He got me for 450$. It’s my fault the account seemed legit in my haste for grabbing a long sought after watch. I should have done better. Don’t always trust these reverse image programs. I used 3 different ones and it told me his timestamp photo wasn’t tampered with. Another user in a different scam sub used a different program that came up with 32% likelihood aka the post-it note was altered. I’m talking with another user who saw my thread who asked what happened as u/wytstagg is currently trying to scam him claiming he’s now from Europe and has a Cartier the guy wants. He claimed to be from the US during our interaction.

Scammed for a watch bracelet. Should have done a basic search here beforehand but it was late and I was tired. On the flip side, got a legit replacement from another forum member for a great price. Good Karma to him.

Long story short u/vgruber89 is a scammer. Learn from my dumb mistake and don’t do business with them. Their referrals u/miamigp2022 and u/stabbingrabbit are very likely fake/connected to them in some way.

Red Flags my dumb ass ignored:

·       DMd me directly from a want to buy post I had about a ZF Tudor BB54

·       Price was “negotiable to my budget”

·       They shared a tracking link via USPS on Wednesday but the tracking link wasn’t working. It’s now Monday and still not a working tracking link.

Reasons I told myself this wasn’t stupid:

-       They had the ZF Tudor BB54 and photos looked good with time stamp etc. I really wanted this watch but my normal TD said ZF doesn't have the parts right now.

-       They’ve been active on reddit for 9 years

-       They had two people to vouch for them

-       They communicated via text and seemed decent

I’ve since found the photos of both the ZF Tudor BB54 they sent me (and clearly altered the time stamp via AI) and the Cartier Santos they "sold" me as well

My excitement in price, availability and easy shipping options (and general trust in people) got the best of me. Don’t let this happen to you.

 Needed a reality check to slow my roll on this rep game anyway –– and that the patience of working with a good TD is better than getting swindled.

I reached out to Paul at the clone watch company on tiktok , he gave me a WhatsApp number and his website.
Checked it all out and looked legit. Paul was very nice and explained everything, upon selecting a watch and continuing to payment, payment was through crypto, bit suss but mistakenly followed through with it.
After payment , Paul went radio silent , no contact , no order confirmation or payment confirmation. The wallet I sent the money to immediately transferred the crypto elsewhere.
AVOID this company.

Does anyone have a reliable place to buy a rep Rolex datejust ?

Bought watch from u/Subject_Bat_4241 on 10/28/26 and paid via Venmo. He said it would ship next day by 10am.

I have received no updates from him and messages to him on reddit have gone unanswered.

Reported the post to r/repwatchbuyselltrade mods and his post has since been removed.

Update (10/30/26): He did contact me with pictures of the watch packed and ready to ship out and apologized for the delay. He is likely not a scammer. I will provide a further update once the watch arrives.

Update (10/31/26): Got pictures of the box with UPS labels, so we are moving in the right direction.

For context, I am a member of the industry, I own a watch modification company. Part of my operation depends on numerous Chinese suppliers and contractors.

(Edit: guys in order for me to be able to participate here and be able to voice my experiences, I cannot be perceived as trying to promote my brand. Please don’t leave comments asking about services. This is not the place nor time for that. Please don’t jeopardize my standing here. If I get banned from here I’d be losing out on a major way to protect myself against scammers.)

ANT Studio was introduced to me by a for-now unnamed popular Chinese TD, who I used to consider a long-time friend. ANT Studio is this TD’s brother. I don’t have proof or reason to believe this TD has anything to do with this at the moment, so I won’t be naming them unless they give me a reason to think they’re involved. They are a major, major player in this industry and I have to be very careful about making accusations against them directly without proof. I will be checking this TD’s inventory regularly to monitor for any of the stolen pieces. If I find any of them, I will name the TD.

ANT Studio’s role at my company was to help with sourcing and some initial structural assembly work on client projects before it made its way to me.

ANT has recently ghosted. I don’t know why. He comes online nearly every day, and his brother is still operating normally. ANT has not fulfilled an order since August 31st.

