How Bob’s Watches Authenticates and Prepares Watches Before Listing

Before a pre-owned Rolex or luxury watch ever appears on the Bob’s Watches website, it has already been through a process. That process starts the moment a customer sells us their watch, but the watch does not go straight from the seller’s hands to the website.

When a customer sells us a watch, our team verifies its authenticity, evaluates its condition, and determines exactly what the watch needs before it can be offered to the next owner. Some watches need very little. Others need movement service, a new crystal, missing bracelet links, or a careful cleaning before they meet our retail standards.

Many sellers in the pre-owned market list watches as-is. We don’t. Every watch we sell is authenticated, evaluated, prepared, and inspected before it goes live. Here’s how that works.

Key Takeaways

Authentication starts during the customer selling process – Bob’s verifies the watch before completing the purchase.

The final offer reflects authenticity, condition, completeness, market demand, and any service or preparation the watch needs.

After purchase, Bob’s prepares the watch for resale, which may include movement service, cleaning, crystal replacement, sourcing missing links, or polishing when appropriate.

The goal is simple: every watch we list is authentic, accurately represented, and ready for its next owner.

The Process Starts When a Customer Sells Us a Watch

Everything begins with intake. A seller submits the details of their watch or sends it to us directly, and our team reviews the information provided: brand, model, reference number, condition, and what’s included with the watch.

Once the watch arrives, it’s inspected in person. This is where the real evaluation happens. Photographs and descriptions are helpful, but nothing replaces having the actual watch on the bench in front of an experienced evaluator. Our team verifies authenticity, assesses condition, and confirms that the watch matches what was described.

If the watch differs from the initial description, a missing link here, a service need there, or an aftermarket part the seller may not have known about, the final offer may change to reflect the actual watch we received. Replacement parts can affect a Rolex’s value because we ultimately need to replace the part wi th an original one. This part of the process is about making sure the offer reflects the current state of the watch, which protects both the seller and the eventual buyer.

Authentication Comes First

Nothing else happens until we know the watch is genuine. We have some of the best in the business who know how to spot a fake Rolex, or any other luxury watch brand we carry for that matter. Authentication is the foundation of the entire process, and it covers every component of the watch:

Reference and serial verification. We confirm the reference and serial numbers are correct, properly executed, and consistent with the stated model and production period.

Case, bracelet, bezel, dial, and clasp review. Each exterior component is examined for correct finishing, engravings, proportions, and construction. Counterfeit and aftermarket parts often reveal themselves in the details, font weight on a dial, the quality of a clasp stamping, the finishing on a bezel.

Movement inspection. When appropriate, the case is opened and the movement is inspected. The movement is one of the hardest things to fake convincingly, and it also tells us a great deal about how the watch has been maintained.

Configuration matching. We confirm the watch matches its stated model and configuration, that the dial, bezel, and bracelet are correct for the reference, and that nothing has been swapped or modified in a way that misrepresents the watch.

If we find signs of counterfeiting, or incorrect and non-original components, that changes the conversation entirely. Bob’s does not move a watch into resale preparation until authenticity is confirmed.

Authentic Does Not Always Mean Retail-Ready

This is the part of the process most buyers and sellers never see, and it may be the most important. A watch can be completely genuine and still not be ready to sell. In fact, most pre-owned watches need at least something before they’re ready for the next owner. Common examples include:

Missing bracelet links

A scratched or chipped crystal

Bracelet stretch from years of wear

A movement that’s due for service

Crown or winding issues

Worn gaskets that compromise water resistance

Heavy surface wear on the case or bracelet

Prior polishing or refinishing concerns

A case and bracelet that simply need a thorough cleaning

Incorrect or non-original parts that need to be addressed

Authentication is only step one. Condition evaluation and preparation are what turn a genuine watch into a retail-ready watch. That distinction is exactly why buying from a dealer that prepares its watches is different from buying a watch listed as-is.

How Condition Affects the Seller’s Offer

Sellers sometimes ask why two identical references can receive different offers. The answer is that we’re not buying a reference number, we’re buying a specific watch, in a specific condition, with a specific set of needs. Our offer reflects the watch as received. If a watch needs movement service, a replacement crystal, missing links, or significant cleaning, those needs factor into the offer, because addressing them requires time, labor, parts, and expertise.

Some issues are fully correctable. A scratched crystal can be replaced. A dirty bracelet can be cleaned. A movement can be serviced. These affect the offer, but they don’t permanently affect the watch.

Other issues have a more lasting effect on value. An over-polished case can’t be un-polished. Non-original parts can sometimes be corrected, but the watch’s history matters to collectors. These factors are weighed carefully, and they’re a big part of why condition, not just the model, drives what a pre-owned watch is worth.

What We May Do Before the Watch Goes Live

Once authenticity is confirmed and Bob’s purchases the watch, our team determines what it needs before it’s listed for sale. Depending on the specific watch, this may include:

Movement service. If the movement needs attention, whether it’s running out of specification or is simply overdue, it’s serviced before the watch is offered for sale.

Crystal replacement. If the crystal is scratched, chipped, or otherwise not up to standard, it’s replaced.

Links and bracelet work. If the watch is missing links, we source them when possible. Bracelets are evaluated for stretch, wear, and function.

Cleaning. Every watch is cleaned to remove the dirt and buildup that come with real-world wear.

Polishing or refinishing. When appropriate, and only when appropriate, the case and bracelet may be carefully refinished. More on that below.

Final inspection. Before photography and listing, the watch gets a final review to confirm everything has been completed to standard.

After authentication, Bob’s prepares the watch as needed so it is retail-ready before going live on the website.

Polishing Is Not Automatic

It’s worth being clear about this: not every watch should be polished. For some modern watches, careful refinishing can improve presentation and bring the case and bracelet back closer to how they left the factory. For collectible or vintage Rolex watches, preserving originality may be far more important than making the watch look new. Original case lines, factory finishing, and honest patina are things serious collectors value, and once they’re polished away, they’re gone.

That’s why Bob’s evaluates polishing on a case-by-case basis. The goal is to present each watch in the best possible condition without compromising authenticity, originality, or accuracy.

Final Quality Review Before Listing

The last step before a watch goes live is a final quality review. Our team confirms that:

The watch is authentic

Any work the watch needed has been completed

The condition is accurately represented

All included accessories, box, papers, extra links, are accounted for

Then the actual watch is photographed. Not a stock image, not a stand-in, the exact watch a buyer will receive. The listing is prepared with accurate details about the reference, condition, and what’s included, and only then does the watch go live for sale.

Why This Matters for Buyers and Sellers

For sellers, this process explains how offers are made for those looking to sell a watch. The final offer accounts for the actual watch we received, its authenticity, condition, completeness, and any work it needs, not just its reference number. Understanding that makes the selling process transparent, and it’s why sellers can trust that they’re getting a fair evaluation of their specific watch.

For buyers, this process is the reason a watch from Bob’s is different from a watch listed as-is on a marketplace. Every watch on our site has been authenticated by experienced professionals, evaluated for condition, serviced or prepared as needed, and inspected before listing. What you see online has already been through a real process. It’s the standard you get when you buy a watch from Bob’s.

That’s the standard: authenticated first, prepared as needed, and ready for the next owner before it ever goes live.