What to inspect
Check the watch’s records and any restrictions on the proposed sale. If the owner cannot give clear authority or an estate or dispute is involved, seek qualified local advice before proceeding.
A practical workflow
Use a written instruction identifying the watch and permitted actions. Keep the owner’s sensitive information private while giving the buyer a credible way to verify the arrangement. Align the invoice and payment recipient with the actual agreement.
When to pause or proceed
Do not improvise a sale under your own name while telling the buyer that another person owns the watch. Resolve responsibility and authority before listing it.
Worked example
Imagine a relative asks you to advertise the watch but has not agreed a minimum price or payment route. Clarify those instructions before accepting an offer that you may not be authorized to complete.
Illustrative scenario, not a customer case or reported event.
Wording you can adapt
Use this for the relevant contact or as a private task note. Replace bracketed fields with accurate details and send sensitive records only through an appropriate secure channel.
Please confirm my authority to act for the owner of the identified watch, including the permitted price, actions, payment recipient, and signing arrangements. I will disclose my role to the buyer and will not describe possession as ownership. Any uncertainty about estate or other rights needs resolution before I accept an offer.
Your working record
Copy these fields into a private note. For each entry, add the source file or contact, the date checked, and anything still unresolved. Leave unknown information marked unknown; do not guess to complete the sheet.
- Owner and authority recordRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Watch identifiedRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Permitted price and actionsRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Contracting party and payment recipientRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
This is a recordkeeping aid. It is not a certificate, contract, valuation, or confirmation of insurance cover.
Describe what you can support
A useful sale description distinguishes things you have checked from things a previous seller told you. If you do not know whether a part is original, say what documentation you have and leave the uncertainty visible. Buyers can evaluate a disclosed gap; they cannot evaluate a certainty that the records do not support. Keep the condition description specific enough to compare against the watch at handover.
Agree the watch identity, included accessories, price, inspection conditions, payment route, and delivery arrangement in writing. Photograph the watch near the time it leaves your custody and retain a copy of the transaction record. After completion, update your private inventory and any relevant service or database records through their proper channels. Keep the history rather than deleting the file because you no longer own the watch.
A receipt records a transaction but does not resolve every ownership or consumer-law question. Consignment, private sales, and business sales may involve different duties. Have unusual or high-value contractual terms reviewed locally.
Is a casual message always enough authority?
The legal requirements depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction. Obtain appropriate advice for material uncertainty, and ensure the practical scope of your role is clear to everyone involved.
Sources and scope
The sources below support the general principles for this topic. The workflow and hypothetical example are MyStolenWatch’s practical synthesis; the sources do not endorse this guide or verify a particular watch. Consult current provider terms before acting.
- FTC: Buying from an online marketplace
US consumer guidance on seller checks, marketplace terms, and payment protections; it does not authenticate watches.
- FTC: Online shopping
General US guidance on documenting purchases and resolving shopping problems. Remedies vary by country and payment method.
Check a watch serial number
A MyStolenWatch search checks reports held in this database. A no-match result does not certify authenticity, ownership, or an absence of theft elsewhere. Check current pricing before purchasing a search.
Check a watch serial number