Cartier 'Ballon Bleu' Watch in Stainless Steel and 18K Gold, 42 mm

Authenticating jewelry and watches requires nuanced expertise. Many thousands of pieces of jewelry and watches have passed through our hands for over 40 years from every era and every maker. This familiarity enables us to know what a piece should look and feel like and if it has the expected quality of material and workmanship, the accurate makers marks and the correct signature in all the right places. Indeed, one of the easiest ways non-experts can be fooled is to assume a designer piece of jewelry is truly by that maker as pieces by commercial manufacturers are often outright fakes or signed fraudulently by a third party.
In practice, we first look at the front and back of a bracelet, ring, brooch or watch, turning it over in our hands to see that the workmanship on the reverse is just as fine as the detail on the front. Using the jeweler’s important tool, the loupe, we look carefully at many different touch points including the precision with which diamonds are mounted in their settings, the manner in which gold or platinum links are connected to each other, the fineness of the material used, the flawlessness of the polish and the quality of the azuring - a difficult and refined aspect of metalwork.
If we have any doubts whatsoever as to authenticity, we submit the piece to the relevant firm, be it Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, David Webb and others. We also request the original bill of sale, box and papers for those items most commonly faked such as Cartier Love brackets and VCA Alhambra pieces. And just as banks know their customers we, too, ensure we know enough about our clients to assure ourselves of their ownership and provenance.
Our team of GIA-certified jewelry experts has such a well-regarded reputation in the international jewelry industry that we are frequently called upon to advise auction houses, appraisers and other dealers in matters of authenticity and value.

We stand behind every piece we sell with complete documentation, relevant GIA certification, and the best return policy in the industry, a full money-back guarantee, no exceptions.

Self-winding, or automatic, watches such as some models of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet have mechanical movements that require professional maintenance to keep in top condition. Self-winding watches must be worn regularly to keep working as wrist movement acts as the winding force. Typically, depending on the model and manufacturer, automatic watches will stop running after 48 or so hours if not in motion. Rather than use a watchwinder, it is wise to learn how to wind and set your watch yourself so you can do so when necessary. Consult the maker’s instructions regarding winding as all self winding watches have different protocols as to the direction and number of turns needed, but once learned, it’s a valuable and easy skill. If your watch begins to malfunction, it likely requires a complete professional service to overhaul the movement, replace any dry gaskets and to ensure it maintains factory specifications for water resistance and pressure proof. We recommend using only your brand’s authorized watch repair service to maintain authenticity, value and the functionality of the watch.