House · The guarantee
The guarantee.
Two things protect anyone who buys or sells through the house. First, a written authenticity guarantee held for the life of the watch, with three named remedies — not a certificate, a guarantee with stated consequences. Second, escrow: funds sit with a regulated third party and release only on the buyer's inspection, so the watch never moves against a promise and money never moves against trust. The house holds no stock and represents the owner, so nothing here is written to protect a position of its own.
Free valuation · no obligation · every sale settled through regulated escrow.
The three remedies
If a watch the house has authenticated is later shown not to be as described, one of three remedies applies. They are written into the guarantee, not offered at discretion.
- RestoreRepair or restoration to the stated condition, where the discrepancy can be put right and the owner wants it put right.
- UnwindThe sale is reversed and funds returned. The cleanest remedy when the watch is not what it was said to be.
- CompensatePayment of the difference in value, where the owner prefers to keep the watch and be made whole on the number.
Escrow, in plain terms
Escrow removes the moment that goes wrong in most private sales: the handover on trust. A regulated third party holds the buyer's funds. The watch is dispatched only once the money is in escrow. The money is released only once the buyer has inspected and accepted the watch. Neither party has to trust the other; both trust the agent. Settlement to the seller follows within 48 hours of release.
It is the same mechanism whether you are buying or selling, and it is why physical proximity no longer matters — a watch in another country is as safe to transact as one across the desk.
Condition, described not scored away
Condition is graded one to ten across four axes — case, dial, movement and bracelet — and the grade is never left to stand alone. The wear that produced it is described in words, so a buyer reads what a "7" actually means on this watch rather than trusting a number. The twelve-point protocol is where those findings come from, and the ones that reduce the figure are written down alongside the ones that support it.
Questions
What does the Maison Montres guarantee cover?
A written authenticity guarantee for the life of the watch, with three named remedies if an authenticated watch is later shown not to be as described: restore, unwind, or compensate. It is a guarantee with stated remedies and a dispute route, not a certificate.
How does escrow settlement work?
A regulated third party holds the buyer's funds. The watch ships only once the money is in escrow; the money releases only once the buyer has inspected and accepted it. Settlement to the seller follows within 48 hours.
Is my watch insured while you have it?
Yes — collection is insured in transit and the watch is covered while in the house's care. It never travels against a promise, and never changes hands for money outside escrow.