WatchFacts founder John Cormier has always been passionate about watches. At an early age he was fascinated by the amazing advertising narrative of Rolex, Audemars Piquet, Patek Philippe and Cartier, luxury wristwatches presented as a vicarious experience by the glossy magazines. When John graduated from college, the relatable life scenarios and nirvana images of the watch world had made its mark on him enough, that he treated himself to his first watch, a pre-owned, two-tone Rolex DateJust for 40% less than the price of a new Rolex DateJust. Soon after he purchased the watch, John noticed that the watch did not track time properly and began to malfunction. Thinking the watch was in need of a cleaning, he sent the watch to Rolex in New York for service. After the watch was inspected by Rolex technicians, he received a call that advised him that while the watch had an authentic case, it had inauthentic replacement parts. Without the knowledge and expertise, it was impossible for John to know that he had purchased a clone. All his hard earned money and keen aura of owning the iconic status of the Rolex brand went into the back of a dresser drawer, because the cost to restore the watch to its original condition was more than the value of the watch.

If a third party certification had been available, or if John could have ordered an inspection report covering the validity and unclear provenance of the watch, he would have been an informed buyer and avoided the frustration and disappointment of what was for him, a costly lesson. John still owns the watch, and has held onto it as an important reminder of that experience. An experience that provided the inspiration to create WatchFacts, to help the consumer overcome the challenges and allay the risks of purchasing a pre-owned timepiece.

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