OMEGA Consumer Alert

Warnings of issues you should know about when shopping for OMEGA watches

1. Sources of confusing information.
2. Cautions for dealing with watch and jewelry sales people.
3. Cautions for specific auction houses and for sale boards.
4. New watch dealers with questionable policies.
5. What about rare or collectible OMEGA watches I see for sale?

Sources of confusing information

Shopping for an OMEGA watch can be an excellent experience. But as with any expensive luxury item, there are pitfalls to watch out for. Use these Consumer Alerts below along with the Chronocentric Buyer's Guide to become knowledgable about watch buying before you make your purchase.

Also, understand that even the official sources of information such as the manufacturer and their authorized dealer network do not always give you the complete, clear or correct details you need to know to find what you want and make a properly informed purchase decision.

Cautions for dealing with watch and jewelry sales people

There are many highly informed watch and jewelry sales people out there to help you. But sadly, there are also many who are generic commission sales employees that have little to no knowledge or interest in what they are selling--only in the commission they receive if they can convince you to buy something. Many were selling burgers and fries last month and will be selling shoes next month. These non-watch experienced sales people often attempt to act like experts and frequently guess or give completely false, made up and inane answers to your questions.

The danger for the consumer is that, if you do not know much about fine watches, then you may not be able to tell if the sales person you are interacting with is a knowledgable watch professional or just trying to sound like one and hoping you won't know enough to tell the difference. Even on very basic information any watch seller should know about any watch--such as the difference between a battery-operated quartz watch and a mechanical one--these non-watch professionals may be totally clueless and provide dangerously incorrect information about the features, operation or care of your watch.

Here are some classic examples from actual interaction with sales people at Authorized OMEGA Dealers that we've experienced or had reported:

• Described the upper left crown on the Seamaster Pro as the "chronometer button" used to activate the chronometer feature.(It is a helium relief valve. 'Chronometer' is a certified status, not a mechanical feature.)
• Described the process of testing the water resistance of a watch as removing the watch's movement and sinking the case in water. (The actual process typically uses a much safer air pressure test chamber.)
• Sales person reported the store had no OMEGA DeVille watches in stock, even after checking with the store manager. (There were six in the case right in front of her.)

So do not assume that the person behind the counter--even at authorized dealers--knows what they are talking about until you can verify the information from a reliable source.

Cautions for specific auction houses and for sale boards

Auction sites and for sale boards are places on the Internet where people meet and transact private sales. As such, you need to understand that the site you are dealing through has little to do with the sale. The actual transaction of whatever you buy is a person-to-person deal between you and the individual selling the merchandise. No site which aids you in finding the seller can guarantee a safe transaction, prevent fraud, or ensure you will not get questionable merchandise. But within those warnings, there are some interesting deals and mutually beneficial sales to be made.

New watch dealers with questionable policies

The following are sellers of OMEGA watches that are known to have practices and policies that Chronocentric believes are sufficiently questionable to warrant extra caution doing business with them. All of these are also Gray Market dealers, so are not under the control of OMEGA and not required to conduct their business dealings in accordance with the contractual standards enforced by OMEGA. See the Chronocentric article on Gray Market Watches for more detail.

In addition to the issues above, the following unauthorized dealers are known to have recently been in the shady business practice of selling OMEGA watches with the serial numbers removed. This is an outrageous practice done to shield the dealer's distributor from being caught violating their contracts with OMEGA. This is done to protect them, and not only offers you no advantage but potentially exposes you to unnecessary risk. See What does it mean if the seller removes the serial number? for more details.

Almost always, the serial number removal is done so well that you would not know there ever had been one there. But use caution before being alarmed if you do not see a serial number on the back of your new OMEGA watch--on some models the number is so small that it may not be immediately obvious to the naked eye. For the OMEGA Seamaster Professional watches, see the Seamaster FAQ section Where is the Serial Number? for an illustration of its tiny serial number. You also will not find external serial numbers on older OMEGA watches. OMEGA did not put the serial numbers on the outsides of their watches until the late 1980's or early 1990's.

Chronocentric believes there is no justification for any legitimate business to engage in such a practice. Even worse is when consumers are not adequately informed. Even sites which do have disclaimers may word them to make this sound like a common business practice, or a step required by the manufacturer in order for certain dealer to offer greater discounts. Those are lies and misdirections. The suppliers of these altered watches are violating their contracts with OMEGA and may be violating national, state and local laws in removing these serial numbers.

Removal of serial numbers is not condoned by OMEGA or other watch manufacturers. Heavy discounting to consumers is not condoned by OMEGA and most other premium luxury product makers. It ruins their image as a premium brand and severely hurts their authorized dealers if their products are readily available at near wholesale to consumers.

If these gray market dealers are legitimate,
why must they remove serial numbers to obscure the sources of these watches
the way common thieves do when fencing stolen merchandise?

When evaluating any watch dealer, try to read all information they have posted online regarding warranty coverages and how to send a watch in for repair. If the seller states that the watch you buy must be returned to them, not the manufacturer for warranty service, then they are not an authorized seller for that brand. Further, it is usually in the warranty disclaimers that shady dealers may address the removal of serial numbers--if they mention it at all.

Understand that these sellers may change their policies at any time. Or they may do it for some watches and not others--even two of the same model may be different if they obtain them from different suppliers. To be removed from this list, a dealer must notify Chronocentric of a permanent change in policy or post on their site an updated policy statement declaring to all their customers that they deliver all new OMEGA watches with serial numbers intact.

What about rare or collectible OMEGA watches I see for sale?

OMEGA has made a number of rare and limited edition models that are now collectible. Some older models in excellent condition are also collectible because of their history or limited availability.

But particularly when buying through an Internet auction or in a private sale, make sure you get sufficient verification that the watch you are buying is really as rare or collectible as the seller claims. In particular, look out for:

• Sellers claiming a watch is rare just to get buyers excited. Often these are very ordinary models.
• Sellers claiming a watch (especially the Speedmaster 'Moon Watch') is a rare or special edition simply because it has extra inscriptions on the back. Many regular models of the Moonwatch bear an inscription.
• Non-authentic collectibles, which are ones where an ordinary model has had parts replaced with those of or similar to a rarer model.
• Counterfeit rare models. Even the OMEGA limited editions and skeleton watches have been replicated by the makers for cheap fake watches.
• Vintage fakes, which are counterfeit OMEGA watches made back in the 1950's and 1960's that have aged enough that they look authentic and might be mistaken as a rare or obscure model.

So how can you tell for certain that a model is really rare? The best solution is to obtain the serial number and have OMEGA verify it as described under Tell Me About My OMEGA. Also check the Rogues Galleries of OMEGA Fakes for known counterfeit models. And as always, ask on the zOwie OMEGA Forum and visit the other reliable information sites on the Network of OMEGA Sites for further information.

Ultimately, if you do not have time to have a collectible verified before you have to make a purchase decision, you probably should pass on buying it. Any seller that has a truly authentic collectible should be willing and able to assist you in providing adequate documentation of its authenticity or allowing you to verify it yourself before consummating the sale.