A prospective client told me he preferred to buy his timepiece from Jomashop. The appeal? Big online discounts on the most popular luxury watches.

Look, I'm all for discounts. Buy the watch, not the depreciation.

Here's the problem with grey market dealers like Jomashop.

The pieces they're selling are genuine, but they aren't perfect watches. What most buyers don't realize is that the movements on these watches didn't pass the manufacturers' quality control. They're picked up at a massive discount, repaired, and then warrantied by a third party, not the original manufacturer.

Serious collectors tend to avoid these movements.

Most guys I work with prefer their piece to have been approved for sale by the original manufacturer, warrantied by the original manufacturer, and to have all original parts.

That's how I operate: I deal in original watches, with original parts, and an original warranty. All without the depreciation.

Costs may not be on par with the grey market. And I'm ok with that.

Would you buy a watch at a bigger discount if the movement was repaired and backed by a third-party warranty?