Jewelry and Watch Auctions: 8 Best Sites to Buy or Sell, and How Dealers Run Their Own

Jewelry and watches sell at auction for the same reason art does: the right piece is scarce, and the price depends on who’s bidding that day. In 2019 a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime made 31 million Swiss francs (about $31 million) at Christie’s, and in 2014 Sotheby’s sold the Henry Graves Supercomplication for about $24 million. Most lots are far more ordinary: estate diamond rings, vintage Omegas, signed brooches. They sell every week online.

Here’s where they sell, what each site is good for, and what to check before you bid.

Jewelry and watch auction sites compared

Major auction houses

1. Phillips

Phillips is the name serious watch collectors watch most closely. Its watch department, run in association with Aurel Bacs and Livia Russo, holds sales in Geneva, Hong Kong and New York, and regularly sets records for vintage and independent watchmakers. Best for consigning or buying a genuinely important watch. Not the place for a $2,000 piece.

2. Christie’s

Christie’s, founded in 1766, runs major jewelry and watch sales in Geneva, New York and Hong Kong, and online-only sales with much lower estimates. The online sales are the realistic entry point for most buyers. Expect a substantial buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price, as at every major house.

3. Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s covers the same ground, with live, online and private sales of jewelry and watches across Geneva, New York, Hong Kong and other centres, and valuation services for sellers. If you’re consigning something significant, get estimates from both Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

4. Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions in Dallas is best known for collectibles but runs regular jewelry and timepiece sales at a wide range of prices. Strong for American estate jewelry and accessible luxury watches.

Watch specialists are worth knowing too. Geneva-based Antiquorum describes itself as the first auction house dedicated exclusively to timepieces and holds several sales a year.

Online marketplaces

5. Catawiki

Catawiki runs weekly online auctions curated by in-house experts, including jewelry and watches at mid-market prices. A good place to buy a vintage watch or a gold piece without paying top-house premiums, though you’re relying on the platform’s curation. See Catawiki alternatives for similar sites.

6. LiveAuctioneers

LiveAuctioneers carries catalogues from hundreds of auction houses, so it’s the best place to find estate jewelry from regional sales that never make the headlines. Quality varies by house; read the condition reports and ask questions before bidding.

7. Invaluable

Invaluable plays a similar role with strong coverage of US and European houses. Search past results here before you bid anywhere else; realised prices are the best guide to what a piece is worth.

8. eBay

eBay has the widest range of all, from costume jewelry to luxury watches, and its Authenticity Guarantee covers many higher-priced watches. The risk sits in the middle: mid-priced jewelry without independent certificates. Dedicated watch marketplaces like Chrono24 are the main fixed-price alternative.

What to check before you bid

For diamonds and coloured stones, look for an independent lab report (GIA is the most widely recognised) and match its number to the stone. For watches, ask about box and papers, service history, whether parts are original and whether the serial and reference numbers are shown. Read the condition report, then read it again: “in working order at time of cataloguing” isn’t a warranty.

Add the buyer’s premium, taxes and shipping insurance to your maximum before bidding. Our guide to buyer’s premiums explains how much that adds.

How jewelers and watch dealers run their own auctions

Estate jewelers, pawn and gold buyers, and watch dealers increasingly run auctions on their own website instead of paying marketplace fees on every piece. High-value items need more protection than a general auction site provides:

• Bidder approval, deposits or card authorization before anyone can bid on top lots.
• Private or invitation-only sales for valuable consignments.
• Escrow for high-value purchases.
• Large photo galleries and documents on each lot, such as lab reports and watch papers.
• Proxy bidding and soft close, so serious bidders aren’t sniped.
• Buy It Now for stock between auctions.

Our auction software covers that list: bidder approval and deposits, private and invitation-only bidding, sealed bids, Escrow.com for high-value items, document uploads, proxy bidding, soft close, live simulcast and Buy It Now. It runs on your own server under your brand, installed and set up by our team at no extra cost, for a one-time $899 to $2,999 with no commission. Extras such as GIA report lookups or watch reference fields are custom work, typically $1,000 to $10,000 one time, and we can build and publish your own iOS and Android app. See the auctioneer software features, or compare software for antique and fine art houses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best auction site for watches?

Phillips for important collector watches, Christie’s and Sotheby’s for top pieces and their online sales, and Catawiki or eBay for mid-market watches.

Where can I find online jewelry auctions?

Christie’s and Sotheby’s online sales, Heritage Auctions, Catawiki, and regional houses’ sales on LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable.

Is it safe to buy jewelry at online auctions?

It can be. Buy from established houses, insist on independent lab reports for important stones, read condition reports, and factor in the buyer’s premium and return policy.

How can a jeweler run their own online auctions?

With auction software on their own website that supports bidder approval, deposits, escrow and private sales, so high-value pieces sell without marketplace fees.