Virginia Law

Article 3. Watches.

A watch shall be deemed to be secondhand if

(1) As a whole or the case thereof or the movement shall have been previously sold to or acquired by any person who bought or acquired the same for his use or the use of another, but not for resale; or

(2) Its case serial numbers or movement numbers or other distinguishing numbers or identification marks shall be erased, defaced, removed, altered or covered.

Code 1950, § 59-156; 1968, c. 439.

Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation engaged in the business of buying or selling watches, or any agent or servant thereof, who may sell or exchange, or offer for sale or exchange, expose for sale or exchange, possess with the intent to sell or exchange, or display with the intent to sell or exchange any secondhand watch, shall affix and keep affixed to the same a tag with the words "secondhand" clearly and legibly written or printed thereon, and the tag shall be so placed that the words "secondhand" shall be in plain sight at all times.

Code 1950, § 59-157; 1968, c. 439.

Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation engaged in the business of buying or selling watches, or any agent or servant thereof, who may sell a secondhand watch or in any other way pass title thereto shall deliver to the vendee a written invoice bearing the words "secondhand watch" in bold letters, larger than any of the other written matter upon such invoice. Such invoice shall further set forth the name and address of the vendor, the name and address of the vendee, the date of the sale, the name of the watch or its maker, and the serial numbers (if any), and any other distinguishing numbers or identification marks upon its case and movements. If the serial numbers or other distinguishing numbers or identification marks shall have been erased, defaced, removed, altered or covered, such invoice shall so state. The vendor shall keep on file a duplicate of such invoice for at least five years from the date of the sale thereof, which shall be open to inspection during all business hours by the law-enforcement officers of the county or city in which the vendor is engaged in business.

Code 1950, § 59-158; 1968, c. 439.

Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation, or any agent or servant thereof, who advertises or displays in any manner a secondhand watch for sale or exchange shall state clearly in such advertisement or display that the watch is a secondhand watch.

Code 1950, § 59-159; 1968, c. 439.

Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation, or any agent or servant thereof, who shall violate any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed the sum of $500 or by imprisonment not to exceed ninety days, or both.

Code 1950, § 59-160; 1968, c. 439.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to pawnbrokers' auction sales of unredeemed pledges when public notice of the fact that watches are rebuilt or are secondhand is given prior to the sale.

Code 1950, § 59-161; 1968, c. 439.