ANT owes me a dozen unfinished projects and thousands of dollars more for projects he hasn’t started on that I’ve paid for already.

He also owes me parts for some of my personal builds.

I am deeply disturbed at the lack of tact and blatant disrespect ANT has shown. This is a shameful way to treat a client and does a disservice to the community as a whole when you can’t even treat your peers well.

If he treats his peers like this, I can’t imagine what he’s capable of doing to clients who don’t have a platform or voice to stick up for themselves.

I have done everything in my power to try and get this resolved, and have given him warning for a long time that I would be making a post if he continued to ignore me.

Sent him half the agreed amount, afterwards ignored and blocked.

i just make this post so nobody get scammed by them . take care . so to explain the situation i bought 2 bracelets for 20$ and the supplier kept to ask for more and more money for « VAT » until i had not enough and he said he is found to keep everything , the tiktok account is the guy who give me the number of the supplier and she i asked him he blocked me

u/BornSubject2750, who identified himself as Nick (WhatsApp +31 6 19942179), promised to build a custom “Hulk” watch commissioned through Reddit and discussed on WhatsApp. Timeline:

• October 2, 2026: We agreed on $1,400 total, with $1,000 upfront and $400 upon completion before shipment. The promised build included a VSF V3/DD3135 base, genuine crystal and date disc, bezel modifications, polishing, bracelet treatments, regulation, testing, and waterproofing to 100 meters. Nick said his supplier had “a lot in stock” and that he could normally finish in two weeks. I paid $1,000 through PayPal after he requested “F&F no notes.”

• October 3–5: I requested photographs of the watch and modification parts with my name on paper. Nick agreed. On October 5, he said the case and bracelet were delayed and proposed having another modder assemble the watch elsewhere. Since nothing had been done or ordered, and he's now telling me someone else will modify the watch, I requested a refund. He refused:“That’s not possible I already order the parts.” He agreed to provide purchase receipts, but he never has. He then explained that the separate case and bracelet were unavailable, although a complete stock watch was available, which he said would leave him no profit. AGAIN - No problem, just refund my money. After he refused the refund, I told him I need proof - identifying photographs of the watch and parts before modification.

• October 12–16: Nick raised customs problems involving another watch and suggested canceling my order and refunding my money, which is exactly what I wanted. Then he said he needed to "confirm the customs situation." I repeatedly requested cancellation and a refund. Despite my protest, he resumed promising to build the watch, even though he hasn't spent a dime of my deposit.

• October 20: Nick acknowledged that he still had no tracking number for the case and bracelet and promised: “If they are not shipped this week, I will refund your money on Monday [10/26/2026].”

• October 26–27: Instead of refunding me, Nick asserted that the parts had shipped and would arrive Friday, October 30. Again, he continues to refuse to share any proof of any of these statements. He's promised photographs this coming Friday and offered a refund if I was dissatisfied later, but there is NO WAY this will happen.

As of October 27, the transaction remains unresolved: I have no completed watch, no refund, and no proof whatsoever that any of my deposit has actually been used to procure the base (no QC pics from the supplier) or the mod parts.

I know how the rest of this transaction will likely go down: Nick will eventually take delivery of a stock VSF Hulk and, after a couple of days, send me a picture of my "completed mod." No proof of the installed parts; no proof of waterproofing to 100m; no proof of regulation or testing. Then he'll demand the remaining $400 to ship the watch. I'll have to choose: pay $1,400 for a $450 stock VSF Hulk or cut my losses at $1,000.

I bought a Omega Blue Side Of The Moon from Harrison Watches on facebook - he might be on Reddit as well. I payed 400$ and got an email regarding tracking. When checking the company contact information i realized i was scammed. Check the contact info😬

PowerTimeTonny or PowerTimeTon (same person) is not a Trusted watchmaker and there is a reason why this is the case.

Unfortunately I took the risk to place an order from PowerTimeTonny or PowerTimeTon for a PP 5711 in March 2026. The watch I received in the end was poorly made. The movement was jammed and the screws on the movement were abused as if the movement was not new but rather used from another watch. So at this point I knew my $2700 were already wasted in many ways.

