  

Most people who have fallen out of love with their watch and need a change choose this option. 

Lastly, you can donate your watch or sell it for scrap metal.  

Now you know what to do with your old and used watches, check out more watch-related articles like this. Sign up for our newsletter at The Slender Wrist today.