The Journal
Notes On Authentication & Care
Written by the specialists who inspect, grade and prepare every piece — for buyers who want to understand what they are holding.
28 September 2026
Birkin or Kelly? How to Choose
The two Hermès bags people compare most, side by side: shape, closure, how they carry, what the sizes mean, and how to decide.
Read more28 September 2026
How to Read a Watch Reference Number
What the reference number on a watch tells you, how it differs from the serial number, and what the letters at the end of a Patek Philippe reference mean.
Read more28 September 2026
What “Full Set” Means, and What Should Come With a Piece
The box, the papers and the accessories: what a full set includes for a bag and for a watch, and what a missing item does and does not tell you.
Read more28 September 2026
A First-Time Buyer’s Guide to Pre-Owned Luxury
How to buy a pre-owned handbag or watch with confidence: what to check, what to ask, and the warning signs worth taking seriously.
Read more20 August 2026
How We Authenticate Every Handbag
A look inside our verification process, from stitch count to hardware weight, and why we still turn pieces away.
Read more6 August 2026
A Buyer's Guide to Condition Grades
What "Like New" actually means on a pre-owned listing, and how to read a condition grade the way our own team does.
Read more22 July 2026
Why Pre-Owned Is the Smarter Luxury Purchase
Depreciation, availability, and the quiet advantage of buying a piece that's already proven it holds up.
Read more3 July 2026
Caring for Leather Goods Between Wears
Simple habits that protect a bag's structure and finish long after the first wear, from storage to what never to use on it.
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