A sublime timepiece is a must-have for any confident and fashionable person. A designer’s watch is a wardrobe necessity and for vintage watch collectors, it is an asset for you to add to your investment portfolio. Regardless of the reason you want to buy a watch, the fact remains that you need a good place to shop online, somewhere you can get the value for your money, whether you are searching for the most expensive watches or affordable watches. Well, you are in the right place!
Have you ever tried shopping online for a watch and after a few minutes (maybe hours!) of searching for the right website to make your purchase, you just bailout?
Yes, you probably put down your phone and look for something else to do or maybe you really needed to buy one (perhaps, you had to attend a sister’s wedding the next month and you suddenly realize that your old watch could use a friend) so you drive down to a good ol’ brick and mortar store instead. The chances are one day you bought a watch online and when it got delivered it looked nothing like what you saw on the seller’s site, so much for, “what you see is what you get”.
We know it can be very frustrating when you are trying to determine which online watch store is legitimate and sells the good stuff. This is why we made this list, we did thorough research on each of the online stores and checked their ratings, warranty, the type of seller they are etc. Because like you we enjoy the convenience of being able to buy stuff (whether it’s a new watch or a box of 2B pencils) from the comfort of our bed or workspace chair and not have to worry.
It’s always best that you know the type of online watch seller you are dealing with, they determine the price of the goods. We discussed more them at the bottom of this page. If you really want to buy watches online, you need to know the type of watch seller you are working with or ought to work with.
Basically, there are four major types of online watch seller:
- Brands or Manufacturers Selling Direct (by using Ecommerce).
- Omni-channel Retailers.
- Authorized Third Party Dealers.
- Resellers.
Scroll down (past the list) for more details.
Now to the list, *drum rolls*
15 Best Watch Stores Online:
1). Amazon
There is no way we can curate a list of the best stores to purchase watches without having Amazon on it (and you know this!). You will find several watch brands and their different rates (usually very reasonable).
Their website is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate too. Amazon makes it very easy to search for watches. Just click departments and head straight for the Men’s and Women’s fashion category then watches appear. (See? Easy as a pie!)
Ratings.
2.5 Of 5 on Trust Pilot, with a total of 10,707 reviews.
Type of Seller.
Amazon is a marketplace, where you can find all types of sellers, Amazon itself and other third-party sellers, ranging from the watch company to other sellers (some who are shady and looking to scam the ignorant).
How to Tell the Difference.
When you buy something from Amazon and they are the seller, the product will say, “Shipped and sold by Amazon.com”.
A lot of brands like Invicta, Michael Kors, Casio, Fossil etc. also sell directly on Amazon and have their own storefront.
Aside from buying directly from Amazon or these brands storefronts, you could purchase your watch from other sellers but you have to tread carefully here.
You know the saying, “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably isn’t”, well same goes for buying a watch online. Make sure you CHECK who the seller is, also view other sellers.
Warranty.
Since Amazon is a marketplace for all kinds of sellers, the policies definitely differ (remember, different types of seller). So, if you plan to buy an expensive watch, its best you shop through a dealer or other dependable watch sellers.
2). Ashford
Ashford is an American retailer watch company where you can buy brand new watches or pre-owned watches. The pre-owned watches are certified and sell at a discounted price. When you buy a watch on Ashford, your watch is shipped in their original box with the original package and owner’s guide.
Also, they offer a very impressive selection of watch brands at a usually decent price.
Their site’s best feature is that it’s very easy to search for a watch as there are many filters to choose from. Also, they have a section for products that are currently on sale and for weekly deals.
Type of Seller.
Ashford is one of the ‘tried and trusted’ site that offers you the best and most luxurious authorized watches. They are the authorized dealer of some watch brands and non-authorized seller of several brands. Sort of like a legitimate secondhand company, that allows you to buy the same watch but at a better price compared to the manufacturer’s company.
Fun fact: Ashford is one of the pioneers of the use of the web for sales of watches.
Ratings.
