Gold and silver case watches from China
Wristwatches, pocket watches and stopwatches with cases of precious metal or metal clad with it, from China, pay a specific UK duty of £0.20 per watch on all 6 lines of heading 9101, with no anti-dumping duty. Watches described as gold, silver, platinum or palladium must be hallmarked by a UK assay office under the Hallmarking Act 1973 unless an exemption applies.
Wristwatches and pocket watches with gold, silver or platinum cases from China pay £0.20 a watch UK duty. Hallmarking and movement checks explained.
£0.20 a watch
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 9101 covers wristwatches, pocket watches and other watches, including stopwatches, with a case of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal. All 6 lines, split into electrically operated or automatic-winding wristwatches and other watches, carried a specific duty of £0.20 per watch on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Watches with cases of base metal, steel or plastic are heading 9102 (see our watches guide), and watch straps are 9113 (see our watch straps guide), so confirm the commodity code from the case material.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric wristwatches, mechanical display only | 9101 11 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Electric wristwatches, other (digital or combined display) | 9101 19 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other wristwatches, automatic winding | 9101 21 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other wristwatches (manual winding) | 9101 29 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Pocket and other watches, electric | 9101 91 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Pocket and other watches, other | 9101 99 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
Hallmarking
Section 1 of the Hallmarking Act 1973 makes it an offence, in the course of trade, to describe an article as gold, silver, platinum or palladium, or to supply such an article, unless it is hallmarked, subject to the exemptions in Schedule 1 to the Act. In practice this means sending precious-metal watch cases to a UK assay office before sale unless an exemption clearly applies.
Plan the time and cost of assay into the schedule, and make sure the case fineness declared by the factory matches what the assay office will test.
Specifying watches
Specify case metal and fineness, plating or cladding, case size and water resistance, movement make and calibre, glass, dial and hands, strap or bracelet, engraving, and presentation box and warranty card.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 300 automatic wristwatches with silver cases, commodity code 9101 21 00 00, bought for £36,000 free on board with £900 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £36,900. The duty is specific, £0.20 a watch, so £60 whatever the value. Import VAT at 20% applies to £36,960, which is £7,392, and a VAT-registered importer usually recovers it. Hallmarking fees are extra and paid in the UK. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Case: check case metal fineness with XRF against the declared standard before sending for assay, and check finish, engraving and caseback fit.
Movement: check timekeeping over 24 hours in several positions, the winding or battery life, and the crown and pushers.
Water resistance: pressure-test sampled watches to the rated level, and check gaskets and crystal seal.
What goes wrong
Precious-metal watch orders fail on fineness, movements and water resistance. Cases fail assay because the metal is below the declared standard or only plated, a cheaper movement is fitted, and watches leak at the crown or caseback.
Test fineness before assay, check movements and pressure-test samples. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources precious-metal case watches for UK jewellers and watch brands, checking the case maker and movement supply first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on gold watches from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, precious-metal case watches under 9101 carried £0.20 per watch from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Do gold or silver watches need hallmarking?
Yes, if described as precious metal in trade, unless an exemption under the Hallmarking Act 1973 applies.
Are steel-case watches in heading 9101?
No. Watches with base metal or other cases are heading 9102.
Is the duty a percentage?
No. It is a specific duty of £0.20 per watch, whatever the value.