Understanding the difference between a real luxury watch and a replica

Collecting luxury watches is quite an expensive hobby and collectors have to be very careful these days. Counterfeit watches are not only flooding the UK market, but they keep getting more and more convincing, meaning one big headache for reputable dealers.

According to the Swiss watch industry, the replica watch market costs them billions each year. If the experts are finding it hard to spot the differences between authentic and replica watches then what can you do to ensure what you are purchasing is the real deal?

Here is our take…

Do your research

Before you even think about buying a luxury watch, you need to do ample research on the brand and the models you’re interested in buying.

You need to be able identify these five key factors:

1. Material. The material, finishing, and colour of replica watches will be slightly off.

2. Weight. Replica watches are usually made with cheaper, lighter materials.

3. Type faces and engravings. Engravings are generally sharper and more distinct. Whereas type faces can differ in size and shape.

4. Movement. Consult with a watch expert and have him or her examine the watch and internal mechanisms. A replica watch won’t have better movement than the real thing.

5. Sound. Fine watches have extremely smooth mechanisms, which means there won’t be the ticking sound you expect with cheaper watches.

Know the seller

At the end of the day, it’s the seller’s guarantee that matters.

Be sure to look for an established dealer with a good reputation, buying a watch from a reputable business that’s more expensive is always better than buying a cheaper version from an untrustworthy seller.

Paperwork is important

Not only does the paperwork provide a tangible history of the piece, but it can quantify the value of the watch and make it worth much more in the long run, too.

Learn the history of the watch

Ask who had it before, or where it was located. Some dealers will want to be confidential, but every authentic vintage watch has a past.

If your seller doesn’t know the vintage watch’s provenance (history of ownership), that’s a bad sign.

To find out a little more about the watch industry, visit our watch expert in-store anytime or contact us via email or telephone.