The Simple 6-Step Process to flip luxury watches for profit

Most people think flipping watches is as simple as buying any watch, buying low, and selling high.

While that's technically not wrong, there is a science to this madness.

A science that when executed successfully...

Allows you to profit massively with each deal AND protects your money in the process.

When you correctly flip luxury watches (like I'm about to show you below), you can't literally can't lose.

Worst case scenario if you can't sell a watch for profit - you can get back all your money within 24 hours. 

Below is a diagram that shows a 'big picture' overview of how the entire watch flipping process works:

It's actually pretty simple and basic arbitrage if you think about it.

People have been flipping stuff forever from iPhones to Beanie Babies.

This is the oldest business model in the book but one wrong move can be the difference between losing money to profiting massively.

But let's quickly go through each step so you understand how it all works:

Step #1 - Find The Deal

This is where you source watches for sale.

Contrary to what you might think, websites and apps like Craigslist and OfferUp are not good places to find watches because it's filled with scammers.

Some of the most popular sites include eBay, Facebook Groups (not marketplace), watch forums, and Reddit.

In fact, most of my deals actually come from eBay.

Here's why I like eBay:

• It's a household marketplace that most sellers go-to first.
• You can often sort and find local deals.
• They offer some type of protection/authentication.
• And you can filter between store listings vs private sellers.

That's important because we don't want to go to war with jewelers and professional watch dealers.

What we're after are private sellers who are often times motivated to sell for personal reasons and do a poor job marketing their watch.

I'm talking about lazy or incorrect watch details and blurry or terrible pictures.

For example, take a look at this Panerai 104 (same as my very first flip) listing.

Bad photos.

Incorrect spelling of P-A-N-E-R-A-I (seen below from the eBay description).

This seller probably has no idea what model his watch is lol. 

But of course, you can't just buy any watch you see.

When it comes to luxury watches, I'm not talking about those Citizen watches that Costco sells... or the Movado watches you can buy at Macys.

I'm talking about real handmade luxury timepieces from Switzerland, Germany, Italy.

Here's a list of some of the most profitable and desirable watch brands for beginners that you can start with for as low as $1,500:

• Omega
• Breitling
• Panerai
• Hublot
• Tudor
• Bell & Ross
• Tag Heuer

Wait where's Rolex?

Everyone knows what a Rolex is but it's also one of the hardest brands to start with.

Not only is the price of entry typically way higher than $1,500...

Rolex values can fluctuate more than other brands because of hype and demand.

Not only that... Rolex is also the most counterfeited brand out there making it a brand that's better off once you gain experience.

Step #2 - Buy The Watch

Once you find a watch you want to flip, you now have to make an offer to the seller.

But what is the right price to pay?

You need to buy the watch at a price where you not only make a profit, but you also where you minimize your risk exposure.

This is why I recommend people to buy watches using a formula that I call "Bottom Cash Value" (BCV).

BCV is the price any local jeweler or pawnshop will pay you if you walked in looking to liquidate it for cash.

It's basically your fail-safe.

Knowing the BCV gives you a good idea of your risk exposure.

Figuring out BCV for any watch is actually easy.

Here's how you find it:

Contact any local or online watch dealer (just Google "sell my watch") for a quote on how much they'd be willing to pay for the same watch you want to buy.

Take the average of the quotes and that becomes your BCV number.

For example, let's say you see an omega speedmaster Racing Panda for sale with an asking price of $3,500.

Watch dealer #1 says they'll pay $2,400 for that watch.

Watch dealer #2 says they'll pay $2,600 for that watch.

Knowing this you can assume the BCV is around $2,500.

If you can negotiate that Omega Speedmaster Racing Panda for $2,500 then your potential profit is as high as $1,000 (40% ROI).

Just because the previously seller couldn't sell for $3,500 doesn't mean you can't.

But remember most of our students average about a 20% ROI. 

So even flipping it for $3,000 and netting a $500 profit would be fantastic.

Remember because you bought it at BCV...

If you ever need to get your money back, you can just walk into a pawn shop at any given time and get your entire $2,500 back as a worst case scenario.

Like any business or investment, you need to know your numbers and don't let emotions get in the way.

If you follow the BCV formula, you never have to worry about losing money.

This is exactly what my student Da'Rell did to make a cool 28% ROI on his first ever deal:

Step #3 - Create The Perfect Listing

So how do sell your watch fast and for top dollar?