4.4 out of 5, 848 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
Ashford offers you a two-year warranty for brand new watches and one-year warranty for pre-owned watches.
3). Alibaba
Alibaba is one of the retail juggernaut in the e-commerce industry, a famous marketplace where you can buy all kinds of watches, ranging from premium micro brand watches to fine fashion watches and they are sold by certified suppliers.
You can find over two million watch samples for sale on their site. Do you want to know how to get the best deals on a watch sale on Alibaba?
Two words…
Wholesale purchase! Whenever you buy watches in bulk quantity you get them at a discounted price (sometimes at a very ridiculously low one) and you can sell the watches at your own retail store (or wear it all at once).
We all have a particular feature that we search for in an online store or supplier before deciding to buy anything from them. Whether it’s “excellent service”, “speed delivery” or “personalized customer service”, and it could be extremely frustrating to choose the “perfect” supplier from an online marketplace, because there are so many of them!
Well, Alibaba to the rescue! There is a highlighted spot below the portion where the price of the watch is stated. The highlight shows you the supplier’s strong point and the number of consumers who have purchased from the same supplier and agree with it. For example, “excellent service” (32).
Type of Seller.
Alibaba is a marketplace that allows you to communicate with manufacturers and third party authorized dealers directly.
Ratings.
4.6 Out of 5, 12,305 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
(1-13) years. It varies from one supplier to another, you could contact the supplier when you have chosen the watch brand you want to purchase if it doesn’t already state the warranty terms.
4). Troverie
Troverie is site where you can buy luxury watches through an accessible online platform. If you are buying a watch for the first time, or just a collector of aesthetically appealing timepieces or may be, you are looking for the perfect watch to give as a gift, then Troverie is your man! (Uh, I mean site!). Every watch sold on Troverie is brand new, 100% authentic and comes with a manufacturer’s warranty.
If you enjoy going to a brick and mortar store because of the personalized watch buying experience you get, you definitely have to try Troverie. When you buy a watch on their website, you pick it up at a local watch store that has been approved by the respective watch manufacturer to sell its products. You could also have it shipped to you.
Type of Seller.
Omni-channel retailer.
(Troverie’s mode of selling is quite unique. They are like a trustworthy middleman between online shoppers and luxury watch brands, they also partner with brick and mortar retailers and manufacturers in the US.)
Fun facts: Troverie doesn’t have a physical presence or any stock at all.
Rating.
5 Out of 5, 36 reviews on Google review summary.
Warranty.
Every watch sold on the site comes with the manufacturer’s warranty.
5). Jomashop
This is a Brooklyn based online store for watches where you can buy both brand new watches and pre-owned watches at affordable prices. Jomashop is a grey market (no, ‘grey’ here is not synonym for ‘shady’) and they get their watches from third-party authorized dealer.
“A grey market is an online or brick and mortar store that sells watches for a price that is significantly less than a brand’s authorized dealer or boutique.”
You can buy both brand new watches and pre-owned watches at affordable rates (for both wholesale and retail). Jomashop has been able to successfully build a good reputation among watch enthusiasts as a dependable and genuine online seller.
If you have a watch you want to sell, you can do so easily on Jomashop. Checkout their trade-in/ trade-up service where you can get an estimate on your pre-owned watch, ship it to them, then add the credit to a purchase of over $1000.
Type of Seller.
Reseller.
Rating.
4.3 Out of 5, 16,103 reviews on TrustPilot.
Warranty.
1-5 years.
6). Govberg
This is an online retail store based in Philadelphia. Govberg’s brick and mortar store has been online for over 100 years and this means you are dealing with well-seasoned specialist in top-notch horology.
Govberg is involved in buying and selling brand new, pre-owned and vintage watches. If you are searching for expensive watches (we are talking $$$$) by famous brands, search no further. You have no less than 40 watch brands to choose from when shopping for watches on their site and they have a long list of big brands in Swiss watchmaking with whom they do business.
