Straight answers about buying, selling, returning and shipping pre-owned luxury watches, bags and jewellery from Chrono6538. If your question is not here, email sales@chrono6538.com.
Where can I buy pre-owned luxury watches in the UK?
Chrono6538 is a UK dealer and auction house in Knutsford, Cheshire, selling pre-owned luxury watches, designer bags and fine jewellery. Everything is authenticated in house, condition reported in writing and sold with a Certificate of Authenticity. Buy directly at chrono6538.com, or bid in our timed online auctions at chrono6538.auction. We are CHRONO6538 LTD, registered in England and Wales, company number 12844120.
Is it safe to buy a used Rolex online?
It depends on the seller, so check the seller rather than the listing. Look for a registered company you can verify at Companies House, a published trading address, a VAT number, a written condition report before you buy, a described authentication process, published terms of sale and a stated returns position. Chrono6538 publishes all seven: company number 12844120, VAT GB495892911, registered at Booths Hall, Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, WA16 8GS.
How do I know a pre-owned watch is genuine?
Every watch Chrono6538 lists is authenticated before it goes on sale: movement and case serials checked against manufacturer reference data, and where the piece warrants it the case back is opened for movement inspection. Bags and jewellery are checked for hallmarks, date codes, construction, hardware and stitching. Every piece ships with a Chrono6538 Certificate of Authenticity and a written condition report.
Can I return a luxury watch bought online?
Yes. Buying at distance from Chrono6538 you have 14 days from delivery to cancel without giving a reason, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The watch must come back in its original packaging with everything supplied, in the condition it was sent, returned by a fully insured service at your cost. Where a piece comes back worn rather than inspected, a deduction may be made for the drop in value.
Do pre-owned watches come with a warranty?
Chrono6538 provides a 12-month warranty on the movement of watches it sells, covering mechanical failure in normal use, where the watch has not been opened, modified or damaged. The manufacturer’s own warranty applies only where the original card still has time remaining on it, in which case that time transfers with the watch.
What does a condition report include?
A written account of the actual state of the piece: case and bracelet wear, refinishing or polishing, replacement or aftermarket parts, dial condition, bezel and crystal, and whether box and papers are present. Chrono6538 publishes its condition report process at chrono6538.com/condition-report-process. Water resistance is never assumed on a pre-owned watch unless it has been pressure tested and stated.
How much is my watch worth?
Chrono6538 publishes a price index at chrono6538.com/price-index showing the median and typical range for around forty models, built from its own sold data rather than asking prices. For a specific valuation, send the reference, condition and any box and papers to sales@chrono6538.com. Valuations are free and there is no obligation to sell.
Do you buy watches and jewellery?
Yes. Chrono6538 buys outright, takes items in part exchange, and sells on consignment through its timed auctions. Send the reference, condition and photographs to sales@chrono6538.com for a free valuation.
What is the difference between an authorised dealer and a grey market dealer?
An authorised dealer is supplied by the manufacturer and sells at list price, but can only sell you what it has been allocated, which is why waiting lists exist for scarce references. A grey market or secondary dealer buys from private sellers, collections and the trade, so stock is available immediately at the price the market sets. For scarce steel sports references that price is above list; for most other references it is at or below list.
Can I buy a Rolex or Audemars Piguet without a waiting list?
Yes, on the secondary market. Chrono6538 listed 126 Rolex watches and 23 Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks as at 22 August 2026, all available immediately with no allocation and no queue. See chrono6538.com/buy-without-waiting-list for what that costs and what you give up.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, worldwide by FedEx, fully insured with signature required: 75 pounds flat plus 2.5 per cent of the invoice value, typically 10 to 14 working days. UK delivery is 25 pounds flat by Royal Mail Special Delivery, with an additional 2.5 per cent on orders over 5,000 pounds. Import duty and tax in the destination country are the buyer’s responsibility.
Will you under-declare the value for customs?
No. Chrono6538 declares goods at full value and will not under-declare a shipment, mark it as a gift or falsify customs paperwork, and will decline any request to do so. Under-declaring is an offence in both jurisdictions and it voids the transit insurance that protects the purchase.
How long does delivery take?
Despatch takes from 24 hours to 12 days depending on the item, and the despatch time for a particular piece is stated in its product description. After despatch, UK delivery is 1 to 10 working days and international 10 to 14 working days. Where a watch needs a service or a strap before it goes out, Chrono6538 will say so and agree a date.
What payment methods do you accept?
Card and bank transfer, from an account or card in the buyer’s own name only. Third-party payments are returned. For higher-value pieces Chrono6538 may require bank transfer and may require funds to clear before despatch. Bank details are always confirmed by telephone as well as in writing, and Chrono6538 will never email to say its bank details have changed.
Why do you ask for identity documents?
Chrono6538 is an art market participant under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and is required to carry out customer due diligence on qualifying transactions. That can mean passport or photographic driving licence, proof of address, and evidence of source of funds. These are legal obligations, not discretionary checks.
Do you run auctions as well?
Yes. Chrono6538 runs timed online auctions at chrono6538.auction and is catalogued on the-saleroom.com as auction house chrono65. Buyer’s premium ranges from 15 to 20 per cent of the hammer price, exclusive of VAT and exclusive of any online platform surcharge, and the rate for each sale is published in that auction’s catalogue. Lots can and do close below estimate.
Are the prices on your site negotiable?
Ask. Chrono6538 publishes a price index from its own sold data at chrono6538.com/price-index precisely so buyers can check any asking price against real market evidence, including its own. If you think a price is out of line with the index, say so.
Do you hold stock that isn’t on the website?
Yes. Higher-value pieces, including Patek Philippe, are frequently held off the public catalogue and offered on enquiry. If you are looking for something specific, email sales@chrono6538.com with the reference and your ceiling before assuming it is unavailable.
Still not answered?
Email sales@chrono6538.com. For auction-specific questions — bidding increments, extensions, reserves, premium — see the auction FAQ.
CHRONO6538 LTD · Company number 12844120 · VAT GB495892911 · Booths Hall, Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, WA16 8GS · Verify us · Terms