Selling watches at double the retail…
Selling watches at double the retail price.
As the title says just found this company trying to sell stuff on the saleroom.com
I have googled one of the watches they are selling which is the Rolex 16233 and the majority of prices found online are around £3000/£4000.
On the saleroom chrono6538 is setting the price at £7500 plus a lovely 12% premium which brings the total to £8400 (they have several at this price, wonder why?)… for a £3000/£4000 watch. Before purchasing from this company be very well aware you are paying way over the odds for something you could get at half the price or less somewhere else. Not impressed, if you value your money don’t buy here
Update 12/12/2025
Thank you for your response, and I appreciate you taking the time to address my feedback.
However, as I noted in my original post, I haven’t purchased from you because your reserve prices on the-saleroom.com are already set well above retail for common references like the Rolex 16233—such as the £7,500 starting point you mentioned (plus 12% premium), which feels inflated compared to market realities. I’ve browsed thousands of watches listed there across various auctions, and based on my observations, I’d estimate (being very generous) that fewer than 10% of the items you advertise actually sell, largely due to those high reserves discouraging competitive bidding. That’s not a sustainable model for buyers seeking fair value.
For context, I’ve successfully purchased dozens of high-end luxury watches on the-saleroom.com from other reputable auction houses, often at prices below retail, which speaks to the platform’s strength when reserves are set reasonably. Your reply seems to position Chrono6538 more as a fixed-price shop than a true auction house, which might explain the approach—it’s fine if that’s your model, but it doesn’t align with the open, market-driven ethos of auctions that attract discerning collectors.
I do agree that exceptional pieces can command extraordinary prices, like the Paul Newman Daytona you referenced (which sold for a record $15.5 million in 2017 due to its unique provenance and rarity). But does that outlier justify inflating prices on a relatively common reference like the 16233 even further? It’s a mass-produced Datejust from the 1980s-90s, not a one-of-a-kind icon. Your admission that you price “in the middle” of a £4,000-£20,000 range for watches over 25 years old doesn’t do much to protect consumers—especially when current market data shows plenty of full-set examples (with box and papers) available below £5,000 from trusted sources like Chrono24.
For instance, serviced or full-set 16233s in good condition are routinely listed around £4,000-£5,500, making your £7,500+ reserves feel disconnected from the broader market.
Ultimately, my goal was to highlight this for potential buyers so they can make informed decisions. Wishing you continued success with your satisfied clients—perhaps lowering those reserves could help grow that list even further.
8 November 2025
Unprompted review