Education
Watch Condition Grading: There Is No Industry Standard, So Here Is Ours
There is no published standard for grading a used watch. eBay, a specialist watch auction house and a United States pre-owned dealer all use different scales, and none expresses condition as a percentage. What we grade, what each grade means for the offer, and why polishing is the one thing you cannot undo.
The short answer: there is no industry standard for grading a used watch. Every venue publishes a different scale, and Antiquorum, which publishes its system in full, states in writing that grading is "of necessity, subjective". What moves our offer is originality rather than tidiness: normal scratches are priced in, and a polish cannot be undone.
This page used to carry a five-point "industry standard grading scale", with a percentage band and a price impact against each grade. No such standard exists, so all of it has gone rather than been reworded. Our conflict of interest is worth stating first: we buy watches to resell, so our grade decides what we pay you. Which is why the scales below are ones you can check yourself.
Is there an industry standard for grading a used watch?
We could not find one. There are real standards for how a watch performs: ISO 3159 for chronometers, which COSC certifies against, and NIHS 92-20 for water resistance, which Patek Philippe states its watches comply with. For the condition of a second-hand watch there is no equivalent and no administering body.
| Where the watch is sold | The grades it publishes | What the grade records | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antiquorum, specialist watch auction house, Geneva, 1974 | An experts' overall opinion: Exceptional, then AAA Excellent, AA Very good, A Good, B Fair. Separately C for the case, D for the dial and hands, M for the movement, each followed by numbers from a published list of 83 remarks | An opinion combining condition, quality, technical and historical interest, age and rarity, graded relative to the watch's age. Antiquorum calls it "of necessity, subjective" | Grading System, Autumn 2025, and its Grading System Guide |
| eBay, in the condition set covering "Jewelry & Watches" | New with tags, New without tags, New with defects, Pre-owned Excellent, Pre-owned Good, Pre-owned Fair, plus four Refurbished tiers | The seller's own choice from a preset list. There is no Mint grade at all, and Very Good exists only as a Refurbished tier | eBay, item conditions by category |
| Bob's Watches, a United States pre-owned dealer | Unworn, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Vintage | House terms set by one dealer. Vintage is an age band rather than a condition, watches "generally 30 years or older", within which condition "can vary" | bobswatches.com, Rolex condition grading |
All three checked on 20 August 2026. No two of those scales agree, none is administered by an independent body, and none expresses condition as a percentage. Coins show what a real standard looks like: the Sheldon scale of 1 to 70, which NGC describes as "considered to be the industry standard" (NGC coin grading scale). A published scale, a named body, a number that travels with the object. Watches have none of it.
What does an auction house grade actually measure?
Not what most people assume. Three things in Antiquorum's own document dismantle the idea of a fixed percentage band.
- It grades relative to age. Antiquorum states that "a wristwatch of less than 50 years old cannot be judged with the same criteria as a Renaissance watch". Its worked example: watches over 100 years old, in similar condition to a younger one, grade a step higher "because of their age", and are "unlikely to ever be considered as new".
- Rarity can outrank condition entirely. In Antiquorum's words, "a very early timepiece, a prototype or a watch featuring a rare escapement, although it may be in a mediocre state of conservation, even re-cased or lacking its dial", can still take its highest grades. An overall grade is not a condition score.
- It disclaims itself. "Although every effort has been made to remain objective, clients are nonetheless advised that any grading or condition report will, of necessity, be subjective." Statements made in the system "are provided for information only and should not be considered as a guarantee of any sort".
One of the most experienced graders in the trade says in writing that its grade is an opinion. Every grade you are given, ours included, is an opinion too. What separates a useful one from a worthless one is whether it explains what it rests on.
How does Buy Your Watch grade a watch, and what does each grade mean for the offer?
These are the grades on the free written report we issue after authentication. They are ours, and they are not a standard.
| Our grade | What it means, and what we look at | What it means for the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Unworn | Never worn, as it left the retailer. Factory finish intact, stickers in place, no clasp wear | Resells fastest, so the gap between our offer and retail is narrowest |
| Excellent, original | Worn lightly, never interfered with. We check case edges and lug bevels first, then dial and hands, then bracelet stretch | The grade sellers underestimate most often. An honestly worn original outranks a buffed one |
| Good, original | Visible wear from regular use, everything still original. Same checks: we are confirming nothing has been replaced | Little difference from Excellent on most references. Normal wear is not what moves our number |
| Refinished or altered | Polished, or a part not correct for the reference: softened edges, thinned lugs, a refinished dial, an aftermarket bezel | This is what actually moves the offer, and the direction is down. Removed metal cannot be put back |
| Not working, or damaged | Does not run, or has crystal, dial, case or water damage. We look at whether correct parts exist | Still bought. We service before resale and price for it, so do not pay for repairs first |
Our documented opinion as a licensed second-hand dealer and pawnbroker, licence number SHD-0017882, not a manufacturer certification: only the brand can certify one of its own watches. We will not attach a percentage to any grade: no published source supports one, and any page printing one is guessing on your behalf.
