Ask before you post, always
You never have to commit to anything to start. Message us on WhatsApp or call, tell us roughly what you have, and send a few clear photos for a quick indicative figure. Nothing leaves your hands until you decide it should, and there is no obligation even then.
GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service. Wherever you are, you sell gold and silver watches by post with a free tracked Royal Mail label. There is no shop to visit and no counter pressure.
What we buy, and why you should ask first
We buy watches old and new. Solid gold and silver cases are valued for their precious-metal content, along with gold watch chains and Alberts. Vintage, branded and modern watches are assessed individually as timepieces, and we make you a no-obligation offer. We stay honest: for some high-end or collectable watches a specialist may pay more, and where that is the case we will tell you rather than buy it as scrap. Omega has enough of its own quirks to warrant a separate page: sell an Omega watch. Steel and gold-plated watches are the other common case, and they usually have no metal value at all, which is covered honestly further down this page.
That is exactly why every watch should start with a photo. Send a clear photo of the watch, the dial and any case-back markings on WhatsApp before posting. We will give you an honest steer and an indication of what we can offer.
- Vintage and antique watches, wristwatches and pocket watches
- Branded and modern watches, working or not
- Solid gold watch cases, 9ct, 14ct, 18ct
- Solid silver watch cases and fob watches
- Gold watch chains, Alberts and fobs
- Broken and non-running watches
- Gold-filled and plated watches, note: little recoverable metal value
Are old Seiko and non-precious-metal watches worth selling?
This is the question we are asked most about watches, so here is the straight answer before anything else. GoldPaid pays for confirmed gold and silver content. A steel watch contains neither, so there is nothing for us to weigh and no offer we could honestly make on the metal. That holds well beyond Seiko: Citizen, Casio, Sekonda, Accurist, Rotary, Limit, Lorus, Pulsar and most modern fashion watches are steel or base metal. Posting one to a precious-metal buyer costs you a trip to the Post Office and earns you nothing. We would rather say so on the page than in an email after the parcel has arrived.
The case-back usually settles it in plain English, and one clear photograph of it is enough for us to answer.
| What the case-back says | What it means | Metal value to a gold buyer |
|---|---|---|
| STAINLESS STEEL | The whole case is steel. By far the most common Seiko case | None |
| BASE METAL BEZEL, STAINLESS STEEL BACK | A plated base-metal front with a steel back | None |
| SGP | Seiko gold plating, a thin electroplated layer over base metal | Negligible, not bought for metal |
| GOLD FILLED, RGP, 10K RGP, rolled gold | A bonded gold layer, thicker than plating but still a skin | Little recoverable, not bought for metal |
| CAP GOLD, gold cap | A shaped gold shell over a steel case, thicker again | Small, looked at case by case |
| 750, 585, 375, 18K, 14K, 9ct | A solid gold case. Uncommon on Seiko, normal on older Swiss and English watches | Yes, weighed and XRF-assayed |
| 925, STERLING, or a British hallmark | A solid silver case. Rare on Seiko, usual on Victorian and Edwardian fob watches | Yes, weighed and XRF-assayed |
The same reading works on any make. It is the marking on the case, not the name on the dial, that decides whether there is metal to pay for. For older cases specifically, the hallmark section on sell pocket watches goes through the British marks in more detail.
The collector exceptions, which matter far more than the metal
A watch with no metal value whatsoever can still be worth real money as a watch, and Seiko is the brand where that gap is widest, because the cases were cheap and some of the references are now seriously collected. These are the ones worth a proper look before anything else happens to them:
- Grand Seiko and King Seiko. Read the dial under the 12: "Grand Seiko", "GS", "King Seiko" or "KS". These are the in-house high-end lines and they are worth many times an everyday Seiko of the same age.
- Credor. Seiko’s luxury line, and the one place solid 18ct gold Seiko cases genuinely turn up.
- The 1960s and 1970s mechanical divers, references 6105 and 6309. The quick tell is a screw-down crown at 4 o’clock rather than 3 o’clock.
- The 6138 and 6139 automatic chronographs. A 6139 was worn in orbit on Skylab in 1973, which the Seiko Museum Ginza records as the first automatic chronograph in space. Collector demand has followed.
- First-generation Seiko 5 automatics from the 1960s. They look much like the 1990s ones and are worth noticeably more.
- Early quartz, the 1969 Astron and the 35SQ. Historically significant rather than ordinary quartz watches.
- Anything with a solid gold or solid silver case, whatever the name on the dial.
There is a longer Seiko reference on the site, written for charity shop teams but just as usable at a kitchen table: the vintage Seiko guide. For other makes, sell vintage watches covers the same reasoning.
What to photograph so we can answer quickly
Three photographs answer almost every watch question. Daylight, no flash, the watch on a plain surface, and close enough that the small print is readable when you zoom in.
- The dial, straight on. Close enough to read the maker and any wording beneath it. On a Seiko the words that change the answer are "Grand Seiko", "King Seiko", "Credor", "Automatic", "Chronometer" or "5".
- The whole case-back. This is the important one. A Seiko case-back carries a reference in two parts, a movement code, a dash, then a case code, such as 6309-7040, plus a separate six-digit serial number. Together those identify the model and its production month.
- Any metal wording on that case-back. Stainless steel, base metal, SGP, gold filled, cap gold, or a fineness number such as 750 or 375. That one line decides whether there is anything to weigh.
- The edges of the case and the undersides of the lugs, if you can manage it. Plating worn through shows duller base metal at the corners, and a gold cap case shows steel beneath the lugs.
- The clasp or buckle, and anything that came with it. Marks are often stamped on a clasp, and a box, papers, receipt or service tag all add to the read.
