If you’re ready to trade up your pre-owned watch with TrueFacet’s TrueTrade Program, the first step is taking a good photo of your timepiece.

Our team of appraisers rely on clear photos to quickly give you an accurate estimate for your watch. Submitting a sharp photograph means less back-and-forth so you can start shopping with your TrueFacet credit even faster.

To help you get the perfect shot of your timepiece, here are our best photography tips—no fancy photo equipment needed, just a smartphone or your handy point-and-shoot camera.

1. Find a clean surface.
The ideal setting for your watch photo is on a clean, white surface. Barring that, a cleared desk, counter, or table is a fine alternative. You want to remove your watch from your wrist and lay it flat on your working space.  

2. Shoot using daylight.
You want to use natural light for your photo. A flash can reflect off the watch’s metallic surfaces and obscures the details of your watch. Therefore, we recommend turning off your flash and relying on sunlight to illuminate your photo. However, you do not want to stand in direct sunlight which will similarly create a harsh glare. 

3. Get in close.
Your watch should effectively fill the entire frame of the photo. Photographing it from too far away means the important details of your watch can be lost. So, move closer to your watch when photographing it.

But one word of caution: double-check your camera’s focus. If you put your camera too close, your lens may not be able to automatically re-focus. To correct this, start with your lens close to your watch, then slowly pull your camera back until it can focus. Snap your photograph from that distance. 

4. Photograph the back of the watch case.
Turn your watch over, lay it flat again, and photograph the back of the watchcase. If your watch has a registration number engraved on the back, be sure that is legible in your photo. 

5. Include your boxes and papers in a fourth photo.
If you have the boxes and papers for your watch, include that in a separate photograph with the model and style number on the paperwork legible.

If you have any further questions about TrueFacet’s TrueTrade program, contact a concierge associate here.