How do I sell a watch repair business?

Buyers cannot see inside your head, so the job is to put what you know on paper and on the bench in a form they can check. Preparation takes time. These are the pieces that tend to matter most.

Customer watches on the bench

Customers’ watches are not your inventory, and a buyer will want to know exactly what is in the shop. Keep a current list showing owner, job and status. Finish or return what you can before the sale, and have a clear way to handle anything still open on the closing date. Your lawyer can tell you how to deal with responsibility for those items in the agreement.

Repair records and supplier accounts

Organized repair tickets show a buyer what the shop does and how it runs. Tidy your records and your financial statements with your accountant, and list your supplier accounts and what each needs to continue under a new owner. Ask suppliers early, so that no one is surprised late in the process. Our page on selling a phone repair shop covers the same step in a different trade.

Who is likely to buy

The natural buyers are watchmakers wanting their own shop, jewellers who want repair in-house, and sometimes an employee. Each reads a business differently. A watchmaker will look hard at the equipment and the work flow, while a jeweller may care more about the customers and the retail side. Tell your broker or advisor whom you have in mind.

Staying on for the handover

• Introduce the buyer to regular customers
• Show how jobs move from intake to pickup
• Pass on supplier contacts and know-how
• Agree in writing how long you will stay