A week ago I saw a Nordic blue Twelve on bracelet and with an additional strap listed on eBay for about what it’d cost me to buy it directly from CW, but without the months-long wait. I don’t really need a new watch, or any watches at all ever again, but I thought “I’ll bid $50 over asking and will lose this auction”. All will be right with the world.

I won the stupid auction.

As we speak that watch is headed to the authenticator. Why? Who knows. There are no known CW replicas to my knowledge. It’s a pointless stop-over.

The watch will be here soon. Alongside it will sit a stamp of approval that eBay’s authenticator provided to assure me of something I already knew to be true: nobody has taken the time and effort to create a fake Christopher Ward. Probably also the authenticator has no earthly idea whether it is a real watch but will gladly collect their fee.

Anyway. I’m annoyed to all hell that I bid on this watch in the first place and frankly cannot believe I won it. I guess it’s a benefit that it wasn’t absurdly expensive.

What’s the point of this post? No idea. Just figured I’d complain. Have a good weekend.

Fortunately, from what I understand, because you have a display caseback, they aren’t going to open the watch to check the movement and void the warranty.

I was lucky to pick up my Moonglow under the authenticator threshold so I didn’t have to deal with that. I enjoy buying with confidence knowing that there aren’t fakes yet. Not much point spending time faking cheaper MSRP watch when they can fake a Royal Oak

We have all (mostly) bought a watch that we didn't want, like or need.

Mine was a Jaeger le Coultre and was an extremely expensive lesson.

It's all part of the process.

scooter

I think there is quite a lot of value in the authentication service beyond authentication.

1) in theory they check the condition matches the description in the listing
2) no risk of recieving an empty box (this is also a huge protection for the seller, thus encouraging more watches into the marketplace)

That said, although the idea is good I have found the execution to be rather poor for #1 above. So I'm not really sure what point I'm making

Maybe you will love it upon arrival and it will be a great decision. So much so it becomes the only watch you wear, resulting in selling everything else you own and you are out of the game forever!

Let us know your thoughts when it arrives.

Thanks, all, and thanks for not dunking on a poor idiot who shouldn’t have bid in the first place.

I’ll post photos once it arrives. Hopefully not through gritted teeth.

Wants and Needs are vastly different things when it comes to watch collecting.

Good luck. Hopefully the “authenticators” (air quotes intended) don’t lose / steal / break anything during its sejour with them. I’m sure it will be fine, just a bit bitter. Incidentally, here in the UK their shenanigans are recorded, hopefully it’s the same stateside.

Will you have skipped paying Sales Tax / Import Duty by sourcing it in the US, as opposed to buying new from CW?

The other bonus is that you will get the watch 'now' as opposed to the pre-order date of early September from CW.

An all round win.

Guy

Sent from my XPERIA 5 III using Tapatalk

eBay collects sales tax, but not paying the import fee is a nice bonus

Congrats!?!? I'd like to hear your thoughts when you get it.

My grandad was my hero.
He always said " son, never regret the things you did, only the things you didnt do"

Its a cracking watch, im sure youll love it!

If this is your first watch with an integrated bracelet, then it is an appropriate addition to your collection. It's not as though you ordered another diver or GMT.

I have a Tissot PRX (integrated bracelet style) and it has been my most worn watch this year. The 12 should be even nicer than the PRX.

I’ve bought a few watches I didn’t want or need, mostly late of an evening when I’d had a beer.

I hope your negative thoughts on this watch before it even arrives won’t cloud your judgment of it.