Getting started
WatchRadar runs the analysis on five guided photographs of the watch. The Live Loupe walks you through the angles in this order: dial straight on, bezel close-up, crown side, full case profile, and finishing detail. Each frame is sealed before the next angle unlocks; you can re-take any frame from the bottom strip before generating the dossier.
- Light from one direction. Natural daylight from a window beats overhead lighting. Avoid harsh point sources that throw glare onto the crystal.
- Hold the watch about 15 cm (6 in) from the lens. Closer than that and the camera can't focus; further and you lose detail in the bezel and dial print.
- Wipe the crystal first. Fingerprints scatter the focus algorithm and can cost you 5–10 points of confidence on the verdict.
- Frame the whole watch in shot. Don't crop the lugs out, even on the dial-straight-on frame — the case finishing is one of the strongest signals.
Reading a verdict
WatchRadar returns one of three verdicts and a confidence score out of 100. The verdict is what you act on; the score tells you how strongly the cues line up.
- Likely Authentic. Visual cues line up with the production reference fingerprint. For a familiar reference under USD 10,000, this is sufficient evidence to proceed at the right price. For higher-value watches, pair with a market-value check and an in-person inspection.
- Uncertain. Mixed signals — could be scan quality, a less-fingerprinted reference, or a frankenwatch with mismatched original parts. Re-shoot first; if the verdict holds, request additional evidence from the seller (movement photos, paperwork) before deciding.
- High Risk. The dossier flagged at least one strong negative signal — typography, bezel marker shape, case proportions, datewheel font. Treat it as enough evidence to walk away from the transaction. The recommended-action card explains which region triggered the verdict.
Authenticity Certificates
A certificate seals a dossier into a public, third-party-verifiable record with a unique WRC-id, a verification URL, and a QR code that resolves to a public lookup page. Certificates are the format you hand to a buyer, attach to a Chrono24/eBay listing, or file with your insurer.
- Issuing a certificate. From any dossier, tap Generate Authenticity Certificate. You can attach optional provenance (receipt, warranty card, service log) before signing. The certificate is generated, the QR code rendered, and the verification page goes live within seconds.
- Verifying a certificate someone else sent you. Visit watchradar.space/authenticity_certificate/, paste the WRC-id, and confirm the watch metadata and verdict. Or scan the QR code on the PDF — it resolves to the same page.
- Sharing a certificate. Each certificate has a public verification URL of the form
watchradar.space/authenticity_certificate/WRC-…— share it directly. Or export the signed PDF from the certificate detail screen. - Requesting a takedown. Email contact@watchradar.space from the email tied to your account. Include the WRC-id and the reason. Takedowns are usually processed within 24 hours.
Subscriptions, certificates and billing
WatchRadar is free to download and free to scan. The paid surface is per-certificate issuance — billed once per certificate you sign, through Apple's in-app purchase flow. There is no recurring subscription required to use the app.
- Manage purchases. Open Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions on iPhone. WatchRadar will show every certificate purchase and any active subscription you have.
- Refunds. Apple handles all refunds. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com within the standard Apple refund window. We do not have the ability to issue refunds directly — Apple owns the billing relationship.
- Receipts. Apple emails a receipt for every purchase. Search your inbox for iTunes or Apple from the address you use for the App Store.
- Family Sharing. If you bought a certificate while signed in with a family-shared Apple Account, the certificate stays bound to the device and Apple Account that issued it. Move the device, the certificate moves with you.
Troubleshooting
- Camera permission was denied. Open Settings → WatchRadar → Camera on iPhone and switch the permission to Allow. The Live Loupe needs camera access to capture the five angles.
- The scan won't complete. If the app stalls between frames, force-quit (swipe up from the home indicator) and reopen. Your in-progress frames are persisted between sessions — you can resume from where you left off.
- The dossier is stuck on “Reading the details”. Network is required for catalog retrieval and reference matching. On weak networks, the dossier resumes when connectivity returns. Force-quit and reopen if it sits longer than two minutes on a strong connection.
- The certificate page shows “not found” for a brand-new WRC-id. Public verification can lag certificate generation by up to 60 seconds while the QR code propagates. Wait a minute and reload the verification page.
- Restoring purchases on a new iPhone. Sign in with the same Apple Account, open WatchRadar, then Settings → Restore Purchases. Past certificates and any active subscriptions reappear.
Privacy & data
Scan images are processed on-device by default; the catalog retrieval step retrieves only a compact embedding, never the raw photo. For the full picture see the Privacy Policy. To request access, correction or deletion of personal data, email contact@watchradar.space from the email tied to your account so we can verify the request.
Reporting a bug or requesting a feature
Bug reports and feature requests both go to contact@watchradar.space. Useful things to include in a bug report: the iPhone model and iOS version, the WatchRadar build number (visible at the bottom of Settings), the watch reference you were scanning, and a screen recording or screenshot of the issue.
Contact
contact@watchradar.space — email is the fastest way to reach a human. We respond within one business day.