What to check after buying a replica watch

　　Nowadays, purchasingreplica watchis generally done online, with offline purchases being very rare unless through a familiar acquaintance. Offline inspection allows for careful observation, and a completed transaction usually means your watch-checking process is essentially finished, with most people starting to play with and admire their timepiece upon returning home. Therefore, what should one look out for after buying a favourite replica watch online?

　　Initial Unboxing

　　When unboxing the watch after receipt, remember not to make overly forceful movements. After all, the timepiece has journeyed a long way and inevitably suffered some impacts; although this generally has little effect, it is still best to be as gentle as possible during unboxing. Upon opening, first check whether everything is complete, including the watch, watch box, instruction manual, and guarantee card.

　　Inspect the Strap

　　Whether leather or steel, wearing the strap on your wrist will leave marks. Especially with polished steel bracelets, scratches are very easily left behind, which is precisely one of the reasons why many return and exchange requests are refused. By the same token, if you notice obvious creases or scratches on the strap, be sure to photograph them immediately and contact customer service or after-sales. Although scratches on steel bracelets are not easily visible to the naked eye, they are difficult to restore to their original pristine condition, particularly for some integrated cases and bracelets where any scuff marks will disqualify the item from returns and exchanges. Therefore, it is best to be cautious when receiving the watch.

　　Observe the Screws

　　Apart from checking the strap, you can also pay attention to the details of the screws, though this likely requires a magnifying glass. If the case screws show tool marks when turned clockwise but none when turned anti-clockwise, you can generally rest assured that the watch has never been opened, meaning it is brand new—though the possibility of replaced screws cannot be completely ruled out. However, if you see tool marks when turned anti-clockwise, it is very likely the watch has been opened. Yes, take photographs immediately as a record in this case as well.

　　Check Winding

　　Now that we have covered the strap and screws, let us look at the main case and dial. A brand new watch will have its entire case wrapped in a protective film, but observing the timekeeping requires winding it, and winding requires removing the protective film. Worried that removing the film might easily cause scratches, you can gently tear a small opening at the crown—not too large, just enough to operate the crown for winding. This avoids scratching the case while allowing you to check the timekeeping performance. For initial winding, it is recommended to wind 20-30 turns, ensuring each rotation of the crown is a full turn; otherwise, insufficient winding makes it difficult to assess the final power reserve.

　　In addition, do not wind too quickly; turn slowly and avoid cranking it frantically out of excitement, as that could snap even iron! How do you know if you have completed a full turn? You can use the logo on the crown as a reference. If there is no logo on the crown, use the recessed grooves crafted into it; if there is absolutely nothing, just go by feel! For an automatic mechanical watch with an exhibition case back, when manually winding, you should also check whether the oscillating weight spins freely (rotor fly). Although this phenomenon is rare, it still needs attention, and if it occurs, contact customer service promptly for handling.

　　Function Verification

　　In addition to winding, you should also pay attention to whether the functions of a new watch are working correctly, namely the hour and minute hands, as well as the day and date functions. If your watch is an automatic mechanical watch, you must not adjust the calendar between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. This is because the gears for changing the calendar begin to engage from 9 p.m. and continue until three o'clock the following morning; adjusting the calendar during this time is very likely to cause damage or misalignment of the gears.

　　So, how can a watch without a 24-hour display distinguish whether it is currently 12 p.m. or twelve noon? You can first adjust the hour and minute hands in the second crown position, advance past the 12 o'clock position, and observe whether the date flips. If it does, it indicates the watch is at 12 p.m., and you should refrain from adjusting the date in the first position at this time. Therefore, the time can actually be adjusted at any moment, but the day and date require extra care. The time mentioned here applies generally to most mechanical watches with date functions; always refer to the specific instruction manual provided with your respective timepiece.

　　Summary: After completing this series of watch-checking steps, experienced buyers usually set the watch aside and let it sit undisturbed for a day or two to observe whether there are any sudden stoppages or excessive deviations. Generally speaking, if the error meets the national standard of within ±30s per day, there is no issue. For chronometer-grade movements, an error within -4s to +6s per day is also reassuring. Once observation confirms no problems, you can use your watch with peace of mind, put on your replica watch, and show it off!

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