Okay, okay let’s head to the cool facts…
Govberg launched a mobile app a few years back called Goveberg on Time, with the aim of making the whole process of online shopping for watches easier. It has some really cool features too! There is a section called “my watch box”, this is where you store data such as the last time you serviced your watch, warranty term and other important information.
If you are a collector, you will find a section where you can develop your own asset-management portfolio and track your personal watch collection (cool, uh?).
Type of Seller.
Omni-channel retailer.
Ratings.
4.3 Out of 5, 245 reviews on Trust Pilot
Warranty.
For brand new watches they offer full factory. While for pre-owned watches you get the time remaining in factory warranty.
7). Bob’s Watches
Are you looking to get the best deal for a pre-owned Rolex watch? Bob’s watches online store is the right place to do so. This is the best place to buy, sell or trade Rolex watches at reasonable market value.
You can get 100% authentic Rolex watch and Rolex parts on their site. They are not an authorized dealer but a marketplace for the buying and selling of Rolex watches.
The watches are thoroughly examined by their in-house Rolex buyers and then fully serviced by their Rolex service centre before being sold.
“Buying a good used Rolex is just like purchasing stock in a company like Nestle or Google. It’s the quintessential blue-chip”
_ShahienHendizadeh (in an interview with NY times)
Type of Seller.
Marketplace for pre-owned exchange.
Rating.
3.8 Out of 5, 10 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
1 year (One full year service from the date of invoice unless otherwise indicated).
8). CHRON24
Chron24 is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell luxury watches. One of your biggest fear when shopping online for watches is probably fear of being duped by some shady seller, right?
Well, Chron24 takes care of that by providing you with the best deals from watch sellers that they personally verified AND you make payment via an escrow account. How escrow account works is that, you send the amount due and it’s kept safe until you have your dream watch, after which they release the money to the seller.
Type of Seller.
A marketplace (with an escrow service).
Rating.
4.8 Out of 5, 9,102 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
It varies. Also, you can make your purchase from an authorized dealer and get a manufacturer’s warranty.
9). Luxury Bazaar
Luxury Bazaar is an online retail store that sells both brand new watches and pre-owned watches. As their name suggests, they have a variety of luxury watches which are 100% authentic and the used watches are always in mint condition.
Types of Seller.
Reseller; Luxury Bazaar is a grey market, “grey market” is a term for stores (both online and brick and mortar ones) that sell luxury watches at prices that are much less compared to a brand’s authorized dealer or a boutique.
Rating.
4.1 Out of 5, 119 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
2 years (for new watches).
10). Island Watch
Island Watch popularly known as Long Island Watch is an online retail store where you are sure to find some of the most affordable watches and they have a large selection from which you choose.
You will find watches sourced from different countries on their sites, several of which are from large brands and many other nice brands. There is the Swiss watch brand, Italian watch brand, German watch brand and so much more. Island watches are known for their exceptional customer service and delivery speed, they are always ready to go an extra mile to ensure customer’s satisfaction.
We definitely recommend that you consider Island watch for your purchase!
Type of Seller.
Authorized dealer.
Rating.
4.6 Out of 5, 25 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
1 year (varies).
11). Watch Hut
Watch Hut is a large online retail store in the UK that offers a huge selection of watches that come with the full manufacturer’s warranty. With its simple yet beautifully designed and easy to navigate the website, Watch Hut makes it easy for you to browse various styles of brand new watches.
You can sign up for their newsletter and get a 10% discount off selected models of watches on your first purchase!
Type of Seller.
Authorized third-party dealer.
Rating.
4.5 Out of 5, 1885 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
Full international manufacturer’s guarantee with an official distributor’s stamp from Watch Hut.
12). Tourneau
Tourneau is the largest watch retailer in the United States with top watch brands and several new ones as their partner. On their site, you will find a large number of new watches and certified pre-owned watches that you can select from,
It may interest you to know that they are also an authorized Rolex dealer.
Tourneau’s site offers more than 100 world-famous brands, including Omega, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Tag Heuer and Breitling in more than 8000 unique styles. Their website is also extremely user-friendly and well-organized.
Types of Seller.
