How to verify grey market "new" watch is truly new?

[EEpro]

Originally Posted by PenDelicate

There isn't a grey market dealer on the planet who wouldn't advertise a watch as, "Brand new," if he thought he could get away with it. It's just business sense.

I love the true new moda listings with the watch perched on a hairy arm outside. Never worn...except for outside... but only for this picture.

[Phlippe]

Originally Posted by Jasb

Heard nothing but good from Jazztime watches, they have a ton of stock.

I have read nightmare stories, do your own research.🧐

[Helen93]

Originally Posted by Njkdog

Well, that is the definition of a gray dealer. Which is different from a secondhand or preowned dealer. But how to tell, there is realistically no way.

Gray dealers often operate in the shadows, making it tricky to distinguish them from legit sellers. Researching the seller and reading reviews can help avoid risks.

[Kinnakeet]

I have sold 6 watches to greys that were not new and unworn. But they were less than a year and in excellent condition. All of them were listed as new and unworn. 2 are up for sale the last time I checked. My husband bought one from another grey listed as new. When he checked the QR card the watch was activated 14 months prior. A Breitling. I would never buy a watch listed as new from a grey after all this. He was unhappy with this and quickly sold the watch to a different grey. Again listed as new and unworn.

[Mystro]

Not sized. After all, buying new from an AD could mean your watch was handled by hundreds so there is really no ultimate guarantee a watch has not been handled by someone but not sized and without any marks is good enough for me to be “new”.

[Daytonaman799]

Originally Posted by Jasb

Heard nothing but good from Jazztime watches, they have a ton of stock.

I dealt with them…AWFUL. Did much better with a local grey.

[fooey]

Originally Posted by 1665fan

I’d say that guy hyping them up works for them …….Jasb/jazz time lol

Was thinking the same!

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[dkg1616]

If it looks new who really cares if it’s not polished? Question is kind of odd honestly….

[CaptT]

Originally Posted by Kinnakeet

I have sold 6 watches to greys that were not new and unworn. But they were less than a year and in excellent condition. All of them were listed as new and unworn. 2 are up for sale the last time I checked. My husband bought one from another grey listed as new. When he checked the QR card the watch was activated 14 months prior. A Breitling. I would never buy a watch listed as new from a grey after all this. He was unhappy with this and quickly sold the watch to a different grey. Again listed as new and unworn.

Ouch, that's terrible.

I've often wondered about all the "new" watches that were originally first sold by the AD years prior, but somehow are now today still listed as brand new for sale via trusted resellers, gray market, or others.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Jerrocop

If you’re not buying it from an AD it’s not new.


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This!

Kat


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[milgauss2232]

Could you maybe send it to RSC for a bogus service request (like asking them to check the movement because the spd is off), and if they accept the watch ot means it’s authentic? Does that work?

[1259]

AD = new. Anything else is varying degrees of pre owned.

[Jasb]

Originally Posted by fooey

Was thinking the same!

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Somehow sarcasm is lost in text, when this post started there was another guy roasting jazztime and my joke was lost in translation….

[911991]

Originally Posted by PenDelicate

There isn't a grey market dealer on the planet who wouldn't advertise a watch as, "Brand new," if he thought he could get away with it. It's just business sense.

I concur, IMHO a grey market dealer's reputation is much valuable than a AD.

[metallic]

What is considered new these days? Is an exhibition piece that was handled by 300+ people considered new? The AD is certainly calling it new.

[train-time]

Originally Posted by metallic

What is considered new these days? Is an exhibition piece that was handled by 300+ people considered new? The AD is certainly calling it new.

It isn't just limited to these days with exhibition pieces. Years ago, when the cases were full some watches sat for years going in and out of the safe every day and occasionally people asking to see a particular model, touching it, putting it on, setting it back down on the glass and back in the case it goes. I recall seeing watches that had the lettered serial numbers that were years old sitting in the case. That is why Rolex went to random serials.

