FAQ's
Here are some frequently asked questions. If you have a question you can't find below please feel free to contact us, we're more than happy to help.
DISCLAIMER: We are an independent family run business that sell pre-owned watches. We are NOT affiliated with the brands that we sell in any way. We are NOT an authorised agent for any brand or manufacturer we sell. We do NOT sell brand new watches, although maybe unworn, all of our watches are pre-owned.
Can you confirm the authenticity of a watch?
Absolutely, yes. Every watch we buy or sell goes through a thorough multiple-point inspection to confirm its authenticity and originality. This consists of inspecting each individual part for its fit, finish, function and originality.
If a watch fails any part of this inspection it will not be purchased or sold by us..
We stand behind every watch we sell and provide each watch with an authentication card and 12 months warranty (if outside of manufacturers warranty). If a watch you have purchased from us is proven to be non-genuine by an authorised dealer or manufacturer you will be entitled to a full refund. Although, this has never happened in over 12 years as we do more than our due diligence to make sure everything is right.
For a full breakdown of our Authentication & Warranties please click HERE
How do you ship watches? Are they insured?
Yes. We ship all of our watches via Royal Mail Special Delivery which is guaranteed next-day by 1pm (within the UK).
All of our watches are fully insured and are covered under a third-party insurance (not Royal Mail) while both with us and in transit.
If purchased before 1pm watches are usually dispatched the same day.
Watches are very carefully packaged. First we clean and set the watch then wrap it in a protective film and further covered in bubble wrap, from the inner box to the outer box before it's wrapped again inside a packing box then in a protective packing bag. We are extremely thorough when packaging watches to really help minimise the chance of anything being damaged or even lost in transit. We film this entire packing process for yours and our safety so please ask if you'd like a copy sent to you .
For countries outside of the UK watches are sent tracked and insured via Royal Mail which is then passed on to the local post organisation in that destination country. Please contact us if you are outside of the UK for a postage quote as this is not included in our sales price.
How long have you been around? Who are you?!
So, my name is Deren, I am the founder / owner of Winding Dial. I first started dealing in luxury watches 12 years ago but began collecting watches, at a much lesser value, in 2008. My journey began, like most, with much more affordable brands such as Casio and Seiko, slowing working my way up. I didn't start buying and selling luxury brands like Rolex, Tudor and Cartier until late 2012. At that point it was very much a hobby and was mainly on eBay, gumtree and by word of mouth.
After around 6 years of doing this as a private seller, part-time, I finally decided to make it my full-time career in late 2018. I then designed and created my own website, an e-commerce shop via Shopify, along with all social media platforms. Shortly after I opened a spacious showroom in Blandford Forum, Dorset and had gained a decent following on social media under the brand name "Watches by Del".
In March 2021, Instagram disabled the account @WatchesByDel with no explanation whatsoever. I appealed this decision over 10 times to no avail so was forced to change the Instagram and facebook handle when starting again to @WatchesByDel_. If you didn't know, once they disable an account that username / handle is gone forever. So after working hard to rebuild they then wrongfully disabled that new account only 6 months later in October 2021. At this point I was giving up hope and felt just maybe it was a sign, an opportunity, to rebrand.
I wasn't overly keen on the name Watches by Del to begin with but ran with it thinking it put more of a personal feel to the business and explained very clearly what I did. So I tried to think of two watch related words that began with W and D so I could continue using the logo, the WD brand, that I had spent years building. Everything that initially would've made sense was taken or didn't seem right. The word Winding I liked, and Dial, I liked. You don't Wind a Dial, that doesn't make sense at all. But then I thought it looked cool written down and it was weird enough that it wasn't so easy to forget but made sense enough you should be able to tell it's a watch (or clock!) company.
After a few months trial with the new name and hoping that Instagram wouldn't delete that one as well, I finally went Limited and VAT registered in February 2022 and the name has thankfully stuck ever since.
In March 2024 we relocated to Sherborne in Dorset. We now have a lovely first floor showroom right on the high street in town that is open for secure, private viewings.
You can now find us on all social media @windingdial
Can you source a watch?
Yes, this is a large part of our business - sourcing watches directly to clients. With a wide network of traders and private clients that we work with we can source you nearly any watch you're after for a very competitive price. You can fill out our Watch Enquiry form or contact us today to get the process started.
Can you sell my watch for me? I don't want "trade" price...
Yes, although we own most of our stock, some of the stock we have is sold on a 'consignment' basis (in other words, sale or return). This method of selling maximises the return value as we aren't investing our own money into it, we can make a smaller margin. We charge a fixed rate of commission which is deducted from the final sale price of your watch. For example, we could offer you a trade-in / cash value today of say £10,000 for your watch OR we could sell it for you on consignment and return you £11,000 once it has sold.
