Selling privately on Chrono24 may leave you with more money than a dealer offer, but the advertised price is not what you keep. Compare an achievable sale price after costs with a firm purchase offer and a written consignment proposal.
The work matters too. A private listing leaves you to describe the watch, answer buyers, agree the transaction and arrange suitable delivery. A higher possible return may be worth that effort. For another owner, an agreed dealer offer may suit better.
Platform and shipping guidance checked 3 October 2026.
What are Chrono24’s private-seller fees?
Chrono24’s Australian selling page says creating a private listing is free. Its published success fee is 6.5%, due after the sale. The platform normally deducts it from the escrow payout. If escrow is unavailable for the transaction, it says the fee is invoiced instead. [1]
Before accepting an offer, check the actual fee calculation. Establish how any separately charged shipping or other amounts are treated. Confirm payout currency, conversion costs, bank charges and any applicable tax on charges. Do not turn an amount you have not checked into a zero in your budget.
These are private-selling terms. They are not a professional dealer subscription or a promise that the watch will sell at your asking price.
Work out what the sale leaves you
Start with the price the buyer actually agrees to pay. Subtract the platform fee and the costs you will bear. Keep buyer reimbursements separate so you do not count a shipping payment as profit while forgetting the carrier bill.
Here is a hypothetical example, not an actual sale or carrier quote. Assume a confirmed A$10,000 commission base and A$200 of seller-paid delivery, cover and packing costs.
| Example calculation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Agreed watch price | A$10,000 |
| Commission at 6.5% on the assumed base | A$650 |
| Assumed delivery, cover and packing | A$200 |
| Subtotal left to the seller | A$9,150 |
Any further transaction costs still need deducting. The A$200 assumption does not establish that suitable shipping cover is available for that price. Replace it with a written quote before using the calculation to choose a sale route.
Now compare that result with a real dealer offer after any agreed deductions. Do not compare a certain offer with the highest price you found in another seller’s listing.
You can also calculate the private price needed to match an offer. With a hypothetical A$9,000 net dealer offer and the same A$200 fixed costs, the calculation is A$9,200 divided by 0.935, or A$9,839.57. This shortcut only works when the commission base is the selling price, those costs stay fixed and no further deductions apply.
For a local option to compare, send your watch details to Watch Collector and discuss whether an outright sale or consignment could suit the watch.
Check shipping before you publish the listing
Confirm that the carrier accepts the watch and that the cover applies to its full value, material, destination and private marketplace sale. Ask about packing, signature requirements and exclusions. Check return transit separately.
Tracking and a signature do not establish full-value cover. For example, Australia Post’s domestic Extra Cover has a published maximum of A$5,000 and remains subject to eligibility and exclusions. That is not enough to cover the full value of the A$10,000 watch in our example. It is a compensation service with conditions, not a blanket promise to repay whatever value you declare. Check Australia Post’s current exclusions and restricted-items and packaging requirements for the actual service and contents. [2]
For an overseas buyer, confirm destination restrictions, customs paperwork and responsibility for charges under the actual service and sale agreement. Check any wildlife-permit requirements for animal-material straps before arranging an international shipment. Chrono24’s shipping guide asks sellers to plan shipping, packaging and insurance before dispatch. [3]
When do you receive the money?
With escrow, the buyer pays into a holding account before you dispatch. Chrono24 advertises payout within seven days of delivery for this route. That does not include the time spent finding a buyer or transporting the watch, and it should not be treated as a guaranteed bank-credit deadline if verification or a dispute intervenes. Check the transaction’s actual release conditions. [1]
Before shipping, log in to your own Chrono24 account and verify payment status and the delivery address there. Do not rely on a buyer’s payment screenshot or forwarded email. Keep the agreed description, messages, condition photographs, packing record and tracking details. [4]
Private-sale escrow is different from the platform’s professional-dealer Buyer Protection package. Do not assume that a private transaction includes the dealer package’s return arrangements or automatic shipping protection. Chrono24 offers help with private-sale problems, but its escrow page does not promise a particular dispute outcome. [5], [6].
Private sale, dealer offer or consignment?
| Route | What to compare | What you need to allow for |
|---|---|---|
| Private Chrono24 sale | Accepted price minus confirmed seller costs | Listing work, enquiries, delivery and the payment process |
| Outright dealer sale | Firm inspected offer minus agreed deductions | Any inspection conditions, transport arrangements and written payment terms |
| Consignment | Expected sale price minus commission and authorised expenses | Waiting for a buyer, possible price changes and the contract’s withdrawal terms |
For consignment, ask for the amount you would receive at the proposed selling price. Confirm the commission’s tax treatment, preparation costs, who can approve discounts, how the watch is covered and when payment becomes due. An expected result is still conditional on finding a buyer at that price.
For more context, read our guides to what a watch may be worth when selling and selling a watch interstate.
Sources
These references support the facts discussed above. Manufacturer, platform and government terms apply within their stated scope.