No pressure to begin with
There is genuinely nothing to commit to up front. A WhatsApp message with a couple of photos of your TAG Heuer and Heuer 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 a TAG Heuer is worth to a gold buyer, honestly
Most TAG Heuers contain no precious metal at all. A Carrera, an Aquaracer or a Formula 1 in stainless steel has no gold floor under it, so a buyer who prices watches by case weight has nothing sensible to say about one. That is why this page starts with a plain statement: a TAG Heuer sold here gets a resale assessment as a complete watch, on model, condition and market, not a scrap calculation. The gold-coloured parts of a two-tone TAG Heuer are almost always plating over steel, holding very little recoverable metal, and solid 18ct cases are genuinely rare. Where one does turn up, marked 750 inside the case back, the metal is weighed and XRF-assayed as well, so the written offer shows both figures.
- Modern TAG Heuer: Carrera, Monaco, Aquaracer, Formula 1 and Link, working or not
- Vintage pre-1985 Heuer chronographs: Carrera, Monaco, Autavia, Camaro and Monza
- Heuer stopwatches and dashboard timers from the same era
- Two-tone and gold-plated TAG Heuers, note: little recoverable metal value
- The rare solid 18ct gold cases, weighed and XRF-assayed alongside the resale figure
- Watches with no box and no papers, and non-running watches
Heuer and TAG Heuer are not the same market
Heuer was a Swiss chronograph specialist from 1860. In 1985 the TAG group bought a majority of the company and the dials changed from the plain Heuer shield to the TAG Heuer name. That date splits this page in two, because the watches either side of it sell into different markets, and a buyer who treats them as one brand is telling you something about how carefully your watch will be looked at.
A pre-1985 Heuer chronograph, a Carrera, a Monaco, an Autavia, a Camaro, is a collector piece. The square-cased Monaco of 1969 carried one of the first automatic chronograph movements, and worn, non-running examples of these watches still find serious buyers. If your dial reads Heuer alone, without TAG, do not clean the dial, do not polish the case and do not have it serviced before selling; originality is most of the value, and none of those steps can be undone.
A modern TAG Heuer is a different proposition: a well-made steel watch with a steady second-hand market. Common quartz models such as the Formula 1 and the smaller Aquaracers resell for modest sums, and we say so plainly rather than dressing it up. The reference engraved on the case back, together with a photo of the dial, tells us which of these watches you have before anything is posted.
What honestly moves the figure
- Model and reference. A vintage Autavia or Monaco sits in a different market from a recent quartz Formula 1, and the case-back reference identifies which you have.
- Originality on vintage Heuer. An original dial, hands and bezel count for more than tidy replacements, and an unpolished case with crisp edges carries a premium.
- Condition and working order. A stopped quartz watch is often just a flat battery; a stopped mechanical one is usually a service matter. Both reduce a figure, rarely to nothing.
- Box, papers and service records. They help and can lift the figure, but they are not a requirement.
- The second-hand watch market on the day. Resale prices move, and any offer reflects the day it is made.
The full process, start to finish
- Ask, then send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with a few clear photos of your a TAG Heuer or Heuer watch. Lay items flat, in daylight if you can, and include any hallmarks or carat stamps in shot. We reply with a quick indicative figure and answer anything you want to ask. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Request the prepaid label. When you are ready, we email a free Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label, tracked and signed for. No printer is needed: ask for a QR code and the Post Office counter prints it for you.
- Pack and post, tracked. Wrap items in any padded envelope or a small box and attach the label. Hand the parcel in over the Post Office counter so you get a receipt with the tracking number. Keep that receipt. There is no deadline.
- We weigh, test and value. On arrival each item is weighed on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry to confirm purity. You receive a written, itemised offer showing the weight, the purity, the rate used and the figure for each item, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer on Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, insured post. The choice is entirely yours, and you do not need to give a reason.
New to posting valuables? Read the flagship guide on selling gold by post in the UK for a fuller walk-through of every step.
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 TAG Heuer or Heuer is normally valued as a complete watch, on model and reference, condition, originality and whether it runs, against the second-hand market on the day. In the rare case of a solid 18ct gold case, the metal is also weighed and XRF-assayed, with the movement, glass and steel parts excluded, and the written offer shows both figures so you can see which route the value takes.
Identification and ownership checks
Watches attract firmer checks than scrap gold, because a branded watch is the kind of item that can be stolen and moved on. Payment is only made after we have photographic ID, proof of address and your written confirmation that the watch is yours to sell, and the serial number of every branded watch that arrives here is recorded. Where a watch has been inherited we will ask how it came to you; where you are acting for an estate we may ask for the grant of probate or a letter from the executor.
A watch whose ownership cannot be established is not bought. It goes back to you by tracked post, without charge and without accusation, because these checks exist to protect honest sellers, not to catch them out.
Getting it here safely
Your parcel is covered by Royal Mail Special Delivery, with cover available up to £2,500 depending on the cover level used. We post you a Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label: tracked end to end, signed for, and arranged with that cover per parcel. If your items are worth more, the rule is simple, message us before posting and we will sort the right approach. There is more on postage and insurance.
If the offer is not for you
Then nothing happens except a free return. We send your items back by tracked, insured post at our cost, with no fee for declining and no follow-up. A valuation is only worth having if you can turn it down freely, so you can. See what happens if I decline the offer.
How payment reaches you
Accept the offer and the money is sent by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, straight to the bank account you provide. There are no cheques, no delays of that kind, and no strings.
The proof, not the promise
Anyone can say "best price". GoldPaid does not. Instead the process is laid bare: a measured XRF assay, calibrated weighing, the live market rate, and a written breakdown you read at home before you commit to anything. The reassurance here is structural, built into how the service works, rather than asserted in a slogan.
Common questions
Can I sell a TAG Heuer without the box and papers?
Yes. Most watches we see arrive without either. A full set helps the figure on a collectable piece but it is not a requirement. We will still need the serial number, photographic ID and your written confirmation that the watch is yours to sell.
My watch says Heuer, not TAG Heuer. Is that worth more?
Often, yes. A dial reading Heuer alone usually dates the watch before 1985, when the TAG group took over, and pre-1985 Heuer chronographs such as the Carrera, Monaco and Autavia have a genuine collector market. Do not polish the case or have the dial cleaned; originality carries most of the value. Send photos before doing anything else.
Is my gold-coloured TAG Heuer solid gold?
Usually not. The gold-coloured parts of most two-tone TAG Heuers are plating over steel, which holds very little recoverable metal. Solid 18ct cases exist but are rare, and they carry a 750 mark inside the case back. A photo of the case back tells us which you have, and either way the watch is still assessed on its resale value.
Do you buy TAG Heuers that do not work?
Yes. A stopped quartz watch is often only a flat battery, and a stopped mechanical movement is usually a service matter rather than a fault. A non-runner is worth less than a runner, but rarely nothing, and a non-running vintage Heuer chronograph can still be a valuable watch. Send a photo and you will get a straight answer.
What if I decline the offer?
Your 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.