A. Lange & Söhne

I am posting this story so that watch enthusiasts and all others may learn from my recent, sad experience. On the 25th of October, 2015, Antiquorum auctioned several watches in Hong Kong. Among them was a watch that was stolen from me on the 18th of Janua...  

Unfortunately, similar things happening here in Sweden and it does not seem like proffessional traders need to check the origin of things anymore. It has become a frightening development in line with the lucrative second hand market. I really hope you get... 

but someone have to be responsible at the company. Maybe Switzerland is easier to communicate with.

... Your ass locked up for accepting and/or selling stolen property. This is nothing short of criminal behavior on the part of Antiquorum! We will take to the social media airwaves with this story. The response must be severe and unrelenting!

It's a very serious problem here and the authorities do not like it one bit. To be sure, Antiquorum has probably broken several U.S. laws related to the acceptance and sale of stolen properly. Like I said, the social media response must be severe and unre... 

to get your beloved watch back with Police Authorities collaboration. Good luck Nicolas, Patrickh

But would that now not require Aniquorum to hand over the details of the cosignor on police request?

I hope prospective buyers will find this story on google or elsewhere and avoid working with your company. You try to sell stolen property and then do not assist in returning it to the rightful owner?? HORRIBLE. Nicolas, so sorry you have to relive the si... 

... Social Media Pressure. Antiquorum will pay a hefty price for their obviously criminal behavior. In the end, I believe the answer to what happened to our dear Amanico's property lies with the consignor Antiquorum is protecting. I feel it in my gut. And... 

This upsets me so much to hear this. And incredulously, I've heard this story from another Purist! The people at Antiquorum really are near criminals. They support criminal activity because they didn't want to ruin the relationship with the consignor. The... 

Another Purist also had a stolen watch, saw it on Antiquorum, informed Antiquorum, and the watch was returned to the consignor. Just so upsetting.

The auction house is sending this message. If the stolen watch is successfully auctioned, then (a) the thief receives his money and (b) his identity remains secret. If the auction is interrupted for any reason -- for example, if the watch is discovered to... 

Because receiving stolen goods encourages theft. I totally agree with your analyze, CR. Most of the Criminal Judges, too. Best, Nicolas

We do not live in a world that values "doing the right thing" only a world where we look to minimize our own exposure. The Antiquorum lawyers do not care about you, the Consignor, or the watch. Their sole concern is the welfare of their employer. I am sur... 

Which is just impossible, as I am the victim, here, and I hate to write that. 2/ Admitting that they sometimes receive stolen goods is a fact. The evidence is in the facts I put together. But reacting in an honorable way is much more rewarding for them, a... 

Nicolas, going through all this for a second time is a real torture! Unfortunately the laws applicable in such cases differ considerably from country to country. And I remember a former owner of a Ferrari Testarossa who could not re-claim his car because ... 

That this watch comes from a huge ( to say the least ) burglary, which was not covered by the insurance... I couldn't wear such a watch anymore, knowing that. Best, Nicolas

this business goes the wrong way as it is supposed to be "all about trust" i guess you ran an eye and general terms and condition of Antiquorum on HK GTC you can find "Antiquorum warrants that, upon the consummation of the sale of any lot under the terms ... 

The only way to explain the action of Antiquorum is that the Consignor had a receipt of his purchase. But it is difficult to claim that he would have been Bona Fide. A sad story and I'm very sorry for you. Let's hope this ends well. Best, Kari

But he cannot compete with me in the ground of ownership... Best, Nicolas

no arguments there. Best, Kari

The auction house should be embarrassed. Ashamed, actually.

Nobody who takes responsibility, no public figure. Nobody's reputation gets tarnished for doing a bad job, since it's a "team effort." It's just awful!

Some people in the auction house industry call them "fresh meat." These new-to-art or new-to-watches people support the auction houses with a blind faithfulness, that really isn't justified.

what a painful experience Nico. As noted, their customer base resides in places like this forum and their credibility is lost when we hear horror stories like these. I hope there is some leads through further police action that can happen for you given th... 

Otherwise he/she/it would have done so by now.... The only thing is for sure: the current holder (not owner) knows without any doubt he/she/it has a stolen good in their hands/safe. Un sellable Personal note to you Nico: this sucks!! I can imagine the ang... 

