How do you check whether a lesser-known brand is legitimate?

First thing I do: reverse image search the product photos. If the same exact watch shows up under five different brand names, that tells you everything.

Check if they have an actual address and a registered business number.A lot of these 'brands' are just a Shopify store and a guy in a spare bedroom. Not that there's anything wrong with small operations, but transparency matters.

Movement specs are the tell. If they won't say what movement is inside, or they they claim 'in-house' for a $150 skeleton, run. Seagull and Miyota are fine at that price, just be honest about it.

I look for independent reviews from people who actually bought one, not just unboxing videos. Forums like this one, Reddit, even YouTube comments can be useful if you read between the shilling.

Also check how long the domain has been registered. A website that's six months old selling 'heritage' watches is a red flag.

Honestly half the fun of this hobby is the gamble. Bought a no-name skeleton off a market stall for £40, it's been running fine for two years. Sometimes you win.

That's survivorship bias though. For every one that lasts, there are ten that die in a Month and the seller ghosts you.

Decent sign, yeah. But also check the photos aren't stolen from another brand's listing. I've seen 'brands' use stock photos of a completely different watch.

One more: see if they have a service or warranty policy that's more than a sentence. If it's just 'contact us', good luck getting anything fixed.