THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO AVOID BUYING A FAKE WATCH SOME ARE VERY SIMPLE AND SOME I’M AFRAID WILL SIMPLY COST YOU MONEY BUT FAR LESS MONEY THAN YOU WILL HAVE LOST BUYING A FAKE / COPY / HOOKEY WATCH.
FIRSTLY LET ME EXPLAIN I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON AVOIDING FAKES BUT WHEN YOUR BUSINESS/LIVELYHOOD DEPENDS ON IT YOU HAVE TO LEARN FAST. VERY FAST AND I AM GETTING BETTER INDEED I HAVE NOT BOUGHT A FAKE ROLEX YET !
THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY 3 TYPES OF FAKE / COPY WATCH
- REALLY BAD ONES THAT MOST PEOPLE CAN SPOT IE £5 AT THE LOCAL MARKET THAT HARDLY PRETEND TO BE REAL ( I ACTUALLY BOUGHT A FAKE BREITLING BENTLEY FOR £5.00 AT A MARKET IN DONCASTER MANY MANY YEARS AGO AND IN FACT PREFERRED WEARING IT TO MY REAL ONE UNTIL THE PLASTIC “GLASS FELL OUT !)
- REALLY GOOD ONES THAT EVEN SOME JEWELLERS WONT SPOT AS THEY ARE THAT GOOD.
- “FRANKENSTEIN” WATCHES THAT ARE DIFFERENT BITS OF REAL WATCHES PUT TOGETHER TO LOOK LIKE A MORE DESIRABLE / RARE MODEL THAN ITS LESSER BROTHERS. I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT QUITE OFTEN THE REAL VALUE IN A WATCH CAN BE JUST ITS DIAL. A “PAUL NEWMAN” DIAL ROLEX CAN BE WORTH MANY TIMES MORE THAN A STANDARD ONE. IE ONE CERTAIN VARIANT OF A WATCH DIAL SEEN ON THE RIGHT HAND IN A MOVIE OR BY A RACE TRACK BACK IN THE 60’S/70’S CAN ADD TENS OF THOUSANDS TO THE VALUE OF A WATCH.
UNSURPRISINGLY THERE IS A GOOD MARKET IN THE SALE OF RARE REPRODUCED DIALS FOR CERTAIN MODELS OF WATCHES. UNLESS YOU ARE A REAL EXPERT WITH A TRAINED EYE WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE STEER CLEAR OF “OFF MARKET DEALS” FOR THESE EXPENSIVE WATCHES.
SO ITEM 1 IS PRETTY EASY TO DEAL WITH , ITS THE OLD RULE ,IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE ETC ETC. A MODERN REAL ROLEX ( SAY A SUBMARINER ) IS TRULY A QUALITY PIECE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP .
IF YOUR NOT USED TO HANDLING QUALITY WATCHES DONT TRY BUYING ONE CHEAP. BY ALL MEANS BUY A CHEAP FAKE BUT THERE IS A MORAL ISSUE HERE AND IN FACT A LEGAL ONE !
ITEM 2 IS THE REAL PROBLEM . THE EASY WAY TO SOLVE THIS IS TO BUY FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER WHO HAS THE CORECT DOCUMENTATION ( THIS WILL NORMALLY BE A INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY CERTIFICATE , A USERS MANUAL AND THAT EVER USELESS BOOK OF AUTHORISED DEALERS ) THERE SHOULD ALSO BE BOX ( INNER AND OUTER ) .EVEN IF THERE IS NO BOX OR PAPERS ( YOU CAN BUY FAKE ONES OF THESE AS WEL ) THE RETAILER WILL/SHOULD ISSUE YOU WITH FULL AND PROPER RECEIPT STATING THE MAKE , MODEL NUMBER , MOVEMENT NUMBER AND ACTUAL WATCH NUMBER. IF ANYTHING TURNS OUT TO BE WRONG YOU HAVE FULL RECOURSE TO THEM ( UNLESS THEY GO BUST ! ) AND NOT JUST WITHIN THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD .
SOME YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING MY E TYPE UP THE M1 ( I WAS VERY TRUSTING IN THOSE DAYS ( EVEN OF CARS )) AND WHEN I PULLED INTO THE SERVICES AND WAS WALKING BACK TO MY CAR A GUY CAME UP AND GAVE THE CHAT ABOUT JUST HAVING BEEN TO A SALES SHOW AND HAD A COUPLE OF SUPER EXPENSIVE WATCHES AND I COULD HAVE ONE CHEAP. A CHEAP FAKE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THEN OR EVEN JUST A EXPENSIVE LOOKING CHEAP WATCH.