Should I have my watch polished before I sell it?
No. It is the most expensive mistake an owner can make, and the trade's paperwork shows it. Antiquorum records polishing not as one thing but as three separate remarks: 40 slightly repolished, 41 repolished with edges preserved, 42 repolished with edges altered, alongside separate remarks for a dial that has been refreshed, reprinted or replaced at service, 50, 53 and 54. That is a market tracking what has been done to a watch, not how shiny it is.
The useful part, which almost nobody tells owners, is that polishing is often optional and can be declined. Patek Philippe's published service procedure states that "the external parts of the watch are disassembled, inspected, cleaned and, if requested by the customer, polished". Rolex works the other way: each case and bracelet is "meticulously refinished to restore its lustre" as part of a complete service, covered afterwards by a two-year Rolex service guarantee. Rolex's own site refuses automated requests, so that wording comes from two Australian Rolex retailers publishing it identically, J Farren-Price and The Hour Glass, both checked on 20 August 2026.
If you want an unpolished case, say so in writing when you book the watch in, and keep any original parts handed back. Once the metal is off, nobody can put it back.
Should I service my watch before I sell it?
Usually not, and the manufacturer's own timeline settles it. Patek Philippe's published steps of servicing put a watch arriving for service or repair through a process lasting six to twelve weeks, ending with a quality control inspection that "lasts 14 days". A watch you are selling this month is not coming back this month.
The interval is also longer than most owners believe. Patek Philippe publishes it plainly: "Quartz and mechanical watches with manually wound and self-winding movements should be serviced every eight to ten years through an official Service Center or Authorized Retailer." Anyone telling you a modern watch needs servicing every three to five years is quoting nobody in particular. We buy watches that need work and price for it. Patek Philippe sends its vintage watches, "typically over 45 years old", to a restoration team whose mission is "to preserve each timepiece's original condition, both technically and aesthetically". Preservation, not renewal.
Does my watch have to keep good time to grade well?
No, and the figure people quote at us is being misapplied. The familiar minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day is a COSC chronometer criterion, and COSC certifies uncased movements against ISO 3159 before a watch is assembled or sold. Testing runs fifteen days, in five positions and at three temperatures, against seven criteria of which the average daily rate is only one.
Two things follow from COSC's own figures. Most watches were never chronometer-certified: COSC certified 2.1 million movements in 2025, which it puts at 39% of the mechanical watches Switzerland exported that year. And it now runs a second certification for the finished, cased watch, Excellence Chronometer Certified, introduced on 12 February 2026, the 50th anniversary of ISO 3159, requiring minus 2 to plus 4 seconds a day after 24 hours of simulated wear in six semi-dynamic positions, plus a 200 Gauss magnetic test and a power reserve check, across eight criteria. So a watch running outside minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day is not failing a standard. It is either due for a service, or was never certified.
Should I open the case to check the movement myself?
No. It takes a model-specific tool, the watch has to be resealed and pressure tested afterwards, and an owner who opens a case usually creates a problem the next buyer pays for. Antiquorum warns its bidders that "all water-resistant/water-proof watches have been opened and as such buyers should have the watch inspected in regards to these attribute. A watch's current state of resistance is NOT reflected in the condition report."
That applies to our report too: a condition grading is not a water-resistance certification. Looking inside the case is a job for a certified watchmaker, and it is the same job that settles authenticity, which we cover in how to tell if a Rolex is real.
Do I need the box and papers for the top grade?
No. Completeness and condition are two different things, and grading them as one is how owners talk themselves out of selling a perfectly good watch. A complete set is easier to resell and that shows up in what a buyer will pay, but a watch without box and papers is entirely normal second-hand. You need nothing beyond the watch itself to sell it, as our complete guide to selling a Rolex in Australia sets out.
How do I find out where my watch actually sits?
