It’s well known that luxury wristwatches are a solid investment thanks to consistent prices and the immutable value of fine craftsmanship and precious materials. Another area of popular investment is cryptocurrency, the rapidly fluctuating world of Bitcoin, Ethereum and the infinite number of memecoins and tokens that litter the internet. Make a sound investment and there’s huge opportunity out there – after all Bitcoin just broke the £100,000 mark for the first time. However, it eventually becomes time to cash out and the soundest way to do so is to convert your digital assets into physical ones, such as buying wristwatches for your hard won crypto. To that end, these are the UK watch sellers allowing you to buy watches with cryptocurrency.
As with all financial systems, they are constantly being updated so check with the retailers before making any payments. Additionally, be aware of any tax that may be involved with such transactions.
C.W Sellors Jura Watches
Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake Polar Sky Limited Edition, £28,100 (approx. 0.33 Bitcoin or 8.91 Ethereum*)
Established in 1979, C.W. Sellors Jura Watches is the UK’s largest independent family run watch retailer with multiple showrooms across England. With over 40 years of experience, they’re authorised stockists for some of the biggest names in the watch business including IWC, Tag Heuer, Breitling, Bremont, Longines, Oris and more. Plus, they’re active in the second-hand market for an even wider selection.
They accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Dai, Litecoin and USD Coin with payments and were one of the first retailors to begin doing so. They experimented with integrating crypto payments through the checkout system however at time of writing such a service is unavailable. Therefore, in order to buy your watch with cryptocurrency you are asked to contact them directly via email or through their customer Whatsapp at +44(0)7826 848 356.
More details at C.W. Sellors.
Watches of Wales
Rolex Daytona ref. 116523, £14,950 (approx. 0.17 Bitcoin or 4.75 Ethereum*)
Watches of Wales has some of the strongest ties to crypto of any watch retailer, as they were one of the very first to adopt it as a payment method internationally. Based in Cardiff, they’ve sold luxury watches to multiple stars of the boxing and rugby world including Tyson Fury, Chris Eubank, Lee Halfpenny and All Blacks legend Dan Carter.
For crypto payments they’ve adopted the xMoney payment system, which accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT among others. It’s not a direct cryptocurrency payment in the strictest term, instead acting as a convenient conversion system meaning you pay in crypto and they receive traditional currency.
More details at Watches of Wales.
Swiss Watch Trader
Tudor Black Bay, £3,250 (approx. 0.03 Bitcoin or 1.03 Ethereum*)
Founded in 2010, Swiss Watch Trader are a UK based watch retailer operating out of Hampshire, becoming a trusted online marketplace with over a decade of experience. They specialise in pre-owned watches including the usual selection of major brands with a special focus on Rolex and Omega. To ensure authenticity every timepiece sold is checked against the watch register and provided with a 12-month warranty.
On the crypto front, they accept Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Simply select Coinpayments at check out and proceed with your coin of choice. It’s another example of cryptocurrency becoming a normalised payment option in the high-end luxury market.
More details at Swiss Watch Trader.
Banks Lyon
IWC Pilots Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert, £10,100 (approx. 0.12 Bitcoin or 3.2 Ethereum*)
I must admit that I have walked past Banks Lyon’s Lancaster boutique on many, many occasions – largely because it is directly opposite the student bar I frequented during my time at University. Throughout researching this article, Banks Lyon are without question the most thorough when it comes to providing information about their crypto services with an entire downloadable booklet on the subject.
They use the same xMoney system as other retailers featured here, which provides convenient and fast conversion in order to get your transaction completed quickly and easily. It’s exciting to see traditional retailers like Banks Lyon, who were established in the 1880s, adopt modern payment options, adapting to the times and allowing you to buy watches with cryptocurrency.
More details at Banks Lyon.
Watts on Watches
Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time ref. 5134G-001, £20,000 (approx. 0.24 Bitcoin or 6.36 Ethereum*)
Watts on Watches is the sales platform associated with the Watts on Watches youtube channel operated by titular founder, Thomas Watts. In his videos he offers reviews and opinions on watches and the industry at large. On their digital sales platform they offer a relatively small but well curated selection of watches.
Once again, the chosen Crypto payment scheme of choice is xMoney. Of note, if you wish to purchase a watch with Bitcoin or one of the other coins that xMoney is compatible with, you are asked to contact Watts on Watches directly via the email provided on the website.
More details at Watts on Watches.
The Watch Collector
Jaeger Le Coultre Reverso Grand Wempe Limited Edition GMT, £6,750 (approx. 0.08 bitcoin or 2.15 Ethereum*)
As a sign of the times, The Watch Collector online watch marketplace only began allowing you to buy watches with bitcoin and cryptocurrency payments following numerous requests from clients. It’s evidence that there is actually an appetite for crypto transactions for tactile goods. Similar to Watts on Watches, you are asked to contact The Watch Collector directly to inquire about crypto payments.
The Watch Collector is a Cheshire based retailer operating predominantly online, though if you’d like to view the watches you can arrange a visit to their showroom. Whether it’s vintage dress watches, military watches, sports watches or luxury watches, they have something for everyone.
More details at The Watch Collector.
*Cryptocurrency conversions correct at time of writing but subject to change
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