This is completely disgraceful, shameful and unprofessional from Antiquorum Can hardly believe such conduct from world known auction house As you know better than me you have many points for legal actions against them question is if you have time and mone... 

my take on the situation is as follows. Hong Kong is not a jungle and I am sure Antiquorum contacted the local sheriff's department before returning it to the seller. I am sure it is only a matter of time before you receive your Lange back. All the best E... 

Sent the watch bak to the consignor at the demand of the sheriff... Best, and thanks for your feedback, my friend. Nicolas

I would be glad to if you are not a member there.

Good luck.

That accepts money from different site Sponsors (ADs) and other institutions associated with the watch industry. if you make a post criticizing one of their business partners, it will be deleted. As Nicolas pointed out, I believe Timezone has a relationsh... 

on other platforms of social media.

I see the post is gone. I think it was still up around 10PM NYC time last night. I also did not know until now that Antiquorum OWNS TZ.

I wouldn't care if I got banned-this was my first post there in 2015.

Your post. Best, NicolaS

Nicolas, maybe you have already stated this somewhere within this massive thread: did you report the theft to Lange back in 2011? Or any time since up to this past summer? I think you know where I'm going with this. If a "reputable" auction house was pres... 

no responses LOL Cheers

I believe your position is strengthened vis a vis Antiquorum: they are presented with an expensive, MODERN watch, with no box or papers; and they did nothing to verify ownership.

maybe if it shows up again we can collectively bid it, buy it and request to meet, chat with the mysterious "owner", see if there are any more interesting pieces he/she "collects". Can you inform all other auction houses to let them know? Rgds Raymond

If the sender is honest, he will contact you and so the investigators will can perhaps the track. Whith you, nino

I do hope you will recover your watch Nicolas I think we cannot trust auctionners ...I have read lot of problems with fakes , watches serviced but out of order and so on...experts selling through auctionners... Cheers Christian

And those AQ auctioneers are totally without conscience nor scruples. I made a little picture in support of you , paraphrasing one of my favourite comedians, Russell Peters. Shame on you Antiquorum! This message has been edited by NT931 on 2015-12-26 20:4...  

... and it wasn't fun either. Almost got hit by some extra charges which they didn't mention, and had lackadaisical customer support when I emailed. To top it all off, they Fedexed to the WRONG address. I would almost have lost the watch if not for an hon... 

The thread you started over at WUS has also garnered several new AQ horror stories. If we hyperlink all the horror stories across different watch fora, hopefully potential AQ customers will see these stories and walk away.

Just signed up to share my own story here. Similar experience here, basically, they're just being unenthusiastic and has always been showing a lack of interest in customer support when it comes to dealing with the mess they created. Coming from my experie... 

Those bastardos had a chance to show the class we all believed they had by returning your property. And yet, they chose another path. Shameful. - Scott

You can make comments ;-)

.. if by any coincidence they had a Langematik for sale ... and posted your complete thread in their 'anouncements' .. somebody else did so as well. Have you googled Antiquorum / payments / problems ? Heard that before, but they even wait months and month... 

... if the buyer doesn't pay within let's say 2 weeks (if i bid on something i'll make sure i have the cash ready) .... they cancel the deal and send the watch back to the owner ... hmmm, the rightful owner ;-) . I've read about people (and heard from a U... 

You are such a gentleman that it pains me that you had your watches stolen, and now this. If I may add some perspective from U.S. law, I am sorry to say that there are scenarios under which the "consignor" could have good title to the watch, even though i... 

Which are basically the same than those you mentioned, ie the seller ( professional, or not professional ) and the price. I had zero informations on these criterions from Antiquorum in their different emails and answers, not the least justification. So, a... 

Proving BFP status is not easy and the seller bears the burden of proof. Also, if the seller did buy from a dealer, state law usually has strict requirements which dealers must abide by to ensure they are not selling stolen goods. If the dealer fails to d... 

If a modern, high-end watch is being sold without box or papers, and if a simple internet search of the limited edition or serial number of that watch immediately would have revealed its stolen status, and if a purchaser of said watch (dealer or private i... 

As for the consignor, I would be interested in knowing when he bought it, as you can imagine... Best, Nicolas

I think this wins the argument for Nico. Simple due diligence.

