How to spot a fake watch

　　How can we identify whether a watch is genuine or counterfeit? Let us take a look below.

　　Methods to identify genuine and fake watches

　　1. Inspecting from the crystal

　　Luxury watches generally use sapphire crystal; with technological advancements, counterfeit watches have also begun to follow suit.

　　Counterfeit watches using sapphire crystal are usually easy to spot because, to cut costs, replica makers do not apply anti-reflective coatings to the crystal, let alone double anti-reflective coatings. As a result, they reflect light heavily. Although water droplets will bead up without dispersing, illuminating it under a UV light reveals severe glare; authentic watches show little reflection under bright light due to the anti-reflective coating, displaying a purple or blue sheen.

　　3, Weight

　　Certain modern replicas, especially fake ROLEX models, use lead spacer rings inside to increase weight for high fidelity. However, you can check the weight of other components, such as the bracelet, which feels noticeably lighter. Generally, fake watches are relatively light; even when weighted with lead rings, the feel in the hand remains unnatural.

　　4, Crown

　　Generally, the crown of a fake watch is where it gives itself away most easily. The crowns on counterfeit watches often use the same production process, resulting in uneven polished plating—whether chrome or gold plated, there are always areas of varying depth, and careful inspection reveals exposed base metal. If the watch case is relatively well-made and hard to spot, you can closely examine the crown section. Furthermore, many luxury watches have proprietary crown specifications, whereas fake watches use generic ones; this can easily be spotted simply by looking closely at authentic watch designs.

　　5, Case back

　　The casebacks of replica watches are not produced according to luxury watch specifications; some (such as OMEGA, AP, etc.) convert original screw-down casebacks into snap-on ones, which interested collectors may wish to check themselves. Some watches feature octagonal casebacks or back covers secured by several screws; to cut costs, counterfeiters create incongruous snap-on casebacks shaped like screw-down covers.

　　6. Dial

　　Hand-painted marks on the dial can easily be spotted using a 8x loupe.

　　7. Bracelet

　　If the craftsmanship of a bracelet clearly shows manual marks, it is inevitably a replica. Although some fake watch straps with butterfly clasps appear relatively delicate, they reveal rough, unpolished details in the moving joints; paying close attention will allow you to spot the flaws.

　　8. Hands

　　Careful examination of fake watch hands under a loupe will reveal tiny marks left by tweezers during assembly; such marks are never seen on an authentic watch.

　　The shape of the hands shows clear differences compared to a genuine watch. Even on realistic fake watches, issues can be spotted on the seconds hand: the seconds hands on counterfeit watches are coarsely made and relatively short, which is the biggest flaw. On authentic watches, the seconds hand is generally equal to or longer than the minute hand.

　　Points to consider before purchasing a watch

　　1, when purchasing a particular watch, first check for information about it online. Pay attention to official websites, forums, and discussion boards. Regardless of whether the feedback is good or bad, at least you will have a better idea of what to look out for when buying the timepiece.

　　2, when buying a watch, always go to large department stores or larger watch boutiques, as this provides a certain level of reassurance regarding reputation and quality! Ask at the counter whether the watch comes with import customs declarations and a certificate of origin. However, most dealers will claim they have them, but that they are kept with the regional distributor rather than at the counter. If you intend to make a purchase, insist that they fax or send them to you for inspection, checking whether the model and name of the watch, as well as the date and port of import, are stated on the import customs declaration and certificate of origin. If the dealer cannot produce them immediately and you do not have the patience to wait, you can authenticate the watch from the piece itself! Look for markings such as Swiss and Swiss made. Watch components (dial and case back), bracelets (straps), and presentation boxes bearing marks like Swiss and Swiss made should be given priority, because a Swiss watch must meet the standard where the movement is Swiss-produced, assembly is completed in Switzerland, and final testing is completed in Switzerland. Only then is it truly a Swiss watch.