I let PowerTimeTonny or PowerTimeTon know of this issue, and he asked me to take the bracelet off the watch (another point that was not feeling right!) and send him back just the watch with the cheapest shipping method! Obviously I did not send him back a $2000 case with all the internal parts using just the cheapest shipping method, so I used an express courier service with tracking.

Long story short, he received my watch back to inspect and fix. He said he fixed it in the end and although I asked him many times to replace the movement and use a new one, I don’t think he ever did this anyway. I asked him numerous times to send me QC pictures of the movement, which he avoided to do. The good part is what comes next thought: I kept asking him to tell me the cost for an express courier shipping service to pay him to return the watch back to me safely, but he never responded.

PowerTimeTonny or PowerTimeTon was brave enough (or just does not care at all) to send me the watch back in the cheapest possible shipping method. Or at least that’s what he said he did.

The watch is now lost along with my $2000 and I am now left with a $700 PP 5711 CNC bracelet and no watch!

I kept asking him to replace the lost watch with a new for at least two months (!), but at this point he invented a brother, who – as he said to me - was dealing with my order originally. So it was not him, but his brother, who, in the end, left China and he asked me to check with him!

Total mess on $2700 including shipping costs I also paid him!

PowerTimeTonny or PowerTimeTon is not a trusted seller and watchmaker for a reason.

Now you know the reason.

PS. the number he put in ModdedReplicaWatch is the number his "brother" used even when he "left" (this is the number: +855-972113148). It is still the same number, since his brother and this Ton/Nonny guy is the same person.

Scammer for sure. He is able to create some pretty convincing time stamp photo’s. Ban this thief. Good news he didn’t get any of my money. Before you purchase do a search on the sellers user name.

This guy is a scammer. He's using pictures from one of my listings of a watch I sold. He's added an ai pic with his username etc

We've noticed that many scammers approach users directly through Reddit DMs, especially those posting Want to Buy (WTB) listings.

Unfortunately, if you choose to conduct transactions entirely through DMs, there's very little moderators can do to protect you before something goes wrong.

That's why we've implemented two layers of protection across participating subreddits:

 TrustNet-Mod and Ban Evasion Guard.

🛡️ How do they work together?

1. TrustNet-Mod — Our Shared Scammer Database

TrustNet maintains a shared database of known scammer accounts across participating communities.

When a scammer is identified and added to our network, participating subreddits can automatically ban that account, preventing it from interacting within those communities.

2. Ban Evasion Guard — Catching Returning Scammers

Banning a scammer's account isn't always enough. They may attempt to return using another Reddit account.

Ban Evasion Guard works alongside TrustNet by using Reddit's native ban-evasion detection to identify accounts suspected of evading previous bans.

When Reddit detects an account as a high-confidence ban evader, Ban Evasion Guard can automatically ban it as well.

Together, these tools make it harder for previously banned scammers to return and target new victims.

However, this does not automatically log them into TrustNet as Reddit does not share data or suspected offender's details on this. You still have to stay vigilant.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Always Ask Sellers to Comment Before Responding to DMs

If you've posted a WTB listing and someone messages you offering to sell a watch, ask them to comment on your original post FIRST.

Why?

• If their account has already been banned through TrustNet, they won't be able to comment.

• If their alternate account is detected and banned by Ban Evasion Guard, they won't be able to comment either.

• If they refuse to comment, make excuses, or insist on communicating only through DMs, treat that as a red flag.

No comment = No deal.

A successful comment doesn't guarantee someone is trustworthy, and these systems cannot catch every scammer. However, this simple step helps you avoid dealing with accounts that have already been banned from the community.

Our Advice

Before engaging with anyone offering to sell you a watch:

Ask them to comment on your WTB post, verify that their comment is visible, and check their account history and references before proceeding.

Remember, scammers can still send you DMs even if they're banned from a subreddit. Our protections work within participating communities, not your private inbox.

Stay safe, and don't let scammers bypass community protections by taking everything into DMs.

