Honestly, the idea kinda makes you go “Whaaaat?” right? They *seem* legit. You walk in, all the watches are displayed under glass, the salespeople are slick… you’d think they’d be above selling knockoffs. But, you know, you hear things.
Like, I came across someone’s rant about a terrible experience with their Certified Pre-Owned program. They bought a Tudor Black Bay (a *nice* watch, btw) and, well, I don’t know the details, but if they’re complaining, it probably wasn’t rainbows and unicorns. That kinda plants a seed of doubt, doesn’t it? And it makes you wonder, “are they *really* checking these pre-owned watches?”
Then you see stuff online – people debating whether Tourneau is legit, pointing to their “guarantee” that every pre-owned watch functions to factory specs. Okay, great. *Functioning* to factory specs is one thing. Being a genuine article is another. Like, you can slap a fake dial on a real movement, ya know?
I even stumbled upon someone talking about selling watches from catalogs, hitting up Tourneau for catalogs, and then selling from those. Like, what?! That sounds kinda shady, but maybe it’s just hustling? I don’t know, it just feels weird.
Here’s my take: I *highly* doubt Tourneau is deliberately selling fake Rolexes, or like, Bell & Ross replicas as the real deal. That’d be a lawsuit waiting to happen, not to mention a total brand killer. They’re a big company, right?
*However*, and this is a big however, I think there’s a *possibility* that fakes could slip through their pre-owned program. Maybe they’re not as thorough as they should be. Maybe a really good fake fooled them. Or, heck, maybe some shady employee is pulling a fast one. Who knows?
Look, I’m not saying they *are* selling fakes. I’m just saying it’s probably wise to do your own due diligence. If you’re dropping serious cash on a watch from Tourneau, especially a pre-owned one, get it authenticated by an independent expert. Peace of mind is worth the extra cost, ya dig?
And honestly, if you’re even *thinking* about buying a Rolex from a place offering “50% off,” run. Just run. That’s like screaming “FAKE!” from the rooftops.