How We Prepare Every Watch
No watch is listed until it has been through the same bench process — whether it arrived as a full set from an authorized dealer or as a single head from a trade-in. This is the work behind every condition grade on the site.
1. Intake and documentation
Serial and reference numbers are logged and checked against manufacturer records for the production year. Box, papers, and service history are verified and recorded — and stated plainly on the listing when absent. Every watch is photographed as it arrived.
2. Authentication under magnification
Dial, hands, movement finishing, and engravings are examined at 10× and higher. Redials, relumes, service replacements, and aftermarket parts are identified and disclosed on the listing, every time.
3. Movement performance
Rate, amplitude, and beat error are measured on an electronic timegrapher in multiple positions. A watch that runs outside the manufacturer's tolerances goes to service before it is listed — not after it is sold.
4. Case and water resistance
Case geometry is inspected for over-polishing and replaced components. Where serviceability allows, gaskets are checked and the case is pressure tested against the rating we publish, following ISO 22810 methodology.
5. Final grading
The published condition grade and the watchmaker's notes are written last, once the bench work is complete. What the spec sheet says is what the bench found.