A luxury timepiece hammered down for SFr3.1 million ($3.4 million) at auction—only for collectors to raise red flags about its authenticity afterward. The incident has sparked fresh scrutiny into the prevalence of so-called "frankenwatches" in high-end markets: vintage pieces assembled from mismatched or counterfeit components that pass initial inspection but crumble under expert examination. What's troubling isn't just the individual fraud cases—it's the broader pattern exposing cracks in authentication standards across the luxury industry. When seven-figure assets can slip through verification procedures only to be questioned post-sale, it raises uncomfortable questions about trust, market integrity, and whether current safeguards are simply theater.