eBay Expands Authentication for Luxury Watches with Enquirus

The market for pre-owned luxury watches has been growing steadily for years—but at the same time, demands for transparency, security, and traceability are also on the rise. Against this backdrop, eBay is expanding its authentication service for luxury watches to include an additional layer of security:

In the future, watches that undergo the authentication process in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom will be automatically cross-referenced with the Enquirus database.

This marks the first time the marketplace has integrated the world’s largest registry of stolen and lost luxury watches directly into its verification process.

Safety is becoming a key factor in the pre-owned market

The secondary market for luxury watches has long since evolved from a niche market into a central component of the luxury industry. At the same time, however, the problem of stolen or illegally traded watches is also growing. Especially when it comes to high-end models, provenance, documentation, and transparency are increasingly becoming key purchasing criteria.

By integrating Enquirus, eBay is responding to this trend and expanding its existing authenticity verification process to include a global data check. In addition to verifying the movement, case, reference number, material, and condition, the system now also checks whether a watch has been reported as stolen or lost.

Authenticity is verified by independent experts, and the process includes not only technical verification but also a condition assessment. Only after successful verification are the models shipped to buyers, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a digital certificate.

What is Enquirus?

Enquirus was launched in 2023 by the Swiss luxury goods group Richemont and serves as a neutral, global platform for combating crime involving watches and jewelry. Its goal is to make it significantly more difficult to resell stolen luxury goods.

The platform connects manufacturers, retailers, insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, and the pre-owned market. Owners can register their watches for free and report lost or stolen items. At the same time, the database allows retailers, platforms, and buyers to verify watches before a sale or purchase.

The open approach is particularly relevant here: Enquirus is open not only to brands within the Richemont Group, but to the entire luxury industry. Numerous international watch brands and police departments are already connected to the system.

Learn more about Enquirus at https://enquirus.com/en/

Trust as the New Currency

This partnership also highlights just how much the luxury market is changing. In the pre-owned segment, authenticity alone is increasingly insufficient—what’s in demand now is traceable provenance, digital documentation, and verifiable histories.

Platforms like eBay, in particular, are using this approach to position themselves more firmly as a trusted infrastructure within the luxury secondary market. This move underscores the fact that security and transparency are now among the key factors in the trade of high-end watches.

In Germany, authenticity verification for luxury watches is available free of charge for select brands priced at 1,500 euros or more. For models priced between 1,000 and 1,499 euros, this service can be added as an optional extra.