BEWARE STRANGERS BEARING GIFTS ESPECIALLY IN BANKOCK ! OR WATFORD GAP FOR THAT MATTER. VIRTUALLY NOBODY BUT NOBODY WILL SELL YOU A £5,000 WATCH FOR £300. YOU HAVE AS MUCH CHANCE OF WINNING THE LOTTERY.
SO ANYHOW YOUR SITTING IN THE PUB AND THE MATE OF A MATE YOU DONT REALLY KNOW COMES UP TO YOU AND OFFERS YOU HIS WATCH AS HE A BIT BROKE AND WANTS TO BUY EVERYBODY A DRINK AS HES GOING INTO PRISON THE NEXT DAY AFTER HE HAS BOUGHT SOME FLOWERS FOR HIS DOGS FUNERAL.
WELL IF HE ONLY WANTS 20 QUID AND YOU LIKE THE LOOK OF THE WATCH BUY IT. IF HE WANTS 500 HOWEVER AND YOU LIKE THE WATCH BUT NOT SURE IF ITS A FAKE WHAT DO YOU DO ? LETS SAY ITS A 2010 ROLEX SUBMARINER( ROLEX IS THE MOST FAKED WATCH IN THE WORLD IE IF YOU PUT ALL OF THE FAKES OF OTHER BRANDS IN THE WORLD IN A PILE NEXT TO THE PILE OF FAKE ROLEX WATCHES GUESS WHICH WOULD BE BIGGER ).
HERES WHAT TO CONSIDER.
- IT IS ALMOST CERTAINLY IS A FAKE OR PERHAPS STOLEN.
- DOES HE LOOK LIKE HE CAN AFFORD A £7K ( 4 K USED ) WATCH ?
- IS IT WORKING ? ( YEH MATE ITS WORKING IT JUST NEEDS A NEW BATTERY ). THESE WATCHES DONT TAKE BATTERIES AND THEY VERY RARELY STOP WORKING ( THEY ARE THAT WELL MADE ). THEY ARE AUTOMATIC SO NO WINDING NEEDED.
- A CHEAP FAKE SUB WILL HAVE A CHEAP BRACELET IE MAY FEEL LIGHT AND FLIMSY , THE LINKS WILL HAVE A LOT OF PLAY IN THEM SIDE TO SIDE , THE CLASP ACTION WILL FEEL LIKE A FORD FIESTA DOOR RATHER THAN A BMW DOOR CLOSING. THE STAMPINGS WILL BE WOOLY AND NOT CRISP THE BUCKLE HAS A STAMPED ROLEX NAME AND LOGO BUT COPIES HAVE THEM ETCHED BUT THEN AGAIN SOME ROLEX MODELS HAVE IT ETCHED AS WELL !. IN SHORT IT WILL JUST LOOK CHEAP.
- TRY THE WINDER , DOES IT FEEL SMOOTH AND CRISP , CAN YOU ADJUST THE HANDS PROPERLY , CAN YOU ADJUST THE DATE ?
- A LOT OF CHEAP FAKES HAVE A QUARTZ MOVEMENT IN THEM WHICH WONT “WIND” THERE WILL ALSO BE NO AUTOMATIC WINDING COUNTERWEIGHT SO IF YOU SPIN THE WATCH AND YOU MIGHT FEEL THE WINDER ( ECCENTRIC WIGHT ) INSIDE SPINNING.
- IF YOU HAVE A SMART PHONE TRY PULLING UP SOME IMAGES OF REAL ONES TO CHECK AGAINST.
- IF IT IS A REALLY CHEAP FAKE IT MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE THE NAME ON THE FACE AND MAY EVEN HAVE THE “CYCLOPS” IE MAGNIFYING WINDOW OVER THE DATE MISSING.
- THE CASE BACKS ON A ROLEX ARE SOLID METAL. SOME FAKERS ADD A GLASS / CRYSTAL BACK TO ADD TO THE BLING AS WITH MANY OTHER EXPENSIVE BRANDS.
- VIRTUALLY ALL MODELS OF ROLEX DO NOT HAVE ENGRAVINGS OF LOGOS ETC ON THE CASE BACK ( APART FROM THE SEA DWELLER ) ENGRAVINGS SUCH AS “ON YOUR BIRTHDAY” MIGHT EVEN BE A SIGN OF A GENUINE WATCH OR A VERY VERY CLEVER FAKER !
