What is a proof and how do I approve it?

A proof is a preview of your engraving shown on the watch, so you can see the finished caseback before anything is cut. It reaches you by email three to five business days after your design session, or after the day you send your material in, and nothing goes into production until you've said yes to it.

What you'll see

Most proofs arrive as a set of labeled options rather than a single image: style A, style B, concept C and so on. They're variations on the design you asked for, differing in layout, weight, scale or how the elements sit together, and they exist so you can compare rather than imagine. If you want to see the design worked up on a different watch or at a different size, say so and ask before you choose.

How to approve it

Reply to the email and name the one you want. "Let's go with style B" is enough. If something needs adjusting, say what it is in the same reply, and if a concept is clearly not right you can rule it out at the same time so the designer isn't guessing.

Tell us what to change and we'll send an updated proof. We don't move to engraving until you've approved it.

What approval sets in motion

Approval starts the production clock. Your watch is engraved and finished over the following ten business days, then shipped, which is why the total from submission to shipment runs to roughly 13 to 15 business days. When will my order ship sets out the shipping side.

Once production has begun, the design can't be changed. The engraving is cut into the caseback and there's no undoing it, so the proof is the moment to read every character back, check the spelling of names, and confirm dates. Read it aloud if it's a message, and have someone else read it too.

The approved proof is also what settles responsibility if something turns out wrong. An error that was there in the proof you approved is yours, because that's the design we were asked to cut. An error we introduced against the approved proof is ours, and we remake the piece at no charge.

If you haven't reached the proof stage yet, how do I send you my engraving idea covers how to submit a design, and what can you engrave covers what we can work with.

Updated on: 22/09/2026