Reply With QuotePersonally, if there is any hint of worry in my mind, I would walk away (don’t need the hassle)
If I buy a watch from a private seller (via Chrono24), is my understanding correct that I bear the ultimate risk if the watch ends up being stolen (= caveat emptor)?
Watch comes without papers, seller says he bought it off eBay - what can I do to protect myself (if anything?)
Checking against The Watch Register any good? Seller and buyer are UK based - but I'm relatively new to all this.
Many thanks indeed
Personally, if there is any hint of worry in my mind, I would walk away (don’t need the hassle)
As said above,walk away.
“Buy the seller” is always difficult with commercial sites like Chrono24. My risk appetite probably wouldn’t therefore extend to buying loose watches from Chrono24/ebay. A full set means it’s much less likely to have been stolen.
I've bought from C24 twice and felt reasonably secure in doing so. First time was from a dealer with good feedback and the watch was one unlikely to have been faked or stolen as it was brand new. Second was from a private seller and I knew exactly what I was looking at, I felt confident I wasn't going to get something dodgy.
In both cases, the real security came from the escrow system, they hold the money until I say the watch is good. That said, I've had no reason to have to test the customer service so can't speak on how that experience would be.
Regrettably as Haywood Milton has stated on here before, papers dont always guarantee authenticity. As people have said above , if you are at all unsure, walk away.
There are very few unique watches in this world. The same model will come up again potentially without the questions this one has. I have to ask why do you think it maybe stolen? Most of us are afraid of fakes.
Steve
Presumably, you are considering the watch because it is cheap for what it is?
That’s always dangerous unless you are 100% certain about the watch that you are buying.
It’s far safer to spend a little more and buy from somewhere yo trust or have comeback.
Have a word with Haywood, especially If I t’s a Rolex you’re after.
Originally Posted by Dave+63
Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply - very kind of you all.
Consensus was pretty clear: 'when in doubt, don't do it' - so I won't proceed with this.
The watch in question was a JLC Reverso, prices all over the place, but certainly cheaper than what I would have expected (~around 5k - too much to run a risk.)
Thanks again, much appreciated
I believe there are two Reversos on SC at the moment.
what's the watch? Buy the seller, not the platform.
The only certain two ways to avoid buying a stolen watch are
1) don’t buy the watch
2) buy new from an AD
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good point, hadn't quite considered that, but might be an option. Safer for sure. I'll have a look what models etc.
Thanks for pointing that out.
You mean which watch / model I am interested in?
It is this one here: https://www.chrono24.co.uk/jaegerlec...id25170209.htm
(assume one is allowed to post 3rd party URLs?)
...though it appears to be reserved now, so the whole point might be moot.
Hi Steve,
Just to clarify that: I have no reason to believe that this watch has been stolen - merely worried that - in the unlikely scenario that it has - I would be exposed to losing £5k+, hence my earlier question.
This is generally a safe place to buy and sell. But just bear in mind that members Juice and Vinstink are thieves and should be avoided like the clap.
Well on reading of the description there are so many red flags that I would not have any confidence in buying this watch.
The grammar is so bad and it is clear the person doesn’t really understand the terminology of watches (who calls watch straps, belts?) which would make me wonder why they had such a high horology brand and that particular high end model. Not really something a normal punter picks up! They also state it comes with original box and papers in the text but in the specifications they state it doesn’t.
Sounds like a poor cut and paste job to me. Don’t just walk away…run!
Agreed, and good point about the lack of detail
Thanks again for all the sound advice. Looks like a risk I should not have taken and won't take.
Much appreciated
3) Buy from Haywood.
Some Asian vendors use the term belt instead of strap, could be an indication the watch isn't even in the UK?
Not forgetting horns instead of lugs - damn foreigners
One of the ones on SC is mine Daniel, drop me a message if you’d like more details
Always buy the seller. And be especially wary of speed posters who crimped out heaps of inane posts to reach the promised land of Sales Corner. This is just a general observation and in no way reflects on any other posters in this thread.
Totes bro.
That's very kind of you to write, but buying from even the straight and most competent dealer will not guarantee that you don't buy a stolen watch, however inadvertently it may come about. Sometimes the details of stolen watches are not reported to the accessible stolen databases at all, or until long after they have gone.
The key point of difference is that a decent, respectable dealer of substance (ideally trading in the form of a company with material assets) and with a reputation to protect will step up in the event that it happens.
This is a timely post. Some weeks ago a 116234 that I had sold in 2015 turned out to have been reported stolen. It was on neither the Safergems / Checkmend database nor the ALR Watch Register.....but it had been reported to Rolex UK's database (that is generally not accessible to the trade) and identified only when it recently went in for service.
Following due diligence and every effort to test the report that it had been stolen and with almost no help (if not deliberate obstruction) from Rolex UK and the relevant insurers (such that the claim is to this day not tested and proven), I took the decision to resolve it and replaced the watch with better.
However well-intentioned any private seller may be, would they be contactable, willing and able to remedy such a situation if it befell them ?
H
Last edited by Haywood_Milton; 24th October 2022 at 13:59.
Posting Permissions
