Journey into the unknown - Part 1

Most people will tell you to avoid buying watches on Facebook and eBay. There’s a lot of truth to that—but it’s also true that, with proper research and a bit of discipline, you can find legitimate deals.

To test this myself, I decided to take the plunge and made two purchases: one from Facebook and one from eBay. Coincidentally, both were for the same model—the Formex Essence ThirtyNine. Formex is an outstanding brand that delivers high-end quality at a relatively accessible price point. I won’t dive into a full review here—there are plenty of those already—but I will say I’m particularly fond of the ThirtyNine line. For my wrist (about 7.25–7.5 inches), 39mm hits the sweet spot: balanced, versatile, and just right. Not too small, not too large.

So naturally, whenever I come across a ThirtyNine, I take a closer look.

The first opportunity came in the form of a white dial ThirtyNine on a bracelet, complete with papers and the standard black box. The seller, Carter Lee, had posted several watches for sale, including this one. The asking price was already a few hundred dollars below what you’d typically find on dedicated platforms. That’s both a good and a bad sign. If I were running a scam, I wouldn’t price something absurdly low—I’d list it attractively, usually 20–30% below market value. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

I was interested, and I suspected there might be room to negotiate another $50–$100 off the price. Still, I didn’t rush. Facebook is what it is, so I took the time to do some due diligence.

The first thing I noticed was that Carter had a “Meta Verified” account. That carries some weight—verification requires identity checks and isn’t free. While not being verified doesn’t make someone a scammer, having that badge adds a layer of credibility.

Next, I looked into his profile. His account dated back to 2022 and had a reasonable number of connections that appeared to be real people. That’s a positive sign, as scam accounts are often newly created and padded with thousands of questionable followers.

I also tried to find references or vouches in watch groups. Facebook isn’t great for that kind of search, and while I could have posted to ask, I generally prefer not to. Between the verification badge and the account history, I felt comfortable enough to proceed.

I reached out via Messenger in the evening, and he responded the next morning. Within a couple of hours, we agreed on a deal—$50 below the already discounted price.

During the transaction, Carter initially asked for payment via Zelle, which my bank doesn’t support—and frankly, I’m not a fan of it for these situations. He offered alternatives, including Venmo and PayPal. I went with Venmo, and we finalized the deal.

What ultimately gave me confidence was that he sent a screenshot of the shipping label, showing his name, company, and address. That kind of transparency is usually a strong indicator you’re dealing with a legitimate seller.

Sure enough, the watch arrived exactly as described—well-packaged and in excellent condition.

Success. My white dial ThirtyNine was in hand.

Stay tuned for the second Formex experience…