Authenticity Guarantee & Condition Grading

A pre-owned watch is only worth what you can trust about it. This page explains how Swiss Watches Dot Com authenticates, tests, grades and describes every watch before it is listed, and the Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee that stands behind each one.

Our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee

For as long as you, the original purchaser, own the watch, Swiss Watches Dot Com guarantees that it is authentic and that any diamonds are factory original, exactly as described on the listing. If the manufacturer, or an independent authentication service that we and you agree on, ever determines otherwise, we refund the full purchase price when the watch is returned to us.

There is no time limit and no fine print beyond two points: the guarantee is personal to the original purchaser and is not transferable, and it does not extend to parts that were replaced by anyone other than Swiss Watches Dot Com or the manufacturer after the sale. It is the only guarantee of its kind we need to make, because the inspection process below is designed so that it is never called upon.

How Every Watch Is Inspected Before Sale

Nothing is listed on the strength of a seller's word or a set of papers. Every watch, whether it comes from a private client, a trade-in or a trusted dealer partner, goes to the bench first, where our watchmakers work through the same sequence:

1. Authentication. The case, movement, dial, hands, bezel and bracelet are checked against the manufacturer's reference: serial and reference engravings, case-back and clasp codes, movement finishing and caliber details, dial printing and lume, crown and crystal signatures. A watch has to be right in every component, not just overall.
2. Timing. The movement is measured on a calibrated timing machine across multiple positions. We expect certified chronometers to run within their certifying standard (COSC −4/+6 seconds per day) or the manufacturer's stricter tolerance, other mechanical watches within ±20 seconds per day, and quartz within ±20 seconds per month.
3. Pressure testing. Every case is pressure tested, and the result is stated on the listing. A watch that is described as water resistant has been tested by us, not assumed from its specification sheet.
4. Functional check. Winding, hand-setting, date and calendar changes, chronograph start, stop and reset, GMT hands, bezels and clasps are operated and confirmed.
5. Documentation. Findings are recorded against the watch and become the basis of its listing: condition grade, polish status, originality of parts, service history and exactly what is included.

A watch that does not pass is not listed. Every watch is checked again before it ships; if one fails that final inspection, the order is cancelled and payment returned in full.

Factory Diamonds Only

Diamond-set watches are where the pre-owned market goes wrong most often. Aftermarket diamond dials, bezels and cases can be beautifully made and still remove most of a watch's value, and they are rarely disclosed. Swiss Watches Dot Com sells factory-set diamonds only, and we never set, reset or replace a stone ourselves.

Verifying factory origin is part of authentication, not an add-on. The reference number and dial code are checked against the manufacturer's catalog to confirm that the configuration was produced by the factory. Where possible, factory origin is confirmed with the original papers or a brand service record. Setting quality, stone layout and metalwork are examined against known factory work. If factory origin cannot be verified, the watch is not listed.

Diamond descriptions follow the FTC Jewelry Guides. We describe stones by the factory specification, for example a factory diamond dial for a given reference, and never by carat weights we cannot verify.

Parts Originality and Polishing Disclosure

Two watches of the same reference and year can be very different purchases. One may be entirely original and unpolished; another may carry a service dial, replacement hands and several polishes. Both can be excellent watches, but you should know which you are buying. Every listing therefore states:

• whether the dial, hands, bezel, crown and bracelet are factory original or genuine manufacturer service replacements. We do not sell watches with aftermarket components, full stop;
• the polish status: unpolished, lightly polished or polished, judged by case geometry, edge definition, bevels and lug thickness;
• known service history, including manufacturer service and its date where it is documented.

If a listing is silent on a component, ask. A specialist will tell you exactly what we found.

Condition Grading Scale

Condition grades are assigned at inspection using a consistent five-step scale. The grade describes wear; the listing text and photographs describe the specifics.

Grades are deliberately conservative. A watch described as Very Good should look better in hand than you expect, not worse.

Box and Papers Standards

"Full set" means different things to different sellers, so we do not use the phrase on its own. Each listing itemizes exactly what accompanies the watch: manufacturer box, outer box, warranty card or papers (with the date where it is shown), booklets, hang tags and any extra links. If an item is not listed, it is not included.

Where papers are present, the serial or reference on the card is checked against the watch, and the card is examined for the manufacturer's printing, stamping and formatting of the period. Some watches include a manufacturer warranty card showing unexpired coverage; those cards are provided for documentation and provenance only. We make no representation that any manufacturer warranty is valid, active or transferable, and every watch we sell is covered instead by our own 1-Year Limited Warranty.

Independent Dealer and Trademark Notice

Swiss Watches Dot Com is an independent dealer of pre-owned watches and is not an authorized dealer of, or affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, Cartier or any other manufacturer. Brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used on this site solely to identify the watches offered. Our authentication, inspection and warranty work is carried out by our own watchmakers, with warranty repairs using genuine manufacturer parts or the manufacturer's own service center.

Questions about a specific watch, its history or its paperwork are always welcome: (770) 584-1378 or info@swisswatches.com.