Payments & Privacy
Which payment options do you offer?
We offer crypto payments with NO KYC. For anyone else who might be interested in our catalog but doesn’t want to use crypto, we also offer regular payments via credit card.
What happens if I use your crypto payment gateway and my payment arrives after the timer expires?
In this case, please contact our support and provide us with your blockchain authentication number that every payment on the blockchain has. This will allow us to track your payment and confirm your order.
What will happen to my personal information that I’m providing for shipping?
Since we value privacy, every customer of ours has the option to have their personal data deleted after the order arrives. This minimizes the risk of ever being exposed for holding undeclared assets. This information will be permanently deleted on our end and is not recoverable.
Why do we focus on anonymity on our website?
We have noticed that there’s no real platform out there that offers luxury watches without any KYC. There are multiple websites that do offer crypto payments, but all of them require you to complete KYC. While doing our research, we noticed that there’s actually quite a lot of interest in purchasing luxury watches anonymously to avoid asset detection by the government or tax authorities. Watches have evolved into a huge asset class and store of value, and therefore we think people have the right to safely and anonymously purchase these assets.
Pricing & Business Model
Why are some of your watches cheaper than on other websites?
Since we primarily focus on anonymous payments via crypto, we save a huge amount of fees on traditional payment processors and taxes. Another big reason is that we source all of our watches only from Japan, which in general has cheaper prices for luxury watches compared to other countries, especially the European market, for example. Where we also save a decent chunk is when it comes to the method we use for shipping the watches. We use something called triangle shipping to avoid customs fees when the parcel arrives in your country, making it a lot cheaper than just purchasing the watch from a regular store or website. (Don’t worry, this method is completely legal since we declare the real value and item that’s inside the parcel.)
Do you actually hold the watches you sell in stock?
Our last question basically already answered it, but I would like to go a bit more into detail about how we actually operate. We are three watch enthusiasts from Germany who wanted to turn their hobby into a business. While traveling to Japan often for business, we connected with the local watch community and immediately noticed how much cheaper watches are compared to Europe and the massive variety of different watches they have. We then connected to a few established stores across Japan that we source our watches from, with of course a small fee for us. The watch stores in Japan are actually the ones that handle shipping, etc.; we just wanted to provide a platform where you can access rare models for amazing prices.
Shipping & Logistics
How do you ship the watches?
We exclusively use DHL for shipping! From our experience, they are the fastest and safest. All of our parcels are fully insured against theft or loss. Even though we use triangle shipping, it does not affect the shipping itself at all.
How much does the shipping cost and how long does it take?
We offer free worldwide express shipping with every order via DHL Express. Usually, shipping time can take between 2–10 days depending on where you are located.
Can you also ship via other logistics companies besides DHL?
Yes! Should you, for any reason, not want to use DHL, then you can let us know which logistics company you would like to use, as long as they are operating in Japan as well.
What if I want to buy multiple watches, how will you handle shipping?
It depends on the shipping method you use. If you choose triangle shipping, then we would split up the order to avoid detection. Should you choose direct shipping, then we can ship multiple watches at once to you.
Triangle Shipping & Customs
How does triangle shipping actually work?
This is a widely used strategy to avoid customs seizing your parcel when arriving in your country. The way it works is that for every region, we have pre-mapped countries that have very weak customs controls. For example, let’s say you are from Germany and you just bought a watch from us. Instead of shipping it directly from Japan to Germany, we would ship it first from Japan to Romania, from Romania to Croatia, and then from Croatia to Germany. All parcels will be repackaged while stopping in these countries, making it impossible for Germany to detect where the shipment actually came from. For the repacking, we use specialized logistics companies that offer such services. Since the parcel is insured directly by DHL, there’s absolutely no risk for us or the buyer of the watch.
Can I also place an order without opting in for triangle shipping?
Yes, of course! It’s only an option that we offer, but should you want to buy a watch from us and don’t care about customs fees, then of course we can ship it directly from Japan to your country.
What happens if customs stops my parcel?
You basically have two choices: either you pay the taxes for your watch and receive it, or you decline it and have it sent back to us, where we will either refund you or offer to ship it again until customs lets it slip through. Of course, there will be no extra costs for you whatsoever. The worst case would be that you would need to wait a week or two longer if it’s important for you to avoid import taxes.
