Watches, Verifying Authenticity as a Service

People make counterfeits of many different watch brands such as Hublot, IWC, and Ulysse Nardin now, not just Rolex. With the advent of internet sales, more people may be asking us to verify whether watches that they purchased elsewhere are real or fake.

We can offer this service to people because we are the experts. We have bought, sold, consigned, sized, and authenticated thousands of watches over the years. The only employees who are authorized to verify the authenticity of customers’ watches are the COO, the Buying Manager, and the Watch Repair Manager.

We do charge a fee for this service. Since the watch must be opened to verify the movement, we charge $100, because we pay the watchmaker a fee to open and reseal the watch.

Written authentications may only be offered at the discretion of the COO with an additional $20 fee, so total $120.

We are no longer taking appointments for watch authentications.

Procedure if the customer is in the OT Showroom

Check the watch in like a regular watch repair. Depending on the watch and how busy it is, it might be ready for pick-up the following day, but don’t make any promises. If the customer doesn’t want to leave the watch, then we can’t authenticate it.

• Before checking it in, it must be checked in Watch CSA’s counterfeit buster database to see if it is counterfeit or stolen. The watch MUST be run through the database BEFORE checking it in. Otherwise, the customer could accuse us of switching the watch for a counterfeit after we took it in.
• Repair, Sales, Sales Assistants, Buyers, and POS have access to the Watch CSA website.
• Take a photo of the watch with your company cell phone. Take as close up as you can while keeping the image in focus. Save the photo with the repair number to the folder on the Repair drive by connecting the phone to the computer by USB cable.
• Just like a regular watch repair, note the CONDITION as detailed as possible.
• For Value – leave it at $0 – DO NOT DECLARE A VALUE.
• In the work description field put: “Authenticate Watch. Insurance value: pending assessment.”
• Watch authentication price with documentation $120; without documentation $100.
• Some watches that can be easily identified as fake by appearance alone do not need to be checked in.
• Use code Serv-269 to ring up a watch authentication. By default, it includes Nam’s fee to open the watch as the cost. If he has not done this, change the cost to $0.

Procedure if the customer calls to ask for this service

1. Inform the customer that there is a charge for the service.
2. Inform the customer that the watch will be checked in and left here for us to perform the authentication.

Procedure for Estate Buyers

If a customer arrives at a buy office with the sole purpose of authenticating a watch, the procedure is as follows:

1. Inform the customer that there is a charge for the service. The COO might sometimes waive the fee to help close a good sale or a significant buy. If the COO is not available, then the Buying Manager makes the call.
2. If you are not in OT, instruct the customer to bring the watch to the OT showroom to be checked in for authentication.
3. If you are in OT, send the customer to the showroom and tell Reception that this customer is coming over for watch authentication.

If we do this authentication service professionally and courteously, we might turn an “internet” customer into an LHFJ customer. If we are rude because it is just an “internet guy” who’s never going to buy from us, we could lose a potential customer. If treated professionally and courteously, they might at least tell others of the wonderful experience they had at Leo’s!