Audemars Piguet Star Wheel: Buyer Beware

Alkiro1 · 2018-01-22T11:06:59Z

Alkiro1 shares a cautionary tale about buying a pre-owned Audemars Piguet Star Wheel online, exposing a dishonest seller and the hidden costs of complex watch repairs. Learn to spot red flags.

Alkiro1

WPS member · Audemars Piguet forum

42 replies5785 views2 photos

Alkiro1's post serves as a crucial reminder for collectors to exercise extreme caution when purchasing pre-owned luxury watches, particularly from online platforms. His experience with an Audemars Piguet Star Wheel highlights how even seemingly professional sellers can misrepresent a watch's condition, underscoring the importance of meticulous inspection and informed skepticism. This thread offers valuable lessons on identifying potential red flags and the true cost of servicing complex movements.

Hi all,

While browsing a well known watch selling app, I found this Audemars Piguet Star Wheel (not available anymore in the AP catalogue so which can only be bought used). A watch I know very well because... I own exactly the same.

Humm, when I say “the same”, not exactly! Mine is in perfect working order while the one below (first pic) has obviously a “little problem”. Just try to read the time and you will have few squint issues.

Why this post? To warn you dear PuristS just in case one of you would be interested in buying this timepiece. Sometimes, even when we carefully pay attention to all details, the most obvious one is avoided.

Why am I angry? Because this “professional seller” wrote, in his watch description, that this AP has been revised and comes with 12 months of warranty. No! Definitely no!!! Otherwise, you won’t see such a picture.

Obviously, I don’t know if this seller acts in a bona fide way but I have a serious doubt here. Maybe not a big problem to solve but I know that service this watch can be a little bit tricky.

So please be careful 😉

Mine which has only one numeral, at the same time, in the minute track and which works perfectly 😉

Best wishes

Alkiro

Key Points from the Discussion

Many sellers lack basic knowledge about the watches they sell, often failing to distinguish between a properly serviced watch and a damaged one. Some may intentionally mislead buyers, relying on their ignorance.
The Audemars Piguet Star Wheel requires specialized servicing, ideally only by AP, due to its complex, non-standard time display mechanism, making independent repairs risky and potentially costly.
Alkiro1's direct interaction with the seller, where a claim of a 'fully serviced' watch with a warranty was quickly contradicted by an inability to read the time on the provided photo, exposed the seller's dishonesty.
An improper service can introduce new issues, and the cost to rectify a problem like a misaligned Star Wheel display at AP can range from $1500 to $2000 USD, turning a 'bargain' into an expensive mistake.
The quality of watchmakers varies significantly, and some 'watchmakers' can cause more damage than good, making it essential to verify who performed a service when a seller claims a watch has been recently maintained.
The specific misalignment of the Star Wheel's discs (e.g., 2/5/8/11 disc off one tooth, 3/6/9/12 disc off three positions) suggests a potential simple fix, but this still requires professional attention.

The Discussion

shortys home

Jan 22, 2018

... sometimes the most obvious element slips the eye, like in this case. And when it comes to sellers mentioning that a watch recently had a service: in some cases you do not want to know, who did that service. There are “watchmakers” out there who are really good in destroying a fine timepiece 😵 Cheers Henrik

piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1)

Jan 22, 2018

The seller is not able to understand the difference between a serviced and non serviced watch (damaged, I'd say). Sad, but many are simply ignoring the basics. The seller knows it doesn't work properly but he's confident in buyer's ignorance. Did you ask him what time is in that photo? 😵😵😵😵😵😵😵 Star wheel is a watch that must serviced at AP only, it's not a common time only. Yours is definitely a beauty, for me much better of the new Moser because of its readability. I'll ask to Papi (through som

vitalsigns

Jan 22, 2018

Thanks for posting this. It’s a desirable watch. Too bad it’s not in proper operating order. Cheers, John

nomadgiles

Jan 22, 2018

Seriously tho’, it doesn’t look very good. At all price points of secondhand watches the mantra should be ‘buyer beware’! Cheers. Giles

drphileasfogg

Jan 22, 2018

But no funds at the moment, all for the taxman 🙁

Alkiro1

Jan 22, 2018

Taxmen are a big issue for all of us as they prevent us to dream sometimes. I really wish you to own one in the future. Best wishes Alkiro

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