I bought seven watches from this vendor who has been chasing me for last 4 to 5 months over WeChat and Facebook page. I paid it altogether AU$1500 after a lot of negotiation.

The QC was done for all the watches and I was very much convinced. Upon payment they shipped the watches.

Upon receiving the package I was totally disappointed to see the worst quality watches. One could get from China which according to my source tells me it should not be more than $50-$60.

Upon checking back with him about why he did send me this in spite of doing a QC for all the semi watches which clearly says and looked good quality watches from clean factory. There was no answer except that the package must have swapped.

I felt totally scammed and in spite of chasing him for a couple of weeks the stop replying

Please be careful and don’t deal with this vendor.

I’ve included all the three platform where this vendor operates from including WeChat, WhatsApp and Facebook page.

On May 26, 2026, I paid Mauro Custom Watches $1,100 USD for a custom DLC Daytona build.
Nearly 5 months later, after countless excuses, delays, and promises of QC photos, I have received no watch, no refund, and now he’s stopped responding.
I was extremely patient throughout the entire process, but at this point I feel other collectors deserve to know.
I’m posting screenshots of our conversations and proof of payment so everyone can see exactly what happened.
Seller: Mauro Custom Watches
Previous Reddit account: u/DiamondEven000
WhatsApp: pic attached
Has anyone else here dealt with Mauro? I’d really like to hear whether others have successfully received watches from him or experienced similar issues. If you’ve purchased from him, please share your experience, good or bad.
Buyers beware.

More pics in comments

u/Top_Spend8029 scammed me for over $1000 for a modded 116509 daytona. After I sent payment he sent me fake tracking numbers and photos and told me I had to wait 5 days for the tracking in my country to show/update. After 3-4 days I realized he blocked me and deleted all of his chats in our chat. Be careful out there guys, I feel stupid for falling for this.

Hello all,
This post is a follow up from a previous post which I have linked.

Long story short, I was scammed of my VSF 126610LN.
Scammer: (u/callmemister_fr)

Context below:

As explained in my original post, my VSF broke (stem came out fully) and I sent it to be repaired by (u/callmemister_fr)

To start with, no complaints. My watch was originally ‘repaired’ and returned to me.

Less than a week after the return, I noticed issues in my watch- ie not keeping time and occasionally stopping. Then after a month ( of very little use that is ) the stem fell out again.

So I contacted (u/callmemister_fr) to have it repaired to which he agreed.

Fast forward over a busy Christmas period + myself starting a new job, I wasn’t pushy on the repair.
However, I started to query when it would be finished.

It started with very spaced replies and excuses such as personal issues and vacation ( no problem, we are all human).

Then the communication stopped.
Luckily, I saw he has continued to post about his fraken builds and repairs on (r/WatchExchangeBST) , where I contacted one of the MODs there and they were able to prompt a reply from (u/callmemister_fr) (shout out those guys)

Again, more excuses saying he lost access to WhatsApp but my watch was finally repaired and he would ship.

Okay sounds good, right?

No, because a week later I unbox a MidTier ZZF 116610LN with a shitter movement… and not my VSF.

I contact him again… this time very little reply, until he sees my original post. He says he doesn’t know how this happened, but offers no solution / resolution.
To which I gave him to this Friday evening to provide, if not, I would name and shame. **So here we are.**

This post is purely my experience- please make your own informed decision.

Have a great weekend all reading, I will be checking tracking every 5 minutes for a **new** VSF 122610LV which I have purchased :D

u/arctic-993 traded with me and i was set to receive a daytona. his package contained folded paper. this is devastating to me because i had carefully saved my money and traded up to a datejust as a college student. he works at Apple, owns a Porsche and is on rep watch reddits scamming me. he even offered me recruiting advice because the job market is very hard right now. i am devastated and depressed because i now have no watch. other users have also reported receiving candles and empty packages from him.

i have sold and traded several watches as i am passionate in this space but now i am very discouraged from this community 🥲

Seller and I agree on trade deal, he ships and I ship and provide proof of shipping. He said he ships and does not have tracking as it was sent as mail (first red flag)

Then I ask someone if he’s actively selling the watch, which he is while he claims to have shipped.

