What to inspect
Verify the examiner and venue independently. Ask whether the case will be opened or components removed and who is responsible for the work. Check any insurance or transport arrangement for the inspection period.
A practical workflow
Use an intake record listing the watch and accessories, with photographs and an expected return time. State which actions require further permission. Keep payment and sale acceptance conditions separate from permission to inspect.
When to pause or proceed
Do not leave the watch with an unidentified intermediary or under an open-ended arrangement. If the proposed inspection expands, agree the change before work begins.
Worked example
Suppose a buyer asks a friend to take the watch to an unnamed workshop. Ask for a verified professional appointment and documented custody rather than relying on the friendship as the control.
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.
Could we confirm the examiner, custody location, authorized inspection scope, and return time before the watch leaves me? Please identify any work that requires further approval and the cover for transport or retention. Permission to inspect is separate from sale acceptance and payment, which remain subject to the conditions we agreed.
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.
- Custodian and verified examinerRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Authorized examination scopeRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Condition and included itemsRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Return time and sale conditionsRecord: __________ · 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.
Can the buyer authorize repairs during inspection?
Only under the arrangement you actually agree. Define permissions beforehand; an examination should not silently become authority to modify or service your watch.
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