Horologix User Guide

Horologix is a **community marketplace for watchmakers**—not a retailer or intermediary.

- **No transaction fees.** We don't take a cut from sales.
- **No seller commissions.** You keep 100% of what buyers pay you.
- **No payment processing through us.** All payments are settled directly between seller and buyer.
- **Horologix's role:** We provide the platform to connect you with other watchmakers, handle messaging, and manage your inventory. That's it.

Think of Horologix as a **bulletin board in a watchmakers' workshop**—we help you find each other, but the handshake (and the transaction) is between you.

### Do I need an account to search for parts?
No, you can search for parts without logging in. However, you must create an account to contact sellers or access additional features.

### How do I create an account?
Click "Join for Free" and sign up with your email address, password, and select your country and preferred currency. Your account starts as a "Buyer" (Tier 1). **Important:** You must verify your email address before you can contact sellers. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the verification link.

### What if I didn't receive a verification email?
Click "Send Verification" in your profile to resend the email. Make sure to check your spam/junk folder.

### Can I change my email address?
Yes, go to your profile and update your email address under "Account Settings." You'll need to verify the new email before it becomes active.

### How do I reset my password?
Click "Forgot Password?" on the login page and follow the instructions sent to your email.

### How do I update my profile?
Log in and click "Profile" in the navigation. You can update your country, preferred currency, and other account details. These settings affect how search results are prioritized and how prices are displayed.

### How does search work?
Use the search form on the landing page to find parts by:
- **Brand:** Select from a list of popular watch brands
- **Calibre:** Enter the movement calibre (e.g., 2824-2, ETA 6497)
- **Part Number:** Search by manufacturer part reference
- **Part Name:** Search by part type (stem, mainspring, balance wheel, etc.)
- **All Fields:** Use the general search to look across all fields at once

### How are search results sorted?
Results are sorted by relevance and location:
- If you're logged in, results are **prioritized for your country** (shown as "Near you")
- Results from your region appear next (EU, ASEAN, etc.)
- Results from other regions appear last
- You can change your location preference in your profile

### Can I filter by location?
Yes! When logged in, you can choose to see parts from your country, a specific region (EU, ASEAN), or globally. If you're not logged in, you can select "Global" to see parts from anywhere.

### Can I filter by price?
Yes, use the price range fields to narrow results to your budget.

### Can I save favorite parts?
Not yet—but you can bookmark them in your browser or contact the seller directly through our messaging system.

### Tier 1: Buyer (Free)
- Search for parts (location-prioritized when logged in)
- Contact sellers directly through our messaging system
- View prices in both the seller's currency and your preferred currency (updated every 24 hours)
- Receive instant notifications when sellers reply

### Tier 2: Collector (Free Upgrade)
- All Buyer features, plus:
- Access "My Inventory" in the navigation bar
- Add/manage your personal watch parts collection
- Upload images (automatically cropped to 1024x1024px from center)
- Generate unique **QR codes** for each part to organize physical storage
- Scan QR codes with your mobile (while logged in) to view/edit part details on the fly
- Import/export your entire inventory as CSV for backup
- Note: Disable ad blockers when printing QR code labels

### Tier 3: Subscription (Paid)
- All Collector features, plus:
- Check "For Sale" on any part to list it publicly in search results
- Set your own prices in your preferred currency
- Reach buyers worldwide
- No fees—all sales are peer-to-peer

### How do I upgrade my account tier?
Click "Upgrade" in your profile to select Collector (free) or Subscription (paid).

### Can I downgrade?
Yes, you can cancel your subscription anytime. Your inventory will remain private if you downgrade to Collector.

### What happens to my listings if I cancel my subscription?
They disappear from public search results, but they remain in your private inventory.

### Important—Changing currency:
If you change your preferred currency, it only affects **new listings**. Existing parts keep their original prices.

### How do I add a part to my inventory?
Go to "My Inventory" → "Add Part." Fill in:
- **Part Name:** (e.g., "Balance Wheel", "Mainspring")
- **Brand:** (e.g., "Rolex", "ETA")
- **Calibre:** (e.g., "2824-2" or multiple separated by "/" like "5606/5626/5646")
- **Part Number:** (manufacturer reference, optional)
- **Description:** (condition, notes, any relevant details)
- **Image:** Upload a clear, centered photo of the part
- **Quantity:** How many do you have (for your inventory)
- **Currency & Price:** (only if selling)

### How do I edit or delete a part?
Go to "My Inventory," find the part, and click "Edit" or "Delete."

### How do the QR codes work?
Each part gets a unique QR code. Scan it with your phone (while logged in) to:
- View the part's details
- Update the quantity stored
- Mark as sold
- No app needed—just use your phone's camera or a QR code scanner

### Can I import multiple parts at once?
Yes! Use the CSV import feature. Download the template from "My Inventory" → "Action" dropdown, fill it with your parts, and upload.

