An old Apple Watch is worth between $30 and $430 in Apple credit depending on the model, based on the values recorded for individual models when Apple changed them on September 9. Best Buy’s listing takes a different approach: up to $325 off an Apple Watch Series 12 pre-order for an eligible Apple Watch trade-in, expiring 9/18/2026.
The two are not the same product. Apple’s credit is instant, applies to whatever you are buying, and has no deadline. Best Buy’s is a launch discount on one product with a hard expiry, and the company has not published which watch earns which amount.
Key facts on Apple Watch trade-in
| Item | What is published, and by whom |
|---|---|
| Apple’s method | Condition questions producing an estimate, no per-model table on Apple’s Trade In page |
| Apple’s stated basis | The amount depends on the device, model, manufacturer and condition (Apple’s wording) |
| When credit lands | Instantly at the point of sale (Apple’s word) |
| Recorded range | $30 for a first-generation SE up to $430 for an Ultra 3 |
| Best Buy | Up to $325 off a Series 12 pre-order with an eligible Watch trade-in, expires 9/18/2026 |
| Direction of travel | Most Apple Watch values fell or held flat on September 9 |
What each model is worth, and what it was worth
Apple does not publish this as a table. These are the values recorded for individual models on September 9, and the previous column shows where each one stood before that date. Every figure is a maximum for a watch in good condition.
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| Model | Now | Was |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Ultra 3 | $430 | New listing |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | $265 | $305 |
| Apple Watch Ultra | $190 | $205 |
| Apple Watch Series 11 | $200 | New listing |
| Apple Watch Series 10 | $150 | $165 |
| Apple Watch Series 9 | $115 | $135 |
| Apple Watch Series 8 | $90 | $95 |
| Apple Watch Series 7 | $65 | $70 |
| Apple Watch Series 6 | $40 | $45 |
| Apple Watch SE, 3rd gen | $115 | New listing |
| Apple Watch SE, 2nd gen | $60 | $60 |
| Apple Watch SE, 1st gen | $30 | $30 |
The pattern is worth naming: waiting for launch week did not help. An Ultra 2 lost $40 of trade-in value on the day the new watches were announced, a Series 9 lost $20, and only the two older Apple Watch SE models held their ground.
Apple or Best Buy: which is worth more
For most models Apple’s recorded figure is the one you can plan around, because it is model-specific. Best Buy’s $325 is a ceiling across an unpublished range, and it only exists if you are pre-ordering a Series 12 before 9/18/2026.
| If you own | Apple credit | Best Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra 3 | $430, on anything you buy | Capped at $325, Series 12 only |
| Series 11 | $200 | Ceiling is higher, per-model value not published |
| Series 9 | $115 | Ceiling is higher, per-model value not published |
| Series 7 | $65 | Eligible, amount not published |
| Series 5 or older | Not in the recorded list | Eligibility not published |
The honest reading is that an Ultra 3 owner should take Apple’s $430, since it beats Best Buy’s ceiling outright and is not tied to one product. For an older watch, Best Buy’s offer might beat Apple’s figure, but nobody can confirm that from published information, and it dies the day the watches reach stores.
The catches on both
- Up to is a ceiling. Apple’s figures assume good working condition, and a cracked screen, swollen battery or failed diagnostic quotes lower.
- Apple pays in store credit at the point of sale, not cash.
- Best Buy’s offer requires an eligible Apple Watch and a Series 12 pre-order, and expires 9/18/2026.
- A 10 percent My Best Buy bonus on standard trade-in values is widely reported but does not appear on Best Buy’s own terms page, so do not count on it.
- Apple has published no trade-in value for Series 12 or Ultra 4, which are too new to appear.
What has not been confirmed
- Best Buy has published no per-model trade-in values and no word on whether the offer continues past 9/18/2026.
- Apple has published no per-model trade-in table of its own. The figures above are recorded values, not an Apple price list.
- Walmart, Costco and Target have published no Apple Watch trade-in or launch offer.
- Apple has not published Series 12 titanium, ceramic or cellular prices, so the amount a trade-in actually covers depends on a figure Apple has not given.
Series 12 and Ultra 4 reach stores on Friday, September 18, which is the day Best Buy’s trade-in offer expires. Apple’s values changed once on September 9 and can change again without notice, so check the estimate on the day you buy rather than working from this week’s numbers. Our event recap covers what the new watches add.
