No pressure to begin with
There is genuinely nothing to commit to up front. A WhatsApp message with a couple of photos of your pocket watches gets you a quick indicative figure and an honest answer to any question. Whether you post anything is your call, made later.
GoldPaid has no high-street branches. It is postal-only and UK-wide, which is what keeps it lean and means you never have to travel.
What we buy, and what to photograph first
We buy pocket watches old and new. A solid gold or silver case is valued for its precious-metal content, and the gold Albert chains, T-bars and fobs that go with them are bought too. The single most useful thing you can send is a clear photo of the inside of the case back, where the hallmark usually sits, plus the dial and movement.
- Solid gold pocket watches, 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, hunter, half-hunter and open-face
- Solid silver pocket watches and fob watches
- Gold Albert chains, double Alberts, T-bars and fobs
- Broken and non-running pocket watches with solid precious-metal cases
- Rolled-gold and gold-plated cases (marked "RGP" or "Dennison"), note: little recoverable metal value
A case marked "RGP", "rolled gold" or with a Dennison patent stamp is plated, not solid, and carries little metal value. A genuine collectable or high-grade movement can sometimes be worth more to a specialist than as metal, and where that is the case we will say so rather than buy it as scrap.
The process, step by step
- Get in touch and show us. A WhatsApp photo of your pocket watches is all we need to give you an honest quick indicative figure before anything is posted.
- Get your free label. We send a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, fully tracked. If you have no printer, a QR code for the counter does the same job.
- Send it at your own pace. Wrap it in any padded envelope and hand it in at a Post Office whenever it suits you.
- See the written offer. We weigh and XRF-assay every item, then send an itemised breakdown showing exactly how the figure was reached.
- Decide. Say yes and the money is sent by Faster Payments. Say no and your items come straight back, free and insured.
Where the figure comes from
There is no guesswork in the offer. We confirm purity by XRF assay, weigh on calibrated scales, and price against the live market rate on the day. Every one of those numbers appears in the written breakdown you receive before deciding. The full method is on how we value gold.
A pocket watch sold as metal has its solid gold or silver case weighed and XRF-assayed, with the movement, glass, dial and any non-precious parts excluded from the figure. Rolled-gold and plated cases hold only a thin precious layer and little recoverable value. Where a watch carries value as a timepiece beyond its metal, that is flagged rather than absorbed.
Cover in transit
Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. The prepaid label is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: full tracking, a signature on delivery, arranged with that cover per parcel. Higher-value items are no problem, but please message us first so the cover and the packing approach match the value. Postage and insurance explains it fully.
No obligation, ever
You are free to walk away at any point before you accept. Decline the offer and everything is repacked and returned to you free of charge, fully tracked and insured. There is no assessment fee and no sales pressure afterwards. The detail is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Who this helps
This suits people with an inherited solid gold or silver pocket watch, a drawer of Albert chains and fobs, or a broken pocket watch with a precious-metal case that is not worth repairing. The photo-first check is there to point genuinely collectable pieces to the right buyer, even when that is not us.
Payment, once you accept
When you say yes to the written offer, GoldPaid pays by Faster Payments bank transfer to your nominated account. You give those details only at the point you accept, never as a condition of getting an offer.
Why this is a calmer way to sell
Three things make GoldPaid a steadier route than a counter sale. You see a measured valuation in writing, not a verbal estimate. You decide at home, with nobody waiting. And if you decline, the return is free, tracked and insured, so obtaining the valuation costs you nothing.
Common questions
Do you buy non-running pocket watches?
Yes. A non-running pocket watch can still be worth buying for a solid gold or silver case, for parts, or as a collectable piece. Send a photo of the case markings and the movement and we will tell you what we can offer.
Do you buy the Albert chain as well as the watch?
Yes. Gold Albert chains, double Alberts, T-bars and fobs are bought and valued for their metal content alongside the watch. Include them in your photo.
What if I decline the offer?
Your pocket watch is returned to you free of charge by tracked, insured Royal Mail post. There is no fee for declining and no follow-up pressure.