Watch Auctions Near Me [Locator Map + Bidding Guide + FAQ]

Watch auctions are high end events for watch enthusiasts and collectors. They offer the ability to bid on rare hard to find timepieces that are aged or have a special story or previous owner attached to them. No matter the timepieces age or backstory you must do a thorough inspection of it and estimate the value correctly. Below I’ll share where to find watch auctions, tips , what to expect, and my experience with the watch auctions near me.

Map of Watch Auctions Near Me

For “Watch Auctions Near Me”, see locations below…

How to Find Watch Auctions Near Me

Vintage and Luxury watch auctions are highly sought after events by timepiece collectors and enthusiasts. They take place weekly across the U.S., but not every event is a high end auction. There are other auction types that can carry watches such as antique auctions, jewelry auctions, and even government auctions for seized property. The level and quality of watches you find will depend greatly on the type of auction and the prestige of the auction house. While I will discuss the 5 biggest auction houses for timepieces, first let me share how I find smaller watch auctions near me.

Google Search and Yelp Listings

Google and Yelp are good resources for your local auction houses. Depending on where you are located may depend on if they hold local watch auctions or if watches are featured as part of large events let antique or jewelry auctions. In any case, if you search for “watch auctions near me”, you will find few if any at all, local auctions held that deal exclusively in timepieces. So here is the trick…Google Events…

Pro Tip: One of my best secrets is using Google “Events” to find vintage and luxury watch auctions nearby. Your average watch collector is looking for the big events, not the small ones. This means less competition to bid against and often lower bid values. While you will find standard auctions in this search, the smaller pop up one time watch auctions will be listed also.

Try Google Events here: Watch Auctions Near Me This Week

Government Listings to Bid on Used Vintage and Luxury Watches

Federal, state, and local governments post auction infor online for seized property. These will be a mix of live public and online auctions. The quality of the timepieces you find at these events vary, but you can score beautiful vintage watches well under their market value. These are the two sites government site I typically use:

Government Auctions
Government Sales – Jewelry and Collectibles Section

Meet Ups and Forums

Meet up groups for watch collectors are a good place to find out where the auctions are. There are a few big groups on the east coast of the US. The folks here will have inside knowledge of the timepiece auctions in your area. I also think it’s helpful to inquire with folks on Reddit and some of the popular watch forums. Here are a few of my favorite places to check:

Asking Your Local Watch Repair Shop, Antique Dealer, or Pawn Shop

Your local watch repair shop, antique dealers, and pawn shops will also have an inside track on watch auctions. They should be able to point you in a good direction and tell you which auctions are the premiere events and venues. These folks will also have interest as they may bid on timepieces that they can fix and resell for a profit.

The 5 Most Popular Auction Houses for Timepieces

Luxury and Vintage watch auctions have become huge marquis events, so much that large auction houses have dedicated watch divisions. Here are the five biggest auction houses for timepieces:

Christie’s: Features really high end watches that get huge final bid prices.
Antiquorum: This auction house does nothing, but watches and clocks. Often attended by the world’s top watch collectors.
Sotheby’s: Known for various high end auctions, but has a dedicated watch department now.
Bonhams: Mostly famous for high end vehicle auctions, now has a watch department.
Fellows: UK-based and focuses on less expensive timepieces usually $12,000 and under. Good for new collectors or first time watch auction hunters.

How Do Live Watch Auctions Near Me Work

A live timepiece auction, particularly luxury and vintage ones, start with catalog of lots. It will showcase each of the available items. These will have been evaluated, appraised, and contracted to sell. Places like Christie’s will have an immaculate catalog and will market and promote certain timepieces leading up to the event.

Items they promote are things that will draw a crowd like celebrity owned watches, rare models or limited editions. They may even reach out to top collectors and invite them to attend and promote that as well. It’s all about creating excitement and intrigue around the event and the lots.

The watch auctions near me, even the smaller ones are all about creating an experience through luxurious presentation. Some may require formal or semi-formal attire. Typically at these events, you will find the most charismatic auctioneers who create a story around the item and an emotional experience for both the buyers and the sellers.

Most watch auctions break down into 3 general phases…

Inspection Period

This is a pre-event period that you can attend to see the timepieces in person. You can compare the catalog to the physical watch and do a self-appraisal.

Registration

In order to bid you must be registered. This is when you get assigned a number. You will be asked to provide ID and proof of finances. You should register early to avoid missing the opening items in the event.

The Event

This is the auction itself. The auctioneer will present each timepiece with a description and backstory. They will start the bidding at price low enough to get the action started. At the watch auctions near me, the bid by raising numbered paddles, but some work by raising hands. Each bid incrementally raises the previous, with the winner being the highest bid at the end.

Tips for Buying a Watch at Auction

Here are tips for buying a watch at auction…

Attend a timepiece auction first and get a feel for the flow.
Thoroughly read the auction catalog and take notes
For every watch you like, look it up online and see if you can find a comparable model for pricing.
Go to the auction in person. Do not call in and proxy bid.
Register for the event early. Lines are usually long to register and if you are late you will miss the beginning.
During the inspection period carefully look at the watches and compare them to the catalog. Do the serials match? Does it look original?
Set a bid price in your mind and stick to it. If you did your research, you should know a fair market value.
The auction house wants to sell you a story about the watch to increased perceived value. You need to see through the emotional value and access the true value.

These events typically have steep fees and commissions on both the buyer’s and seller’s end. Knowing that though, the most exciting part of these events is the chance to buy something you like. You got to go there and have fun and soak in the experience. There is a great article here on 10 Things You Should Know About Watch Auctions.

Online Watch Auctions vs Public Auctions

You can find plenty of watches for auction online these days. Whether it be Ebay or an online government auction. Auctions featured online have benefits for both the buyer and the seller. Buyers can bid from the comfort of home and do thorough research of each item. Sellers can reach a larger audience, which can create higher reaching bids.

Bidding online is fine, but a watch auction in person is a site to see. It is a high end experience full of drama with high stakes. If you are seriously bidding on a luxury watch you must consider attending in person. The inspection period is critically important to ask questions and visually check the watch and estimate it’s value. Pictures, videos, and descriptions online don’t do a visual inspection justice. Just cause a watch has a good story, you need to look past the marketing and find the true value of the timepiece.

How to Get Your Luxury or Vintage Timepiece Sold at Auction

Selling a luxury or vintage watch at auction is straight forward. All you need to do is contact an auction house. If you have a watch of a certain value and prestige, you will need to contact the bigger auction houses. They will ask about the year, make, and model of the watch, along with any stories or toes to the watch that make it special. You may need to provide an appraisal, although they will appraise it as well before it is consigned.

Selling your watch at auction will come with some potential huge commissions. Consider though that they will handle the marketing, dealing with the phone calls and questions from the public, tp collecting the final payment. They can reach a much larger higher paying audience then you likely could on your own.