Truly sorry, my friend. Best Blomman

I know that you're already doing what has to be done and I can't give you wiser advice, especially knowing that dealing with such matters must really not be something "pleasant" for you. All I hope is that your watch (via this thread) becomes the most pop... 

Antiquorum could have gained something in terms of image, indeed, but it seems they don't care about that. Best, Mark. Nicolas

It would be a highly unlikely event for me to ever buy or sell watches at Antiquroum, this story just re-confirms my feeling. Years ago a friend of mine bought two watches there at an auction. I know they recommend a full service on every single watch the... 

I feel sorry for you, Nicolas. All I can do is standing by you and hope you can win the legal battle against Antiquorum. Being a premiere auction house, the way they handle this matter is just so unprofessional and unacceptable.

Did you check the past auctions? Did the thief (or thieves) steal other LE? I think this could be a good clue to find out what happened to you. We, as collectors and aficionados, should follow an ethical code and avoid stolen watches...but we are not the ... 

My two Tribute to Polaris ( PRT / 65 for the 1965 Edition, Nr 7 for the 1968 Edition ), the Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph platinum salmon dial ( not a LE but a limited production ), Panerai Pre Vendome Logo Nr 15, Mare Nostrum 301/ A Nr ... 

you to post 1 specific post for each one of your stolen watches, with ref in the title and a photo (just indicating your are always owner of all papers and boxes) On IWC, Panerai, JLC and VC fora. and also add the police declaration with date (paper?) So ... 

I' ve asked him the permit to share his list.

to post on each individual WatchProSite forum: IWC, Panerai, IWC, JLC 1 individual post by stolen watch with a number and a photo. So at each search on internet, everyone could be informed.... Patrickh

forget sueing, report to police, and let them investigate

Hong Kong law may apply but the choice of law and jurisdiction issues are complex. If governing law can be identified perhaps pressure can be brought on Antiuorum and ultimately the consignor. Getting to the consignor could be helpful because he may have ... 

The buyer, who is in the US, returned the watch to Antiquorum's New York office, and the proof of ownership/theft that Nico provided to Antiquorum was also sent directly to the NY office.

can Interpol do something?

Sold in HK by company that have HQ in Swiss and NY Sound like international crime to me

power of social media

I must say that Arie has strong point here Putting this post on FB & Twitter of AQ for no matter how short time would have HUGE impact Trust me 100X more people in couple of hours will see it than here in week Not to compare but I was nearly screwed by on... 

As you can see by the number of views. This is going to hurt them. Righteously so. And perhaps it is going to help you persuade them to do the right thing...

(from Facebook) ...  

Even if you have lost favour with the watch, it's the right thing to do and a matter of principle. You can do whatever you want with your watch after regaining rightful possession. You have all of us here to back you up if need be. I am not a lawyer but I... 

This is outrageous! How can an auction house like AQ not understand the law and rules of engagements in the watch trade?! I have informed my collector friends and some of them started sharing your story on their social media accounts. Let\'s fight this to... 

This is war indeed We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender

The Resistance armies are formed and fighting the war now Cheers Robin

The war has started!! Many PuristS have joined the Resistance against the Dark Side. Check out various Facebook and Instagram pages! The banner is raised! The flags are flown! Join the Resistance! Cheers Robin

Way to go Cheers François

What is wrong with these people from Antiquorum auction??!!!! These losers just wanted to get rid of the watch as soon as possible & not wanting to have anything to do with it whatsoever!! The worse part was that they were using the document from the orig... 

I don't want to give up, but I may need a contact at HK. And to know if the law is the same there, than in the US or in France where the criterions are identical. Is this different in HK, I don't know. Best, and thank you so much for your support. Nicolas... 

Hi Nicolas! Happy New Year! Wish 2016 will be a wonderful year for you & your family! some of this past issue will get resolve soon!!! I went to the HK police & explained your situation. Here is what they said: 1.) They think the auction house should not ... 

1/ Yes, Antiquorum should have waited for an official legal advice ( police or court of justice ), and THAT is a big mistake. 2/ There is a proof of criminal act, since I have a police report ( parisian police ) about a BURGLARY, which is a crime. 3/ To k... 

