Checked by hand, described as we found it.
Every piece is examined before it is listed. This page sets out what that can involve, what our condition grades mean, and what we will and won't claim about a piece.
What our specialists look at
Our specialists work with the piece in front of them, not with the description supplied by whoever sold it to us. What they find is what goes into the listing, including the parts that are less flattering — a replaced clasp, a light polish, a chip in a stone.
Where a piece carries original documentation, service history or certification, we say so and photograph it. Where it doesn't, we say that too. Every photograph is of the actual item, never a stock picture, and we would rather lose a sale than describe something we cannot stand behind.
If anything is unclear from the listing, ask. We'll take more photographs, weigh something again, or read a hallmark back to you.
We take reasonable steps to assess the authenticity of branded items before offering them for sale. Vintage and pre-owned pieces may have been serviced, repaired or restored during their lifetime, and components may have been replaced. Unless the individual listing says otherwise, we do not represent that every component is original to the piece when it was first made.
Our checks vary according to the type, age and nature of the item. Where appropriate, they may include:
A warranty card is not authentication
Boxes, cards and certificates can be bought separately, and a card only records what a retailer wrote on it years ago. We treat paperwork as useful provenance, never as proof. Authentication comes from the piece itself — the movement, the metal, the stones, the hallmark and the numbers.
One scale, used consistently
Condition is described plainly, using the same scale across every category, with honest notes and photographs of the actual item.
A grade is a summary, not the whole story. Read it alongside the condition notes and the photographs on the listing, which is where anything specific to that piece is recorded.
Checked here, insured to your door.
Every piece is dispatched fully insured and fully tracked, with a signature required on delivery. If a piece isn't what you expected when it arrives, you have 14 days to change your mind.
The full terms are in our Delivery Policy and our Returns, Refunds & Cancellations policy.
Photographed as it is
The images on a listing are of that piece, in the condition described — never a stock picture.
Insured & tracked
Every dispatch is fully insured and fully tracked, with a signature required.
14-day returns
Change your mind within 14 days of delivery for a straightforward refund.