Hello, First the required pic. My most recent acquisition. A sucker for the simple look, sweep seconds hand, no date and some patina. My question is why do some sellers, collectors, etc. blank out a portion of a movements serial number when showing images? Is it in case the watch might be stolen, or they don’t want folks knowing the exact item they own. I’m slowly going through the forums. There is sooo much wonderful information. Thank you all. Brian (Seattle)
A friend of mine some years ago, bought a ladie’s (real) Patek Phillipe Watch at a garage sale for $85.00 He wrote to Patek, giving them the serial number, asking for information. Six weeks later, the RCMP was at his door. The watch had been stolen some time in the early 1960s, and the cops were there to check it out. My friend told them that he was 8 years old at the time of the theft, so they let him off the hook. He did lose the watch, however. You can never tell if or when broadcasting a watch serial number on the internet might come back to bite you.
This topic always seems to bring out some strong opinions on both sides. There are several lengthy threads on the subject. Some people feel that public display of serial numbers can enable scammers. Others think that hiding the serial number is silly.