FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT REGISTRATION, ASSESSMENT, VALUATION AND THE CERTIFICATE

SERVICES

What is the difference between "watch registration" and "assessment & valuation" at Certifiwatch?

Registration:

If you register a watch at Certifiwatch, you submit relevant information and data of the watch through our online registration form.

After submitting this information, Certifiwatch checks if the watch is eligible for registration on our platform.

If the watch is eligible for registration, a Certificate is issued for the watch, and the watch gets published in our database and receives a unique certification number. Now, this registration number (and the Certificate) can be used for future reference, for example to report theft of the watch, or to have a potential buyer of this watch check with Certifiwatch if the seller is the actual owner of the watch.

(Important: Certifiwatch will never publish serial numbers on its website, but uses the serial numbers as an important part of its assessment for eligibility.)

Please note that registration at Certifiwatch and issuing a Certificate includes a check on authenticity, but does not include an in depth assessment of the status/quality of the watch and its current market value.

Assessment & Valuation:

The Assessment & Valuation service entails that experts with specific expertise with regard to your watch, assess your watch on its 1) authenticity 2) quality and current market value. As a result, you will receive an official in depth assessment report including the estimated market value at date. 

The Assessment procedure is identical to common academic practice: a double blind review procedure. This means that only the assigned coordinator knows the identity of the two experts that independently from each other assess the watch. 

Assessment can take place based on digital information, meaning that it not strictly required to send the watch physically to Certifiwatch. However, the expert will request specific information and high quality (close up) pictures in order to undertake the assessment. These pictures will become an integral part of the final assessment report.

Which types of watches are eligable for registration at Certifwatch?

Certifiwatch has been founded to support transparency in the (neo)vintage luxury watches trade worldwide. Brands that are eligible for registration are a.o. Rolex, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Heuer and so on.

Which types of watches are eligable for assessment & valuation at Certifiwatch?

Certifiwatch works with experts that have years of experience in the field of vintage watches. Every watch is unique. Hence, Certifiwatch submits the assessment request amongst its expert.

Certifiwatch will only accept an assessment request if the watch has been registered at Certifiwatch and an expert in the field accepts the assignment based on his/her expertise on the specific watch.

Is a Certifiwatch Certificate (based on the Assessment & Valuation Report) an alternative for the original papers of a vintage watch?

Our Certificate is listing the watch's specifics at the date of issuing the Certificate. Hence, it gives a transparent insight for future reference. It also means that the current owner (registrar of the watch) is known at Certifiwatch.

Can I offer my watch for sale at the Certifiwatch platform?

Though Certifiwatch explicitely is not a watch trade platform, it does allow registrars to indicate if they are open to requests from visitors of Certifiwatch who show interest in their watch.

If a registrar indicates that he/she is open to receiving offers, Certifiwatch technically opens the possibility on the specific watch page, for people to leave their email address if they are interested in purchasing this watch. Certifiwatch will then pass on the submitted email addresses to the Registrar of the watch, in order to get in touch with them.

At any time, the Registrar can indicate he/she is no longer open to offers (e.g. if the watch is no longer in their posession).

What if I am interested in purchasing one of the registered watches?

In some cases, the Registrar of a certain watch has indicated that he/she is open for offers.

You can recognize this on the specific watch page. On this page you will find a text line called "Options for this watch".

If the current owner of a watch is open to offers, amongst the options you see: "Purchase this watch". When selecting this option, a button appears "Leave Your Email Address" which, if clicked, gives the opportunity to leave your email address.

Certifiwatch will forward your email address to the owner of the watch in order for him/her to get in touch with you.

ABOUT HONESTY

TRANSPARENCY

Who are the people behind Certifiwatch?

Certifiwatch is a non profit initiative of GrowX B.V. (registered under Chamber of Commerce number: 83749446, the Netherlands). GrowX has been founded with support of LIOF, the subsidy and investment fund of the Provincial Government of Limburg, the Netherlands.

How does the assessment of a watch work, and what if the experts notice issues?

If during the registration and/or assessment process the experts conclude that there are issues with regard to authenticity of the watch, or the watch is reported being stolen, the watch is declined from the Certifiwatch database.

The Assessment procedure is identical to common academic practice: a double blind review procedure. This means that only the assigned coordinator knows the identity of the two experts that independently from each other assess the watch.

The coordinator wraps up the report based on the findings and conclusions of the experts. The report is then submitted to the owner of the watch. Certifiwatch never publishes the report or gives insight in the report to any other person then the registered owner.

However, an owner can allow Certifiwatch to hand over the report or verify the report to any person upon explicit permission by the owner.

My watch got stolen. How can I report theft?

If you watch is registered at Certifiwatch, only the registered owner can report theft by sending us an email to theft@certifiwatch.com

Upon verification by our team the watch gets flagged as stolen in our database.

ABOUT MONEY

FEES

What is the fee for registering my watch?

The fee for registering a watch at Certifiwatch (resulting in a Certificate) is EUR 55,-

A future owner of the watch can change request the change of ownership in our database at the cost of EUR 30,-

Optional:
Certifiwatch Certificate in printed format: EUR 30,- excl. shipping costs

What is the fee for an assessment and valuation of my watch?

The fee for an assessment of your watch (resulting into an elaborate Assessment & Valuation report) is EUR 345,-

Optional:
Assessment & Valuation Report in printed format: EUR 75,- excl. shipping costs