One in ten of the luxury watches offered for sale to Watchfinder in the past year have been found to be fakes, according to the company’s CEO Arjen van de Vall.
Around half of all those watches are knock-off Rolexes.
Black market threat intelligence agency Havocscope estimates that 40 million counterfeit watches are sold globally each year, generating profit of roughly $1 billion.
With the quality of super fakes improving all the time, and with the volume of luxury watches being traded into a rising number of retailers, it has never been more important to be able to spot a counterfeit piece.
Watch Pilot, a multibrand online retailer with a store in Richmond, west London, recently surveyed over 20 people to see how many could spot the fake watch.
Only 13% correctly identified every authentic watch from the counterfeit.
Tim Harrison, co-founder of Watch Pilot and watchpilot.com, has some simple advice that will arm people with a first line of defence when it comes to fakes posing as the real thing from across a spectrum of brands.
If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is
“Always be aware of extremely reduced prices,” Mr Harrison suggests. “When it comes to a Rolex, it is possible to buy an authentic watch for less than the official retail price but a saving of more than 10-25% of the current market value should be a red flag.”
Hallmarks of authenticity
You need to know some key details for the way brands mark their watches, but that knowledge can save a whole lot of heartache.
“Hallmarks are a good indicator of authenticity. For example, it’s good to know that Patek Philippe serial numbers will never be visible on the case back of the watch, so if that’s the case, you’ve got yourself a fake,” Mr Harrison advises.
Don’t get screwed
Again, it pays to do your homework when it comes to small details like screws. “With Cartier, having a closer look at the type of screws on the case back can tell you everything you need to know in a heartbeat. Fake Cartier watches often have “Phillips-head” or “x-shaped” screws, or worse, stamps meant to look like screws,” says Mr Harrison.
Love letters
“Lettering can be a giveaway,” Mr Harrison warns. “On Breitling models, you should be able to spot the iconic “B” which drops into an anchor shape on the second hand. The anchor should always look sharp and well-defined, and the “B” lettering is supposed to appear wider and thinner at certain points,” he adds.
“Similarly, You can spot a counterfeit Tissot in the blink of an eye thanks to its signature “T” logo. Located on the winding handle, you should clearly see the letter “T” carefully engraved. If it doesn’t look like an engraving, then you know you’ve got yourself a fake.”
Research your retailer
“It never hurts to be 100% sure about the watch retailer you’re purchasing your desired watch from. So, just to be safe, check the “Official Retailers” and “Authorised Retailers” signs at the top of the retailer’s website and read reviews on Trustpilot for extra peace of mind. If you’re looking at watches from Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex, or any other luxury watch brand, make sure to go on their official website and review their list of authorised retailers across the country,” says Mr Harrison.
Paperchase
Super fakes commonly come with counterfeit paperwork these days, but as a first line of defence it is advisable to avoid watches that do not have a full set of box and papers including a letter of authenticity.
Ready for a close-up.
If minute details like the dial text, the logo, or the serial number seem misplaced or messy, then you’re probably dealing with a fake.
To spot a counterfeit in a fraction of a second, know what details should appear on specific models.
For a Rolex Datejust or a Day-Date, do you see the mention “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” at the bottom of the dial?
Or for a Tissot watch, can you spot the correct founding year “1853” written at the top of the dial?
These are the things you should always be looking out for, so do some research on manufacturers’ websites, and you’ll be able to spot the fake sometimes quite easily.
Colour check
“Details like the colour of the text dial can help identify a counterfeit in the blink of an eye. Take the Rolex Daytona Chronograph for example. On a genuine model, the word “Daytona” should appear in a darker shade of red, while a replica will display it in a bright red,” Mr Harrison describes.
“For Tissot’s T-Sport PRC model, the dial should come in a beautiful deep navy, not in a greenish turquoise, and for Breitling’s Endurance Pro watch, you should see subtle touches of yellow on both the dial and the top pusher. Apart from the right use of colour, the thickness of the text can also be a dead giveaway that the watch is a counterfeit. Thick black letters on a Rolex dial, such as on the Day-Date, are, again, usually a red flag,” he warns.
Can you spot a fake watch?
Armed with this knowledge, Watch Pilot has produced a quick test to see if you can spot a fake watch.
The watches below may at first glance look identical, but one of them is a knock-off.
Answers follow the test.
Real or Fake
Did you spot the imposters?
Here are the answers with the tell-tale signs highlighted.
Hard though it is to believe but Rolex watches are actually made up to Vostok reliability, toughness and watertightness standards so it’s easy to see whether a Rolex is the genuine item. Place the Rolex (if it is either new or recently serviced by an AD) and a Vostok Amphibia in a pot of boiling water for ten minutes. If after ten minutes only the Vostok is still working and mist free the other watch isn’t a Rolex, if both watches are still working and mist free it is either a real Rolex or so close to the real thing it doesn’t matter.