Sometimes with a popular model like a Sub they would bring out a new one from the safe if you were buying and not sell the one on display.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

A watch can only be new once. By the time it makes it to the second seller it’s no longer new.

[Rolex1982]

You can’t verify the history of the watch, you can only ask the dealer and believe their response or not. And if you have reasons to doubt their response or don’t like the anwser, don’t buy the watch. I personally try to purely evaluate the watch it’s condition, then I look at the dealer reputation and if I trust the situation enough I purchase the watch. If you want true new (whatever that may be for you) you should try and buy at an AD. They let other people try those watches so they also are not unworn but then you are the first customer who have owned the watch.

[chris242]

If it’s fully stickered..


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[Hollie_Rollie]

Originally Posted by chris242

If it’s fully stickered..


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Agreed. Only way to go.





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[Old Geezer]

Originally Posted by igbgotiz

Here is the situation.

A local reputable grey dealer is selling a "brand new" watch with 2022 warranty card, no stickers.

In this case, how can one tell whether this is actually new or a mint used seeing there's no way to verify.

What should I be checking for?

It's really anybody's guess whether it's unused or not. Someone purchased it and then sold it to a grey. It's had at least 2 owners. It may be unused but it's not new, especially devoid of stickers. Could have even been polished to look new. I hope you are getting a discounted price.

[thatswhatshesaid]

Originally Posted by igbgotiz

Here is the situation.

A local reputable grey dealer is selling a "brand new" watch with 2022 warranty card, no stickers.

In this case, how can one tell whether this is actually new or a mint used seeing there's no way to verify.

What should I be checking for?

If you buy from a grey dealer you are typically the 3rd owner of the watch, at best.

There will always be questions of whether or not the movement was removed and replaced with a super clone movement or were links removed and replaced with aftermarket links.

Not saying a trusted seller would do this but they may have been fooled by the original buyer of the watch and unknowingly passed along to the new buyer. It's a chain of custody issue.

I prefer to by direct from the AD for these reasons.

[VictorGMT]

Originally Posted by EEpro

AD watches can also be demo, polished, fondled in a back room, dropped and repaired and put back out.

Came here to say this. How do you verify an AD watch is "brand new"? Use the same method with grey.

[Dave O]

Do I buy from my AD? Yes, most of the time. In my mind it's the best way to go for many of the reasons above. However, some things in my mind simply aren't true, or you have no choice if you want to obtain a certain watch. For example, I yearned over an Omega Speedmaster 50th Anniversary Snoopy. There was simply no way I could get one from an AD. So I had to go grey. There are many respectable grey dealers that you can trust. If not, they wouldn't be in business for long as many of the trusted dealers on this site. The same goes for watches that have recently been discontinued. Your only option is grey. And I trust that the Snoopy I received is genuine and never worn. Same for other grey dealers. Yes, technically you are the second owner. But if never worn, it's still new.

[thatswhatshesaid]

Originally Posted by VictorGMT

Came here to say this. How do you verify an AD watch is "brand new"? Use the same method with grey.

All of my AD purchases have had the stickers removed in front of me.

[Calatrava r]

This is an old thread. A watch selling on the used market which is a year old is probably not unworn. If the warranty card had been activated in someone else's name, it is a used watch.

[Vince_76]

Originally Posted by chris242

If it’s fully stickered..


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This is the answer. Even then, you need to keep a close eye and make sure they’re OEM

[garyk]

Originally Posted by igbgotiz

What about eBay's authentication and verification process? Can I trust that?

You will never find peace with that watch if you don’t buy it from some source that’s reputable and even then, nothing beats getting one from an AD!

[worldofoyster]

Originally Posted by illiguy

Buy the seller. I’d trust our trusted dealers.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=926833

there's no such thing as trusted dealers. they are resellers that move watch from one source to the end users, unless you buy the watch from an AD.

[Hollie_Rollie]

Originally Posted by worldofoyster

there's no such thing as trusted dealers. they are resellers that move watch from one source to the end users, unless you buy the watch from an AD.

Amen.


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