MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TechnologyApr 07, 2016
Nordstrom Flash-Sale Site Sued Over Vintage Rolex Sales
A consumer in California is suing HauteLook, claiming it is misleading consumers regarding the quality and value of the “authentic” vintage Rolex watches it sometimes sells.
Los Angeles-- A consumer in California is suing HauteLook, claiming it is misleading consumers regarding the quality and value of the “authentic” vintage Rolex watches being offered on the flash-sale site, court papers show.
Los Angeles resident Vahdat Aghdasy filed suit against HauteLook and parent company Nordstrom Inc. on March 17 in California federal court, charging the retailers with fraud; unfair, fraudulent and unlawful business acts and practices; and misleading, deceptive and untrue advertising.
Aghdasy claims that he purchased a watch purported to be an “authentic” vintage Rolex from HauteLook in October 2015 and thought he was getting a watch that looked the same as the picture on the website but was being sold for 50 to 75 percent off the retail price.
The plaintiff also believed he was getting a Rolex shipped by Rolex because one of HauteLook’s “key selling points” is its claims that its merchandise is “100 percent authentic and comes direct from the brands,” court papers state. While the company does have a disclaimer stating that this might not be the case with the watches its sells, that disclaimer is “in small print and difficult to locate.”
What Aghdasy received instead, according to the lawsuit, was “an inferior Rolex-packaged watch, which contained many non-Rolex parts” and was “damaged and in poor condition, (and) did not conform to the photograph in HauteLook’s solicitation.”
The watch is worth “substantially” less than advertised and is accompanied by a “certified appraisal” from a company called SwissWatchAppraisers that the lawsuit alleges is not an appraisal of the actual watch Aghdasy received but, rather, an appraisal of what that watch would be worth if it was an authentic Rolex.
The suit even goes so far as to claim that SwissWatchAppraisers was a company “formed, organized, sponsored, funded and/or aided” by HauteLook and Nordstrom “for the express purpose of providing fraudulent appraisals.”
It noted that there’s no contact information for SwissWatchAppraisers on the appraisal itself, and the number listed on what appears to be the company’s website is disconnected, a fact confirmed Wednesday by National Jeweler.
National Jeweler also was able to locate an email address on the SwissWatchAppraisers website. An email sent to that address Wednesday evening went unreturned overnight.
Nordstrom did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Aghdasy’s suit is being pursued as a class action in U.S. District Court for the Central
District of California on behalf of all U.S. citizens who purchased vintage Rolex watches from HauteLook in the four years prior to the lawsuit’s filing date.
Rolex did not respond to request for comment when asked if it plans to take any legal action in the case. An online search of court records in both U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and federal court in New York, where Rolex U.S.A. is based, did not turn up any lawsuits filed by Rolex against Nordstrom.
In the legal notices section of its website, the well-known luxury watch brand states that genuine Rolex products are sold through official Rolex retailers only and that it cannot ensure the authenticity of watches sold online.
Rolex did not respond to request for comment when asked if it plans to take any legal action in the case. An online search of court records in both U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and federal court in New York, where Rolex U.S.A. is based, did not turn up any lawsuits filed by Rolex against Nordstrom.
In the legal notices section of its website, the well-known luxury watch brand states that genuine Rolex products are sold through official Rolex retailers only and that it cannot ensure the authenticity of watches sold online.
More on Technology
The Latest
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
