How to Spot a Fake Watch

Whether you wear it for fashion or function, your watch will always be noticed –and you want it to be noticed for the right reasons. How can you tell if it’s authentic? Take a close look at it; does it look like a good quality watch? You can use a jeweller’s loupe to magnify the watch face in particular, and check for any imperfections. Look at the finish: is it clean-cut and polished? Look for the serial number – does it even have a serial number? Check the brand stamp, too: if it’s at all blurred or smudged, then it’s most likely a fake. The crown used to wind the watch should also be consistent with the quality of the rest of the watch, have a good finish and rotate smoothly. It will usually bear some kind of stamp.
 
The strap can give an indication of legitimacy although in some cases – especially if the goods are pre-owned – a worn or aged strap doesn’t necessarily affect value. Observe whether the watch is uniform: if the main body is gold, the screws that hold the back in place should also be gold. Upon purchasing it, check the condition of its packaging: if it’s still in the original box, with its protective coverings, this bodes well.
 
Shake it and see: hold the watch up to your ear and give it a shake. What you don’t want to hear is a rattle from the pieces moving inside – an expensive watch should be a sturdy watch, and nothing should move around in the case. Hold it still and out it to your ear again: you’re listening for the smoothness (or perhaps lack of smoothness) of the watch hand movements. A fake watch is probably powered by a cheap battery, which means the flow of the watch is going to be very distinctive: it will have a delayed tick, a step-by-step gradual kind of movement instead of a seamless, effortless one – and for the money you’re paying, seamless is really what you want.
 
Now you know how the watch looks and sounds, but how does it feel? If you’re meant to be getting a gold Rolex, be alert – the watch should have heft and weight to it, and you should know instantly when holding it in your hands whether it feels authentic or not.
 
One – admittedly risky – way to determine the quality of your watch is to dip it water: an expensive designer watch is made so that you should theoretically be able to fully submerge the watch in water, and it still come out intact and working fine. If you really want to be certain, though, take it to someone who can take the back off for you. It’s the only real way to know for sure.
 
Want to find out more about watches? Get in touch with the Prestige Pawnbrokers team today.