Swiss automatics bought the way a jeweler buys them: opened, checked, weighed and priced against what they actually resell for. Here is what is available, what we look at before we buy a watch, and what you should look at before you buy one from anybody.
We are jewelers first, and it shows in the kind of watch we buy. We look for solid gold cases, Swiss automatic movements, honest dials and, wherever it exists, the original box and paperwork. We are not interested in a watch that only looks the part — a plated case with a worn-through lug is worth almost nothing, and we will say so rather than list it.
Pre-owned is where the value is in watches, for the same reason it is in jewelry. A watch loses most of its retail markup the moment it leaves the boutique, and after that a well-kept piece holds its level. Buying at the second price instead of the first is the whole point. What we sell has already taken that hit.
If you are after a brand-new timepiece rather than an estate one, that is a different business: Bizak & Co. luxury watches. And if you already own a watch and want to know what it is worth, we write written appraisals for insurance and estate purposes.
One at a time, and gone when it sells.
Solid 18k rose gold case (AU750 struck on the back), Swiss automatic, reference M0A10059, 39 mm, chocolate dial, leather strap. Supplied with its box and its International Guarantee Certificate from 2013. View details →
Swiss automatic chronograph in stainless steel — silver guilloché dial, date window, leather strap, original box. Examined and tested before listing. View details →
The case in Miami usually holds more than the website does — watches move quickly and not everything gets photographed. If you are looking for a particular model, tell us on WhatsApp or join the private sourcing list, and we will look for it through the trade.
The long version, with more on authentication and value, is in the vintage watch buying guide.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Case metal | Solid gold carries a floor value in the metal itself; steel does not, so a steel watch is priced almost entirely on desirability and condition. |
| Movement | An in-house or well-regarded Swiss automatic is worth more than a generic one, and a serviced movement is worth more than an untested one. |
| Box and papers | A complete set with a dated guarantee card reliably sells for more than a bare watch of the same reference. |
| Originality | Original dial, hands and crown. Replaced parts are normal on old watches but they must be disclosed and they affect the number. |
| Condition | Sharp, unpolished cases and clean crystals sell; heavy polishing and deep dial damage take a watch out of collector territory. |
The case is tested against its stamp rather than taken on trust. A watch described here as solid gold has been checked as solid gold.
The movement is run before listing, the crown and pushers are worked, and anything that does not behave is either serviced or disclosed.
Wear is photographed, not hidden. Where a watch has papers, the papers are photographed too — with the serial number masked, for the buyer’s security as much as ours.
More on how we verify what we sell is on the authenticity page. Watches ship fully insured by FedEx, with the shipment covered by a jewelers policy through IFS.
In the trade, pre-owned simply means somebody owned it before you — it may be a few years old. Vintage usually means a few decades old, where the design belongs to a recognisable period. Both are estate; the difference is age, not quality.
It has one advantage no steel watch has: the metal itself carries a floor value, so the watch cannot fall below what the gold is worth. Above that floor, the same things decide the price as for any watch — movement, condition, originality and papers.
Where they exist, yes, and the listing says so plainly. When a watch has no papers we say that too, and the price reflects it. We never describe a set as complete when it is not.
Assume any older automatic will want a service at some point — it is normal maintenance, not a fault. Ask us about a specific watch and we will tell you what we know about its history.
Yes. Strap changes and bracelet sizing are ordinary bench work, and our repair side, BizakAid, handles watch work including batteries, bracelet fitting, crystals and movement service.
Yes — we buy as well as sell. Send the details through sell.bizakco.com and you will get a valuation rather than a blind melt price.
By appointment in Miami, at the Seybold Building in the downtown diamond district. Message us on WhatsApp to arrange it.
Tell us the model, the era and the budget. We look through the Miami trade every week, and members of the sourcing list hear first.