Authorized dealer.
Rating.
4.1 Out of 5, 83 reviews on SiteJabber.
Warranty.
For new watches (1-5) years. While for pre-owned watches (2) years.
13). Watch Shop
Watch shop is a popular online watch retail store and they are an official supplier for all the watch brands available on their site. All the watches sold on their sites comes with the full manufacturer’s guarantee and watch shop’s official distributor’s stamp.
Also, they personally stock all the watches found on their website’s list, so you don’t have to worry about late delivery. On their site, Watch hut claims that their stock turnover is rapid and that customers don’t have to worry about receiving an old watch with a half-dead battery or one that has been sitting on a jeweler’s shelf for years.
Type of Seller.
Authorized third-party dealer.
Rating.
4.5 Out of 5 and 17,620 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
Full factory guarantee.
14). PrestigeTime
Prestige time is an online shopping site where you can purchase brand new watches or pre-owned watches. They offer a wide selection of watches, including vintage and limited editions.
The source for the watches sold on their sites from authorized distributors and other reliable sources. If you are searching for good quality watch options, that not only suits your taste design-wise but also budget-wise, then you should check out their site.
Type of Seller.
Reseller.
Rating.
3.8 Out of 5 and 5 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Warranty.
For brand new and pre-owned watches (2-5) years.
15). Hodinkee.com
Hodinkee is a New York city-based watch retail store, they have been in the game for about 12 years. Hodinkee was formerly just a website for popular watch news and lifestyle before they decided to combine this with commerce.
Now they are the authorized retailer of some very prestigious watch brands. If you are interested in the aesthetics of things as we are, you’d appreciate the site’s solid photography instead of some of the conventional stock images found on most online stores.
There are only 9 watch brands that can be found on the website and they are mainly famous watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Avdemars Piguet. Also affordable watch brands like Grand Seiko, Tag Heuer, Longines, and Zenith etc.
The Major Types of Online Sellers.
- Brands/ Manufacturers Selling Direct (by using Ecommerce) – These watch sellers bypass the middleman and deals directly with their consumers. A typical example is Omega and Longines watches.
- Omni-channel Retailers– These ones are focused mainly on consumer’s experience and satisfaction. They put a lot of effort into ensuring their consumers have a similar feel across brick and mortar, eCommerce and any other medium used for sales and purchase of watches.
- Authorized Third Party Dealers– These retailers buy their watches directly from the manufacturer, so they have authorization from watch companies to sell their products and they have a full factory warranty.
But the thing is, their prices could be a bit on the high side compared to the rest of the sellers. And, this is because they are to comply with the manufacturer’s recommended sale price (MSRP) guide.
Since you are searching for places to buy affordable watches, you will probably not find this guy too useful. Aside from the watches being expensive, authorized dealers go all out for you, they ensure that you get your money worth and some other special treatments like having it engraved.
Also most times, instead of a ‘buy now’, you would perhaps find a ‘call now’, this could be a turn off for some prospective buyers who just need to make a quick purchase but at the end, it’s worth it. Because, you will be getting personal service, the best that money can buy literally. But one thing is sure if there ever is an issue they are always there to help.
- Resellers– These group of sellers are usually referred to as the ‘grey-market’. They sell new watches (authentic ones) but without authorization from the watch manufacturer.
This is good news for you since they are not restrained by MSRP, so their watches regardless of the brand always have a reasonable price.
The not so good news is that may not get you an official warranty, but many of the large resellers will offer you their own warranty.
Also read: Best Online Jewelry Stores
Prices for famous watch brands like Rolex, Omega, and Philippe Patek are shooting up, so if you are a next-generation collector who sees vintage or old watches as a priceless and shiny new asset in your investment portfolio or maybe you are not a collector but you just love to look elegant (of course you need a classy designer’s watch to do so!) and have been searching for the best online stores to make your purchase. Well, here you go, all 15 of them!
Warranty: (2) years.
Ratings: 4.8 Out of 5, 22,227 reviews on Trust Pilot.