Horrific that you have to relive your loss again when it appears AQ was just going to focus only on its relationship with the consignor. Nothing at all came out of your provision of the relevant papers to them. Stupid, asinine request (sorry but cant thin... 

Hope it won't be removed.

also see this thread on another forum.

.......acts as an agent only and is not liable for any default(s) of purchaser(s) and/or vendor(s). Neither Antiquorum acting as agent only nor the vendor accept any responsibility whatsoever for any defect or deterioration of any lot nor for any precisio... 

I wanted to stay in the factual ground. Only in the factual ground. As said, one of my stolen watches has reappeared on the market, has been auctioned by Aq, the auction on that watch was cancelled after Aq was informed by the winning bidder that the watc... 

we are selling your watch that was stolen from you and you have proofs that was yours and stolen but don't write against us cos we will sue you!!!??? That type of law and logic is why this world looks like it looks In short justice is on your side but law... 

AQ returned the watch to the consignor, is not their duty to pursue him. It's called LAW, not logic or even justice. I'm not saying is right, this is a matter for POLICE (and lawyers). If there is no global database for stolen watches, probably it's becau... 

Seriously You don't ask I don't say is something that one would not expect from "Antiquorum, The World's Premier Auctioneers of Modern and Vintage Timepieces, is proud of our fine reputation and the industry knowledge of our internationally recognized sta... 

But even if we would have expected a different behaviour, right now this is the sad truth. AQ could change his mind and try to fix this issue. As i type above, this is just the iceberg top, if we think that this lange is 1/22 of stolen watches.

You are right saying that you feel burglared twice. Sadly enough, the second time by a company engaged in a business we collectors love so much. And the feeling of frustration when you could only witness their course of actions, without a chance to interf... 

If I were you, I would report about the case at the police, where you originally made the file! And I would also contact with a local lawyer colleauge from Hong-Kong, what is the local law in this issue. Anyway, the situation is not so simple: there could... 

Not a simple matter, I agree, BUT... My position is not enviable... Best, Nicolas

It would be extremely difficult to keep my calm in such a situation! Hope everything ends well. br, Dirk

Stunned at reading how this is unfolding. Lack of communication and them making decision to return to consignor is flat out disgusting. Shows they are in it for a quick dollar and do not see how they are hurting themselves. Makes me want to draw blood. I ... 

He would be maybe sensible to make a petition in Antiquorum, by saying that we shall not participate anymore in their auctions, as long as this affair will not be solved?

Would not imagine this to be very hard to execute. Lot of these publications have dedicated writers on watches and jewelry and often cover the large auction offerings. This is such an obvious story that getting it out there should make auction houses pay ... 

we are in starting block

very powerful, and in addition to Kek\'s suggestions on FT, Bloomberg , etc, I would also propose you to contact SCMP (South China Morning Post which is a powerful local English newspaper in Hong Kong) and Cai Jing magazine , etc,. in China because their ... 

Interesting idea, but how would it work? What would be the text? I don't see very well how it could work. Best, Nicolas

"how to protect your prized watch collection from blatant theft", a catchy title to attract lots of attention. With one or more of these global newspapers printing an article, SCMP will likely pick it up in Hong Kong because your incidence happened in Hon... 

www.bloomberg.com - I would send the author, Stephen Pulvirent, a note and describe what happened and suggest he follows up on the article "Fifteen Watches With Bragging Rights From Antiquorum's Fall Auction" with a story called something like "St... 

A simple and quick google search et voilà... Hard to understand, harder to accept. Best, Nicolas.

I think that would be efficient... Best, Nicolas

I am dumbfounded at Antiquorum's attitude. This is not a matter of simple "misjudgement", in my opinion it is a flagrant case of dishonesty. To receive and accept stolen goods is a very serious crime in the majority of countries. It is difficult to believ... 

...it always does! The Universe works in mysterious ways. I am not Madame Soleil but I can feel clearly that some sort of "understanding" will be forthcoming. Very few creatures would indulge or blossom living in the darkness of a toilet hole and generall... 

