Watch authentication
A watch is authentic here when it is what its listing says it is: made by the maker on the dial, built around the case, dial and movement its reference calls for, and every change since it left the factory, apart from routine movement service, is disclosed and is either the maker's own work or a restoration we accept.
This page sets out that standard in full: which parts must be right, which parts may be serviced, how we grade condition on a vintage scale, and what an inspection can and cannot tell you. Every watch that goes through our independent verifier is held to it.
A genuine watch can carry parts its maker fitted decades after it left the factory. We authenticate the watch as a whole, part by part, against what its reference calls for.
Watches that are worn get serviced, and makers replace dials, hands and crowns along the way. The maker's own service parts pass when the listing discloses them, and we record them so the buyer knows exactly what they are getting.
The listing is the seller's word. A service part, restoration or flaw the listing discloses is simply information. Left out, it is a misrepresentation, and the watch fails.
The standard
We sort a watch's parts into three groups. Each group is held to a different rule, because each tells you something different about the watch.
Group 1 · The identity of the watch
These parts are what make the watch the reference it claims to be. Each must be made by the maker and correct for the reference. A maker's service replacement passes when the listing discloses it, and is noted on the report.
Group 2 · Service parts
These parts are routinely replaced when a watch is serviced. We check that each is the maker's part and right for the reference, and we note on the report anything that is not original to the watch. A replacement the listing leaves out fails.
Group 3 · Wear parts
These parts wear out and are meant to be replaced. Replacing them does not affect authenticity, as long as the listing describes what is there.
Grounds for a fail
Any one of these is enough to fail a watch, whatever its condition grade.
Counterfeit
The watch, or any Group 1 part, is counterfeit or not made by the maker.
Assembled
It is built from parts of different references and presented as one watch.
Misrepresented
It differs materially from its listing, including undisclosed damage, service parts, restoration or relume.
Mismatched
Its reference or serial does not match the listing or the model's production range.
Modified
It carries aftermarket parts or custom work, such as custom dials, added stones or aftermarket coatings. Wear parts aside, modified watches cannot be listed on Grey Market, disclosed or not.
Condition grades
Most watches listed on Grey Market are decades old, so they are graded the way vintage collectors look at a watch: the case first, then the dial, then the bracelet. The seller proposes one overall grade. When a watch goes through the verifier, the verifier confirms it in hand or corrects it on the report.
Grades describe condition, not originality. A 9 with a service dial is still a 9. The service dial goes on the report.
Patina is aging, not damage. Even toning of the dial or lume is part of how a vintage watch should look. Spotting, flaking print or water marks are damage and lower the grade.
Polishing is always noted. Whatever the grade, the report says whether the case appears polished.
New old stock, never worn. Factory finishes intact. Storage or handling marks at most.
As delivered when new.
Unworn, no stretch. Protective stickers may remain.
Worn rarely, if at all. Bevels, chamfers and brushing as the factory left them. Unpolished.
Clean and unmarked. At most the faintest, even aging.
Tight, with no perceptible stretch.
Light wear visible under a loupe, not at arm's length. Edges crisp, no notable marks.
Clean. Even aging only, no blemishes.
Minimal play between links.
Honest light wear. Edges sharp or close to it, with fine surface marks.
Even patina welcome. Print crisp, no damage.
Light play between links.
Worn and enjoyed. Edges may be softened, with visible nicks or scratches.
Clear aging and toned lume. Fully legible, minor marks possible.
Moderate stretch.
Heavy wear, or polishing that has changed the case's profile. Deep marks possible.
Marked aging or blemishes, still legible.
Significant stretch.
Below 7.5. A watch that needs work gets the verifier's notes in place of a grade. A watch the seller lists for parts or repair carries a For parts label on its listing; that label is the seller's call, separate from our grade. Both are held to the same authenticity standard as every other watch. On every listing, the photos are part of the condition disclosure, so read the grade alongside them.
The verification report
Every inspection is recorded on a numbered verification report, signed by the verifier and countersigned by Grey Market. When a watch passes, the report ships with it, printed on card stock, so its new owner has the full record in hand.
Brand, model, reference, serial, caliber and era, where determinable. The serial appears on the owner's copy and is never shown on a public listing.
Every service or replacement part, by name, so nothing in the watch's history comes as a surprise.
The confirmed grade, any polishing and any issue the listing did not mention.
Measured on a timegrapher: rate in seconds per day, amplitude and beat error.
Pass, fail or not tested. A result applies to the day of the test only.
What arrived with the watch, checked against the listing. Their presence is recorded. Their authenticity is not evaluated.
Limits
We would rather you know the edges of the standard than assume it covers more than it does.
How it runs
Always
The seller ships to the verifier within 2 business days of the sale. On a pass, the verifier seals the watch and ships it to the buyer, who has 24 hours from delivery to accept it or request a return. The cost is covered by the buyer's premium.
Always
We inspect every watch before we buy it and wire payment once it passes.
Buyer's choice
Add Verification when you offer or buy for 2% of the price ($149 minimum, $399 cap), and the watch is held to the same standard before it ships to you, with the 24-hour return. Without it, the sale is final.
If a watch fails at auction, or on an Exchange sale with Verification, the sale is canceled and the buyer is refunded in full. Timing, returns and fees are covered in the FAQ. The binding terms are in sections 5.4 and 6 of our Terms of Service.
Learn to spot it yourself
Every auction watch is verified. On the Exchange, add Verification at checkout and the watch is inspected before it ships to you.
