Refund & Return Policy

Last updated: September 17, 2026

We describe every watch carefully and photograph it extensively so you know exactly what you are buying. We also know that buying a $10,000 watch you have never handled requires trust, so we give you two weeks to decide.

14-day return — any reason

You may return any timepiece within 14 days of pickup for any reason.

If the watch is not as advertised — the reference, condition rating, included accessories, or stated function does not match the listing — we make it right at our cost. Your choice of repair, replacement, or a full refund including original and return shipping. No fee.
If you simply change your mind — fit, taste, or preference — you pay return shipping and insurance, and a 10% restocking fee applies to cover payment processing and re-listing costs.

Six-month trade-up credit

Tastes change, and a collection evolves. For six months after your purchase, you can bring a watch back toward something else in our inventory.

Within 180 days of pickup, we will apply your original purchase price less 10% as a credit toward any other timepiece we have available — provided the watch comes back in the same condition it was sold in.

How it works:

Email us and tell us which watch you would like to move into. We will confirm your credit amount and that the piece you want is available.
We issue a Return Authorization and shipping instructions. You are responsible for the cost of insured FedEx Priority Overnight shipping to our designated FedEx Hold-At Location.
We inspect the returning watch against the detailed photographs and condition record we made before it shipped to you.
Once it passes inspection, your credit is applied and we collect or refund the difference and ship your new watch.

The terms:

Same condition as sold. The watch must come back as it left us — no additional wear, marks, or damage, and with every box, paper, guarantee card, link, tag, strap, and tool that was included. It must not have been sized in a way that removed material, engraved, polished, refinished, serviced, repaired, or opened by anyone other than us. Normal light handling from careful wear is expected and fine; new scratches, dings, dents, water intrusion, or third-party work are not.
If a returning watch does not meet that standard, we will still work with you — we will tell you honestly what the condition difference is worth and offer a revised credit. You are free to decline and keep your watch.
The credit applies to the purchase price you actually paid, excluding shipping and tax.
The credit is applied to another timepiece from our inventory. It is not redeemable for cash and cannot be refunded to your card, by wire, or by Zelle.
If the watch you move into costs less than your credit, the difference remains as credit toward a future purchase rather than being paid out.
The credit is for the original purchaser and is not transferable.
You are responsible for the cost of shipping the watch back to us by insured FedEx Priority Overnight, addressed to the FedEx Hold-At Location we designate. We will provide the exact address with your Return Authorization. Shipping and applicable sales tax on your new purchase are charged normally.
This is separate from, and in addition to, the 14-day return above. The 14-day window is for refunds; this six-month program is for credit toward another watch.
Watches offered on consignment are not eligible for the trade-up credit. Consignment pieces are sold on behalf of their owners, so we are not in a position to take them back for credit. They are clearly marked as consignment on their listing, and they remain fully covered by the 14-day return and the authenticity guarantee.

We offer this because we would rather you keep buying watches from someone you trust than feel stuck with one that is not right. Ask us before you buy if you have any question about how it would apply.

How to start a return

Email chris@christophermichaeltimepieces.com within 14 days of pickup with your order number and, if the watch is not as described, photographs of the issue.
We respond with a Return Authorization and shipping instructions.
Do not ship a watch back without a Return Authorization. Unauthorized returns may be refused, and we cannot accept responsibility for a watch shipped back without insurance arranged through us.

All returns ship back by insured FedEx Priority Overnight to the FedEx Hold-At Location we designate, and we will provide that exact address with your Return Authorization. On a return where the watch was not as described, we cover that cost. On a change-of-mind return or a trade-up, you are responsible for the cost of insured FedEx Priority Overnight shipping to our Hold-At Location. Please do not ship a watch back by any other method or to any other address.

Condition of returned items

To be eligible for a refund, a returned timepiece must arrive:

In the same condition it was sent, with no additional wear, marks, or damage;
With every item that was included — boxes, papers, guarantee card, links, tags, straps, tools, and instruction booklets;
Not sized, altered, engraved, polished, serviced, repaired, or opened by anyone other than us;
With any factory stickers or protective film intact, if they were present at sale.

We photograph and document every watch in detail immediately before shipping, and we inspect returns against that record. A watch that comes back with new damage, missing accessories, missing bracelet links, or evidence of third-party service is not eligible for a full refund, and we will contact you to discuss the difference in value.

Refunds

Once we receive and inspect a return, we notify you of the outcome within three business days. Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method. Depending on your bank or card issuer, the credit may take an additional 5 to 10 business days to appear. Bank wire and Zelle payments are refunded by the same method to the originating account.

Consignment pieces

Some watches are offered on consignment on behalf of their owners, and are clearly marked on the listing. Consignment pieces carry the same authenticity guarantee and the same 14-day return as our own inventory — held and shipped by us, fully insured. Refund processing on a consignment piece may take slightly longer while we coordinate with the owner. Consignment pieces are excluded from the six-month trade-up credit, as explained above.

Authenticity guarantee

Every timepiece we sell is guaranteed authentic. If any watch purchased from us is ever determined not to be genuine by the manufacturer or an authorized dealer, we will refund the full purchase price at any time, with no time limit, on return of the watch and documentation of that determination.

What this policy does not cover

Normal wear, or condition characteristics disclosed in the listing description, photographs, or condition rating;
Water damage, impact damage, or any damage occurring after pickup;
Timekeeping variation within the tolerances stated in the listing, or drift arising from magnetization, temperature, position, or normal use;
Water resistance and water damage. We do not pressure-test the watches we sell and we make no representation that any watch is water resistant. Any depth or ATM rating in a listing is the manufacturer's original specification for that reference when new, not a statement about this specific pre-owned watch. Gaskets and seals are consumable parts that fail with age. We recommend having any watch independently pressure-tested by a qualified watchmaker, and resealed if needed, before any water activity of any kind. Water damage is never covered;
Servicing, batteries, adjustment, or wear items after pickup, unless a listing states an included warranty;
Items altered, serviced, or repaired by a third party after pickup.

Before you file a chargeback

If you believe there is a problem with your purchase, please contact us first. We answer quickly and we would far rather solve it directly. Filing a chargeback without contacting us delays resolution for everyone and, where a watch has already shipped, may require us to pursue recovery of the item.