All the best in 2016 to you and all yours D

Sretna Nova godina to you and yours dear Damjan. Jedan zagrljaj Francois

you all speak Croatian Yours hoping to meet in 2016 D

Yes, we must meet in 2016! Cheers dear Damjan, Francois

I have a feeling that you are getting a step closer to your beloved watch,I hope the auction house to get what they deserve as well..... I will make sure to spread the word in my social circle Best, Ahmed

And totally unacceptable of Antiquorum! Just a thought Nico - did you try referring the case to the Police (with whom you filed the stolen report) so that they can go after Antiquorum (instead of you)? Since the watch is part of the loot, the consignor an... 

and restore some faith.... Don t let it go Nico... Mo

.... The way Antiquorum handled this is at best unprofessional, at worst outright criminal. We are definitely behind you on this. I personally will not participate in any of their auctions till there is a satisfactory outcome from this fiasco. Please keep... 

... as I had my TWO Lange stolen, I may have to deal with these situations..... Antiquorum has been my least favorite auction house - based on experience dealing with them, even when I won.... Sorry to hear that and I hope my Lange be not auctioned at Aut... 

I've heard or read one too many dodgy stories about AQ. These guys are glorified crooks. For what it's worth: If I am not wrong, HK laws and legal system are similar to Singapore's (a former British colony and a member of the Commonwealth). Singapore has ... 

The watch may have gone through many layers before reaching Antiquorum. It\'s terrible to know how they handled the situation through asking for real ownership evidence of the watch and does nothing although realising they are auctioning a stolen timepiec... 

I sincerely hope this gets sorted out. Seems like daylight robbery to me, and as stated - "too easy" for them just to get away with this. Regards, skyeriding

I do hope that this turns out well eventually. These guys seems to be no different from any other crook, only that they hide behind a lot of legal fine print designed to allow them to make the most money out of dubious trades. I\'ll be sure to share this ... 

Nico, here is a citation to a NY case where Christies was enjoined from transferring an item whose title was in dispute. Of course, it\'s possible that HK or Swiss law may apply,but there is an argument that NY law could apply, and if so, Antiquorum shou... 

To sum it, in case of conflict of title, the " victim owner " is the one who has to get the watch back. Thanks for your helpful informations, Descartes. Best, Nicolas

And this kind of behaviour explains why the fame of Antiquorum is quickly fading. When you lose the trust from the collectors, it is the beginning of the end. Let's hope that you will get a positive outcome but things will be complicated. The most disappo... 

This thread needs to get posted on the Patek forum. Let's hit AQ where it hurts. Get it on the Patek forum and the Rolex forum. Those are the brands AQ really sells a lot of. Get it on multiple sites...the more good people that hear of this tragedy will v... 

I posted the link to your original post on the Purists' Patek and Rolex forums. The number of viewings nearly doubled after I did that... I'm sure there are other watch community forums besides TZ and Purists. I'd like to get this posted elsewhere, too. M... 

Nicolas, The only bright spot I can find in this entire sordid story is that someone at Antiquorum was stupid enough to do this to one of the watch world's leading opinion makers! If they have any business sense whatsoever the CEO will fly to Paris to pre... 

What an awful event to go through not once; but twice! I will refrain from restating what has already been said Nicolas, however I will follow in Robin's steps and take this fight to Twitter and IG. AQ shall feel the wrath of their shady dealings. Hopeful... 

And let them get to the bottom of it. I usually assume the best of people until proven otherwise. In other words, I'm assuming Antiquorum and the consigner did what they did in good faith, not knowing it was stolen. If so, once the police investigate, the... 

hands the watch back to the party that gave it to them, rather than giving it to its legal owner, or holding it until it's sorted out in a legal arena. And upon receipt of everything they asked for to prove that it is your stolen watch, they declare "ambi... 

I've never seen any thread on WatchProSite get 5,000 views in one day. Antiquorum may be acting like a$$holes, but you have A LOT of friends here! Salute! NickO

I would "lawyer up" as they say in the US and sue these guys to get your rightful property back. I would choose which ever country they have operations in and has the toughest laws on receiving stolen merchandise and sue them there.

Please let me know (by PM or email) if I can do anything to help with this in the U.S. Best, CaliforniaJed

your "precious watches", maybe they could be of some help regarding AQ answers given to you? What do you think about this option? I cross fingers for you and for a happy come back of your Anniversary Lange and all the others.... Patrickh

They didn't cover me because the door was not broken... Best, Nicolas

Hope friendship in southeast Asia and law will help here to find a solution. I wish you courage and hardcore determination Nicolas best François

Fx ...  

