How To Distinguish Real Luxury From Fakes
Luxury watches and other accessories are obviously very expensive and perhaps the definitive symbol of both wealth and practicality. So something you absolutely do not want to have to deal with is spending your hard-earned money and finding out the watch you spent your earnings on is not the real deal. But how can you even know that it is fake? How can you distinguish it from a real one? Well, allow us to step in and give you a few pointers so that your purchase is worth it.
Reliable Seller
The first and most obvious step is to purchase only from reliable, reputable sellers, as with any other product. So if you want to avoid unnecessary headaches and anger later, just buy from people who are trustworthy and known for being the real deal, like luxurygallery.com, and you can pretty much ignore all the other things about carefully inspecting and researching and so on and so forth. This, of course, is pretty much the advisable and smart route for every product, expensive or not, going with a trustworthy and well-established supplier, whose products preferably come with certificates, guarantees, warranty cards, and the like. Don’t go buying from random dealers living in the back streets who offer you a 99% discount on a Patek Philippe. That is almost certainly a bad idea.
Small Details
First of all, you are going to want to carefully inspect the timepiece, paying attention to all the small details. It is pretty difficult to discern an authentic watch from a fake one at first glance, so you want to look at the details before making the purchase. Fake watchmakers can mimic the general, overall appearance of a watch, but there are always going to be a few small features they miss or look over. Engravings, for example, are a crucial detail you want to pay attention to, as luxury watchmakers use very precise, fine instruments to create crisp, even, and clean lettering or symbols, so if you see that the engravings on the watch are difficult to read or uneven, it is very likely a fake. It is also advisable to look for brand-specific details. An example of this is Patek Philippe watches not using blued screws, or Omega watches always laser-etching the watch number onto the lug. These minute but very meaningful details can often tell you whether the watch you are about to purchase is the real deal or a fake.
Feel the Weight
Luxury watches consist of quality and very precious materials, so things like platinum, gold, etc. are significantly heavier and more dense than other materials you are generally used to. Combining these materials with all the intricate and precise moving parts within the watch, you get a timepiece that is going to carry quite some weight. So if you notice a watch feeling particularly light when you pick it up, make sure to examine it thoroughly for the other signs we mentioned that it might not be authentic. See the weight as a sort of catalyst for closer examination, not the verdict. On its own, it’s not enough to tell whether it is fake or not, but rather a reason for closer inspection. You should bear in mind that some luxury watches have lightweight designs, while others might have lost some of their initial weight over numerous years of polishing, refurbishing, and other sorts of maintenance. Nevertheless, a genuine watch will still carry weight and feel more sturdy when compared to a fake one.
Smooth Movement
You should look for smooth movements when inspecting the watch. The movement basically refers to the overall mechanism that is used to power the timepiece and plays a very vital role in identifying and avoiding fake luxury watches, as it is practically impossible to replicate the smooth movement that real luxury watches are characterized by. This smooth movement also means that there is little to no ticking sound, so if you notice the watch you are inspecting ticking loudly, it is very likely a fake.
Spending your hard-earned money on a luxury watch that turns out to be nothing more than a regular watch is the last thing you want to do since these are purchases that only happen once in a person’s lifetime. When you are in the market for a luxury timepiece, you should be aware of some of the things you can do and some of the things to watch out for. The most obvious way to prevent this is to simply purchase from well-known and respected vendors; however, you should also be aware of some other things, such as small details, weight, and smooth movement.