Product Authenticity & Watch Information
How can I be sure that the watches you are offering are authentic?
We only work together with established watch resellers and pawnshops in Japan that have been operating for decades. Of course, should a watch ever not be authentic, then we will offer a full refund immediately after confirming the watch was really sold by us.
What if the watch I received is not authentic?
In this case, we will of course need to verify that it’s the watch you indeed received from us to avoid anyone switching out the watches. Should we be able to confirm that it’s indeed not authentic, then you will get a full refund immediately and can keep the fake watch as well.
Why do some watches have the production year listed as “Unknown”?
With some watch models that have been sold “naked,” meaning without box, papers, and original receipt, it can sometimes be hard to get the exact production year. For example, let’s say we got a Rolex watch that has been produced from 2020–2022 without the original papers; it’s hard to pinpoint if it’s from 2021 or 2022, so in this case we mark them as Unknown. If you check our inventory, then you will notice that it happens rarely.
Do all watches come with a receipt?
Yes, all watches purchased from us come with either the original receipt from the watch manufacturer itself or from the Japanese watch store that sold us/you the watch.
Do Japanese receipts work in other countries as well if I’m buying a new watch from you with factory warranty?
Yes, almost all luxury watch makers offer international warranty, meaning even if the Rolex watch, for example, was bought in Japan, you will still have warranty in any other country in the world as long as you bring the receipt with you.
Warranty & Returns
Do you offer any warranty on your watches?
Yes, all watches that are bought from our website come with a 1-year warranty and a 30-day free return policy. (Please note that the watch needs to be 100% in the exact condition that we shipped it to you. Watches will be inspected and pictures will be taken before shipping with date and time to verify the condition.)
What if my watch breaks during the warranty?
Should this ever happen, then we will ask you to send the watch back to Japan for it to be repaired, or in some cases, should it be something small and faulty, then you can bring the watch to a nearby authorized watch service center and we will cover the bill afterwards. Please note that the damage should not be human-made, as the warranty doesn’t cover damages caused by the owner of the watch. In case the watch needs to be shipped to Japan, we will of course cover all costs.
Pickup Options
Can the watches be picked up in Japan?
As of right now, we don’t offer pickup for mainly two reasons. WE EMPERIAL WATCHES are actually not located in Japan but rather in Germany, and therefore no one would be able to meet you in Japan. Secondly, to avoid exposing our sources and stores where we get our watches from, we also cannot send you directly to the store to pick it up, as you could then just buy it directly and cut us out.
If I’m from Germany, can I pick up the watch from you instead of ordering it?
In case you are from Germany or nearby, then yes, we can actually offer pickup, but it would require a 50% down payment just in case you don’t show up after placing the order. The down payment is there to make sure the watch is really being picked up and that we don’t receive the watch just to send it back again, which costs time and money.
Custom Requests
Can you source a watch for me that is not listed on your website?
Yes! In case you’re looking for a watch that is not on our website, then you can just contact us or even schedule a Zoom call with one of us where you can show us the watch you’re looking for, and we will try to source it for you in Japan.
Trust & Company Information
How can I know that you guys are legit?
We know that it will be very hard at the beginning to build up a reputation for us, but we hope that if we keep working on this project long enough, we can eventually build up a customer base that trusts us, and from there it will probably just be word-of-mouth marketing. Since our margins are extremely low, we don’t really want to invest heavy amounts of money into marketing campaigns, as these extra costs would reflect on the prices of the watches here, and our goal is to offer the cheapest price possible.
I can see that your website is new?
Yes, as we mentioned earlier, we just started this project out of passion and, of course, because we wanted to turn our hobby into a business. If you’re afraid of dealing with us since we are new, then we of course respect this and hope that you can find another dealer that you are happy with. We will never try to convince anyone to use our service.
Contact & Customer Support
Do you guys offer live Zoom meetings?
Yes, should you have more questions and would like to talk to someone from our team directly, then you’re more than welcome to schedule a call with us! Please note, though, that we cannot show the desired watches on the live call, as we don’t have them in stock, as mentioned earlier.
What if I have a question that has not been answered here?
We will link you to different methods on how you can contact us. Should you have any other questions, then please don’t hesitate to contact us or schedule a live call to get them answered.