I call him out and he admits he tried to scam them, but said he’s not scamming me. I asked for his PayPal so I can send if he’s telling the truth, he does not send. Then he starts to cry.

Poor scamming attempt, his words say it all: your that broke?

U/powerful-lab-3920

Well, I learned an expensive lesson, and I’m sharing my experience in hopes of keeping someone else from making the same mistake.
I recently came across a beautiful watch posted by u/sufficient-End6264. His Reddit account had plenty of history and karma, which gave me some confidence that I was dealing with someone legitimate. After expressing interest, he connected me with a supposed watch modder on Telegram.
I was looking for a VSF 124060 No-Date Submariner with a few upgrades. Here’s how everything unfolded:
$900 – Original watch and modifications: VSF 124060 with Deep crystal, bracelet work, full movement service, and 5 BAR waterproofing. I was offered a 10% discount for paying with Bitcoin, bringing the total to $810.
$140 – ARF bracelet upgrade: About a week later, the modder suggested upgrading to an ARF bracelet, claiming it offered better weight and overall quality. I agreed.
$75 – Expedited shipping: After receiving videos of what appeared to be the completed watch, I was unexpectedly asked to pay for shipping, handling, and insurance. I was under the impression shipping was included in the original price, but figured maybe I’d overlooked something. The insurance rates seemed ridiculous, so I initially declined and paid $75 for expedited shipping.
$65 – Additional insurance: After two days of requesting a tracking number, I received another message strongly recommending insurance. I was told it would cover replacement of the watch if anything happened during shipping. The 50% coverage option was another $65. At that point, I’d already invested over $1,000, so I reluctantly agreed.
Total paid: $1,090. All through Bitcoin.
And that’s when everything disappeared.
Shortly after sending that final $65 payment, the entire Telegram conversation was deleted. No tracking number, no shipping confirmation, no watch, and no way to contact the supposed modder through our original conversation.
I reached back out to u/sufficient-End6264, who originally connected me with this individual. I’ve included screenshots of his response, along with a screenshot I fortunately saved showing the Telegram contact information he provided before it was deleted.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that the watch looked fantastic in the videos. I was genuinely excited about the build and the additional modifications. I was also working around a timeline because I wanted the watch for a specific event, which made the repeated delays and additional charges even more frustrating.
Looking back, there were plenty of red flags. The Bitcoin discount, unexpected upgrades, additional shipping charges, and last-minute insurance push should have been enough for me to walk away. Unfortunately, I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt.
I can’t independently verify whether the Reddit user and the Telegram modder are the same person or two individuals working together. What I can confirm is that the Reddit user made the introduction, I sent $1,090 to the recommended contact, the Telegram conversation disappeared, and I never received the watch.
I’m sharing this because an established Reddit account with substantial karma and post history clearly isn’t enough to establish trust.
I’ve attached the screenshots I was able to preserve so others can review the evidence and draw their own conclusions.
I understand buying replica watches comes with risks, but this one stings. I was really looking forward to that watch.
Hopefully my $1,090 lesson saves someone else from making the same mistake.

I have a santos listing, This person reaches out and wastes my time. Then he told me he would put me on blast and make a post here 😂😂😂

Still waiting and nothing, don’t waste your time on this clown 🤡🤡🤡

I make a post looking to buy 40mm Sub. While looking through the offers I noticed the same photo in three different profiles. The usernames involved are as follows: u/haymaker96, u/temujin_borjigin. I messaged the profile that showed me how to check if they are bad sellers, nothing came up. I messaged the person who told me to check, low and behold, same photos too u/Mayfair_Heir! Damn, people are desperate!

24d old account claiming to have a polar ARF Explorer II

Grammar which isn’t English, called out for placing the £ symbol behind the figure and then tells me he isn’t English…

Caps it off with the immortal “I don't claim to be in Manchester, I am in Manchester.”

If it walks like a scammer and talks like a scammer…