Condition report

The condition report is the document the auction house prepares, on request and free of charge, to describe a lot's condition more precisely than the catalogue. For a watch, it covers the case and lugs, the dial and hands, the movement, the bracelet, and whether the box, papers or an archive extract are present.

It replaces a hands-on inspection when you cannot attend the viewing. Three limits to bear in mind:

• It is an opinion, not a guarantee. Conditions of sale state that a defect not being mentioned does not mean the watch is free of it.
• Second-hand watches are sold as they are, without the statutory conformity guarantee of consumer law, and water resistance is generally not guaranteed.
• Running is noted at the time of inspection: it says nothing about the date of the last service.

What to ask: is the dial original, restored or a service dial? Are the hands from the same period? Has the case been polished? Do the reference and serial number match the papers? Additional photos of the caseback, lugs and movement are often provided.

Example: on a vintage Daytona, the words "service dial" or "replaced hands" change the value radically. The condition report is where they appear, when the catalogue note stays vaguer.

For the checkpoints, see also the entries on authentication and frankenwatch.