Bernard Co. does not distribute our customers information to any third parties. We have never sold our customer list and have no plans to ever do so in the future. Please feel free to check out our complete Privacy Policy.
We accept money orders, cashiers checks, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, GoogleCheckout, Paypal and wire transfers. Orders over $8000 must be paid by bank wire transfer. Cashier's checks are accepted for orders up to $4,000. Orders up to $8,000 may be paid using a credit card, however due to the risks involved in selling high-value items online, we reserve the right to refuse to accept a credit card for payment even if an order is under the $8,000 limit and we may request supplemental information to verify identity. PayPal payment will only be accepted from Verified PayPal accounts. These policies are for US orders only. Please review our International policies if you wish to purchase from outside the US.
Bernard Co. is pleased to offer a cash discount to customers who prefer to pay using bank wire transfer or cashier's checks. Upon receipt of your order, we will place the watch on hold for you and contact you as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements.
Wire transfers sent before your banks' cutoff time will arrive the same day they are sent. Our bank will notify us the minute they receive the wire so that we can often ship the same afternoon that you send your wire transfer. Many banks allow you to send wire transfers from your online account, while others will require you to perform the transfer in person. Depending on your bank there may be a small fee for sending the wire.
Why do we do this? The airline miles and cash-back bonuses you earn from credit card purchases typically come from the fees charged to merchants by the credit card companies. These fees are built in to nearly everything you buy. Over the many years we've been selling high-end timepieces, we have found that a sizeable minority of our customers prefer managing their own rewards with the added savings obtained by paying with cash and will often ask us for a cash discount.
Is it safe? Wire transfers have gotten a negative image thanks to international scam artists, but yes, it is safe to send wires to reputable businesses. Before you send us a wire, we invite you to check us out to your satisfaction. Our About Us page contains links to the Better Business Bureau as well as other independent means of verifying that we are who we say we are and that the watches we offer are authentic.
Each watch comes with a three-day return policy. The three days (business days) starts when you receive the watch.
Because of the volume of used watches we sell, we are not able to pick up every problem with each watch. We do try our best. If there is a problem with a watch, notify us within the three days. If you have any concerns about the authenticity, or the functions of the watch, this should also be taken care of in the three-day period.
Some of our unworn watches are shipped in their original protective factory plastic. Returns of those watches will be subject to a 5% to 10% restocking fee if that plastic is removed.
If you plan on returning the watch, you must send the watch back to us within three days of agreement to do so and in the condition it was received. Do not tape up the watch box or there will be a $50 charge. Send the watch in an expedited way, similar to way you received it (i.e. 1, 2, 3 day service). If you exceed the three days there will be a 10% to 20% restocking fee, which is at our discretion depending on the circumstances. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call us. We want to work with you to resolve any problems in an agreeable way.
Texas residents must add 8.25% sales tax or provide a tax resale certificate. All shipments outside Texas are exempt from Texas sales tax. Orders from other countries will be charged accordingly by your country.
We are not responsible for any fees, customs, or taxes charged by the inbound country. Please check with your local customs for duties and tax information.
Insurance is included on all packages shipped in the US. An adult signature is required for all packages. We use flat shipping rates for domestic orders.
Shipping fees are non-refundable.
Bernard Watch is pleased to sell our watches to many countries outside the USA. Due to much past experience we feel it necessary to set different rules for foreign orders.
1) The "BW warranty" will not be offered because of the logistic problems of sending it back and forth for service. We will deduct $10 off any watch under $2000. $20 off for any watch over $2000 for the deduction of the warranty offering. Pre-owned watches generally do not carry a warranty, so there is no additional discount. This deduction for removal of the warranty may seem little, however, is fair considering our very low percentage of watches needing warranty repair.
2) In response to numerous requests to accept credit cards for international orders, we have retained GoogleCheckout to provide a money transfer service for these customers. GoogleCheckout will charge your credit card and transfer funds to us, they are a separate entity and are wholly responsible for all approvals of such transactions. When you place your order online you will be redirected to GoogleCheckout to enter your credit card information. If you place your order by e-mail a link will be generated to GoogleCheckout.