- IN AN EFFORT TO COUNTER THE FAKERS , IN 2002 ROLEX STARTED PUTTING A TINY ROLEX CROWN ETCHING ON THE INSIDE OF THE GLASS JUST AT THE 6 O CLOCK POSITION . ITS SO SMALL YOU PROBABLY WONT SEE IT IN THE PUB BUT YOU COULD TRY TAKING A PICTURE WITH YOUR SMART PHONE AND EXPANDING THE PICTURE ( THE LIGHT WOULD NEED TO BE RIGHT ) . MOST FAKERS WOULD’NT INCORPORATE THIS MARK SO ITS A GOOD SIGN IF ITS THERE . IF THIS ETCHING IS NOT THERE DONT ACCEPT THE EXCUSE THAT IT HAS HAD A NEW GLASS ( YOU WOULD CERTAINLY ONLY GET A ROLEX DEALER TO REPLACE THE GLASS AND THEY WOULD ONLY USE GENUINE ) THESE DAYS ANYHOW. GOOD FAKES NOW HAVE THIS ETCHING ( SEE LATER NOTES )
- THE LATER ROLEX WATCHES ( FROM 2010 ) HAVE THEIR SERIAL NUMBERS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BEZEL IE JUST AROUND THE DIAL AT THE EDGE UNDER THE GLASS ( RATHER THAN BETWEEN THE LUGS ), THESE NUMBERS ARE RANDOM ( TO HINDER THE FAKERS ) SO IF YOUR WATCH HAS NUMBERS BETWEEN THE LUGS HOLDING THE BRACELET ITS A FAKE AND IF IT DOESNT HAVE THEM ROUND THE BEZEL ITS A FAKE.
- THE FACT IS A DECENT ROLEX FAKE WILL PASS THE HANDLING TEST IN A DARK PUB AND THEY HAVE GOT THEM SO GOOD NOW’ MOST JEWELLERS WONT SPOT THEM. A GOOD WATCH DEALER SHOULD BUT IF HE IS OUT FOR LUNCH AND THE TRAINEE IS AT THE COUNTER THEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM ( UNLESS YOUR PAYING THEM FOR A VALUATION AND THEY ARE ISSUING A CERTIFICATE ( WHICH THEY DONT TEND TO DO IN THE PUB ! )).
- ASK THE GUY SELLING YOU THE WATCH TO LET YOU TAKE A PHOTO OF HIS ID AND GIVE YOU A WRITTEN RECEIPT ( I DO THIS AND IT DOES PUT PEOPLE OFF IF THEY THINK THEY HAVE A FAKE ).
- MANY PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND WITH DODGY WATCHES NON THE WISER SO DONT ASSUME THEY KNOW THEY ARE SELLING YOU A FAKE. IE THEY CAN BE TOTALY GENUINE BUT NOT THE WATCH.
SO LETS ASSUME YOUVE BOUGHT THE WATCH FOR £200.00 AND YOU WANT TO CHECK IF ITS A FAKE.
WHAT CHECKS CAN YOU DO IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY.
- COMPARE IT TO A REAL ONE – NOT SO EASY BUT IF YOUR IN THE WATCH SHOP JUST ASK THE GUY BEHIND THE LOCAL WATCH SHOP COUNTER WHAT HE THINKS.
- THE MAIN WEAKNESS OF A FAKE WATCH IS THAT IT ONLY HAS TO LOOK GOOD. TAKE THE BACK OFF AND ITS CHEAPNESS IN MANUFACTURE WILL START TO SHOW. YOU CAN FIND LOTS OF GOOD QUALITY PICS ON THE INTERNET. I WAS RECENTLY OFFERED A NICE SUB AS ITS HAPPENS , ONLY £2500 CIRCA 2011. THE BRACELET LOOKED GOOD BUT I ASKED HIM TO BRING IT WITH THE BACK LOOSE WHICH HE AGREED ( A GOOD SIGN ) ON INITIAL INSPECTION IT LOOKED OK SO OUT CAME MY MAGNIFYING GLASS ( LOUPE ) AND I FOCUSSED IN ON A VERY SMALL PART I REMEMBER STUDYING ON THE INTERNET THE PREVIOUS DAY IN READINESS FOR THE MEETING. THE PIECE WAS ABOUT 4MM BY 2.5 AND WAS A FLAT PLATE , POLISHED TO PERFECTION ( IT ACTUALLY LOOKED SO PERFECT I THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CGI ! AND IN THE MIDDLE WAS A TINY TINY STEP NO MORE THAN 0.1MM- NOT NEEDED TO SAVE WEIGHT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BUT I RECKON JUST TO PUT OFF THE FAKERS ! . THE WATCH I WAS LOOKING AT HAD A BRUSHED FINISH ON THAT PART AND NO STEP. AN ACCEPTABLE FINISH AND USED IN MANY ROLEX WATCHES BUT IT DID NOT MATCH UP WITH THE REAL THING. THE ANTI SHOCK BEARING ON THE BALANCE WAS ALSO DIFFERENT. YOU SIMPLY CANT MAKE A ROLEX WATCH MOVEMENT CHEAPLY.