This is one of the most horrible stories I've heard. Shame, Antiquorum, shame!! How is it even possible that they could return STOLEN GOODS to the consignor, and not to the rightful owner????? It's absolutely unacceptable and unthinkable. I think they hav... 

Boycott AQ and Timezone. They are all scumbags. AQ should have at least reported this to the police that they were in possession of stolen goods. This whole story makes me disgusted as I had heard over the years that AQ was sketchy from several collectors... 

I hope that since you are a lawyer and famous in the watch world you will make them regret that unacceptable behavior. I certainly won't buy from them after that. Andreas

I hope you're able to get this watch back! -AT

So sorry to hear this story. Certainly a huge response here and Antiquorum would have to be deaf not to hear this.

this is an amazing ordeal..I hope you are above to recover what is rightfully yours...

i know my faith in the police is biased, but there must be someway they can get a warrant to force antiquorum to divulge the sellers details and get the bastard and of course get you your watch back. i wish you the best of luck, i personally wouldnt use a... 

Local solution, indeed. Thanks Graham. Good to hear from you, my friend. Best, Nicolas

This is insane. There must be someone who is liable for this insanity. Best og Luck getting Your timepeice back, and in the meantime keep up the pressure.

And really pleased that the buyer did the right thing when he found out it was stolen. It all seems to be weighted on Antiquorums shoulders for doing the wrong thing... why on earth send it back to the seller? I don't think they should have sent it straig... 

I remember when this and other watches were stolen from you. Unfortunately, there are others factors at work with that group that led them to disregard your undeniable proof. The seller is probably well-connected with the owners, and they don't want to lo... 

It is a more than sad story for you my friend And looking at all the replies, there is not much to add. I dearly hope that Antiquorum gets their act together, and get the police involved to do the right thing for once. To ensure that you get the watch bac... 

How AQ treat you with this issue .. That\'s very unprofessional of them to do so. I can only hope that the consignor would do the right thing to you. I will also share this issue to my circle of friends so that they will be aware of this issue and the unp... 

Hi Nicolas, I am terribly sorry to read what has happened and moreover that you were not able to retrieve your watch back. It is the nightmare of every watch lover/ collector. It makes you think what would have been the appropriate way to act once one dis... 

He did the right thing, refusing a stolen watch. He would have kept the watch, it would not have been good for him. While it would have been good for me, indeed. As he is a gentleman. But he would have been in trouble with Antiquorum. Or Antiquorum would ... 

this at least provides us some insight how to possibly act the next time someone would come across such a situation, as I know now much better how to respond. This is an extremely added value of the community… to not only show your pieces, but to share ex... 

Shame on Aq for not doing what a professional auction house ought to have done 1/ enquiring about this particular watch at AL&S and on the internet 2/ returning the watch to the consignor in a hurry when it knew that the watch had been stolen from you I h... 

I think you mentioned in another post that some watches were stolen, but I wasn\'t aware of the extent of robbery. On top of this , the experience of your watch showing up on an auction and the very disappointing behaviour of Antiquorum. At least they cou... 

It seems to me, applying logic as only a non-lawyer might, that the consignee has now been legally informed that the watch's provenance has been undermined. Having received notice of that, he has two options: Try to resolve it, or try to hide it. If he ig... 

The new buyer couldn't ignore the illegitimate origin of the watch. So the consignor is stuck with this watch. He cannot sell it, he cannot send it for a service to Lange, he just can keep it with him. IF he is of bona fide... What I curiously still don't... 

that the current owner did not come forward yet… Perhaps the feeling of losing his money, besides the watch, is weighing very heavily and therefore still contemplating…. However, I can imagine this is insured, but then again, I don’t know whether the insu... 

and I meant "consignor"--the current owner who sent the watch to Antiquorum to be sold. I did not mean Antiquorum's buyer who researched it, notified you, and then returned it to Antiquorum based on what he learned--he is blameless. And I did not mean Ant... 

It's helpful to continue to think about the current possessor's position. I think there should be two foci. One is the one you describe -- on the current possessor. It would be wrong for that current possessor to hold the watch silently or to try to sell ... 

