Authentic Cartier Watches

Cartier watches are some of the most prominent and elegant luxury collections on the planet. For me, a timepiece as precious as a Cartier has to be treated like the “real deal”. I don’t understand why anyone would buy anything other than an authentic Cartier watch. But that’s just my personal opinion.

If you agree with my point-of-view, here are some basic guidelines about how you should consider the purchase process. But for ‘full disclosure’, here are three caveats you need to follow:

Wow!

1. Do your homework. See what other people are talking about online. Get onto some message boards/forums. Learn from those folks and their experiences with Cartier watches, dealers, etc.
2. Study the pre-owned and used Cartier market. There are a number of offline and online retailers in this space and some have acceptable return privileges and service warranties.
3. Visit your local authorized Cartier dealer. These people are true professionals. They can ask you questions about features and details you’re not even aware of. Depending on circumstances, they may be your best (smartest/safest) choice.

At the low end, you should expect to pay at least $2000.00 USD for a new, authentic Cartier watch.  If you look at 18 carat gold timepieces, prices for new ones easily jump to $10,000.00 USD or more. And know that for new Cartier timepieces with diamonds set in either the case or bezel, prices move into the $20,000.00 – 30,000.00 USD range.

(FYI, my “dream” Cartier is the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Flying Tourbillon. It’s a super-high-end collector timepiece. Only 100 will be made, and they retail for a mere $130,000.00 USD.  Now you know why it’s a dream, and will most likely stay that way the rest of my life.)

As I mentioned, one of the best places to start is with your local Cartier dealer. It can make all the difference in the world to see your Cartier timepiece up close and personal. In my opinion, I do not understand how anyone could make this important of a purchase strictly online. Even as a Cartier “semi-professional”, (that’s supposed to be an attempt at humor), I have seen my purchases in-person before I handed out my AMEX account info.

Regardless of whether you buy an authentic Cartier in-store or online, the safest option is buying from Cartier directly or through an authorized Cartier dealer. 

Here’s what it says on the Cartier website:

“All watches purchased from Cartier boutiques or authorized Cartier dealers come with the Cartier International Guarantee.

Each Cartier watch carries an individual serial number which provides a record of both origin and authenticity.

Please note that watches purchased from unauthorized dealers or on websites other than Cartier.com or watches that have been altered are not guaranteed as authentic Cartier creations.”

Depending on your experience as a Cartier aficionado, how much homework you’ve done, your tolerance for risk and so on, you may want to consider shopping with an unauthorized Cartier dealer. There are hundreds or thousands out there: just check out eBay.com and/or Amazon.com and you’ll see what I mean! 

The number one benefit of these types of sites is shockingly…price.  You can find real-time pricing, and by looking in “Buy It Now” sections of sites like eBay, you can get some great deals. You can also see a wide range of both new and pre-owned/used options for the specific Cartier timepiece you’re researching.

A strong recommendation is to make sure your Cartier comes with an official Cartier International Guarantee.  Most trustworthy online sellers note this in their offering. And if they don’t, make sure you ask. If they’re ‘offended’ by your question, then you probably don’t want to do business with them anyway.

If you’re looking at a pre-owned or used Cartier in an unauthorized dealer’s store, make sure you ask about the Cartier International Guarantee. If they don’t have one (many don’t, particularly with older pre-owned watches), then ask them to show you its individual serial number, which as noted above, provides the official record of origin and authenticity.

Once you have the individual serial number, I recommend you contact Cartier directly, and have them confirm the watch is an “authentic Cartier creation”. And concurrently, I also recommend you have the dealer put in writing that the watch has not been altered, to the best of their ability to determine so.

If they are unwilling to give you this written assurance, (since it puts them on record), then you have two choices. Walk away from the deal, or try bargaining for a lower price. That way, you’re making the best risk-reward decision possible.

In the end, you can’t really go wrong buying an authentic Cartier watch.  These are precious collections that you will truly treasure for a lifetime.