Why your watch is listed at CHF 14'000 on Chrono24 but may fetch CHF 12'000 from a dealer

The most common mistake is to compare price 1 with price 4, in other words a seller's asking price with the amount a dealer pays today. The CHF 2'000 in between is not simply the dealer's profit. It is spread across negotiation, selling costs, the dealer's work and risk, VAT on the margin where the dealer is registered for VAT, and the dealer's trading margin.

Step 1: What does the listing price on Chrono24 tell you?

The listing price is the price a seller is asking. On Chrono24 you see listings of watches that are for sale, and therefore asking prices. What an individual watch finally sold for is not something the listing search shows you.

There is also an effect that is easily overlooked. The listings you see on Chrono24 are, by their nature, the watches that have not sold yet. A seller who lists at a keen price often sells sooner and drops out of the search. What stays visible tends to be the listings still waiting for a buyer.

That does not mean listings are generally overpriced. Some have just gone online, others are fairly priced. But it does mean that ‘nothing below CHF 14'000’ tells you that nobody on Chrono24 is offering one for less at the moment. It does not tell you that anyone has paid CHF 14'000. The same applies to listings on Ricardo or Tutti.

Chrono24 is a useful guide to current asking prices. For many models the platform also shows market prices and price histories which, according to Chrono24, are based on sales and listing data. There is also the ChronoPulse, an index that Chrono24 says is based on actual selling prices and tracks whole brands and model groups. All of these are market prices from the buyer's point of view. Comparing listings is not enough, however, to establish what a dealer will actually pay for your watch.

Step 2: How does CHF 14'000 become a selling price of CHF 13'500?

Many listings accept price proposals. Buyers can offer a lower price, and sellers can accept, decline or make a counter-offer. The listing price is therefore often the starting point of a negotiation, and not necessarily the price at which the watch changes hands.

In the example, buyer and seller agree on CHF 13'500. The difference of CHF 500 is an assumption for the example, not a rule. Sometimes the discount is larger, sometimes there is none at all. We are not aware of any reliable public statistics on average discounts.

Step 3: Why don't you receive the full selling price?

Because the sale itself costs money. Depending on the platform and the way you sell, three items are deducted from the selling price:

1. Seller's commission: The platform keeps a share of the selling price.
2. Payment processing: Secure payment, for example through an escrow service, may carry fees unless they are already included in the commission.
3. Insured shipping: A watch in this price range has to go out insured and with tracking, which costs more than an ordinary parcel.

In the worked example these costs add up to around CHF 800, roughly 6 per cent of the selling price. That leaves around CHF 12'700 of the CHF 13'500. These costs are a flat assumption and do not reflect the fees of any particular platform. In practice they can be higher or lower. The result is the net proceeds, the amount that actually reaches your account.

For context, as of September 2026: Chrono24 charges private sellers a commission of 6.5 per cent of the selling price, which is deducted when the proceeds are paid out from its escrow account. On CHF 13'500 that is around CHF 880, before shipping. For Chrono24, the CHF 800 in the example is therefore too low. On Ricardo the commission for watches is 11 per cent, capped at CHF 290, and Tutti charges no commission, so more of the selling price remains there. However, Ricardo's buyer protection (Käuferschutz+) only applies to selling prices below CHF 5'000, so not to an amount like this.

The example does not include a possible return. If a buyer sends the watch back, you may face shipping costs again, and the watch is back on the market.

To be candid, selling the watch yourself can bring in more than selling to a dealer. In the example it is around CHF 12'700 instead of CHF 12'000. In return you take care of the photos, the listing, the enquiries, the negotiation and the shipping, you carry the risk of fraud attempts, and you do not know when a buyer will come along.

Step 4: Why does a dealer have to buy below the selling price?

A dealer who later lists your watch at CHF 14'000 does not automatically receive CHF 14'000. Steps 2 and 3 apply to the dealer just as much. There is negotiation with buyers, and on Chrono24, for instance, dealers pay a monthly base fee plus a commission on each sale. On top of that come tasks and risks that a private seller does not face in the same way:

1. Tied-up capital: The dealer pays you today. Weeks or months often pass before the watch is sold.
2. Inspection: Authenticity, the condition of the movement and completeness have to be checked by an expert.
3. Reconditioning: Depending on the findings, the watch needs a service or refurbishment.
4. Marketing and sale: Photos, listings, advice, shipping and handling all cost time and money.
5. Price risk: If market prices fall while the watch is in stock, the dealer bears the loss.
6. Obligations on resale: These include the guarantee or warranty the dealer gives the buyer and, as a rule, VAT on the margin.

