All watches consigned to Wristcheck are graded thoroughly by our Professional Services team who have been trained to evaluate, authenticate, and repair watches – with over 20 years of combined experience at watch brands.

The Wristcheck Grade is derived from thorough assessment and calculation of a weighted average across three categories: the watch’s Case & Bracelet, Dial & Hands, and Movement:

MODERN
A modern watch is less than 20 years old.

Unworn (10): The watch has not been worn. Unworn watches may still have handling marks from Authorised Retailers or secondary dealers (i.e. hairlines). A refurbished watch will not be considered unworn.

Excellent (9): An exceptionally well-maintained watch with minimal, insignificant flaws.

Very Good (8): The watch is in very good condition, with minor signs of wear throughout the watch. The watch does not have any substantial scratches or dents.

Good (7): The watch is in good condition. It’s been regularly worn with isolated scratches and dents throughout.

Fair (6): The watch has more significant scratches and dents throughout. It will likely be rejected for consignment, except in rare cases.

Poor (5): The watch will not be accepted for consignment in its current condition.

Any watch that falls below the grade of “Good (7)” isn’t considered for consignment at Wristcheck (except for rare cases, like certain vintage models).

VINTAGE
A vintage watch is 20 years or older. While not a conventional definition, we believe that 20 years is enough time to alter the state of the original watch if it is worn daily.

Unworn (10): The watch has been proven unworn and un-refurbished, regardless of its age. However, this does not mean that there is no oxidation on its case, dial, hands, or movement, as oxidation is inevitable with time.

Excellent (9): An exceptionally well-maintained watch with minimal, insignificant flaws. There is minimal to no bracelet droop and possible high-quality refurbishment (this will be mentioned in its condition report).

Very Good (8): The watch is in very good condition, with minor signs of wear throughout the watch. It may have been refurbished (if mentioned in its condition report). The bracelet may droop more than usual, but has not lost structural integrity.

Good (7): The watch is in good condition. It has signs of wear throughout – on its case, bracelet, dial, hands, and potentially the movement.

Fair (6): The watch is in fair condition and may have been refurbished poorly, or is left in “fair” un-refurbished condition. It will likely be rejected for consignment, except for rare cases.

Poor (5): The watch will not be accepted for consignment in its current condition.

Any watch that falls below the grade of “Good (7)” isn’t considered for consignment at Wristcheck (except for rare cases).

Our watches' Condition Reports offer a clear breakdown of each grade in three categories: Case/Bracelet (C/B), Dial/Hands (D/H), and Movement (M). Additionally, for timing results (T), we provide a screenshot of the results obtained from our Witschi Chronoscope X-1 timing machine. 

Each watch is inspected carefully by our Professional Services team from all angles, including under a microscope if necessary, for authenticity and quality assurance.

Any watch that falls below the grade of “Good (7)” isn’t considered for consignment at Wristcheck (except for rare cases, like certain vintage models). If the watch has any functional issues or is due for a service, we conduct repairs and servicing before it is consigned to us.

Watches that fall short of the required timing results are adjusted or serviced to ensure every watch has appropriate amplitude, rate, and beat error to achieve the required delta and average rate.

We authenticate and test the water resistance of every watch before it is consigned to us. Authenticity and water resistance are not factored into the overall Wristcheck grade calculation, as they are hard requirements.

Nothing! Once you decide to consign your watch with us, we authenticate and grade it completely free of charge. We also offer authentication services independent from our consignments. 

Yes! We provide a wide range of watch services, including authentication, refurbishment, movement servicing, and restoration. Check out our full list of services and get an estimate here.