Sell a fine watch to a local buyer in Northbrook, Illinois

Who buys your watch

I’m Mike, the owner of Cook County Buyers. When you call or text, you reach me. I look at your photos, I examine your watch, and I make the offer.

I have been buying fine watches for 11 years, and I have bought and sold over a million dollars’ worth of them.

Cook County Buyers runs on low overhead: one small office, and nobody standing between you and the person who decides.

Dealers are welcome to call as well.

Watches we buy

We buy modern and vintage watches from the makers below. The table is a quick guide, and the notes under it say what helps us estimate each brand.

Two terms come up for every brand. The reference number is the maker’s code for the exact model. Box and papers means the original presentation box plus the warranty card or certificate issued when the watch was first sold.

Rolex

We buy modern and vintage Rolex watches, including the Submariner, GMT-Master II, Sea-Dweller, Yacht-Master, Day-Date, Datejust, and Cosmograph Daytona.

Vintage pieces from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s interest us most when the original papers have stayed with the watch.

Demand for modern stainless steel sport models moves quickly, so we quote those on the day you ask. The full model list is on its own page: Sell a Rolex in Chicagoland.

Patek Philippe

We buy Patek Philippe watches, modern and vintage. That includes the Nautilus, Calatrava, Aquanaut, Grand Complications, Gondolo, Golden Ellipse, and Twenty~4, as well as Patek Philippe pocket watches. We buy them in stainless steel, gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum.

With a Patek Philippe, paperwork carries real weight. The reference number is printed on the papers that came with the watch when it was new. If you still have those papers, photograph them beside the watch.

If you do not have them, send what you have. Tell us the approximate age and anything you know about past service. Mention any condition issue you can see, such as a scratched crystal, a replaced strap, or a missing bracelet link. Clear photos of the dial, the case back, and the clasp let us give a rough estimate before anyone travels.

Audemars Piguet

We buy Audemars Piguet watches, modern and vintage: the Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Concept, Code 11.59, Millenary, Jules Audemars, Haute Joaillerie pieces, and Classique pocket watches. We buy them in stainless steel, gold, and platinum.

Many of these watches are worn on a metal bracelet, so the bracelet matters. Count the links if you can, and tell us whether any were removed when the watch was sized. A watch with all of its original links is worth more than the same watch with links missing.

Condition is the other large factor. An excellent example brings more than one that is heavily worn or damaged. If the case has been polished or refinished, say so. Send photos of the dial, the case back, the clasp, and any paperwork, and we will reply with a rough estimate.

Cartier

We buy Cartier watches, modern and vintage. The lines we buy include the Tank, Tank Française, Santos de Cartier, Panthère de Cartier, Ballon Bleu de Cartier, Ballon Blanc, Calibre de Cartier and its Diver, Clé de Cartier, Drive de Cartier, Rotonde de Cartier, Ronde Louis Cartier, Ronde Solo de Cartier, Baignoire, Hypnose, and Tortue.

We buy Cartier in stainless steel, gold, and platinum. If your Cartier has no paperwork, that is fine. We still buy it, and box and papers simply add a premium when they are present.

Tell us whether the strap or bracelet is original and whether all the links are there. Note any dents, deep scratches, or moisture under the crystal. Photos of the dial, the case back, and the clasp, plus the reference number if you can read it, are enough for a rough estimate.

How it works, in three steps

1. Send photos and details

   Call or text with photos of your watch and what you know about it: the model, its age, what came with it, and its condition. We will ask about anything that is missing.

2. Get an estimate

   We reply with an estimate of value. It is free, and it is a rough figure until the watch is in hand.

3. Meet and get paid

   If the estimate works for you, we set an appointment at our private office in Northbrook, or at another safe place we both agree on. We examine the watch for authenticity and condition. If you accept the offer, you are paid on the spot by check or bank wire, or we go to the bank for a cashier’s check.

What changes an offer

We do not publish a price list, because two watches of the same model can be far apart in value. An offer depends on five things.

• Reference. The reference number tells us the exact model, metal, and dial. Two watches that look alike can carry different references.
• Year. Age matters in both directions. Some older watches are worth more than newer ones.
• Condition. An excellent watch with all its original links is worth more than one that is heavily worn, damaged, or missing links.
• Box and papers. A watch with its original box and papers brings a premium over the same watch without them.
• Demand. What buyers want changes, so we quote on the day you ask.

A gold or platinum case adds one more factor. The spot price is the day’s market quote for an ounce of the metal, and the melt value is what the metal alone would bring at that quote. A fine watch is normally worth more than its metal, so melt value is only a starting point, and it moves with the day’s quote.