Luxury Brand or a Fake?

Our appraisers will use a number of factors to determine if the watch is authentic or a fake. There are a lot of fake watches out there currently. Most high end watches will come with a certificate of authenticity, but in the absence of that we use a number of factors to determine the authenticity of the watch.

• If the watch is a mechanical watch, and the watch makes a ticking sound – it is a counterfeit.
• Materials – authentic watches use high end materials, we test the materials to make sure it is correct for the watch brand, good materials are heavier than the cheaper materials used in counterfeit watches
• Serial numbers should be available and can be authenticated.

• Movement: The movement is the heart of the watch! Depending on its typology, the number of jewels inside, the manufacturing location, whether it is handmade in house by the watch manufacturer or mass produced, there could be a big variance in cost. The most expensive movements are mechanical, quartz is used in few high end watches.
• Crystal: The crystal is the eye of the watch and through it you might see its soul! Crystals can be made of different materials, but only a few dominate the market today: plexi/acrylic glass, mineral glass and sapphire crystal. Sapphire Crystal is a signature of high end watches.
• Construction: The watch needs to feel solid and robust. The bracelet must fit perfectly the case lungs with no wiggle and same is valid for all other moving parts like the crown or the rotating bezel (if present).

• Finish: The devil is in the details and the finish of a watch is the detail! There are different kinds.
• Materials: Watches can be made or contain many different materials from plastic to gold, platinum, ceramic and other precious or exotic materials (e.g. carbon fibers or even moon fragments). No matter which material is used, the most expensive watches should always be constructed with the highest quality of that specific material.
• Complications: One key characteristic of the most expensive watches is that they tend to have the so called "complications" or "grand complications" when several features are combined together. Some complications improve watch accuracy is or make the movement more interesting while in operation (e.g. tourbillon escapements). Other common complications are perpetual calendars, rattrapante chronographs, sonneries, moon phases, 24 hour dials and multiple time zones.