The following internet watch retailers are selling luxury watches that cannot be verified as authentic by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. These are only but a handful of the companies who are providing counterfeits, replicas, and items that may be authentic but without warranty due to serious violations of the distribution agreement of their merchandise. It is the policy of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry to notify the public about these violations and to protect consumers from buying merchandise that is not sold as was intended by the manufacturer. Thousands and thousands of online buyers have already been defrauded. They have purchased counterfeits posing as the real thing and they have also purchased watches while not knowing that they will not be serviced by the manufacturer due to the violation of the lawful covenants involved.
Do not let it happen to you. Luxury timepieces are only sold through authorized retail outlets and not on the internet or by phone call or by mail order. The easiest method to avoid being sold a counterfeit timepiece or a timepiece that violates stipulations set forth between the manufacturer and authorized retailer, you should only purchase a luxury timepiece through the appropriate channels; authorized brick and mortar retail stores. No where else or you run a great risk.
The following websites provide bulletin boards and auctions for the trafficking of these infringing goods: ebay.com, timezone.com, watchnet.com, watchuseek.com, pmwf.com, watchea.com, thepurists.com, equationoftime.com, watchzone.net, watchparadise.com, wristwatch.net, and others. If you use or have used one of these websites to purchase a luxury watch presented as "brand new" or "new in box", then you without doubt have been duped.
These websites participate in the trafficking of the violating goods: Ashford.com, Markus Tschopp's Silvermagic (smwatches.com), Watchbuys, watchcat.com, Swiss Supply Direct, Inc, (swisssupply.com), Time Of Switzerland (timeofswitzerland.com), watchcommander.com, thewatchseller.com, finestwatches.com, timebeat.com, feelgoodwatches.com, watchzone.com, luxuryguru.com, luxurysquare.com, Robert Maron, Inc. (watch4sale.com), finestwatches.com, svs-intertrade.com, timephilosophy.com, zeetan (collectorstime.com)
Here is a list of some additional companies from a search engine:
Accurate Watches - Swiss tradition and elegance a high fashion accessory for today's men and women.
Astor Online - Presents new and pre-owned fine watches as well as jewelry.
Atlantic Time - Luxury watches from Cartier, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Breitling, IWC, Omega and Patek Philippe.
AuthenticWatches.com - Includes Movado, Gucci, Rado, and Omega.
Avente Watches - Offers Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Tag Heuer, Baume and Mercier and other luxury watch brands at reduced prices.
Aviante.com - Sells a full line of watches, such as Baume et Mercier, Breitling, Cartier, Chopard, Concord, Ebel, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Movado, Omega, and Tag Heuer.
AWatchForYou - Offers new, preowned, and vintage watches from Audermars to Zenith. Search is available by manufacturer.
Back In Time International - Buys, sells, trades and repairs new and vintage watches. Carries G-Shock, Fortis, Rolex, Hamilton and Omega.
Bernard Enterprises - Buy sell and trade watches. Brands include Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Concord, Baume and Mercier, Tag Heuer.
Bijoux Signes Ltd - Features Rolex watches and Lalique. Based in the UK.
Bluedial.com - Offers a range of fine wristwatches like Bulova and Movado.
Capetown Diamond Corporation - Presents fine watches and jewelry. Based in South Africa.
Chronodeco - Features custom built vintage mechanical chronographs as well as repair and restoration of vintage watches.
Collector's Time Gallery - Selling new and pre-owned watches.
CoolStuffnMore.com - Sells Tag Heuer and Movado watches, leather clothing, and jewelry.
D. Freemont Swiss Watches - Features the range watches made by this Swiss firm.
Dianex - Presents a range of mechanical Swiss watches. Based in Switzerland.
Direct Watch - Offers the Charles Rennie Mackintosh brand as well as clocks and jewelry. Based in Scotland.
Eclipse Time - Swiss watches from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Franck Muller, Omega, Vacheron Constantin, TechnoMarine and Baume et Mercier.
E1968.com - Offers brands like Citizen, Caterpillar, Tag Heuer, cK, and Raymond Weil.
FeelGoodWatches.com - New and pre-owned Patek, Vacheron, IWC, Cartier, Le Coultre, Blancpain and Lange.
Fine Time Taiwan - New and pre-owned wristwatches including Audemars, Breguet, Cartier, IWC, Omega, Patek and Rolex.
Fine Watches - Watch dealer features selection of new and pre-owned products. Offers to buy, sell, and trade.
Furora Enterprises - Presents luxury watches from Accurate, Oskar Emil and Boccia Titanium featuring Swiss, Japanese and quartz analog movements. UK based.
Gables Watch and Jewelry - Buys, sells and trades pre-owned and new watches from Rolex, Cartier, Omega and Patek Philippe.