Emotion and trust.

Most people suck at listing their watch for sale.

They take crappy photos or use stock photos, use boilerplate descriptions, and don't make any attempt to make the buying experience pleasant for the buyer.

If your pictures can invoke an emotion out of a buyer, you'll generate a ton of interest.

The good news is your smartphone is capable of taking sick pics so there's no need to invest thousands in photography equipment.

If you are descriptive and can provide clear details about the watch and yourself, you'll have no problem selling.

Which is why when you put a little effort into your listing, you end up selling your watch 10x faster (and for more profit) than your competitors. 

Taking good photos, having descriptions that sound human, and putting some effort into the buying experience goes a LONG way in selling your watch faster (and for more money).

Here's what a good listing looks like:

Great consistent photos that catch your eye immediately.

To the point, yet engaging description that creates excitement and trust.

The best places to list your watch actually aren't much different than where you buy them:

Here's where to list your watch for maximum exposure:

• eBay
• Facebook groups
• Reddit
• Forums like RolexForums.com
• Watch auction sites like Grailzee.com
• Chrono24

Step #4 - Protecting Yourself

Once your watch goes live, you'll start to receive a ton of interest and aggressive offers.

But remember... know your numbers and stick to them.

Since luxury watches are expensive goods, people will ask you questions about them.

But don't worry.

They're almost all the same questions (e.g. what condition is the watch in? or can you send me more pictures?) so it's really not that hard to do.

Do your absolute best to be honest about the watch and any contingencies.

It's actually quite common to get on a phone or Facetime call just to ensure both you and the buyer are legit.

As a beginner starting out you won't have many references and that's ok.

Because every successful deal becomes one new reference and one new client for life.

In this business, your reputation is everything.

So it doesn't hurt if you over-deliver just a bit to rack up people to vouch for you.

As you start to do more and more deals, you can flip watches faster without the trouble of listing watches for sale because of repeat customers that already know and trust you.

Best of all, referrals start snowballing too like my student Austin experienced :)

Step #5 - Collect Payment & Ship 

Alright... so now that your buyer has agreed to your terms, it's time to get paid.

Let me let you in on a little secret of the watch industry.

Most buyers and sellers do transactions via Bank Wire.

Not only is it because it's the quickest way to receive funds, it's by far one of the safest ways to transfer funds too.

You'll avoid dealing with tire kickers who try to buy stuff on credit.

Although Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, etc... are very popular, I recommend to only use those methods for repeat customers who you personally know, trust, or have done business with previously.

That's why it's 1000% essential for you to vet the buyer, and equally as important for the buyer to vet you (the seller).

Get on a phone call.

Exchange drivers licenses.

Ask questions.

If there are any red flags, walk away immediately.

Once funds are received and cleared by you (usually within 24 hours with a bank wire), it is now your responsibility to ship the watch.

There are really two options: FedEx and UPS.

Avoid USPS and DHL like the plague as they are not versed in dealing with expensive luxury shipments.

FedEx and UPS, on the other hand, allows you to properly insure the watch so that if anything happens, they can quickly resolve the issue.

Important Note: You ONLY want to ship watches with overnight delivery.

This basically bumps your package up to highest priority with special care from the shipping provider.

This is the safest and quickest way to get your watch directly from you to your buyer.

Using the normal slower ground shipment is extremely risky as your package can bounce around between various people and locations.

No one likes to spend thousands of dollars and not be informed what's going on.

So keep your customer up-to-date throughout the process from first contact all the way to delivery to ensure they feel comfortable about doing business with you.

Step #6 - Profit & Repeat

That's it lol.

The entire process isn't super sexy.

But it works. 

Like I said this is just basic arbitrage.

The cool thing is as you get better and start dealing with more expensive watches, you'll be able to flip FEWER watches and make MORE money. 

Remember, the average profit margin is 20% per watch.

That means you can flip a $1,000 watch for $1,200 ($200 profit).

But you'll eventually be able to flip a $10,000 watch for $12,000 ($2,000 profit).

It's really the same amount of work.

I'd argue it's even less work since higher-end watch buyers aren't as much of a pain in the ass to work with.

Now that you understand the process, I want to show you real-life proof that all this actually works.

And not by telling you more about my story.

On the next page, I want to show you a case study of a student of mine who went from nothing to making over $100k profit and quitting his 9-5 job.