About Gems Forgotten

We're Alexandra and Laurence — a couple, qualified engineers, and the people behind Gems Forgotten.

How we got here

Our love of watches goes back to childhood — the weight of a timepiece, the quiet engineering inside, the stories a watch carries through decades of wear. Both of us spent our early years taking things apart to see how they worked, and over 10+ years as engineers we've never lost that instinct. At some point, watches stopped being just a passion and started being something we wanted to share.

We've been dealing in pre-loved luxury watches professionally for around two years. In that time we've built a process that combines what we love about our engineering day jobs — methodical inspection, datasheet cross-referencing, documented evidence — with a genuine care for the pieces themselves.

What we look for

We only list watches we'd happily wear ourselves. That's the single filter everything passes through. For a watch to make it onto Gems Forgotten, it has to be:

• Genuine — movement verified against the manufacturer's technical datasheet, hardware checked for correct maker's marks
• Reliable — in proper working condition, tested before dispatch
• Unique — something with character, history, or a detail you won't find on every wrist
• Honest — any service history, replacement parts or cosmetic wear is disclosed openly on the listing

If a watch doesn't meet all four, it doesn't go up. We'd rather have a smaller catalogue we fully stand behind than a bigger one we don't.

How we work

We source watches from auctions and private sellers across the UK and further afield. Every piece is personally inspected, photographed and documented before it's listed — no drop-shipping, no middlemen, no black boxes. When a watch ships from us, it's a watch we've held, opened, checked and signed off.

You can read the full step-by-step of what we verify on our Authentication Process page.

Where we are — and where we're going

We're based in the South of England and currently operate entirely online. One day, we'd love to have an in-person shop — somewhere you can come in, try watches on, and talk about them properly. For now, if you have a question about any piece in our catalogue, get in touch — we're a small, hands-on business and we genuinely enjoy the conversation.

Our philosophy

"Luxury doesn't have to be new — just timeless."

A thirty-year-old Swiss-movement watch that has been cared for, inspected and honestly described carries more character than most things you could buy off the shelf today. Our job is to find those pieces, verify them properly, and pass them on to someone who'll appreciate them as much as we do.

Thank you for stopping by.

Alexandra & Laurence