Super Lucky - Caution of the "experts"

[ABQAnthony]

Hey Guys:

Cliffnotes: Bought watch on ebay, local jeweler gave thumbs up, sent to breitling for service, they billed for service held watch ~2 weeks, notified of counterfeit, shipped watch back (pending) and seller on eBay has accepted the return (pending me receiving the watch to forward back to him).

Full version:

Just wanted to post about an experience I had and as a warning to those who go to independent jewelers. I'm not saying that all independents are bad in fact i'm sure most are quite good so please don't take offense. I'm 'new' to the addictive and expensive world of watches and haven't yet developed good relationships with watchmakers in my area (mainly, because the high end retail store in my area would be considered Zales)

Anyways, bought a watch on eBay (Breitling Super Ocean II) got a decent price but nothing worth bragging about. It came in and looked really good, with box, travel case but no COSC cert. I'm not an expert but I compared it to images on the breitling website, it had a really great blue from the anti-reflection coating and was in great condition.

I took the watch to a local shop where they ran a "WCSA - Counterfeit Busters" report based on the serial number and the software guided them on what to look for. The watch "passed" all except they didn't have the caseback opener tool.

The S/N on the watch dated it to 2015...A 2015 meant that I needed to send it in for a "2 year service" and most importantly the pressure test... as much as I hated to part with a new to me watch for service I didn't want to risk water damage if the gaskets weren't seated, old or something. As I said i'm new to the hobby and my risk tolerance for potential damage is very low (thankfully).

I opened a service request with Breitling and sent the watch in... They received it, evaluated it and sent me an invoice for $200 which I paid.

Fast forward about 2 weeks from their receipt of the watch and I receive a call advising that upon opening the watch they noted that it's a counterfeit and will be refunding me the service fee minus a S/H charge back and returning the watch.

I feel very lucky that i'm an overly cautious person... had i thought my skills to ensure a water tight watch were sufficient OR if I merely took the local at his word I would've worn this watch for quite a while and eventually sold/traded it to then be accused of being a scammer.

All and all I'll be out about $140 for the shipping and the local "evaluation" the seller on eBay has accepted the return and once I receive back from Breiting (Monday) i'll hopefully get a refund once he receives it back.

Moral of the story: Make sure you understand the qualifications of your local watchmaker. What's very scary is that the locals who evaluated the watch were so certain they said that they'd make an offer to purchase. Needless to say I will NEVER buy from that shop...