There is one Langematik Anniversary for sale. This would be a compensation, I will send them my box and papers. The other solution I would welcome is to receive my watch... Best, Nicolas.

Go to your local police department and file chargers against them. As the are in a foreight country I suppose that this will be taken to Interpol who will inform the Honk Kong police about the matter.

Dear Nicolas, First of all, I want to express my deepest solidarity. I can imagine how much agonizing all of these very sad facts are for you. I'm sure you'll try in every way to promote an international criminal investigation, since the facts you've repo... 

I deal a fair bit in antiques and this sort of thing is rather common in that trade and at auction (as Mark alludes to in one post above about a certain auction house). One does what due diligence one can but as a buyer one generally feels there is a leve... 

This has become a topic on Watchuseek and IWL Fora. It has also surfaced on TZ-UK, which I guess is separate from Timezone; the British participants seem quite critical of Antiquorum. Finally, when you google "stolen langematik anniversary watch" my post ... 

I've written to the New York Times and Watchtime Magazine. Should I hear anything I'll let you know. Also, at the suggestion of our friend cee are I registered for Watchnet but my post never got aired-and I've been permanently banned from the Forum! Can y... 

dear nico, sorry to hear about this case. this is just simply outrageous ! a good citizen would just hand it over to a neutral party (eg police) to mediate until the case be resolved for the new year, I wish that the watch will find its way back to your h... 

hey sir... really sorry for what happened to you... pretty sure you can somehow sue antiquorum for this as possession and even storing stolen items knowingly (you got proof that they did after the buyer contacted them) is a crime... i read a bit about tha... 

maybe be can all use it as a banner ...  

This could have been me when I bought a UN Trilogy set through Antiquorum! I did have Antiquorum send the watches directly to UN for service, but what a nightmare that I trusted an auction house that neglects to verify ownership!

Distressing! I find this sad affair. Nicolas receive my support.

No message body

Good to know I hope you'll get her back one day As for that action site ..... this is VERY bad publicity

by antiquorum's shoddy and totally irresponsible response to your situation. Just happened to read this posting and my sadness and disgust that you have to repeat your anguish at losing this watch again! Now that the holidays are over,i hope that things w... 

Just came across this post. I really feel for you and I can totally understand. Hope you will have your watch back soon. I have heard other unethical stories about Antiquorum in the board room. This is another level when they actually sell stolen goods. I... 

That your watch is back on stage! Social media pressure + finding the best way to let them understand you will not give up are key if I may. What about their credibility if such a story was ever reported on a larger scale. My best wishes for 2016...keep u... 

you ask a question concerning this on Timezone Unbelievable ... I am more than 15 years on that website I posted a few K posts and suddenly ....without any private message, nor warning or whatsoever I even still don't understand what I did wrong Some of t...  

I joined Watchnet to post about this horrific situation. My post did not see the light of day. And I was permanently banned from posting for my "prior actions".

My friend said that the auction house should cooperate with the police, such as providing the information who sent the watch to auction. Since you\'ve reported to the police when the watch was stolen, here is the closest clue that we\'ve ever had. Hope yo... 

We'll see... Thanks, my friend. Best, Nicolas

Sorry, I read this post earlier and said I must respond but then the holidays happened. But I ran across mention of the Antiquorum issue again and it reminded me. First, insofar as Timezone is concerned don\'t feel bad dropping off that list. The directio... 

Questions .... Please elaborate on your statement, "The best course of action for Antiquorum was indeed to back entirely out of the situation." Specifically, what criteria are you using to determine "best"? And how do you conclude that Antiquorum's chosen... 

You brought up some valid points and some facts of which I was not aware. I agree that Antiquorum's actions appear very suspect if not outright unethical. I do maintain two two things however. First that this was an instance with internationsl complicatio... 

Anyone would have expected (and reasonably so) AQ to hold onto the watch until everyone with an interest in this matter weighed in. AQ not only returned the watch to someone with questionable rights to it; they did so surreptitiously. And frankly, what AQ... 

I understand your feelings but it needs to be kept in the context of a business decision. Antiquorum is an auction house, a business, not a judicial organization able or bound to judge a point of law. And that is exactly what property ownership is — issue... 

