Box and papers premium
How much more a full set (the watch with its original box and papers) is listed for than the same reference on its own, worked out from today's eBay Buy It Now listings.
+13% middle premium for box & papers across 19 references today
| Reference | Full set | Watch only | Premium | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26470ST  |
£18,912 | £14,695 | +£4,217 | +29% |
| Rolex Day-Date 36 18038 |
£17,357 | £14,362 | +£2,995 | +21% |
| Rolex Milgauss 116400GV |
£10,249 | £8,728 | +£1,521 | +17% |
| Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN |
£11,361 | £9,961 | +£1,400 | +14% |
| Rolex Datejust II 116300 |
£8,603 | £7,357 | +£1,246 | +17% |
| Rolex Submariner Date 16613 |
£9,858 | £8,679 | +£1,180 | +14% |
| Rolex Datejust 36 116200 |
£6,695 | £5,523 | +£1,172 | +21% |
| Rolex Submariner 14060 |
£9,014 | £8,024 | +£990 | +12% |
| Rolex Datejust 36 116234 |
£8,274 | £7,298 | +£976 | +13% |
| Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 |
£8,482 | £7,511 | +£970 | +13% |
| Rolex Yacht-Master II 116680 |
£14,513 | £13,630 | +£884 | +6% |
| Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 231.10.42.21.01.001 |
£3,550 | £2,781 | +£769 | +28% |
| Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 114300 |
£7,575 | £7,042 | +£533 | +8% |
| Rolex Explorer II 16570 |
£7,328 | £6,825 | +£503 | +7% |
| Rolex Submariner Date 16610 |
£8,678 | £8,275 | +£403 | +5% |
| Rolex Datejust 36 16200 |
£5,440 | £5,050 | +£391 | +8% |
| Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116520 |
£19,192 | £18,862 | +£330 | +2% |
| Cartier Ronde Solo W6700255 |
£2,900 | £2,584 | +£316 | +12% |
| Breitling Colt A17388 |
£1,854 | £1,554 | +£300 | +19% |
| Cartier Panthere de Cartier WSPN0007 |
£4,554 | £4,582 | – | -1% |
| Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 |
£11,790 | £11,831 | – | -0% |
| Rolex Lady-Datejust 69173 |
£3,925 | £3,992 | – | -2% |
| Cartier Tank Solo W5200014 |
£2,520 | £2,623 | – | -4% |
| Rolex Datejust 36 116233 |
£9,231 | £9,384 | – | -2% |
| Cartier Calibre de Cartier W7100015 |
£3,862 | £4,024 | – | -4% |
| Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116523 |
£15,772 | £16,569 | – | -5% |
Median Buy It Now asking prices including postage (outliers trimmed), in pounds, eBay UK (US where the UK has too few listings, marked with a flag). Only references with 5+ full sets and 5+ watch-only listings are shown. Box and papers are read from listing titles and the start of the seller's description; listings that don't say either way are left out of both columns.
Questions
How much do box and papers add to a watch's value?
Across the 19 references where a full set costs more today, the middle premium is about 13% over the same watch without box and papers. It's biggest on Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, where papers prove the watch's origin.
What counts as "papers"?
The warranty card or certificate the brand's authorised dealer filled in on sale, showing the serial number and date. Booklets, tags and service receipts help, but aren't papers.
Why is a watch-only price sometimes higher?
Samples are small for many references, and some watch-only listings are newer or rarer variants. We only list references with enough listings on both sides, and we leave out listings that don't say whether they have box and papers.
Can I buy box and papers separately?
Original boxes are sold on their own, but papers must match the watch's serial number. Papers that don't match add nothing and can be a warning sign.