Six ways to spot a fake or replica luxury watch and what to look for

Looking to invest in a luxury watch, but worried you could be buying a fake or replica?

It is a real concern.

The good news is if you buy a luxury watch from a reputable dealer you are very unlikely to encounter a fake. However the quality of fake or replica watches has also improved greatly – so you do need to know what to look for. This is especially true if you are buying directly from a seller online, like on eBay or a marketplace like Facebook or Gumtree.

 

Educate yourself by reading our guide, so you know how to spot a fake luxury watch, and what tell-tale signs to look for.

 

How to buy a luxury watch safely

Take the time to do your homework on a watch before you buy it. This will a go long way to making sure that you get a genuine timepiece and not a fake. Protect yourself by making sure you:

• Only buy from a reputable dealer or online retailer like Kings N Queens.
• Check the serial number of the watch to ensure that it is genuine and there is no duplicate out there.
• Confirm the the watch has all the necessary paperwork, including a letter of authenticity, and the original box – though vintage models may not have all this.
• Ask for photographs of the timepiece, including close up images of the case, face movement and bracelet. This can help you establish if there is damage and wear to the watch, and if it is a fake.
• Have the watch examined and authenticated by a licensed watchmaker.

 

You can also use price as a gauge of authenticity. If a Rolex Submariner is selling for a few thousand dollars or even less, your alarm bells should definitely be ringing pretty loudly. As they say, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

 

The most common fake luxury watches

Like the rest of the counterfeit or replica industry, be it handbags or sneakers, it is all about moving stock of what is ‘hot’ and in vogue at the moment. For watch brands, Rolex is easily the most faked manufacturer out there. You can find a cheap Submariner replica in just about every market from London to Bangkok and everywhere in between.

 

 

The Rolex Day-Date and Datejust are however the title holders of the most copied watches – at least for now. Next up are other top watches from brands like Audemars Piguet, Panerai, IWC and Omega – hey even the intricate Richard Mille RM27-02 has been copied.

You also need to beware of a ‘Frankenwatch’!

 

What is a ‘Frankenwatch’?

A Frankenwatch is not quite a fake, but is rather cobbled together from a bunch of different genuine, after market and/or replica parts. So you could be looking at a Speedmaster with an original case and bracelet, but the dial and pushers could have been cannabalized from another model. The worst scenario is that some elements could be fake. This not only devalues the watch, but it may not function as it should due to the inferior parts used. This is a difficult beast to identify, and Frankenwatches often fool serious watch collectors.

 

Should you care?

That depends. If you are not a collector and have no intention of selling the watch – you may be quite happy to have a watch that is not totally ‘stock’, but works just fine. Many collectors will not touch a watch that contains non-genuine parts. Bear in mind that non-genuine parts will devalue your watch, so think carefully if you are considering this option when it comes to repairing your timepiece.

So what signs do you need to look for to spot a fake watch? Let’s find out.

 

 

The first tell tale sign to look for in a high end luxury watch replica or fake is the the weight. Genuine timepieces are generally made from more solid materials, typically high quality stainless steel or precious metals, which weigh more than the inferior metals and components used to construct a fake or counterfeit watch. A fake will therefore typically feel ‘light’ in your hand – though it helps to have a genuine version to compare it to. Watchmakers will often weigh a suspected fake on an electronic scale to confirm its authenticity.

 

 

Does the watch dial look a little hazy through the face? Is the face scratched? Chances are it is a fake if you cannot see the dial clearly, as fakes generally use a lower quality glass or mineral crystal that has imperfections. It is also easily scratched. Genuine high end watches use a sapphire crystal that is scratch-resistant and extremely durable. The date window, or cyclops can also give away a fake watch. This is because the original manufacturers specify a certain magnification so the date is easily legible for the wearer. Fake watches often have a weaker magnification, or no magnification at all – so the digits appear small and are more difficult to read. 

 

 

As you would expect the overall finish of a replica watch is nowhere near what is achieved in a state-of-the-art factory .A brand like Rolex designs, develops and produces all the components of its watches in-house, a process that includes the casting, machining, assembly and finishing of their timepieces. In fact, Rolex has three distinct sites for different components: (Plan-les-Ouates – development and production, Bienne – movements, Chêne-Bourg – dials and gemmology). This investment and attention to detail results in a flawless finish on any genuine timepiece, with a mirror finish free of blemishes the most obvious result.

 

 

Rolex started engraving its brand name and the model number on the rehaut or inner bezel, precisely to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to copy their watches. It is now present on all new models. Counterfeiters struggle to match this quality and craftsmanship as they invariably are working in very different conditions, with inferior tools, materials and resources.

 

All your worries will be taken away when you shop at Kings N Queens shop with us today for a smooth process.