Inspecting a watch at a viewing

A viewing is the moment you find out what you're actually buying. Photos and a seller's description have brought you this far; now the watch is in your hand and you have one chance to look at it properly before your money is committed. What separates dealers who get this right is not sharper eyes. It's a routine they follow every time, unhurried.

Before you go

• Know the reference, including which details are correct for that variant and what's commonly wrong.
• Know your ceiling, worked out with the max buy calculator, so you're not doing arithmetic under pressure.
• Agree what you're seeing, including the accessories, so nothing is a surprise.
• Choose the place carefully. Somewhere public, well lit, and safe. The in-person sale article covers venues, which apply equally when you're buying.

What to bring

• A loupe, and a light source you trust.
• A soft cloth or mat, so the watch isn't put down on a hard table.
• A spring bar tool, for looking between the lugs where it's appropriate.
• A timegrapher, when the setting allows, for a real read on the movement.
• Your phone, for photographs, notes, and a stolen-watch database check.

The tools article covers the kit in more depth.

Work in a fixed order

Always the same order, so nothing gets skipped when a watch is exciting or a seller is chatty:

1. Serial and reference first, recorded and photographed before anything else.
2. Dial, hands, and lume under the loupe.
3. Case and lugs, looking at the finishing, sharpness, and any refinishing.
4. Bezel and crystal, including action and any chips.
5. Crown and pushers, winding, setting, and screw-down action.
6. Bracelet, clasp, and end links, including stretch and the link count.
7. Movement, where it can be seen or opened safely.
8. Function, including running, complications, and timing.
9. Accessories and papers, matched against the watch, as the papers article covers.

The fake watches article covers what you're looking for at each step.

Ask while you look

• How long have they owned it?
• Where did it come from?
• When was it last serviced, and by whom?
• Has anything been replaced or repaired?
• Is anything else included that isn't here today?

Listen for answers that don't fit the watch, and note them. You're assessing the story as much as the watch.

Don't be hurried

The most common inspection mistake is letting the situation set the pace: a seller on a lunch break, a crowded table at a show, a queue behind you. Slow down or arrange another time. A watch bought in a rush is where the expensive surprises live, as the walking away article covers.

Record it there and then

Before you hand the watch back or hand over money:

• Photograph the watch from all sides, the serial, the clasp, the movement if opened, and the papers.
• Write your findings down, including faults, replaced parts, and what you couldn't check.
• Note what you couldn't verify, such as water resistance or service history, so it isn't quietly forgotten later.

Those notes become your condition report and your intake record, which the condition report article covers.

Then do the arithmetic

With the inspection done, revisit your number. Faults, missing accessories, or a service you hadn't planned for all move the ceiling, and the time to adjust is before you make an offer, not after you've made one you regret.