Quote:
Originally posted by Joeaksa
No one that I know of would remove a serial number. More likely a watch without a serial number is either a fake or it could be a real one that has a replacement "non-factory" case.
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Well, the world is big place, Joe. Although most commonly one hears of this practice in the USA.
Removing S/Ns from new watches is a common practice amongst grey market dealers, very often internet dealers. The watches are not fake and are new, shop stock or as new.
The Swiss industry protects its distribution channels and brands tightly, and pretty much all of the good and mid range houses do not sell, or allow their delaers to sell, over the internet.
So the authorised dealers sell stock to non authorised grey dealers who then sell discounted watches on the web. The watch's papers will not carry the stamp of an authorised dealer, but of the discounting grey dealer. The serial numbers are very often removed because should that watch turn up for manufacturer's service or warranty- or should the mfr simply ask for the SN from the grey dealer (and they have been known to surreptitiously do this, acting as purchasers), with the papers stamped by a non authorised dealer, the mfr or agent is going to reference that watch to the authorised dealer to whom it was originally delivered and who should have retailed the watch, and likely discontinue with that retailer as a dealer of its watches.
Even the cheap fakes usually have a (bogus) SN on them, BTW.