How to check the authenticity of a watch? This is the question you are currently asking yourself because :
- You've found a tempting luxury watch ad on the Internet and it seems too good to be true?
- Have you just bought an old watch and have doubts about its authenticity?
- Have you recently become interested in luxury watches and still need to sharpen your eye to recognise a counterfeit?
Then this article is for you. We will review the 5 signs that will allow you to know if you are in front of a real watch or a fake.
Before you start, take a real model or photos to compare a genuine watch with one you suspect is fake.
1. Observe the movement of the hands
To check the authenticity of a luxury watch that has a mechanical self-winding or manual movement such as a Rolex or Patek Philippe, one of the first things to do is to look at the dial to see how the hands work. If the watch is genuine, you will notice micromovements at a rate of 5 to 7 per second. But if you only see one micromovement typical of quartz mechanisms then it is a fake watch.
2. Make sure you check the functionality of your watch
If you want to check the authenticity of a watch and you have the opportunity to have it in your hand, test it. Try setting the time, for example. If it's a real watch, and a new one at that, the handling of the crown should be precise, which is not the case with replica movements.
On counterfeits, some of the watch's features may be decorative. For example, the chronograph minute hand on some Daytona copies. So make sure it works properly on yours.
If there is a moon phase, look to see if it is a true moon phase, i.e. it should be more or less synchronised with the date and not synchronised with the time hand.
The date magnification and the cyclops magnifier are important elements to verify the authenticity of a rolex watch for example. If the model you have in front of you has a date window, it should have a magnifying glass above it, unless it is a Rolex Deepsea. On an authentic model, this glass magnifies the date by 2.5 times, whereas on a copy, it is barely a maximum of 1.5 times.
3. Examine all typefaces
For a model of the same year of manufacture, the same typography is used for each unit manufactured. If you notice the slightest difference in any of the numbers, the brand name, the model name or other typography on the dial, there is a good chance that you are looking at a fake watch.
Let's take a concrete example.
On the counterfeit below, the typography of the date is the most visible flaw. The lines and the 4 are the same thickness all along the two digits whereas on the real model the lines are more rounded and there is a line at the end of the 2. The beginning of the 2 is thick whereas on the fake watch everything is uniform.
On the real watch, the rolex typography is bolder than oyster perpetual while on the replica the thickness of the letters is more uniform.
Also, the 6 at the top of the dial on an authentic model is more rounded. You can practice checking the authenticity of a watch by finding other flaws, the above list is not exhaustive.
4. Look at the finishes of the different elements.
The cheapest models from brands like Rolex, Audemars Piguet or Omega already cost thousands of euros, and may even increase in value over time. A brand of this standing would not allow the slightest defect on a new release or even on an old watch, as this would damage their reputation. To recognize a counterfeit or a real watch, you just have to pay attention to certain details on every important part of the timepiece.
So you can check the authenticity of a watch by looking for a defect in the index, which is another way of indicating the time, the strap, the hands, the buckle, the case or any other part of the watch. On a poorly made fake watch, you will likely see rough cut-outs, a slightly different colour or proportion to the original.
It is also possible that the watch is genuine, but that the above-mentioned elements have been replaced by fake parts, so pay close attention to the appearance of each element separately.
Here we can see that the proportions of the bezel are not respected. On the counterfeit it is completely round whereas on the real watch the finishing is more subtle.
5. Observe the movement of the watch
This is the most radical solution for checking the authenticity of a watch. But first, it must be opened and only a professional with the necessary equipment can do this. Nevertheless, this remains the best way to be 100% sure of the authenticity of a luxury watch.
On the movement we can examine the finishing of the screws, the bridges (part fixing several axes of the mechanism to the plate), the typographies as on the dial, the colour of the writings, the parts of the movement or the mechanism of regulation of the balances. Most of the time, on a fake watch, it is the rackets and not a balance spring that is used.
Now that we've gone over all the details of how to tell a counterfeit from a real watch, let's test your skills!
Comparison between a real watch and a counterfeit
We are going to play the game of 7 differences, a way to learn how to check the authenticity of a watch. Below, you have a genuine watch and a counterfeit watch for the same model. Try to spot the differences between the 2 models. Of course the list of defects is not exhaustive, if you are meticulous you can find much more than 7. It's up to you to play!
One last tip: trust your instincts. If you have obtained a luxury watch in a strange way or at first glance you smell a rat, it is worth confirming your hunch.
However, you should know that the safest way to verify the authenticity of a watch, whether it is a Rolex or another brand, is to have it opened by a professional. To do this you can call in a watchmaker or order a Watch Certificate™. If your hunch is confirmed and the watch is found to be fake, we will provide you with a certificate of counterfeit which can lead to a refund according to the seller's T&Cs.
