Whatever happened to the TZ grading system?

[rolex16]

Watches used to be listed as LNIB, Near Mint, Mint, etc. now they are either unworn or excellent. Why the change? I find it hard to believe all these watches are “excellent.” What does that even mean?

[Guybrush]

It means they’re hoping you’ll buy the watch and that the actual condition won’t bother you enough to complain or return it—or that you won’t even notice until the honeymoon phase and return window have passed.

I recently bought a watch from a large preowned site that lists all their watches as “like new” and “perfect.” It’s total b.s.

And so it’s caveat emptor—you have to ask for tons of well lit, in-focus pictures and move on if they buyer won’t provide them. Assuming you care about condition, which most of us do.

My guess is that the feverish trading of preowned Rolex in recent years created other symptoms, including a kind of irrational greed to cash in at the expense of integrity and truthfulness. When the profit margins get to be so substantial, I think candor goes out the window.

[ROlesorusLEX]

Originally Posted by Guybrush

It means they’re hoping you’ll buy the watch and that the actual condition won’t bother you enough to complain or return it—or that you won’t even notice until the honeymoon phase and return window have passed.

I recently bought a watch from a large preowned site that lists all their watches as “like new” and “perfect.” It’s total b.s.

And so it’s caveat emptor—you have to ask for tons of well lit, in-focus pictures and move on if they buyer won’t provide them. Assuming you care about condition, which most of us do.

My guess is that the feverish trading of preowned Rolex in recent years created other symptoms, including a kind of irrational greed to cash in at the expense of integrity and truthfulness. When the profit margins get to be so substantial, I think candor goes out the window.

Exactly this. I love to look at grey websites to see how they describe their watches.

They'll have a jubilee bracelet hanging like an octogenarian needing Viagra, and describe it as "excellent," or "minimal stretch"

In other words, terms like "excellent" really mean, "let's see how much we can get away with"

Some of it's also laziness. Just copy and paste jobs on their sites.

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[S’portEye]

I have noticed this as well. When the bottom drops out, and it’s coming, it will probably return to accurate descriptions..