Our consignment service includes but is not limited to: inspecting, cleaning, photographing, advertising, marketing, generating leads and meeting clients, insuring, packaging and shipping your watch including warranty and aftercare.
We have a minimum consignment fee of £750. Our full price list can be found below.
Consignment Fees (Updated May 2024) :
- £0 - £25,000 = 7% (min. £750)
- £25,001 - £75,000 = 6%
- £75,001 - £100,000 = 5%
- £100,001 + : 4% >
What is your returns policy?
As per The Consumer Rights Act 2015 you are entitled to 14 days no questions asked returns if purchased without physically seeing the watch (so purchased online). If you have come to see the watch in person and are happy with the watch before you pay then the sale is final if you decide to change your mind. This does not include if there was a mechanical fault with your watch If there is any fault within 30 days we can either repair or refund. We include a 12 month warranty so anything after 30 days up to 12 months would be covered under this to be repaired.
We strongly advise, if you're able to, to physically shop with us in person. We try our best to describe watches in their exact condition and list everything as accurately as possible but inevitably you seeing the watch in person is truly the best way to understand its condition. We have to this day never had a single watch returned or refunded and we take great pride in that.
We are more than happy to send high-quality videos or additional photos of watches if you're not local to help you see the watch in its true condition. Please contact us for more information. For the full list of our condition grading, please see below.
Please see our Refunds & Returns policy for full details. Please note that watches part-exchanged as part of a deal and/or directly sourced watches do not have the same returns policy.
Condition Grading:
Firstly, all of the watches we sell are pre-owned. Even if they're described as unworn, they have been handled by a salesman in an authorised dealer, the customer who purchased the watch, in and out of a box (potentially numerous times) and passed on to sometimes multiple others before reaching us. We try our best to stock watches with only 1 original owner but unfortunately that isn't always the case.
We describe watches as accurately as possible but everyone has a different interpretation of condition. Because of this, we have created this short list of grading to hopefully answer any questions you may have regarding the wording in our descriptions. We have split our grading into 4 categories:
UNWORN = This means truly unworn. Watches are usually fitted to a customer's wrist at the time of purchase in an authorised dealer so some links may have been removed, but the watch remains unworn. Some examples may have very minor handling or storage marks (especially soft 18ct gold watches) from being rested on a table at the time of purchase for example or being fitted to the customer's wrist before buying but this will be mentioned in the description if so.
EXCELLENT = This would be considered a lightly worn watch and very well looked after. Showing light, minor signs of wear in the high contact areas like the clasp and back side of the bracelet. This is considered very small or light scratches and purely cosmetic.
VERY GOOD = This describes a worn watch that has general signs of wear, light scratches and small indentations around the case and bracelet. Generally refers to watches over a year old that have been worn daily or at least regularly and show signs of wear commensurate with its age. High contact areas like the clasp and back of the bracelet will have scratches. Small dents and dings are to be expected but nothing major that couldn't be removed after a polish (which can always be done if requested).
GOOD = Well-worn condition, showing heavier signs of wear all around. There will be scratches to all surfaces to some degree and signs of pitting or indentations, commensurate with daily or heavy wear. Deeper scratches and indentations to be expected.
We are very specific with our grading and inspect every watch thoroughly that comes into stock. We do not take in bad or poor condition watches, in the worst case watches are in good condition and again this generally relates to older watches that have been well used over the years. All watches will be keeping good time within the manufacturers parameters for the movement calibre and age.
If you have any questions regarding condition or would like more photos or videos please contact us, we are always happy to help.
Where are you based? Do you have a physical shop? Can I collect in person?
Of course, we would highly recommend shopping with us in person if you can. You're very welcome to visit our shop situated on the high street in Sherborne, Dorset. You can shop privately and securely, browse watches before you buy, have a tea/coffee and simply relax, no pressure! We work on an appointment only basis so you will need to contact us prior to book.
Please be advised we do not keep all of our stock on site prior to bookings so we will need at least 24 hours notice before arrival. Due to insurance and safety purposes we will also need to see a form of ID (driving licence or passport) when booking in which you will need to bring with you on arrival.
What's the best way to contact you?
By phone or WhatsApp. All of our contact details can be found on the Contact Us page. We are more than happy to talk via phone, email, video call, message. WhatsApp is the most convenient form of contact for messaging - it's the easiest way to send photos and videos of watches both ways and keep track of our conversation.
If you have any questions or further queries please feel free to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you find the perfect watch.