Experts ‘call time’ on fake watches

The British market is experiencing a surge in counterfeit watches, as buyers are unwittingly conned into purchasing phony goods - often for a heavy price tag.

Improved trickery behind today’s ‘knock off’ watches is making it increasingly difficult for people to spot a replica, but local experts and Trading Standards are warning that faulty fakes can be a costly mistake! 

Michael Spiers Jewellers, the South West’s premier watch and jewellery retailer, is seeing an increasing amount of people visit one of its four stores across the region with watches for repair. While some people are knowingly buying ‘replicas’, in many cases they make the purchase online or second hand and believe it to be the “real deal”, only to receive the crushing news that they own an unfixable, worthless counterfeit.

Watch Manager, Ben Franklin, explains: “One of the problems with a fake watch is that it’s unfixable once broken – reputable watch repairers won’t touch it and you can’t even get a battery replaced. Given that they are unlikely to last longer than a couple of years, any amount of money spent is a complete waste: it’s essentially a disposable item. That may be acceptable to someone spending a few pounds but when an individual has spent significant sums purchasing these watches online or second hand, they’re being completely conned by the seller.”

The problem has been recognised by the Trading Standards office and the council is working hard to protect people and businesses from phony goods. A spokesperson from Plymouth City Council’s Trading Standards said: “We receive intelligence from time to time about the supply of counterfeit watches and take steps to deal with the sellers.  We will continue to crack down on all fake products. Local businesses selling genuine goods suffer badly at the hands of counterfeiters and, on a wider scale, jobs manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors are also threatened by the sale of fake goods. They con consumers and are a deliberate attempt to trick people into buying inferior goods.”

Michael Spiers Jewellers’ Ben Franklin continues, “Counterfeit watches on today’s market are pretty accurate interpretations of the real McCoy and it is becoming a tricky task for a person with an untrained eye to spot a fake. Watches should be purchased as an investment to be enjoyed in your lifetime and can be passed through generations of a family. Buyers need to be vigilant; there are untrustworthy sellers flogging unreliable products, so don’t be fooled. The watch may seem to be of good quality at first, but a fake is cheaply made copy, unreliable and not a patch on the real thing.”

The company’s experts are now offering specialist advice to the public listing three simple assessments to conduct when purchasing a watch, which will improve the chances of a counterfeit being spotted before any cash is exchanged. Ben explains:

• Check the material and weight - The first thing to check is how the watch feels and looks on your wrist. Counterfeit watches are good, but they are never as good as the real thing and the material used will be cheaper and is likely to be lighter and look less polished.
• Analyse the movement - It takes years of careful engineering from experts in horology before the movement of a watch is perfected, so a counterfeit is unlikely to hold up when assessed closely. If the movement isn’t as smooth as you would expect it to be and looks a little rugged, then the chances are that it is a fake. Go with your gut instinct and don’t buy anything that you don’t think is working quite right.
• Study the markings, engravings and type face - The engravings on a real watch will be sharp, neat and the cut will look extremely professional. If you look at the engraving or type face and it looks jagged and untidy, then put the watch back down and walk away. Also be aware that gold watches will be hallmarked and if it isn’t you can be sure that it is a counterfeit.

Of course, this process can be bypassed by purchasing a watch from an authorised retailer of the brand in question… Enjoy the experience of buying a watch, it is a sizeable investment which will provide enjoyment for many years; let the start of this journey be in the luxurious setting of a jewellers not clicking on a mouse at home!