Buying a watch- Who’s responsibility is it to pay for authentication? And, would you accept a certificate with a past date?

I don't think there is any responsibility on the seller to pay for an authentication certificate at the point of sale. eBay have added their authentication guarantee as a means of maintaining some sort of consumer confidence in their platform but I don't value it in any way.

If I bought a watch via eBay & I wasn't happy with it in any form, I'd be taking it to my trusted watchmaker immediately, guarantee card or not. It's the same with any paperwork provided by a private seller. I wouldn't automatically assume it's legit. If someone is going to fake a watch, they certainly will be able to fake papers.

Even though I sell as a private individual on eBay & Chrono24, I don't buy from a private seller. There's not enough ways to do your due diligence with private sellers. You can gain a lot of financial information on an established business & that reduces the risk for me somewhat.

Depends on price for me. If expensive and rare I would want it checked by an expert. If cheaper I would be more likely to accept paperwork from the seller.

Good point, well made. It is indeed true that if someone went to the effort of faking watch, papers are no trouble for them.

But isn’t going to your watchmaker after buying the watch a tad late? Are you counting on ebay taking it back on your watchmaker’s opinion?

Also, last time I checked ebay guarantee isn’t in Australia yet

Ok, that’s where I am at now.

So the question is, do I take the seller and the watch to an authenticator and pay for it myself. Or should the seller offer to get the watch authenticated from a horologist of my choice(or anyone legit)

Thst would be 100% down to you IMO.

As always, buy the seller.

If you believe the authenticity of the piece, then fine. Ask to see the movement, ask for high res shots of any other parts of the watch that could be tells (for Rolex, its going to be a combo of magnifier, hands, crown etching, rehaut, lume, dial markings).

Of course, the seller is under no obligation to meet your demands.

If you don't feel good about the transaction, walk away.

The authentication process is to give comfort to the buyer, not the seller. I would expect the seller to pay for it, but once it’s proven to be authentic, then the seller should be reimbursed by the buyer. If it’s proven fake, then it’s no cost to you, the seller eats the cost.

eBay isn't a place that I'm comfortable buying a watch from, unless it's a watch of a lower value. It's not that I don't feel there's a risk of a lower value watch being a fake, it's merely that the consequences are less damaging.

The watches I have bought above £1,500 I have only ever bought on Chrono24. You have the opportunity to get your watch checked out & then confirm that you're happy for Chrono24 to release the payment from the Escrow account to the seller. If you're not happy you can inform the seller that you're returning the watch to them & you'd inform Chrono24 that you're not completing the transaction. They will then return your payment when the seller confirms receipt of the watch you've sent back.

I feel there's less risk buying through Chrono24 but it's not foolproof. Prior to deciding to buy, you really have to do everything that you can to find out as much as possible about who is selling the watch. If I'm not comfortable with what I know or if I simply don't know enough about the seller, I'll pass on the watch. There will be another example of the watch come around very soon that I am comfortable with.

Spot on mate. Thanks much

Sorry, one more question!

I’ve never returned the watch on c24. Have you? Has that been a painless process?

I haven't returned a watch, so I can't vouch for how easy or difficult the process is in reality. I have cancelled a transaction where I'd paid for a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. After 2 weeks the watch remained unsent & the seller had been unresponsive to the messages I'd sent them.

I called Chrono24 & spoke with one of their employees. I explained to her the situation & expressed how unhappy I was with the seller's conduct. She cancelled the transaction whilst I was on the call to her. She also refunded the payment & I received the funds in my bank the following day.

I dare say there's less satisfactory stories out there but my own experience with them was as good as I could have expected. Two weeks later I bought the same Oyster Perpetual model from another retailer on Chrono24 & that transaction went perfectly, much like the 4/5 others I have bought through them.

Thanks mate. Appreciate your time and patience in answering!

Outside of inexpensive seikos, i always buy my watches brand new from a boutique or authorized dealer. Just saves so much headache. Of course this may not be an option for everyone. I would think (no personal experience with them) popular watch dealers like chrono24, watchfinder, pride and pinion, and delray have their own authentication guarantee. I would be super super super skeptical with buying from just another stranger on the internet if the value is above 1,000 usd. That's just me though

I think both services are good, but eBay is far less of a hassle for me, at least in the US. They use a reputable third party for their authentication and no tying money up in escrow. Granted, it is easy when dealing with watches over $2K and it is free, it is a little more challenging for watches that are not automatically covered. On top of that, if you use PayPal, you also get their protection, plus if PayPal is tied to a credit card, you have a third layer of protection. Luckily, never needed if for a watch so far.

Thanks for the info. I don't know why I haven't thought about using my credit card previously, I always use it when I pay for my holiday just incase anything goes wrong prior to going. Seems I should use it for my next watch 👍

In some cases, the type you card uses matters. Amex usually gets my back on everything, has travel insurance up to 10K, but again, benefits vary of course. In terms of online purchases, most cards have some means of built in protection.

Alternatively you could consider getting from AD if the watch is still available for purchase. You won't had to worry too much as well.

Always buy the seller and DYOR. If you can see the movement fakes can be easily identified, especially if more expensive watch. Film the whole procedure of unpackaging with all package content and closeups of the watch in working order.