The sought-after nature of original packaging means that even empty watch boxes such as Rolex or Cartier are making money on online selling platforms. Steven Collins, Associate and Head of the Jewellery, Silver and Watches department at Cheffins, comments on this trend.
21/10/2024 Jewellery & Watches - Interiors, Watches
Does it come with the box and papers? This is a question I often get asked about the watches that come up for auction. Collectors love to see them in their original presentation cases along with their ‘papers’ (original purchase receipt, instruction booklet, guarantee cards, swing tickets, seals and so on) as they feel it represents ‘the complete package’, and there is no doubt that ‘the complete package’ is certainly worth a bit more than the watch on its own.
The thing is though, is that most people don’t keep any of this. How many things have you bought, from white goods to mobile phones and jewellery, unpackaged and used, and then kept the boxes and receipts? What use could they be? Why would you want to keep them? You might keep the receipt for a while in case the item turns out to be faulty, but after a couple of months, that ends up in the rubbish along with the discarded boxes.
It’s for this very reason that the boxes are so sought after, particularly the early ones. Those that are saved from the bin have become a rarity and anything that is rare and desirable becomes a thing of value.
This add on value isn’t unique to watches – toys for example, in their original boxes, are more valuable than without as collectors search for items in ‘as new’ condition. In 2016, an original 1959 Barbie doll, unopened and still in its original box, sold at auction for a staggering £17,000. You could probably pick up a used version without the box in a car boot sale for under a tenner!
When clients bring in watches with the ‘box and docs’ the first thing of course is to ensure is that it is the correct box and documents for the watch. With the values of watches with all the bits and pieces higher than without, there is always the temptation to trawl the internet for empty boxes and paperwork. Empty boxes on their own are now making good money online with, for example, an empty Rolex or Cartier box making up to £100 through the online selling platforms. But a word of caution here - it’s not just watches that are being faked these days – boxes and paperwork are also faked as the demand for ‘the complete package’ increases, so do beware of the ‘genuine Rolex boxes’ that are available for £5 online!
For me, there is nothing quite like receiving a quality watch for auction, in lovely condition, in the original box and with all the accompanying documentation, and we are lucky in the forthcoming jewellery, silver and watches sale to be able to offer a number of such examples. For example, lot 186 is an 18ct gold pocket watch, presented in the original fitted case with the original purchase receipt, dated 2nd August 1869 (pictured below) - which goes to show that the desire for a watch in its original packaging is not a recent fad!
