Buying a vintage watch from the UK as an American: shipping, duties and what to expect
British dealers sit on some of the best vintage stock in the world, but US buyers are often put off by customs uncertainty. Here is how a UK-to-US purchase actually works, step by step.
The United Kingdom has one of the deepest pre-owned watch markets anywhere. Decades of Swiss and Japanese imports, a collecting culture that goes back generations and a steady flow of estate pieces mean that London dealers regularly have stock that would take months to find in the US. The thing that stops many American buyers is not price or choice but uncertainty about what happens between the checkout and the doorstep.
Duties and taxes: who pays, and when
US import rules for parcels have changed several times recently, and the duty on a pre-owned watch depends on the classification, the declared value and the rules in force on the day. Most overseas sellers ship delivered at place, which means the carrier calculates the charge on arrival and will not release the parcel until you pay it, usually with a brokerage fee on top.
We do it differently. Prices on this site for US visitors are delivered duty paid. The postage and the US import duty are prepaid when the parcel is posted, and the carrier delivers with nothing to collect. The dollar price you see is the total cost of ownership, and it is the figure your card is charged.
How the parcel travels
Orders placed before 2pm London time on a business day usually leave the same day. Every shipment is fully tracked, signed for and insured to its sale value, using the service best suited to the destination. Typical delivery is five to ten business days from dispatch; customs processing can add to that, and we help chase any parcel that is held.
Packaging is deliberately plain. The watch is wrapped in tissue, boxed and sealed inside an unbranded outer carton, so nothing on the outside advertises what is inside.
Currency and payment
Prices are shown in US dollars, converted from sterling at the current rate and inclusive of shipping and duty. Checkout runs on Stripe and takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Because the charge is made in dollars, your card issuer has no foreign transaction to mark up.
Returns from the US
There is a 14-day returns window from the day of delivery, and it applies to international orders exactly as it does to UK ones. If a watch is not right, contact us within those 14 days and we will arrange the return. It is worth asking for additional photographs of any area you care about before buying, because that removes most reasons a return would ever be needed.
What UK stock looks like
Expect a lot of Seiko, Tissot and Certina from the 1960s to 1990s, Swiss dress watches from makers that never had a big US distribution, and 1980s and 1990s pieces from Raymond Weil and Gucci. Omega appears from time to time. What you will not find is a markup for the export market: our dollar prices are built directly from the sterling price a London buyer would pay, plus the postage and duty we prepay on your behalf.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the US import duty on a watch from the UK?
We do. Prices shown to US visitors are delivered duty paid: the duty is included in the dollar price and settled when the parcel is posted, so the carrier delivers with nothing to collect.
Can I return a watch to the UK from the US?
Yes. The 14-day returns window runs from the day of delivery and applies to US orders exactly as it does to UK ones.
