Actor Fred Savage, best known for his role in The Wonder Years, has ventured into the world of luxury timepieces with the launch of Timepiece Grading Specialists (TGS), a service dedicated to authenticating and grading pre-owned watches. The idea stemmed from a personal mishap—a costly Rolex purchase that turned out to be altered without his knowledge.
“I bought a watch online from a major auction house, a Rolex Day-Date, and proudly showed it off,” Savage recalls. “Then a fellow collector pointed out the dial had been refinished—the printing was off, the spacing uneven. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” The revelation left him frustrated but inspired. “Other collectibles—coins, comics, even sneakers—have grading services. Why not watches?”
Bridging the Gap in a Booming Market
The pre-owned watch industry, valued at 24 billion**, lacks a standardized grading system. Savage partnered with **Stoll & Co.**, a respected Ohio-based watch servicing company, to build TGS. Their process involves meticulous inspection: each component—case, dial, movement, bracelet—receives a score, combined into an overall grade. Prices start at **250, capped at 3% of a watch’s value.
“Authentication and grading are inseparable,” Savage explains. “You can’t trust a grade if the watch isn’t verified, and authentication means nothing without condition details.”
Democratizing Expertise
Savage emphasizes transparency. “Top dealers offer trust, but a third-party service removes bias. We have no stake in a watch’s value—just the truth.” TGS also tackles inconsistent terminology, standardizing terms like “light corrosion” versus “heavy corrosion” to eliminate ambiguity.
Beyond grading, TGS offers appraisals, repairs, and storage. Savage, now a frequent flyer to Ohio (he jokes about his Spirit Airlines gold status), sees this as a mission: “I want buyers to feel empowered, like they have an expert in their pocket.”
For collectors navigating the secondary market, Savage’s venture could be the missing link—a GIA equivalent for timepieces.
