Can you sell an apple watch that does not work?
Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.
What actually goes wrong with apple watches
These are the faults that move an apple watch down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:
- Activation lock still tied to a previous Apple account
- Battery health well below its original capacity
- Cracked or delaminated screens, common on older models
- Aluminium cases with heavy edge wear
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £32 to £135. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £18 to £75. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:
- Check battery health in the Watch app under General
- Unpair properly so activation lock is cleared
- Note the exact generation, case size and material
Photographing the fault
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The watch face on, showing the display
- The back crystal and sensor array
- The settings screen showing series, case size and battery health
- The bands and charger included, plus any chip or scratch
What to state in the listing
Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken apple watches want these confirmed:
- Series number, case size in millimetres and case material
- GPS or GPS plus Cellular
- Battery maximum capacity percentage
- Which bands and charger are included, and whether Activation Lock is cleared
Series, size and connectivity: “Apple Watch Series 8, 45mm, GPS + Cellular, Midnight Aluminium”. All four details are searched. Say the watch is unpaired and Activation Lock is off — it is the single biggest reassurance you can give on this product.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Unpair through the Watch app on your iPhone, which handles it properly, and confirm in the listing. A locked Apple Watch cannot be used by anyone else.
Read the percentage in Settings and photograph it. Below about 80% expect the buyer to price in a battery service.
List them and give the size. Bands are a meaningful part of the value and fit differs between 41mm and 45mm cases.
Is it worth repairing first?
Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:
- Recent generations still taking watchOS updates
- Stainless steel and titanium cases over aluminium
- Larger case sizes, which sell more readily
- Original band, box and charging cable
If the work would cost more than the gap between £75 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Sells quickly year round, with a Christmas peak and a January fitness bump. Values step down each September when new series launch.
Getting it to the buyer
Small and valuable. Confirm cleared funds before handover, and make sure the watch is genuinely unpaired first.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full apple watch selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken apple watch worth anything?
Yes — typically £18 to £75 at For Parts against £70 to £300 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Activation lock still tied to a previous Apple account
Should I repair it before selling?
Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are recent generations still taking watchOS updates and a repair rarely restores those.
What do buyers ask about a faulty apple watch?
The fault itself, in detail. Unpair through the Watch app on your iPhone, which handles it properly, and confirm in the listing. A locked Apple Watch cannot be used by anyone else. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.
See also: what apple watch is worth by condition · how to sell apple watch · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.