3) We accept GoogleCheckout as payment for orders up to $8,000. Payment by bank wire transfer is required for orders above $8,000. We do not accept money orders or cashier's checks as payment for international orders. Due to the risks involved in selling high-value items online, we reserve the right to refuse to accept a credit card for payment even if an order is under the $8,000 limit and we may request supplemental information to verify identity.
4) Paypal is not an accepted method of payment for International orders.
5) FedEx is the only carrier we have found to be reliable for International shipments. Please contact us with your postal code for a shipping quote. It is usually $45 to $75, although if the watch is highly valued it may be more. We are insured to the following countries up to $50,000: Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia (Republic of), Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Monsterrat, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caldonia, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scottland (U.K.), Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, U.S. Virgin Islands, United Kingdom, Vatican City
If your country is not listed, we can only insure the package to $500 and we will not be held responsible for any loss in shipping beyond that amount. Please note that we cannot be responsible for additional costs, such as customs, duties, VAT, taxes, etc. Since customs policies vary widely from country to country, we urge our international customers to contact their local customs office for an estimate before ordering. Please note that we must declare the full value that you paid for your watch on the shipment. Sorry, we cannot ship as a gift.
6) Returns of items sold outside the U.S. are limited to defective items only. Returns of non-defective items will be subject to a restocking fee to be determined after all shipping and customs costs have been calculated. If you are returning any item, you must contact us prior to shipping it back so that we can instruct you on the proper Harmonized and Tariff codes to use.
Bernard Co. is happy to special order watches not appearing on our site if we are able to source them for you. Special orders of watches not appearing on our site are subject to the return policy of our suppliers. Returns may be denied or subject to restocking fees, even if the watch is returned unworn.
No, we work out of a secure office building. If you live in the area and wish to see a specific watch that you are pretty sure that you want; give us a call. We do not see walk-ins, so please call (512-342-2229) for an appointment. Be aware that many of our watches are shipped from secure locations off-site. If the watch you want to see is off-site, there would be a $50 charge to have the watch shipped to us for you to view. The shipping charge will be applied to the purchase price of the watch.
We are open during the weekdays from 9 am to 5 PM CST. All orders placed before 2:30 PM CST will be shipped the same day. Orders after that time will be shipped the following work day.
Most of our new (never worn) watches include a one-year warranty through Bernard Co. The warranty covers the actual workings of the time piece, as long as it has not been tampered with. This warranty excludes damage or wear to case parts such as the crystal, strap, bracelet, bezel, crown, pushers and battery. Watches with warranties are indicated by a "+BW Warranty" before the price listing. As indicted, the warranty is through Bernard Co. Since we are not authorized dealers for these watches, we can not supply the factory warranties, which is 1 year for the majority of Swiss watches.
Our used watches have a 30 day "good will" warranty. We believe this gives plenty of time to realize any problem we may have missed beyond timing the watch on our timing machine. We like to keep our used watches priced competitively and the cost of warranting them for longer would result in higher prices...for a service most people don't ever use. For your comfort, an optional one-year warranty is available on the these pieces. The warranty is an additional $75 to the price of the watch. Let us know if you would like this option.
Our warranty is available on-line for review.
A large percentage of our watches are brand new. They will state this by saying "Never Worn" before the price. If it doesn't state this, the watch has been used. All of our watches are in good shape unless noted otherwise. In order, the condition ratings go as follows. Never Worn (New) (100%)... Like New(98%)... Mint(95%)... Near Mint(90%)... Extra Fine(85%)... Very Fine (80%)... Fine(75%).
Our pre-owned water resistant style watches are not tested for water resistance. We do not guarantee them to be water resistant. All never worn watches are guaranteed.
We look for the best deals we can find on quality watches. We have been doing this since 1990 and are well connected. We buy closeouts, overstocks, end runs, etc. from stores and distributors. We are not a "authorized retailer" for our watches because doing so would restrict us from giving you the big discounts that we do. When buying a new or "Never Worn" watch from us, the only difference between us and the "authorized retailer" is ours is backed by our one year warranty versus the manufacturers warranty. Should the warranty run out and you need service, the manufacturer will help you as if you bought it through one of their authorized dealers.
We price most of our watches to sell. We buy low and sell low and we make our money on sales volume.
The majority of our prices are firm and priced to sell. If you would like to make an offer, please keep in mind we work on volume and close margins. Simply e-mail or call us for possible discounts.
