THE WATCH OFFICE
CONTENTS
- Definitions
- Company Information
- Applicability
- Products, Descriptions and Authenticity
- Offers and Pricing
- Formation of the Agreement
- Right of Withdrawal
- Returns, Costs and Risk
- Warranty
- Warranty Coverage
- Warranty Exclusions
- Warranty Claims
- Delivery
- Payment
- Limitation of Liability
- Complaints
- Force Majeure
- Governing Law and Jurisdiction
1. Definitions
In these Terms and Conditions:
The Watch Office means the company offering products and services through its website, social media channels, or other sales platforms.
Consumer means a natural person acting for purposes outside their trade, business, craft, or profession.
Business Customer means any individual or legal entity acting in the course of a business or profession.
Agreement means any agreement concluded between The Watch Office and a customer.
Distance Contract means an agreement concluded without the simultaneous physical presence of both parties, including purchases made online, by telephone, email, or other remote communication methods.
Withdrawal Period means the statutory period during which a consumer may exercise the right of withdrawal.
Day means a calendar day.
Terms and Conditions means these General Terms and Conditions.
2. Company Information
The Watch Office
Assiesplein 15
8011 XD Zwolle
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 6 55068535
Email: inzo@thewatchoffice.nl
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 89082915
VAT Number: NL003816366B91
3. Applicability
These Terms and Conditions apply to all offers, quotations, agreements, sales, purchases, and deliveries made by The Watch Office.
By placing an order or completing a purchase, the customer acknowledges and accepts these Terms and Conditions.
Should any provision of these Terms and Conditions be found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
4. Products, Descriptions and Authenticity
The Watch Office specializes in pre-owned, vintage, collectible, and luxury watches.
All watches are inspected and evaluated to the best of our knowledge, expertise, and available information prior to being offered for sale.
Product descriptions, photographs, specifications, and condition reports are prepared with the utmost care. However, minor inaccuracies, omissions, or typographical errors may occur and shall not constitute grounds for cancellation or compensation.
Due to the nature of pre-owned and vintage watches, components may have been replaced during previous servicing or maintenance throughout the watch’s lifetime. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, replacement service parts do not automatically constitute defects.
Normal signs of age, wear, polishing, servicing, restoration, or replacement service components should be expected and are considered inherent characteristics of pre-owned and vintage timepieces.
All watches are sold as authentic to the best of our knowledge and based on the information available at the time of sale.
5. Offers and Pricing
All offers are non-binding and subject to availability.
The Watch Office reserves the right to amend product specifications, descriptions, availability, and pricing without prior notice.
Obvious pricing errors, technical mistakes, or typographical errors shall not bind The Watch Office and may be corrected at any time.
The Watch Office operates under the Dutch Margin Scheme (Marge Regeling). Consequently, VAT is not separately stated and VAT invoices cannot be issued unless explicitly agreed otherwise.
6. Formation of the Agreement
An agreement is concluded once an order has been accepted by The Watch Office and payment has been received, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
The Watch Office reserves the right to refuse, suspend, or cancel orders where reasonable grounds exist, including but not limited to pricing errors, inventory discrepancies, payment concerns, suspected fraud, or legal obligations.
7. Right of Withdrawal
This section applies exclusively to consumers purchasing through a distance contract.
Consumers have the statutory right to withdraw from a distance contract within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the product without providing any reason.
Business customers are excluded from the statutory right of withdrawal unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Withdrawal requests must be submitted within the withdrawal period via:
After notification of withdrawal, the consumer must return the product within fourteen (14) days.
Purchases Made in the Boutique
The statutory right of withdrawal applies exclusively to distance contracts.
Products purchased in person at The Watch Office boutique or any other physical point of sale are considered in-store purchases and are therefore exempt from the statutory right of withdrawal under applicable Dutch and European consumer legislation.
Consequently, purchases completed physically in the boutique are final and cannot be returned, exchanged, or cancelled unless otherwise agreed in writing or required by mandatory law.
Inspection During the Withdrawal Period
During the withdrawal period, the consumer may inspect the watch only to the extent necessary to establish its nature, characteristics, and functioning, comparable to what would be permitted in a physical retail environment.