Gino Franco - Presents a watch collection that combines Italian design with quality and performance.
Giovanni's Inc. - Presents this jewelry and watch store that sells custom made jewelry as well as Rolex, Breitling, and Cartier watches.
Glooks.com - Offering watches such as Omega, Gucci, Movado, Tag Heuer, and Cartier. Also offers perfume.
Gold Rush Jewelers - Features watches from Movado, ESQ, Bulova, and Seiko as well as gold jewelry.
Gold Star Jewelers - Offers fine Swiss watches such as Rado, Movado, Tissot, Omega, and Longines. Provides repair and restoration information.
GolenGate, Corp. - Offers pre-owned fine, new, and vintage watches.
Gray and Sons Jewelers - Specializes in selling certified preowned and new watches from the finest Swiss brands like Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet.
J and P Timepieces - Fine watches and other timepieces bought, traded and sold.
J W Jewels - Collection of 14K gold watches, necklaces, rings, and other jewelry.
Jewelry-1.com - Presents brand name watches and diamond jewelry.
Jewels in Time - Presents brand name, high grade, preowned and new Swiss watches, as well as diamond and estate jewelry.
Krug Baumen - Offers women's and men's watches and gift sets. UK based.
Kupfer Jewelry - Offers fine wrist watches such as Rolex and Patek as well as estate jewelry and diamonds.
Leo Hamel and Company - Swiss watches and fine jewelry.
LFA Jewelers - Buy and sell Rolex, Cartier, Tag and Omega watches.
Maia.cc - Carries a wide range of high grade watches searchable by brand.
The Midwest Diamond And Watch Company - Specializing in new and preowned Rolex, Ulysse Nardin, Omega, Cartier and Breitling timepieces.
Mind Ease - Selection of luxury watches and fine jewelry.
MontreBracelet - Watches for a range of tastes and price.
National Watch and Diamond - Specializing in Rolex, buys and sells preowned watches and diamonds.
New and Used Swiss Watches - Offering high-end Swiss watches such as Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe.
NobelWatches.com - Presents Nobel watches featuring sapphire crystals and 100-330 foot water resistance.
10 Past 10 - Offers fine and luxury watches as well as information about the New York store.
P. Cyrlin and Co. - Selling vintage and modern top brand wristwatches. UK Based.
Prestige Time - Full line of wristwatches, Omega, Tag Heuer, Ebel, Concord and Movado.
ProWorth - Markets Baume and Mercier, Breitling, and Ebel watches.
Ralf Hffner - Features a wide variety of brands and styles. Based in Germany.
Rare Watches Sellers - Features a broad range of new and preowned wrist watches. Based in Italy.
Rich Company - Features a selection of brand name watches such as Geneve and Omega.
Richter and Phillips Co. - Features watches from manufacturers like Citizen and Gucci.
Right Time Watches - Offers new and certified preowned watches and clocks as well as repair and restoration services.
Rose Reiter Jewelry - Men's and women's watches, clocks and jewelry.
Sewills - Features clocks, wrist and pocket watches, chronometers, as well as nautical instruments. UK based.
Shellman - Presents the Grand Complication and Side Slide Minute repeater watches made by this Swiss firm.
Sothis Watches - Features a collection of fine watches including Swiss made limited edition chronographs.
Swiss Supply Direct - Provides high-end precision watches such as Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Cartier, Chopard, Franck Muller, Girard Perregaux, I.W.C., Jaeger Le Coultre, and Patek Philippe.
Swiss Watch Centers Ltd - Online shop selling brand new watches such as Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, Omega, Breguet, Audemars Piquet and Vacheron Constantin.
Swiss Watch Co - Dealers in new and second-hand watches including Rolex, Cartier, Patek, Bregge, Breitling, and Tag Heuer. Based in Chiswick, UK.
Tempus Fugit - Presents a collection of fine watches. UK based.
Time Galleria Ltd - Sells fine new and vintage watches as well as watch winders and pens such as Orbita, Scatola del Tempo and Bugatti. Based in Hong Kong.
Time Merchants - Preowned vintage and modern watches including Rolex, Patek, Cartier, and Vacheron. Also carries watch parts, and accessories.
Time to Time - British company selling genuine and brand new watches for connoisseurs and collectors.
Timebeat - Source for high-end Swiss watches and watch-related information.
TimelyClassics.com - Specializing in vintage antique watch sales including Rolex and Omega.
Tourneau - Features watches from this maker as well as a range of other brands.
USA Watchco - Authorized retailer for Citizen, Bulova, Longines, Hamilton, Tag Heuer, Swiss Army, Tissot, Omega and MoMo.
Veni Vidi Vici Timepieces - Luxury gold watch from our Spirit of the Dragon collection.
Verity Time Company Limited - Sells watches made with Swiss movements. UK based.
