Online watch auctions: Catawiki, eBay, online-only sales and pitfalls
Online-only sales at the major houses, Drouot Digital, Catawiki, eBay: who checks the watch, which fees are added, which guarantees really exist, and the pitfalls to know before bidding from your sofa.
Buying · · 8 min read
Bidding on a watch no longer requires a trip to Geneva. The major houses hold online-only sales, French auctioneers stream their sessions on the internet, and platforms such as Catawiki or eBay offer thousands of watches at auction every day. Under the same word, "auction", these channels offer neither the same checks, nor the same fees, nor the same recourse. This guide compares them, then goes through the most common pitfalls.
Four ways to bid online
| Channel | Who examines the watch | Buyer's fees | Recourse if there is a problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online-only sales at the major houses (Phillips, Christie's, Sotheby's) | the watch department, with the watch in hand | same schedule as live sales: 27% at Phillips and Christie's, 28% at Sotheby's on the first band | the house is responsible for its description, within the limits of its conditions of sale |
| French houses streamed online (Drouot Digital, Interenchères) | the auctioneer and, often, an expert | the house's premium, plus 1.5 to 3% before VAT depending on the live platform | French auction rules; a liability claim is possible for five years |
| Catawiki | experts select the lots, but the watch stays with the seller | 9% of the price plus €3 buyer protection fee | payment held by the platform until delivery; problems reported in the days following receipt |
| eBay, auction format | nobody by default; a verification service exists in some countries above a price threshold | depending on the country and the seller's status, shown before payment | the platform's buyer guarantee, dispute procedure |
The decisive criterion is not the channel but one simple question: did someone competent have the watch in hand before the sale? At an auction house, yes. On a marketplace, the check covers first and foremost the description and photos supplied by the seller.
Online sales at auction houses
This is the safest channel, and the most expensive. The major houses sell more accessible watches online than in their live sales, often estimated at a few thousand euros, with the same specialists and the same buyer's premium schedule: at Phillips, the 27% rate applies to live sales and timed online sales alike. The condition report is requested in the same way, and the watch is shipped by the house.
French houses, for their part, stream their sales on Drouot Digital or Interenchères. You bid live, as in the room, but a surcharge is often added to the house's premium: in the conditions we consulted, 1.5% before VAT via Drouot Digital and 3% before VAT via Interenchères. The framework is that of French public auctions, with an operator responsible for its description. Our guide buying a watch at auction details the schedules and how to calculate the true cost.
Catawiki: a marketplace that looks like an auction room
Catawiki runs weekly sales by category, with experts who select the lots and may ask the seller for additional information. Yet it differs from an auction house on one essential point: the watch stays with the seller, who ships it directly to the buyer once the platform has received payment.
What you need to know:
- Fees: 9% of the final price plus a €3 buyer protection fee, on top of which come shipping and, for a seller based outside the European Union, import VAT and any duties.
- Protection: your payment is held by Catawiki until delivery; the seller is only paid afterwards, unless you report a problem within the set period, just a few days after receipt. Examine the watch as soon as it arrives.
- Reserve prices exist here too: a lot may go unsold despite bids if the seller has set a minimum.
- Sellers are private individuals as well as professionals, from all over Europe and beyond. Their shipping country appears on the listing: look at it before you bid.
eBay: auction without an intermediary
On eBay, the auction format puts buyer and seller in direct contact. Nobody examines the watch by default. eBay has rolled out in several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, a third-party verification service for watches above a certain price; check on the listing whether it applies, as its availability and threshold vary from country to country. Without this service, your recourse is limited to the platform's buyer guarantee and dispute procedure, which mainly protect against non-delivery and items not as described, provided you stay within the platform's payment system.
The most common pitfalls
The frankenwatch. A frankenwatch is assembled from parts of different origins: a genuine case, a movement from another reference, a dial from another period. Each part can be "original Rolex" without the watch being so. Check consistency between the reference, the serial number and the calibre.
The refinished dial. A repainted or restored dial (redial) costs a vintage watch most of its value. The tell-tale signs: printing that is too sharp or too thick, luminous material whose shade does not match the hands, a patina that is too uniform. A service dial, fitted by the brand during a service, is legitimate, but it must be declared as such. See also the entry on the dial.
Papers from another watch. A genuine warranty card can accompany a watch that is not its own. The serial number on the warranty card must be the one on the case, without exception.
Hidden costs. Platform fees, live surcharge, insured shipping, import VAT, clearance fees charged by the carrier: on an online purchase, these items add up after the hammer falls. Since Brexit, a watch shipped from the United Kingdom to France is also subject to import VAT.
Delivery from outside the EU. A watch shipped from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States or Asia is cleared through customs on arrival. Besides the 20% VAT in France, a return after a dispute becomes long and costly, and a watch seized at customs as a counterfeit is lost.
The price that is too good. According to our October 2026 data, the middle half of Submariner listings sits between about €10,000 and €14,100. A recent Submariner stuck at €6,000 a few hours before the end is not a bargain: either the bidding is about to soar, or something is wrong.
Leaving the platform. A seller who suggests closing the deal directly, by bank transfer, "to avoid fees" deprives you of all protection. It is one of the scenarios described in our article on scams between private individuals.
Checklist before bidding online
- Identify who examined the watch: an auction house, a platform expert working from photos, or nobody.
- Ask for additional photos: caseback, between the lugs, serial number, the movement if possible, and the watch next to its papers.
- Check consistency of reference, serial number, calibre, dial and hands, and whether authentication is possible after receipt.
- Read the shipping country and add import VAT if it is outside the EU.
- Calculate the total price: bid, buyer's fees, platform surcharge, shipping, taxes.
- Set a maximum based on the model's market value, and do not exceed it in the final seconds.
- Stay within the platform's payment system, without exception.
- Examine the watch on receipt, within the claim period, and have it checked by a watchmaker if in doubt.
The physical checkpoints are detailed in our guide to buying a pre-owned watch.
For which watches online auctions make sense
Online sales at auction houses suit vintage or rare watches of intermediate value, for which the house's expertise justifies the fees. Catawiki and eBay mainly suit modern watches that are easy to verify, bought by someone who knows what they are looking at, at a price that leaves room for a possible service. For an important piece, a live sale remains safer: our calendar of the autumn 2026 sales gives the upcoming dates, and our review of auction records 2025 and 2026 shows what these sales achieve.
In short
Online, the word "auction" covers very different channels: an auction house that has examined the watch and stands behind it, a marketplace that secures the payment but not the object, or a face-to-face deal between private individuals. Before bidding, find out who has seen the watch, calculate the full cost including fees and taxes, and compare it with the market value: check the model's value before placing your first bid.
