Why are people so careful to keep the complete serial numbers on their watches a secret? What could a person do if they had that information? I'm a newb and am just curious.
It starts with watch serial number, then they can tracked down to watch warranty number, vehicle VIN, TV cable bills, email, ebay account, cellular phone, credit card number, Paypal social security, passport.......and your total identity is stolen and replaced by somebody else. Seriously.........I heard watch counterfeiters might copy your watch S/N for their batch run number.........also scam artist might use it to convince gullible would be buyers ( yea...yea that's almost including me)..... but so far it was only rumors. If counterfeiters want watch S/N they would buy the real thing instead try to find from internet. It is a massive operation with high capital game, especially for high end counterfeiters. They use ETA movement and laser engraving tools. They would buy real models anyway for reverse engineering. As for scam artist, they will the use any watch photo regardless the S/N is blurred or not.
I've been told it is because your photo can be used to convince a watch buyer to purchase a counterfeit in the belief that they are really buying your watch. Well a few things to say: a) If someone is that stupid to buy on that basis then I cannot help them. I would have no guilty conscience. b) I like posting pics of watches (even ones I trouble to take on the day so that the date is correct) - Ill be damned if I am going to spend another 20 minutes photo-shopping everything. c) They day we all start moderating our day to day behaviour because of few a******s then we have lost. I refuse to blur my pics on principle! d) I know my watch is the real thing and have the papers, receipts, box etc to prove it. If another Breguet 1234's hit the market I know who has the genuine one!