Do you think Antiquorum should disclose the consignor's identity to Nico right now? If not, then under what circumstances (if any) short of a court order do you think Antiquorum should disclose the consignor's identity, and to whom? Also, before concludin... 

They didn't run from the issue; they created the issue.

Imho, I do believe you are missing the point here as AQ just needed to do one thing and one thing only…. Once AQ found out that the item could potentially be stolen, the only thing AQ needed to do was to contact the local police authorities and have the i... 

And of course I was in relation with Aq first. Asked them to return my watch. At least, they could have asked to the local authorities what to do, it would have been the correct thing to do. My insurance company didn't cover me, and I provided to Aq all t... 

Ethical conduct should be one of the hallmarks of an auction house that works with valuable items and where provenance is crucial to their reputation. Clearly AQ doesn\'t give a crap about any of that. Point noted. Won\'t consign not buy from them. How do... 

On Antiquorum and Timezone - I believe Antiquorum owns Timezone.com , so you can see where they might not want posts about this on their site. This is all so unfortunate. They should have notified the authors before sending the watch back to the consi... 

That could perhaps explain why AQ didn't want to pursue the matter in HK=( news.asiaone.com

To Aq... Thanks for the link, my friend. Nicolas

I just read your terrible story. I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope fate turns quick and you're reunited soon.

... that I hadn't seen before. Click here .

I read the article few days back and truly appreciate the sites\'s contribution to bring the news and information into the watch community. IMHO there should really be more doing that. The watch world is just another business and not everything is nice an... 

I am so sorry to hear about this, (almost a year later, while searching posts about this dubious company for my own recent post, "Antiquorum - Seller Beware". I don't understand how they can continue to operate with so much disregard for the people who ha... 

... though unfortunately too late. The buyer of Nico's watch posted his story here . He returned the watch to Antiquorum immediately after he discovered it was stolen. Antiquorum was VERY slow to return his money and in fact he had to threaten Antiquorum ... 

Wow. I am so sorry for your loss. May you blessed with more beautiful watch as a replacement I will definitely not buy/supported antiquoxxx any more

Hello Nico and all, I did not aware of this post before otherwise I will stay away from Antiquorum in the recent Geneva auction on 14th May 2017. I was looking for Langematik Anniversary a while and noticed that Antiquorum 14th May 2017 auction has one, I... 

I'm glad you got most of your money back.

It is a pity when you buy a product worth of a car and receive utterly poor service. Did you sign a contract on the purchase? As for me you can sue them.

As this auction house does not honor to their words, and senior executive (Managing Director) practice to solve the mistakes they made is to shift the liabilities on their customers, I don't think this auction house Antiquorum will stay long in business f... 

Negative experience is a valuable experience. If no losses occur let it be.

Your story is sad and full of ignorance from the Antiquorum. I suggest you write an e-mail to the head of Antiquorum with a description of the problem. The management is unlikely to be willing to bear reputation risks so it might actually move forward you... 

I was dealing with their Management Director in Switzerland already and I dont think there is any use for making any complaint. This was my first time to place bid in this auction house, so I don't think that my double confirmations about my status with t... 

As my experience suggest any major problem that is not solvable with regular employees shall be escalated to the top. In such case your issue will be likely solved or you will receive a definite negative response.

I suppose it would be great if someone covered this topic on the forum.

To the day I wrote your post I was skeptical about auctions. Now I have a negative attitude.

As you said, what evidence did they receive from the other side that they were the legal owners of the watch... I still hope one day you will get this one back...

Even though they keep promoting heavily, updating the new structure of having the new team, I will definitely stay away from them cos the M.D. is the same guy from Switzerland. Really disappointed about Antiquorum! Nico, any news from you? Still no respon... 

Definitely I think there is a need to have a board to keep reminding all users to avoid this auction house. To me, I hope that i can create more noise and awareness about this auction house practice...very unprofessional and unethical.... Regards Hans

Shame on them, what a poor excuse for an auction house. Unfortunately they have been on the decline for sometime, but your story is very upsetting and displays the unprofessionalism of some brands. I for one will not use them again.

My experiences with other two auction houses such as Christie and Sotheby are more professional and transactions are done clean and clear. If Antiquorum finally treats both Nico and my case in a professional way, they should take actions immediately to su...