How Flyback Works
Flyback is an AI-powered market intelligence platform for pre-owned luxury watches. We aggregate listings from 13 sources and score every deal so you can find the best prices with confidence.
How does Flyback calculate deal scores?
Flyback scores every listing from 0-100 by analyzing five factors: price position relative to recent comparable sales (price z-score), seller trustworthiness (feedback score, history), watch condition and completeness (full set vs watch only), market velocity (how quickly similar watches sell), and data confidence (number of comparable sales available). The score is weighted so pricing has the highest impact, followed by seller trust and condition.
What data sources does Flyback use?
Flyback aggregates listings from 13 sources: eBay, Chrono24, Watchfinder, Bob's Watches, WatchMaxx, Bezel, r/WatchExchange (Reddit), Jomashop, DavidSW, Timepeaks (Japan), Catawiki (European auctions), Jaztime, and The 1916 Company. Listings are refreshed every 6 hours. Sold/realized prices from eBay and Catawiki auctions feed the scoring engine's comparable sales database.
How does wrist fit analysis work?
Flyback calculates fit by comparing a watch's lug-to-lug measurement to your wrist width (derived from circumference). The ideal lug-to-lug to wrist-width ratio is under 1.0. Watches with curved or integrated lugs get a bonus because they wrap the wrist better than straight lugs. Your fit score multiplies the deal score, so oversized watches rank lower in your personalized feed.
What is lug-to-lug measurement and why does it matter?
Lug-to-lug (L2L) is the distance from the tip of one lug to the tip of the opposite lug, measured in millimeters. It determines how far a watch extends across your wrist. A 41mm watch with 50mm L2L will wear larger than a 42mm watch with 48mm L2L. Flyback has L2L data for 100% of its 2,349+ reference catalog, making it one of the most complete fit databases available.
How are prices converted for international listings?
Listings from Timepeaks (Japan) are in JPY and listings from Catawiki (Europe) are in EUR. Flyback converts these to USD using daily exchange rates from the European Central Bank. The original price and currency are preserved so you can see both the converted USD price and the original asking price.
What does "price z-score" mean in the score breakdown?
Price z-score measures how far a listing's price is from the average price of recently sold comparable watches. A negative z-score means the listing is priced below market average (a potential deal), while a positive z-score means it's above average. A z-score of -2 or lower means the price is significantly below market — either a great deal or a reason to investigate further.
How does Flyback detect parts and accessories listings?
Flyback uses multi-layered filtering to exclude non-watch listings: keyword matching for common parts terminology (dials, bezels, straps, links), seller blocklists for known parts dealers, price floor checks for luxury brands (e.g., a Rolex under $500 is likely parts), and pattern detection for listings with multiple reference numbers (which typically indicate compatibility/parts listings rather than complete watches).
What is a "comparable sale" and how are comps selected?
A comparable sale (comp) is a recently sold watch of the same reference number. Flyback pulls comps from the last 180 days with a match confidence of 85% or higher. The scoring engine calculates the median price, standard deviation, and price distribution from these comps to determine whether a current listing is fairly priced. More comps mean higher data confidence and more reliable scores.