How to Sell Your Apple Watch in 2026 — Best Places & Tips
Selling an Apple Watch is one of the easiest ways to put money back in your pocket, especially if you have an older model sitting in a drawer since upgrading. Apple Watches hold their value better than most wearables, and the second-hand market for them is genuinely active year-round.
That said, where you sell matters as much as when you sell. The difference between the lowest and highest offer for the same watch can easily be £50 to £100, depending on the platform. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to get the best possible price in 2026.
How Much Is Your Apple Watch Worth? (By Series)
Before you get any quotes, it helps to know what your watch is realistically worth on the open market. Resale values vary significantly by series, size, condition, and whether you have the original box and charger.
The table below reflects average resale prices in 2026 for a watch in good working condition with a functioning battery. Damaged or heavily scratched watches will fetch less.
| Apple Watch Series | Average Resale Value (Good Condition) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | £550 – £720 | Highest demand, excellent retention |
| Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) | £280 – £380 | Strong demand, recent model |
| Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm) | £240 – £320 | Slightly lower than 45mm |
| Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) | £130 – £190 | Budget-friendly, popular resale |
| Apple Watch Series 8 | £200 – £290 | Still holds value well |
| Apple Watch Series 7 | £150 – £220 | Decent demand |
| Apple Watch Series 6 | £110 – £170 | Older but still sellable |
| Apple Watch Series 4 / 5 | £60 – £110 | Lower value, sell sooner |
| Apple Watch Series 3 or older | £20 – £50 | Mainly for parts |
A few things that affect your price beyond the series:
Size — Larger case sizes (45mm, 49mm) consistently attract higher offers than smaller ones (41mm, 40mm).
Connectivity — GPS + Cellular models are worth more than GPS-only versions on every series.
Condition — Scratches on the case and screen noticeably reduce the offer. A good quality case throughout the ownership period makes a real difference at resale.
Original box and charger — Not essential, but they add credibility and can increase the offer by £10 to £25 on higher-end models.
Battery health — Some buyers check battery capacity. A watch reporting above 85% battery health will get better offers than one sitting at 70%.
Best Places to Sell Your Apple Watch
WeBuyAnyPhone
Despite the name, WeBuyAnyPhone buys Apple Watches alongside phones and tablets. The process is the same as their phone trade-in service: enter the model, select the condition, receive an instant quote, ship it for free using their prepaid label, and receive payment within a few business days.
It is the most convenient option available and requires almost no effort. The tradeoff is that their prices sit on the lower end compared to selling privately. For someone who wants the process handled quickly without any back-and-forth, it is a solid choice.
Best for: Speed and simplicity.
Decluttr
Decluttr operates similarly to WeBuyAnyPhone and is worth checking at the same time, since prices between the two platforms can differ by £20 to £40 on the same model. You get an instant quote, ship for free, and get paid quickly.
One advantage Decluttr has is that they also buy phones, tablets, and other tech — useful if you are clearing out multiple devices at once.
Best for: Quick comparison alongside WeBuyAnyPhone.
Swappa
Swappa is a peer-to-peer marketplace specifically for tech, and it sits in the middle ground between the hands-off convenience of trade-in platforms and the full effort of eBay. You list the watch yourself, set your price, and communicate with buyers — but Swappa handles the payment processing and has built-in fraud protection.
Prices on Swappa are typically higher than those on trade-in platforms because you are selling directly to another consumer rather than to a reseller. The audience is tech-savvy and already looking for secondhand Apple Watches, which means less time explaining what you have.
Best for: Better prices than trade-in sites, with more protection than eBay.
eBay
eBay gives you the widest audience and the highest potential payout, but it also requires the most work. You write the listing, take photos, answer buyer messages, manage shipping, and handle any issues after the sale. Returns are possible.
For Apple Watches in good condition, eBay is often the best-paying option — particularly for popular models like the Series 9 or Ultra 2, where demand is high. Search completed listings for your exact model before pricing yours.
Best for: Maximum return, particularly on newer or higher-value models.
Apple Trade-In
Apple’s official trade-in programme accepts Apple Watches and gives you credit toward a new Apple purchase. The credit goes directly toward a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch — you cannot receive cash.