The watch may not be:
- Worn;
- Resized;
- Opened;
- Polished;
- Modified;
- Used beyond reasonable inspection.
Return Conditions
Returned products must:
- Be returned in the same condition as received;
- Include all original accessories, certificates, manuals, warranty cards, tags, boxes, and packaging;
- Be free from signs of wear, damage, modification, or use;
- Be shipped fully insured for at least the full purchase value.
The Watch Office reserves the right to reduce any refund or reject a return where the product has suffered depreciation as a result of handling beyond what is reasonably necessary for inspection.
8. Returns, Costs and Risk
Return shipping costs are the sole responsibility of the customer.
All returns must be shipped using a fully insured shipping method covering at least the full purchase value of the item.
The customer bears all risk of loss, theft, or damage until the returned item has been safely received and inspected by The Watch Office.
Refunds will be processed within fourteen (14) days following receipt and inspection of the returned item.
The Watch Office reserves the right to withhold reimbursement until the returned product has been received and verified.
Refunds shall be made using the original payment method unless otherwise agreed.
9. Warranty
Warranty Coverage
Every watch offered by The Watch Office is carefully inspected prior to sale and, where necessary, professionally serviced or tested to ensure proper functionality.
All watches sold by The Watch Office are covered by a twenty-four (24) month limited warranty from the date of purchase.
This warranty exclusively covers mechanical defects relating to the movement of the watch occurring under normal wearing and operating conditions.
Warranty Exclusions
The warranty does not cover:
- Water resistance or waterproof performance;
- Damage to or loss of the crystal, bezel, crown, winding stem, pushers, buttons, springs, straps, bracelets, clasps, buckles, or similar external components;
- Cosmetic wear and tear;
- Damage resulting from impact, dropping, accidents, misuse, negligence, improper handling, or improper storage;
- Damage caused by dirt, dust, moisture, humidity, corrosion, magnetism, or external influences;
- Damage resulting from unauthorized servicing, repairs, modifications, polishing, refinishing, or alterations.
As many watches sold by The Watch Office are pre-owned or vintage, age-related characteristics, patina, and signs of previous use shall not be considered defects.
The warranty is non-transferable and applies exclusively to the original purchaser.
Any intervention by an unauthorized third party immediately voids the warranty.
Warranty Claims
To submit a warranty claim, the customer must contact The Watch Office and provide:
- Proof of purchase;
- Order details;
- A detailed description of the issue.
The Watch Office reserves the right to inspect the watch before determining whether the reported issue falls within the scope of the warranty.
If a warranty claim is accepted, The Watch Office may, at its sole discretion:
- Repair the watch;
- Replace the defective component;
- Provide a replacement watch where reasonably possible;
- Offer a partial or full refund.
The remedies listed above shall constitute the customer’s sole and exclusive remedy under this warranty.
10. Delivery
Products will be delivered to the address provided by the customer.
Estimated delivery times are indicative only and shall not constitute a guarantee.
The Watch Office shall not be liable for delays caused by carriers, customs authorities, force majeure events, governmental measures, or circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
Risk of loss or damage transfers to the customer upon delivery.
11. Payment
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment must be made in full before shipment.
The Watch Office reserves the right to delay or withhold delivery until payment has been received and verified.
Ownership of the product remains with The Watch Office until full payment has been received.
12. Limitation of Liability
The total liability of The Watch Office shall be limited to the purchase price paid for the relevant product.
The Watch Office shall not be liable for indirect damages, consequential damages, loss of profits, loss of business opportunities, reputational damage, loss of data, or any other financial losses.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude or limit liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by mandatory law.
13. Complaints
Complaints must be submitted within a reasonable period after discovery of the issue.
Complaints may be submitted via:
The Watch Office aims to respond within two (2) working days.
14. Force Majeure
The Watch Office shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations where such delay or failure results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, strikes, transport disruptions, cyber incidents, supplier failures, governmental actions, or other force majeure events.
15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions and all agreements between The Watch Office and its customers shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Netherlands.
The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG / Vienna Convention) shall not apply.
Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions shall be submitted exclusively to the competent courts of the Netherlands.