How to Sell a Cartier Watch in 2025

Cartier is a luxury brand that has produced an immense assortment of watches for over a century. Due to the breadth and depth of their catalog, it can be hard to know what a Cartier watch is worth. Quartz-powered Cartier watches will typically sell for much less than mechanical ones. Some popular Cartier watches like the Tank and Santos are known to hold their value well, while others sell significantly below retail prices on the secondary market. We’ll explain everything you need to know about how to sell a Cartier watch in 2025.

Although we’ve already put together a comprehensive guide to selling luxury watches, there are some Cartier-specific tips that can make the entire sale transaction even smoother.

Determine the Cartier Reference and Serial Numbers

The first part of knowing how to sell a Cartier–or any nice watch, really–is to figure out exactly what you have, and that generally requires knowing the reference number. The reference number is the key to understanding the specific model of the watch, and in some cases, it can also indicate material, size, and approximate age. Cartier has used different reference number and serial number systems over the years.

Modern Cartier watches have reference numbers that include both letters and numbers. For example, the reference number of a medium Cartier Santos watch in steel is WSSA0029. The easiest way to identify these Cartier numbers is to refer to the accompanying paperwork that came with the watch.

However, if you no longer have these papers, then it’ll require a little more effort to pinpoint the exact reference number. Some things you could do include:

• Research the Cartier watch collections on the company’s website to locate your model
• Modern Cartier watches will have a four-digit code engraved on the back, which is the watch’s case number. That’s not the entire model number–various Cartier references can share the same case number–but if you search this number (on Google or Chrono24 for example), you may see a watch similar to yours, and from there you can devise the complete reference number.
• Post a picture on a forum (such as r/Watches on Reddit) and ask if anyone can help you identify the watch and reference number
• Take it to an authorized Cartier dealer to request the information

Modern Cartier watches will have alphanumeric numbers (5 or 6 digits and 2 letters) engraved on the caseback. This is the serial number, which is unique to each watch. Many people prefer to blur out the serial number when they’re selling a Cartier watch online, but it’s not weird if a prospective buyer asks for it.

Find Boxes and Papers

If you’re looking to sell a watch, it’s worth noting that possessing the box and papers can significantly increase its value. How do you sell a Cartier watch without its box and papers? Well, easy–you just expect to get 10-20% less than a full set.

If you happen to have any original paperwork, packaging, or accessories such as warranty cards, receipts, service records, instruction booklets, boxes, cushions, bags, extra links, or additional straps for your Cartier watch, it’s advisable to take the time to locate them all before selling.

As of now, Cartier does not offer an Extract of the Archives or re-issue a Certificate of Authenticity.

How Much Should I Sell My Cartier Watch For?

Once you’ve identified the reference number and assembled the complete set, the next step to selling your Cartier watch is to figure out its approximate value.

Although Cartier provides the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) on its website, the relevant price to know when selling a Cartier watch is its present market value. With the exception of certain collectibles (such as Crash, Privée, or vintage gold mechanical Tanks), most Cartier watches are likely to sell for less than their retail price in the secondary market.

You can start your price research by checking out some of the Cartier watches for sale at Luxury Bazaar or by reading our Cartier Tank watch price guide. You can also check the following sites for more Cartier watch market prices:

• WatchCharts
• eBay sold listings
• Chrono24
• Pre-Owned Watch Specialist and Grey Market Dealer Websites

It’s important to keep in mind that the prices displayed online will almost always be higher than what you can actually expect to receive when you sell your Cartier watch. For one thing, sellers almost always leave a little bit of negotiating room. And if you sell a watch yourself privately, you might have to ask 10% less than a well-established seller would, and you might lose another 10% to shipping and listing fees depending on the platform you use.

Businesses have expenses and profit margins to consider, so if you trade in a watch to a professional reseller, expect to receive about 60-80% of current market price. And again, market price is usually lower than list price. So, the expectation of getting about 50% of list price for a Cartier watch upon trade-in is a reasonable starting point. Of course that varies by model, but that should help set the expectations of what you’ll be able to earn when selling your Cartier watch.

Should I Service My Cartier Watch Before Selling It?

We typically recommend against servicing your Cartier watch before selling it. It can be expensive to send your Cartier for servicing and maintenance, and prospective buyers often prefer to take an unserviced watch to a watchmaker of their choosing.

Furthermore, if you’re looking to sell a vintage Cartier watch, originality is always worth more than a watch with service parts. Finally, if you decide to sell to a professional company such as a grey market dealer, they’ll take care of any maintenance needs before they list the watch for sale.

Sell Your Cartier Watch to Luxury Bazaar 

The most convenient way would be to sell your Cartier to Luxury Bazaar, the preeminent grey market dealer in the country. With decades of experience buying luxury timepieces–including a wide range of Cartier watches such as Tanks, Santos, Rotondes, Pashas, Privées, Pantheres, and others–from the public, Luxury Bazaar understands what it takes to make the selling process easy, secure, and quick.