We frequently know the disappointment of receiving a watch bought from the Internet i.e. unseen,  only to find it bears no resemblance to the one you thought you were buying.  We try to be as honest as possible with our descriptions and will describe all faults, scratches, dings and ageing to the dials.  If you feel we have mis-described a watch you can return it and we will refund your money minus postage costs. Part of this is taking the best possible photo of the watch so you can make an informed assessment about a watch before buying.


A good photo will reveal the true condition of the watch

Unfortunately the Internet is always a breeding ground for fakes, and mis-described watches.  We will never pass off a fake as a genuine watch and will always state if the originality of the watch or part of the watch such as the strap is questionable. 

A typical fake recently seen for sale on Ebay - 1960's Omega Seamaster

All our watches are thoroughly checked before sale. We also make sure that the watch is presented in the best way and will replace crystals and straps if required and polish the watch without over polishing. We make sure the movement is clean and running well and to an acceptable level of timekeeping consistent with the age and quality of watch.
 
All our watches are checked and prepared before sale 

Many of our watches undergo a complete restoration, repairs, dial restoration and/or servicing before sale. 

Dismantled watch during servicing 

Servicing includes complete dismantling, cleaning, checking, oiling and reassembly.

Frequently asked questions

-Q- Who are Madaboutwatches and how can I be confident in entering into a transaction with you?
-A- The site is run by Robin and Linda Armstrong who also run PoshTime.co.uk. Robin's father Rod developed Madaboutwatches into one of the best known secondhand watch retailers in the UK, with an enviable reputation for honesty and quality. It was Rod's genuine love and enthusiasm for watches that lead to the need to sell watches on the internet to finance the hobby and obsession of buying more. We pride ourselves on our honest, friendly service and large number of returning customers. When you place an order with us we will email you at every stage from ordering to shipping to give you confidence throughout the transaction.

-Q- Can I contact you by phone to place an order?
-A- We answer all enquiries by email. The internet and particularly email enables us to give you the best service with very fast response time . We will of course provide our contact details once you enter into a transaction with us and direct contact is encouraged on expensive transactions.

-Q- Are your watches routinely serviced before sale?
-A- No, we only service watches if they require it when they show signs of stopping, poor amplitude of the balance wheel or dirt in the movement. Servicing watches for the sake of it can harm the long term serviceability of the watch so should be avoided. All watches are electronically tested and over 24 hours.

-Q- Do you offer a money back guarantee?
-A- We will refund your money if after sale you find a fault with the watch that wasn't declared in the description, similarly if you feel the watch was mis-described, or stops completely soon after sale.  You have 7 days in which to reject a watch and this is ample time to determine that  the watch has been given a fair description. 

-Q- Do you guarantee timekeeping?
-A- All our watches are checked for before sale including a check on time keeping but we don't guarantee a standard of timekeeping due to the wide variation of movement quality, wear and operating conditions of mechanical watches. Most of our watches are over 30 years old and in some cases accurate timekeeping to modern standards  is not possible and certainly not to standards typical of Quartz watches. Watches are always set up to give their best performance, we never ship untested watches.  For those who want it,  Vigrograf test results are available as part of the service, just ask.

Hairspring adjustment using binocular microscope

Gruen Curvex under repair

Fully restored Movado Gents watch circa 1940's