Please do not polish it, do not open the case, and do not force a seized crown or winder. Original surface and original parts are a large part of what a collector pays for, and a watch tidied up for sale is usually worth less than the same watch left alone.
Send the photos on WhatsApp to 07944 014111 and you will get an honest read, including the frequent answer that a watch is not worth the postage. That answer costs you nothing, and it is the reason this section is on the page.
How selling works here
- Start on WhatsApp. A couple of clear photos of your gold and silver watches are enough for us to give you a quick indicative figure at no charge.
- Claim your free postage. We issue a prepaid, tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery label, or a QR code for the Post Office.
- Post in your own time. Any padded envelope works, and there is no deadline to meet.
- Get a written valuation. Each item is weighed on calibrated scales and read by XRF spectrometry, and the itemised offer is sent to you in writing, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Accept or walk away. Acceptance means payment by Faster Payments; declining means a free, fully tracked return.
Valued on fact, not estimate
Your valuation rests on three things we can measure. An XRF assay confirms the purity, a calibrated scale records the weight, and the live precious-metal rate on the day sets the price. It is all shown to you in writing first. XRF testing explained covers how the assay works.
For a watch sold as metal, the solid gold or silver case is weighed and XRF-assayed, and non-precious components, movement, glass, gold-plated or steel parts, are excluded from the figure. Gold-filled and plated cases have only a thin precious layer and little recoverable value. Where a watch appears to carry value as a timepiece beyond its metal, we will flag it rather than absorb it.
Postage and cover
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. The label we send is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: tracked end to end, signed for on delivery, and arranged with that compensation cover per parcel. If you believe your items are worth more, message us before posting. We will arrange the right approach, either extra cover or splitting the items across more than one parcel. Full detail is on postage and cover, and is it safe to post gold? walks through posting valuables safely.
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 signed for. 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 page is for a solid gold or silver pocket or fob watch, with or without the chain it came on, and for a broken one where a repair would cost more than the watch is worth. The case is weighed and assayed with the movement, glass, crown and steel parts left out of the figure, so a watch that no longer runs is valued on the same basis as one that does. If a piece looks branded or collectable, the photo check points you to the right buyer, and sometimes that buyer is not us.
The payment step
Acceptance triggers payment: a direct bank transfer by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, to the account you give us. Nothing to bank and nothing to chase.
Built to be trusted, not just believed
- Owner-run, with founder Rocco Clayfield personally accountable for the service
- Every item XRF-assayed, the result shown to you in writing
- Free tracked postage both ways, so a valuation is genuinely no-obligation
- Honest about its limits, including when a specialist would suit you better
- No fabricated reviews and no invented numbers, anywhere on the site
Common questions
Do you buy broken or non-running watches?
Yes. A non-running watch can still be worth buying, whether for a solid gold or silver case, for parts, or as a vintage piece. Send a photo and we will tell you what we can offer.
What about gold-plated or gold-filled watches?
Gold-plated and gold-filled cases have only a thin precious layer with little recoverable value. Send a photo of the markings first and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth posting.
Is my old Seiko worth anything?
For metal, usually nothing. Almost every Seiko has a stainless steel, gold-plated (marked SGP) or base-metal case, and none of those carry a melt value. As a watch, some Seikos are worth a great deal: Grand Seiko and King Seiko, Credor, the 6105 and 6309 divers, the 6138 and 6139 chronographs, 1960s Seiko 5 automatics and the earliest quartz. Send a photo of the dial and the case-back on WhatsApp and we will tell you which of those you have, at no cost and with no obligation.
How do I tell whether a watch case is really gold?
Read the case-back rather than the dial. "Stainless steel" or "base metal" means there is no precious metal at all. "SGP", "gold filled", "RGP" or "rolled gold" means a thin gold layer over base metal, with little or nothing recoverable. A fineness number such as 750, 585, 375, 18K or 9ct means a solid gold case, and 925 or a British hallmark means solid silver. Those are the only two that carry metal value. Photograph the case-back and we will read it for you.
Do you buy stainless steel watches at all?
Not for metal, because steel has no bullion value. We do buy some steel watches as timepieces where the model has genuine resale demand, such as a vintage Seiko diver or a steel Rolex, Omega or TAG Heuer. Ordinary steel quartz watches from Sekonda, Accurist, Lorus, Casio, Citizen and similar makes are not worth posting to us, and we will say so plainly if you ask first.
What photos do you need before I post a watch?
Three usually do it: the dial straight on, the whole case-back in focus, and any wording on the case-back about the metal. Add the edges of the case and the lugs if you can, plus the clasp and anything that came with it, such as a box, papers or a service receipt. Daylight, no flash, and close enough to zoom in on the small print. Do not polish the watch or open the case first.
What if I decline the offer?
Your watch is returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail post. There is no fee for declining and no follow-up pressure.
Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label
Tell us where to send it. The label arrives by email, usually within about 30 minutes during working hours. Requesting one commits you to nothing: you get a written offer after the XRF assay, and if you decline, your items come back to you free.
Would you rather ask a question first, or send a photo? Message us on WhatsApp . It is the fastest way to get a sense of what something is worth before you post anything.
Related pages
- Sell a Breitling watch
- Sell a Rolex or Tudor
- Sell an Omega watch
- Sell pocket watches
- Sell vintage watches
- Sell Cartier jewellery, watches & lighters
- Watches, coins, medals & stamps (hub)
- How to sell gold watches by post
- Vintage Seiko guide
- Sell gold by post UK
- Sell coin collections
- Sell medals & medallions
- What we buy
- How we value gold
- Gold price today, UK rates
- Silver price today, UK rates
- UK gold hallmark guide
- Selling antique gold in the UK
- Sell 24ct gold
- Sell broken gold chains