### How do I export my inventory?
Go to "My Inventory" → "Action" dropdown → "Export as CSV." This is useful for backup.

### Can I organize parts into categories or shelves?
You can add a "Shelf" reference in the description field to organize your physical storage (e.g., "Shelf A3", "Box 5").

### How do I list parts for sale?
1. Upgrade to Subscription tier (or Collector can list for free, but won't appear in search)
2. Go to "My Inventory" and edit a part
3. Check "For Sale"
4. Set your price in your preferred currency
5. Save—your listing appears in search results immediately

### How much should I charge?
You set the price! Consider:
- Rarity and demand for the part
- Condition
- Current market rates (browse similar parts)
- Your preferred currency (prices are converted for international buyers)

### Does Horologix take a fee or commission?
**No. Zero. Absolutely not.** Horologix is a peer-to-peer platform—we don't process payments, take cuts, or charge commissions. All sales are settled directly between you and the buyer. You keep 100% of what you sell for.

### So how does Horologix make money?
Through optional Subscription tiers and premium features (coming soon). The core searching and messaging will always be free.

### How do I get paid?
That's entirely between you and your buyer. Arrange your own payment method:
- PayPal
- Bank transfer
- Cryptocurrency
- Cash on pickup
- Whatever you both agree on

### How do I handle shipping?
You negotiate shipping directly with the buyer:
- Agree on who pays for shipping
- Choose your carrier (DHL, FedEx, local post, etc.)
- Insure valuable parts
- Get tracking info for buyer's peace of mind

### What if there's a dispute over payment or shipping?
Use the "Contact Support" feature to escalate. Our team can mediate, but we're not involved in the actual transaction—it's between you and the buyer.

### How do I contact a seller?
Click "Chat" on a part listing, and your message appears in the seller's inbox immediately.

### Can I message a seller before viewing their full inventory?
Yes! You can message any seller with questions about specific parts.

### Will the seller see my message right away?
Messages are instant, but response times vary. Average response is 24 hours.

### Can I block a user?
If you have issues with a user, contact Support and we'll help.

### Is my conversation private?
Yes, all conversations are private between you and the other user.

### What data is used for AI training?
Only:
- **Anonymous support messages** (without personal identifiers)
- **Inventory details** (brand, part name/number, calibre)
- No personal data (email, phone, physical address, location)

### How is my data protected?
Horologix complies with **GDPR** and data privacy standards. Data is used **only internally** for improving the platform and never sold or shared with third parties.

### Can I opt out?
Absolutely! Uncheck the "Allow AI training data collection" box in your profile anytime.

### Photography:
- Center your part clearly in photos (they're cropped from center automatically)
- Use natural lighting to show true colors
- Show both sides of the part if applicable
- Clean parts photograph better

### Inventory Management:
- Set your preferred currency when creating your account—changes won't apply to existing inventory
- Use descriptive part names so buyers can find you
- Keep quantities updated, especially for sold items
- Add storage references (Shelf A, Box 3) in descriptions

### Selling:
- List at competitive prices—check similar parts in search
- Upload clear photos—buyers can't see the part in person
- Respond to messages quickly
- Provide accurate descriptions (condition, compatibility)

### QR Codes:
- Generate and print codes to organize physical storage
- Scan from your phone to update quantities in real-time
- Works even in areas without strong internet (codes are stored locally)

### Currency:
- Remember: changing your preferred currency only affects new listings
- International buyers see real-time currency conversions

### Dark Mode:
- Toggle dark mode in the top-right corner for comfortable browsing anytime

### How do I contact support?
Click "Contact Support" in the footer. Your message goes directly to our team.

### Is there a user community I can join?
Yes! Check the "Community" section in the footer for forums and discussions.

### Where can I report a bug?
Use "Contact Support"—include details about what happened and we'll investigate.

- **Keep your password strong** and don't share it
- **Verify your email** to unlock messaging features
- **Update your profile periodically** (especially if you move countries)
- **Check your inventory regularly** for accuracy
- **Monitor your messages** for buyer inquiries
- **Be cautious of overly low offers**—they're usually too good to be true
- **Use Horologix messaging** instead of sharing contact info externally
- **Remember:** Horologix is just the middleman for connecting you. We're not responsible for transactions—that's between you and the other party. Communicate clearly, agree on terms, and protect yourself as you would in any marketplace.