Apple’s trade-in values are not the highest on the market, but the process is seamless if you are buying something new from Apple anyway. You hand over the watch in store or ship it using their prepaid label, and the credit is applied to your order.
Best for: People buying a new Apple product who want a frictionless exchange.
How to Prepare Your Apple Watch Before Selling
This part matters more than most people realise. Skipping any of these steps can cause the buyer to return the watch, the trade-in platform to reject it, or — in the worst case — lock the new owner out of the device entirely.
Step 1 — Unpair from your iPhone
Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the watch at the top of the screen, tap the information icon, and choose Unpair Apple Watch. Confirm when prompted. This step automatically creates a final backup of the watch on your iPhone and removes Activation Lock, which is critical.
Do not skip the unpairing step and go straight to a factory reset. Unpairing must happen first.
Step 2 — Sign out of iCloud (if you skipped Step 1)
If you no longer have the paired iPhone or if something went wrong, you can remove Activation Lock remotely. Go to icloud.com on any browser, sign in, go to Find My, select the watch from your devices list, and remove it. This clears the lock and allows the watch to be set up by a new owner.
Step 3 — Factory reset the watch
On the watch itself, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode if prompted. The watch will restart and return to its out-of-box state.
Step 4 — Clean the watch
Wipe the case and band with a slightly damp lint-free cloth. Pay attention to the area around the digital crown and the speaker grilles. A clean watch photographs better and makes a stronger impression on buyers.
Step 5 — Check battery health
On the watch, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Note the percentage. This is a question buyers frequently ask, and having the answer ready speeds up the sale.
Sell for Parts vs. Full Device — Which Pays More?
In almost every situation, selling the Apple Watch as a complete, working device pays significantly more than selling it for parts. The exception is a watch that is fully dead, has an Activation Lock that cannot be removed, or has severe physical damage that makes it unsellable as a working unit.
For a watch in any working condition — even with a cracked screen or poor battery life — selling as a complete device is the right call.
If the watch genuinely cannot be sold as working, here is what individual parts are typically worth:
| Component | Approximate Parts Value |
|---|---|
| Display/screen (working) | £20 – £60 depending on series |
| Digital crown | £8 – £20 |
| Back cover with sensors | £10 – £25 |
| Battery | £5 – £15 |
| Full parts lot (watch sold as-is) | £15 – £60 |
Selling parts individually on eBay yields more than selling the whole broken watch at once, but it requires listing multiple items, waiting for separate sales, and managing multiple shipments. For most people, listing the broken watch as a single “for parts” listing on eBay is the simplest approach.
Common Mistakes That Lower Your Payout
These are the errors that consistently cost sellers money, and all of them are avoidable.
Selling too late. Every new Apple Watch series announcement causes the previous generation to drop in value. Series 10 being announced means Series 9 prices soften. If you know you are upgrading, sell the old watch before the new model launches, not after.
Not comparing quotes. Most people accept the first quote they receive. Spending ten minutes getting quotes from WeBuyAnyPhone, Decluttr, and checking eBay completed listings can make a £30 to £60 difference on a mid-range model.
Leaving Activation Lock on. This is the most common reason trade-in platforms reject watches and return them without payment. Unpair from iPhone first, always.
Describing the condition inaccurately. Overstating the condition leads to a revised quote after inspection. Trade-in platforms physically check every device they receive. Be accurate, and you avoid disappointment.
Selling without the charger. The magnetic charging cable that came with the watch is expected by most buyers. Losing it costs you £10 to £20 off the sale price on most platforms.
Ignoring the band. A quality band in good condition adds perceived value, especially on eBay or Swappa. If you have the original Sport Band or a Milanese Loop in good shape, include it and mention it in the listing.
Read also: Cracked Phone Screen? Your 5 Best Options in 2026
Final Word
Selling your Apple Watch is straightforward if you go in prepared. Know which series and size you have, check your battery health, unpair properly before you do anything else, and get at least two or three quotes before committing.
For the fastest result, compare We Buy Any Phone and Decluttr and take the higher offer. For the best price: list on Swappa or eBay with honest photos and a clear description. For the most seamless experience, if you are already buying something new: use Apple Trade-In and let the credit do the work.