VAT makes the example concrete. When a VAT-registered dealer buys a watch from a private seller, VAT is in effect due only on the difference between the buying and the selling price: through the notional input tax deduction or, for precious-metal watches with a collector's value, under margin taxation. The standard rate has been 8.1 per cent since 2024 and is included in that difference. If the dealer also sells the watch for CHF 13'500, the gap between purchase and sale is CHF 1'500, not CHF 2'000. Of that, around CHF 110 goes to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration, namely 8.1/108.1 of the difference (see Art. 28a VAT Act on notional input tax and FTA, VAT Info 07, section 1.6, in German on margin taxation).

If you assume selling costs of around CHF 800 for the dealer too, as in the private sale, just under CHF 600 remains. Out of that the dealer has to cover inspection, the warranty, tied-up capital and price risk. Whatever is left after that is the trading margin. If the watch also needs a service, that amount is not enough, and the offer will be correspondingly lower.

Does the dealer make money on your watch?

Yes. A dealer earns money on the resale, because that is the business. The trading margin is not a hidden deduction. It is the return for paying at once, tying up capital, inspecting and marketing the watch, carrying the sales risk and handling the sale professionally.

When you sell to a dealer, these are exactly the tasks you hand over. You receive your money at handover, and the dealer takes care of the weeks or months that follow. No dealer could keep making offers with no margin at all.

What is the right figure to compare your offer with?

The right question is not ‘How far is the offer below the listing?’ It is ‘What would I be left with if I sold the watch myself, and what would that cost me?’ Asked that way, the difference in the example is not CHF 2'000 but around CHF 700.

Whether the roughly CHF 700 is worth the effort and risk to you is a personal decision. Both routes are legitimate. What matters is that you compare the right figures. The pros and cons of every route are set out in the comparison of dealer, Chrono24, auction and private sale.

How do you find out what a dealer will actually pay for your watch?

The people who know the buying price are the ones who would actually buy the watch. The most reliable guide is therefore a binding offer, ideally compared across several dealers, because dealers calculate differently depending on their stock, their clientele and demand.

At Uhrenkontor, over 25 partner dealers in Switzerland assess your watch from its description and photos. You receive the highest bid within 12 hours on working days as a binding offer, free of charge. It is subject to the watch matching its description when it is inspected. Handover takes place in person in Switzerland, and payment is made in cash, by bank transfer or by Twint once the watch has been inspected. The process is described on How it works. Preparation and documents are covered in the guide to selling a watch in Switzerland.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Chrono24 price the market value of my watch?

Not in the sense of what a dealer will pay. A listing shows what a seller is asking. What buyers actually pay can be lower, and what a dealer can pay is usually lower still. Chrono24 is a useful guide to current asking prices, but it does not replace a binding offer from a dealer.

Why can't I find cheaper listings on Chrono24?

Keenly priced watches often sell quickly and then drop out of the search. What stays visible are mainly the watches still waiting for a buyer. If there is no listing below a certain amount, nobody there is offering one for less right now. It does not mean buyers have actually paid that amount.

Does the dealer keep the whole difference between listing and offer?

No. Between the listing price and the dealer's buying price lie the negotiation on resale, platform and shipping costs, inspection and any service, tied-up capital, the risk of falling prices, the guarantee or warranty towards the buyer and, for VAT-registered dealers, VAT on the margin. Only what remains after all that is the trading margin.

Why are the net proceeds lower than the selling price?

Because selling through a platform costs money. The platform's commission, any payment processing fees and the cost of insured shipping are all deducted from the amount the buyer pays. In the worked example they add up to around CHF 800, so around CHF 12'700 of the CHF 13'500 reaches you. How high the costs actually are depends on the platform and the way you sell.

Can I get more by selling privately than by selling to a dealer?

Yes, that is possible. In the worked example, around CHF 12'700 remains after selling costs, compared with CHF 12'000 from the dealer. In return you handle the listing, enquiries, negotiation and shipping and carry the risk of fraud attempts. You also do not know when a buyer will appear or whether market prices will hold until then.

Does a dealer have to pay VAT when reselling a watch?

Usually yes, provided the dealer is registered for VAT. For a watch bought from a private seller, VAT is in effect due only on the dealer's margin, via the notional input tax deduction or, for precious-metal collector's watches, the margin scheme. The standard rate of 8.1 per cent is included in that margin. Private individuals selling their own watch pay no VAT.

How do I find out what a dealer will actually pay for my watch?

Most reliably through a binding offer from dealers who would actually buy the watch. Listings and market prices give you a guide but are no substitute for a bid. At Uhrenkontor over 25 partner dealers assess your watch, and you receive the highest bid within 12 hours on working days, free of charge and without obligation for you.