Sourcing watches from China
Wristwatches, pocket watches and stopwatches from China with non-precious cases, quartz, digital or automatic, pay a specific UK duty of £0.20 per watch rather than a percentage, with no anti-dumping duty. Metal parts in skin contact are subject to the UK REACH nickel restriction, and exotic leather straps can need CITES permits. Cambridge China Bridge sources watches.
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£0.20 a watch
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, electrically operated wristwatches with mechanical, opto-electronic or other displays, other wristwatches with or without automatic winding, and other watches of heading 9102 carried a specific duty of £0.20 per watch on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. The tariff also asks for a CITES declaration, because straps can be made from protected species.
Watches with cases of precious metal are in heading 9101, smartwatches that connect to a phone network or phone are generally classified in heading 8517, and watch straps on their own in 9113; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric wristwatches, mechanical display only | 9102 11 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Electric wristwatches, digital display only | 9102 12 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other electric wristwatches | 9102 19 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Wristwatches with automatic winding | 9102 21 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other wristwatches | 9102 29 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other watches, electrically operated | 9102 91 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
| Other watches | 9102 99 00 00 | £0.20 each | None |
Nickel, straps and water resistance
Watch backs, buckles and metal bracelets are in prolonged contact with the skin, so entry 27 of UK REACH Annex XVII limits the nickel they may release; ask for a nickel release test on plated parts. Leather from protected reptiles needs CITES documents, and ordinary leather and plastic straps should be screened for restricted substances such as chromium VI and phthalates.
A watch described as water-resistant should be tested to ISO 22810, which sets out what each depth rating means. Watches with button cells should keep the cell inside a case back that needs a tool to open, and the retail pack should warn about swallowing cells.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 5,000 quartz wristwatches with analogue dials under 9102 11 00 00, bought for £40,000 free on board with £1,500 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £41,500. Watch duty is a specific duty of £0.20 a watch rather than a percentage, so it is £1,000 whatever the invoice value. Import VAT at 20% applies to £42,500, which is £8,500, and a VAT-registered importer usually recovers it. Because the duty is per piece, it matters most on cheap watches. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
Inspection checklist
Timekeeping and resistance: rate measured on a timegrapher in several positions for mechanical movements and over several days for quartz, water-resistant models pressure-tested to ISO 22810 for the depth claimed, and models claimed as shock- or magnetic-resistant checked against ISO 1413 and ISO 764.
Materials: case backs, buckles and bracelets tested for nickel release by BS EN 1811 against UK REACH Annex XVII entry 27, plating thickness measured by XRF on sampled pieces, leather straps tested for chromium VI under entry 47, and metal parts screened for lead and cadmium.
Batteries and packing: button cells checked for type, date and the separate-collection marking the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 require, shipments declared correctly where lithium cells are fitted, and hands, date change, crown operation and gift boxes checked on each carton opened.
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What goes wrong
Watches fail at the movement, the seal and the plating. Movements from an unnamed source stop or lose time, crowns that are not screwed or sealed let in moisture so dials fog, and thin gold or rose plating wears through at the case edges and clasp within months. Batteries arrive flat after months in a warehouse, hands catch on each other, and brand-like logos or case shapes can infringe trade marks. For market buying checks, see our Guangzhou watch market guide.
Ask which movement is used and check its reference, run timekeeping tests over several days on samples, pressure-test water-resistant models, check plating thickness and do a wear or sweat test, and at inspection check hands, date change, strap fitting and packaging. Plan battery installation close to shipment. For market purchases, see our guide to buying watches in Guangzhou.
Cambridge China Bridge sources quartz, digital and automatic watches, with movements, plating, water resistance and nickel testing agreed before the order. See how we source watches and accessories. For the reverse trade, see exporting UK watches to China.
Related guides: Gold and silver case watches from China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on watches from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, watches of heading 9102 carried a specific duty of £0.20 per watch from China.
Are smartwatches in heading 9102?
Generally not. Smartwatches that connect to a phone or network are usually classified in heading 8517.
Do watch backs need a nickel test?
Yes. UK REACH entry 27 limits nickel release from parts in prolonged skin contact.
Which standard covers water-resistant watches?
ISO 22810 sets the tests behind each water resistance rating.