Have the watch looked at. That is the only honest answer, and it is why there is no percentage anywhere on this page. Grading depends on the specific reference and on what has and has not been done to it.
Buy Your Watch authenticates free of charge, in person, by certified watchmakers, with no obligation to sell. You get a written condition report and valuation, typically within 24 to 48 hours. It is not an insurance valuation, which is a separate document usually prepared by a registered valuer.
If you sell, we buy outright and pay by Osko or PayID once the watch is authenticated. If you would rather keep the watch, you can borrow against it instead, a pawn loan where ownership stays with you and the watch comes back when the loan is repaid. We have purchased more than 1,000 watches, hold ABN 85 670 502 315, and rate 4.9 from 64 Google reviews. Start with a free valuation, or compare every route in our guide to where to sell a watch in Australia and what the Australian watch market data shows. And if your watch would do better at auction, we will tell you that too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an industry standard for watch condition grading?
No, and we could not find one anywhere. eBay's condition set for Jewelry and Watches offers Pre-owned Excellent, Good and Fair; Bob's Watches uses Unworn, Excellent, Very Good, Good and Vintage, where Vintage is an age band rather than a condition; and Antiquorum uses a lettered overall grade plus a published list of 83 numbered remarks covering the case, dial, hands and movement. No two of those scales agree, none is administered by an independent body, and none expresses condition as a percentage. Antiquorum, which publishes its system in full, states in its own document that grading is "of necessity, subjective" and "should not be considered as a guarantee of any sort".
What condition grade is my watch?
Grading is a judgement about originality as much as wear, so the honest answer needs the watch in front of someone. Unpolished cases with sharp edges, an original dial and hands, and a matching bracelet grade highest with us. Visible scratches matter far less than replaced parts or a heavily polished case. Our grades are Unworn, Excellent original, Good original, Refinished or altered, and Not working or damaged, and they are ours rather than an industry standard.
Does polishing improve a watch's condition grade?
No, it usually lowers it, and the effect is permanent. Polishing removes metal and softens the case edges a specialist uses to judge originality, which is why the trade records it formally: Antiquorum has three separate remarks for it, slightly repolished, repolished with edges preserved, and repolished with edges altered. Polishing is often optional at service time. Patek Philippe's published procedure polishes external parts only "if requested by the customer", while a Rolex service refinishes case and bracelet as standard, so ask in writing for it to be left alone when you book the watch in.
Do scratches reduce what I will be offered?
Less than most sellers expect, because normal wear is priced in on a used watch. What actually moves our number is originality: a polished case, a refinished or reprinted dial, an aftermarket bezel or clasp, or parts that are not correct for the reference. We will not attach a percentage to any of it, because no published source supports one.
Should I repair or service my watch before selling it?
Usually not. A specialist buyer services and repairs before resale and prices for that work. The timeline alone answers it: Patek Philippe's published steps of servicing put a watch arriving for service or repair through a process lasting six to twelve weeks, ending with a quality control inspection that "lasts 14 days", so a watch you are selling this month is not coming back this month. Spending on repairs immediately before a sale rarely returns its cost.
How often does a luxury watch actually need servicing?
Less often than most owners are told. Patek Philippe publishes the interval plainly: "Quartz and mechanical watches with manually wound and self-winding movements should be serviced every eight to ten years through an official Service Center or Authorized Retailer." The three to five year figure that circulates online is not the manufacturer's. If you are keeping the watch, service it on the maker's schedule and decline the polish.
Does my watch have to keep accurate time to grade well?
No, and the minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day figure people quote here is being misapplied. That is a COSC chronometer criterion, and COSC tests uncased movements against ISO 3159 over fifteen days, in five positions and at three temperatures, before a watch is ever assembled or sold, against seven criteria of which the daily rate is only one. Most watches were never chronometer-certified at all: COSC certified 2.1 million movements in 2025, which it puts at 39% of the mechanical watches Switzerland exported that year. A used watch running outside that band is due for a service, not failing a standard.
What does a condition grading cost, and do I have to sell afterwards?
Nothing, and no. Buy Your Watch authenticates free of charge, in person, by certified watchmakers, with no obligation to sell. You get a written condition report and valuation, typically within 24 to 48 hours. It is our documented opinion as a licensed second-hand dealer and pawnbroker, licence number SHD-0017882, not a manufacturer certification and not an insurance valuation, which is a separate document usually prepared by a registered valuer.