Expert Watch Authentication Australia

It is genuinely free, and the catch, such as it is, is that we are a watch buyer. We authenticate at our own cost because it gives us the chance to make you an offer afterwards, and because we would have to examine the watch to that standard before buying it anyway. You are under no obligation to accept an offer, and there is no fee if you decline.

No. Authentication carries no obligation to sell: you get the findings, the condition report and the market valuation either way, and the watch comes back to you with nothing to pay. Some of the watches we examine are inherited or recently bought privately, and the owner only wants to know what they have.

Plan on 24 to 48 hours from the moment you submit your details to a completed assessment, and to payment as well if you decide to sell. The hands-on examination is much shorter than that, usually under an hour of a watchmaker's time on a common reference. The rest of the window is arranging the secure handover, the watchmaker's schedule, and writing up the findings.

Four things: the movement, the case and dial, the bracelet and clasp, and any paperwork. The movement is the decisive one, so the caseback comes off and the calibre, serial engravings, finishing, rotor and bridges are checked against what that reference should carry. On the outside we look at case machining, dial printing, lume, hand fitment and crown detail, which is also where replaced parts on an otherwise genuine watch show up.

Nothing has to move to get started. You send photographs and the reference details first, and the watch only travels if you want the assessment taken further. At that point we arrange an insured collection or a secure handover, and the watch is covered while it is with the carrier we book. If you would rather post it yourself, use a tracked and insured service: our terms are clear that we are not liable for transit we did not arrange and pay for.

We tell you plainly, in writing, and we hand the watch back. There is no charge, and we will not buy it or help you sell it on. If you bought it from an Australian business, a written record of exactly what failed is the first thing a bank, a marketplace or a solicitor will ask for, because the Australian Consumer Law requires goods to match their description. We cannot recover your money for you and we do not give legal advice.

Yes. You receive a written authentication and condition report setting out the findings, a condition grading and a market valuation, issued by Buy Your Watch as a licensed second-hand dealer and pawnbroker, licence number SHD-0017882. Be clear about what that is worth: it is our documented opinion, not a manufacturer certification. Only the brand can certify one of its own watches, and no third party's certificate binds a brand, an insurer or a future buyer.

No. Authentication answers whether the watch is genuine and what it is, and the market valuation that comes with it is what the watch would realistically sell for today. An insurance valuation is a separate document, usually prepared by a registered valuer, stating replacement value, which is normally higher and usually costs a fee. If your insurer asks for their own valuation form, ours is not a substitute for it.