Reading QC photos
Most trusted dealers photograph the exact watch before it ships and wait for a yes. The photos are your one chance to reject without paying for a return shipment, so don't rush them.
The set to ask for. Dial straight-on, dial at an angle, caseback, side profile with the crown, bracelet and clasp, and a movement shot if the caseback is solid and the dealer will do one.
Go through it in this order.
- Date wheel. The date should sit centred in the window. A little offset is common. A cut-off digit is a reject.
- Bezel pip and markers. The lume pip at twelve lines up with the twelve marker and the dial's twelve.
- Rehaut engraving (Rolex). The crown at six should line up with the six marker, and the letters should be crisp.
- Hands. Stray lume, bent hands, and whether the hour hand sits right against the markers for the time shown.
- Dial text and printing. The comparison photo should be a known-good example of the same factory version, not a gen.
- Case and bracelet. Gaps between end links and case, scratches, uneven brushing.
When to reject. Anything you can see in a photo will be more obvious on your wrist. Dealers expect rejections. A polite "please swap for one with the date centred" is routine.
When to live with it. Factory-wide flaws (a slightly off font, a thicker case) are in every unit and are documented in the forum review threads. Reject for one of those and you get the same watch again.