Guide to buying Authentic Watches on eBay : eBay Guides

Watches are truly fascinating mechanical treasures.  There are countless brands today that put together splendid timekeepers, alas there are some such as IWC, Rolex, Patek, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Blancpain and of course Panerai, that create masterpieces.  I'll concentrate on Panerai for this guide, however some of the logic of how to assess authenticity will be true to all brands.  Due diligence is key.  Look at the brand's website for specifications and photos to compare with what you are buying.  And now the fun stuff.

Officine Panerai is one of the most sought after brands on the market today.   I have been collecting their watches and enjoying the hunt for certain models for a few years now.  The process of looking for a certain model usually is the most exciting part and sooner or later you will find yourself on eBay spending the wee hours going over listings and looking at photos of your dream watch.

A little about the company.  Everything you need to know about Panerai can be found on their website:  panerai.com .  Here you will find the history of the company, its current catalogue and a good cross-section of the special editions. You will also find information on where to go in the world to fix or maintain your purchase in case it breaks down or in need of a tune up.

              PAM 112F

By now you must know that with exclusivity comes the danger of being copied; and this company has had numerous "homage" firms making watches that look almost exactly like them but lack the craftsmanship.  Such names to look at avoiding immediately when searching for a true Panerai are RXW, RXW Marina or just Marina Militaire.  This can get confusing because Panerai has a special edition called PAM217 Marina Militaire, however, the Panerai model will come with papers of authenticity (a rolled manuscript), a Panerai warranty card, a special edition box with a lock and key and finally a movement sticker that has the serial no. mathing that on the case.  The others will not have this type of presentation.

And here is the crux of the matter.  What to look for when purchasing these Panerais:

-  Look at the movement picture on the ad (if there is a photo of one) and compare it to the ones on the Panerai website.  Look for any obvious differences like no swan neck regulator or different engraving.  These are dead giveaways of a fake. A good seller will provide as many pictures as you would like.  Do a quick google image search of the model and see if the exact pictures are on someone else's website;  this is a good indicator of a fake seller as stolen images are a problem on eBay.  Always report these sellers to eBay. eBay has a strict policy of shutting these people down as they give eBay a bad name.

-  All Panerais are limited edition watches, meaning each model is made only in a certain amount. For example, my watch, pictured above is numbered as F1079/1700, which means only 1700 are made for that model year, F being the letter given to all the watches made by Panerai that year.  Look for this information on the movement sticker or the cosc certificate if that model has one.  Mine, not having a second hand did not, however the movement sticker confirmed the model serial no. on the case and the correct individual watch no. out of the series.

-The complete set should come with a wooden pearwood box with a black felt-lined interior, a manual, a libretto dei garanzia (guarantee booklet), a plastic warraty card, a cosc certificate (if that model has a second hand), a screwdriver and some will have a soft rubber strap.  Take a look at other Panerai forums on the net to compare the various models such as panereh, viapaneristi, paneristi. These great sites will help you talk to other forum members that from time to time use eBay as a great tool to search for watches. 

- Finally, look at the previous trades the seller has done and how reliable he/she is.  Don't forget, you are buying an expensive and rare item.  If the seller is only selling screwdrivers and has never sold a Panerai before, contact the seller and ask for references and other scans to back up the covenance.  Due diligence is something that eBay preaches on their help screens and combined with your own work will most likely lead to a good purchase.  

Most of all, have fun, eBay is friendly to use.  You never know when your next treasured Panerai is around the corner.

omegaman5200