- WIND THE WATCH UP AND SEE HOW GOOD IT IS . A GOOD ROLEX SHOULD RUN FOR CIRCA 40 HOURS AND RUN TO WITHIN -4 TO +6 SECONDS WITHIN 24 HOURS . NO COPY WILL DO THAT UNLESS IT GETS LUCKY. SURE THE WATCH MAY HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE AND NEED SERVICING BUT IF ITS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD IT SHOULD STILL BE PRETTY CLOSE TO THOSE FIGURES.
- I WOULD SIMPLY PUT THE WATCH ON MY TIMEGRAPH MACHINE ( ELECTRONICALLY TESTS THE TIMING AND BEAT OF THE WATCH ) BUT MOST PEOPLE WONT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS. A GUY BOUGHT A VERY GOOD COPY ROYAL OAK TO MY WATCHMAKERS COURSE THE OTHER EVENING. WE PUT IT ON THE ELECTONIC TIMING MACHINE AND THE GRAPH AND NUMBER WERE JUST PERFECT. THFACT IS THAT MODERN MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES MEAN SUPERB MOVEMENTS CAN BE MADE FOR A FRACTION OF THE COST OF SAY 10 YEARS AGO.
SO IF YOU BOUGHT A ROLEX SUB IN THE PUB I WOULD SAY YOU HAVE A 97% CHANCE OF OWNING A CHEAP FAKE AND AS LONG AS YOU DIDNT PAY MORE THAN £50.00 FOR IT AND ITS RUNNING YOU DID OK. ANYMORE AND YOUR GOING TO GET TOUR LEG PULLED EVERY TIME YOU GO BACK IN THERE !
THATS ENOUGH OF THE THEORY
IM NOW GOING ADD ( AS THEY COME ALONG ) PICTURES OF FAKE WATCHES I HAVE BEEN OFFERED.
I HAD A YOUNG GUY (17 ) OFFER ME THIS SUBMARINER.
WHY DID I KNOW IT WAS A FAKE BEFORE I EVEN WENT TO SEE IT ?
- HE WAS 17
- HIS UNCLE GAVE IT TO HIM
- HE HAD BOXES AND PAPERS BUT COULDNT BRING THEM
- HE ACCEPTED THE 2K BUDGET PRICE I GAVE HIM OVER WHATS APP
WHILST I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A FAKE I WENT ALONG TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE ( IM STILL LEARNING AND YOU NEVER STOP )
THE INITIAL FEEL OF THE WATCH WAS GOOD . THE BUCKLE HOWEVER WAS ACID ETCHED. WHEN I TOOK THE BRACELET OFF I COULD SEE THE “GOLD” HAD MERGED INTO THE STEEL AT THE END OF THE BRACELET WHICH NO MANUFACTURER WOULD DO. I COULD SEE SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO GET THE BACK OFF AND DAMAGED IT ( ANOTHER SIGN OF A FAKE ).
THE CLASP MECHANISM JUST WASNT THAT WELL MADE.
IT HAD THE ROLEX LOGO IN THE GLASS !
I MANAGED TO GET THE BACK OFF AND AT ONCE COULD SEE THE MOVEMENT WAS A CHEAP ONE. THE CASE BACK ALSO CAME OFF TOO EASILY AND WAS NOT WELL MADE. IF ITS GENUINE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE BACK OFF WITH A STICKY BALL.
IT DID HAVE THE SEAL ON THE CROWN SCREW DOWN THREAD .
ALL IN ALL NOT A BAD FAKE BUT A LITTLE BIT OF CLOSE SCRUTINY AND IT WAS CLEAR EVEN WITHOUT TAKING THE BACK OFF IT WAS A FAKE.
Simon Whitelock November 24th, 2015
Posted In: Second Hand Watches