Waldan International - Features chronographs from this New York and Swiss retailer.
Wanna Buy a Watch - Buy and sell fine vintage and preowned wristwatches by Rolex, Cartier, Longines, Oris, and Hamilton.
Watch Boutique - Offers fine watches and jewelry from around the world.
WatchBay Enterprise - Presents Titoni watches from Switzerland and offers international shipping. Based in Malaysia.
WatchBuys - Features watch brands including Patek Philippe, BlancPain, Jaeger LeCoultre, and A. Lange and Sohne as well as accessories.
Watches and Beyond - Offers a broad range of fine 14K or 18K yellow and white Gold watches with or without diamonds.includes brands like Geneve, Condor, Concord, and Omega. Also sells cufflinks.
Watches Barcelona - Offers new and vintage watches from makers like Rolex watches, Omega, Breitling, Movado, Cartier, and Montblanc. Based in Spain.
2000Watches.com - Offer a selection of quality watches including Tag Heuer, Gucci, Swiss Army, and Casio G-Shock.
Watches2000.com - Offers elegant mens and ladies watches. Search by gender, brand or price range.
001-Watches-Online.com - Offers a range of name brand watches from ESQ to Visage.
WatchHand.com - Offers Cartier and Breitling wristwatchs. Must be called or emailed to get most prices.
Watchlinq - Offers brand name watches including Omega, Movado, Tag Heuer, Seiko and Bulova, Gevril.
The Watchmaker - New watches, vintage wristwatches, antique pocket watches, and heirloom clocks.
WatchmasterCoUK - Features this dealer for Invicta, Limes, Roamer, and Auguste Reymond from the UK. Also Bros hand made fine Italian watch straps.
The Watchseller - Selling fine new and preowned vintage and contemporary watches since 1996.
Wingate's Quality Watches - Features sales and purchases of fine new and preowned American and European watches.
World Watches - Sells brand name watches including Baume and Mercier, Citizen, Longines, Movado, Rado, Omega, Sector, Seiko, Tag Heuer, and Tissot.
World Wide Time - Buys, sells, and trades Rolex, Patek, Cartier, Breitling, Audemars, and Breguet, preowned, new, and vintage watches.
Zeitner and Klaus Kobec - Offers fashion watches and swiss movement watches. UK based.
Swiss Watch News 2004
Buying Watches On The Internet
Not A Good Idea
(March 23)
The Federal Customs Administration is faced with an increasing number of deliveries of watches ordered on the Internet, which in most cases infringe the various regulations in force. A point that the intended recipients are loathe to accept particularly when they have paid in advance!
As has been said before: the purchase of prestige watches on the Internet is not a good idea. Nor is this simply a reaction of defiance against new technology. A brief visit to the FH web site will probably serve to demonstrate that the Swiss watchmaking industry has not been slow to embrace the electronic promotion of "Swiss made" watches.indeed, almost all FH members today have virtual shop windows. They invest considerable sums in the Internet to match the hopes generated by the medium everywhere. There is even one that has made "one to one" commerce the entire basis of its business.
Nevertheless, a "modus vivendi" very quickly became apparent in the world of timepieces in this respect. The Internet is not and never will be the most appropriate place to sell luxury watch products. A rapid survey of the most prestigious sites should be enough to convince anyone of this.indeed, as soon as the home page is displayed, Internet users are warned in no uncertain terms that original products are sold exclusively by approved retailers and are under no circumstances available on the Internet.
What should we think then of the multitude of sites selling all models of all the leading Swiss manufacturers? A grey market? Free competition? Globalisation? Nonsense! One doesn't need a diploma from Saint-Gall or an MBA to realise that such sites cannot be official, and that therefore the products offered cannot be authentic. A little common sense is all it takes to see that these watches have nothing in commmon with Switzerland, and that the price paid, even if it seems reasonable, is greatly inflated. But after all, there is no law against stupidity and there are many who let themselves get duped, either through ignorance or for fun.
"A fault confessed is half redressed" says popular wisdom. Must we believe then that wisdom is not the strongest suit of those who surf the web? Watches bought on the Internet are delivered through the postal system and are systematically inspected by the competent customs authorities when they enter Switzerland. All those in violation of rules governing trademarks, designs, indications of origin, or rules for the marking of precious metals, are quarantined. A notification is sent to the addressees, politely advising them to forfeit their right to the goods or face legal action on the part of the rights holder. Pathetic or ridiculous, the intended recipients - all upright citizens no doubt - plead ignorance or good faith, then invoke the Olympic deities and end up by insulting the civil servants, who are simply doing their job (and doing it well).
It is therefore well worth mentioning here a basic truth. Counterfeiters are not those who protect intellectual designs, but those who unscrupulously plagiarise designers not to mention those who support the practice by buying counterfeit products. Even unbeknown to themselves!
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