You might be surprised to find that your grandpa's old, broken pocket-watch or that "worthless" wristwatch is worth.  If you don't specialize in appraising vintage pocket-watches or brand-name wrist watches (and very few people actually do), you may never know that you could have an extra $500 or more laying around in your jewelry box or buried in your sock drawer!

Most antique and vintage watches are valued depending on their mechanics, movement and normal wear and tear.  It's nearly impossible to find a true antique watch in mint condition, but even some watches as "old" as 3 years old have become rare and valuable collector's items.

There's a lot that goes into valuing a watch, but unless you have that rare 1915 Rolex (worth over $5,000), you may be thinking you're out of luck.  Who wants to buy a rusty old pocket-watch anyway?

Turns out - it might be worth more than you think.

You might think that having that pocket-watch repaired and those cracks, chips or discoloration in the dial might be worth fixing.  The watch would be worth more once those little touch-ups were made, right? 

As it turns out, the watch is worth less if obvious fixes are noticeable (and with today's technology, they will be).  Just like with antique furniture that has had fastenings replaced with newer versions - the value goes down if it isn't "original".

If you have a gold wristwatch or pocket-watch, you may be surprised to learn how much it's really worth. The value of watch cases plated with gold will depend on how much "plating" really is on the watch case before the bronze starts showing through.  Unfortunately there is no guideline or standard for how much plating is "gold plated" enough.  You can look at the case itself to see the warranty.  A longer warranty generally means there's more gold plating on the case.

Even better, if you have a gold pocket-watch with "gold filled" casing.  This means that the case itself was created as a gold "shell" and other metals were added to give it a distinctive color.  Gold filled cases are heavier and were more expensive (and therefore more valuable) than gold-plated cases.

So even though it doesn't run - you can still turn in your granddad's old pocket-watch and get paid for it. By sending it directly to a refinery, you can get top dollar for that unwanted, broken pocket-watch -- perhaps even enough to help pay off your mortgage! With gold currently selling at between $850-$930 an ounce, you may be surprised to learn just how much that "junk" watch is really worth!

To deal directly with a gold refinery, visit Cash4Gold. They have their own refinery on-site and can afford to pay you some of the industry's highest prices for that old gold watch. By working directly with a refinery, you keep more of your money in your pocket - as opposed to going to a pawn shop.

Plus, by working with a reputable gold buyer like Cash4Gold, you're assured of safe, discreet handling and shipping of your gold watch. They ship, insure and track your package for you and promptly send you a check for the gold watch's value. If for any reason you're not satisfied, you can get your watch back. It's that simple.

You'll never know if you've got a $500 watch laying around in your dresser until you find out!