Fake watches are searched for on the internet in 15–30% of cases. The fake watch business is said to cost the Swiss watch industry billions of dollars annually, prompting efforts to seize and burn phony watches in eye-catching ‘demonstrative’ fashion. One of my favorite incidents occurred in 2010, when 7,000 fake Rolex watches were steamrolled in front of press cameras, resulting in a six-month jail sentence for the perpetrator. This kind of treatment isn’t usually used to counterfeit goods, and in actuality, the worried watch manufacturers who were collaborating with customs officers were the ones who requested this theatrical presentation. To what extent are fake watches problematic, and can they truly be used in place of authentic ones?
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The Emotions of the Watch Industry
The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), an association of upscale Swiss watch companies, launched a public relations campaign a few years ago with the slogan “Fake Watches Are For Fake People.” Although I don’t think the message really connected with an English-speaking audience, it did demonstrate that they were making a concerted attempt to get consumers to purchase the genuine product. A few years ago, I attended a dinner where the CEO of a well-known Swiss watch business gave a speech to a big crowd and stated that the company’s annual success was determined by how many fake watches bearing their name had been intercepted at the Swiss border. It seems that a brand’s popularity increases with the amount of fakes produced. It was a clear indication of a playful approach to the problem. Why didn’t he show greater concern?
How Serious Is The Issue?
In important markets, the luxury business collaborates closely with customs officers and contributes significantly to the effective recovery of counterfeit products. Nonetheless, a large number still reach the market. It is simply too challenging to capture them all. The watch business is increasing the amount of money it spends on global marketing, which raises consumer knowledge of and demand for its products. That being said, luxury products are by definition exclusive and may cost more than the majority of people can afford.
The market for products that are out of most peoples’ price range naturally grew into the replica watch business. Since money was one of the first objects to be counterfeited, it has been that way for countless years. People who want to exhibit the same status markers as others who can afford “the real thing” but cannot afford it might have their ambitions fulfilled by fake watches.
In big cities like New York, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, you may identify “fake districts” by walking along particular avenues where people are trying to find fake watches and sunglasses. When purchasing a watch from a reputable store or retailer, many consumers appear to be concerned that they may possibly end up with a fake one. There is an extremely low chance of this. Where you would expect to discover a fake watch is where you will find fake watches. Replica timepieces that are offered through more reliable channels are not very common. You anticipate a $200 watch you purchase from a street vendor to be a fake. A watch is legitimate if you get it for a price that is within a few hundred dollars of retail from a reputable looking vendor.
The Market for Gray Hair
Sometimes people think that the “gray market” only deals with phony timepieces. This is incorrect. Genuine timepieces sold outside of an authorized dealer are known as gray market watches. They may be pre-owned timepieces or timepieces transferred from one approved merchant to another. Gray market timepieces aren’t fake; they might not always be in “brand new condition” (though most are), and you won’t receive a factory guarantee. Because it is between the black (fake) and white (approved) markets, it is known as the gray market. As I mentioned before, gray market sellers are almost never engaged in the buying or selling of fake timepieces.
Why Is It Illegal to Own a Fake Watch?
It is true that a lot of individuals are unaware of the reasons behind or the legality of fake watches. The issue with the FHH’s “Fake Watches Are For Fake People” campaign is that it completely misrepresents the issues surrounding fake watches. Because fake watches are illegal and typically of low quality, buying one is a bad idea.
Surprisingly, watch manufacturers’ designs are not protected by copyright. I won’t go into a lengthy debate on intellectual property, but the problem is that, although designs are protected, “functional” items should be covered by patent law rather than copyright. Older patent applications have either expired or there is so much brand piracy that nothing is truly “original” anymore. However, companies are able to defend their name and emblem. They are protected by trademarks and are not permissible to lawfully copy. Therefore, the true act of fakes is the unauthorized replication of a name, logo, and other trademarked components intended to identify the manufacturer of the watch.
Remarkably, there are a lot of parts on every particular watch that are legally replicable. For this reason, even reputable businesses frequently find themselves “flattering” each other by stealing design cues.
Homage vs Replica
A legitimate replica watch exists; it’s referred to as a “homage.” There are several tiny online forums and groups devoted to creating, evaluating, and talking about tribute watches. These watches are made to resemble vintage clocks as much as possible, but they don’t replicate the protected names and emblems. While some collectors adore them, others find them to be unethical since they resemble fakes too much. They are, nonetheless, quite lawful. Rolex and Panerai are two brands that are frequently the subject of “homages,” with vintage diving, military, and aviation watches being the most frequently “homaged.” The advantage of tribute watches is that they are often made with far higher quality materials than replicas. This is a result of their attempts to be a contemporary rendition of something that is too hard or impossible to obtain, rather than an inexpensive substitute for the original.
How Frequently Are They?
Many customers who are unfamiliar with timepieces sometimes worry that they could unintentionally buy an imitation watch. When you’re not explicitly seeking for a watch, how likely are you to obtain a fake one? To begin with, there are a lot of websites selling fake watches. Since most of these websites are based in Asia, which is the region where fake watches are manufactured, it is apparent that they are selling imitation watches. No matter how sleazy they may seem, the majority of persons who sell phony items are really extremely upfront about the fact that their products are false. Why? due to the fact that they serve those who are searching for fakes.
If you search for fake watches, you may easily locate them. There is growing pressure on search engines to penalize or devalue websites that sell counterfeit timepieces in favor of reputable sellers. Personally, I’ve noticed a nice decrease in the quantity of spam emails I’ve gotten attempting to sell me phony watches (which were, once again, clearly identified as such). Again, the bigger worry isn’t the sheer quantity of fakes available; rather, it’s the unaware buyer unintentionally purchasing one.
Fake watches used to be all over eBay, but that is no longer the case. Though they are less popular now, fake watches may occasionally be seen in eBay auction listings pretending to be the real thing. As I indicated before, you almost never discover fake watches offered by authorized watch sellers. These days, the only way you may unintentionally purchase a fake watch is if you deal with a private seller who states that they “do not know whether a watch is real or not.” It is frequently a sign of fakery. Thus, while it’s still a good idea to err on the side of caution, the majority of fake wristwear is worn by those who are aware that it’s a fake.
Are Fake Watches Any Good?
The debate about whether or not fakes are a good substitute for the genuine thing—aside from any potential legal ramifications, of course—is, in my opinion, the most crucial topic in the whole piece. Almost everyone agrees that they are a very bad substitute for the genuine thing. Suppose you are unable to purchase the $200,000 Ferrari you truly desire. Okay, that’s true for most individuals. The style, the performance, and that delicious engine growl are what make it desirable. For twenty thousand dollars, a man approaches you and tries to sell you a “replica Ferrari just as good as the real thing.” You’re curious now. Even though $20,000 is a lot of money, it seems like a little thing to pay to be able to show off your Ferrari to everyone and have a vehicle that performs like one.
When you initially obtain your “Fauxrrari,” you discover that it has a small engine that constantly stalls and generates black smoke. Next, you discover that a week after purchase, the paint starts to fade. Then you start to see how much of the exterior and interior are of really low quality—far worse than that of a normal $20,000 automobile. You quickly come to the conclusion that your pretend automobile is awful and that any fun you had with it during the first few hours of ownership has been more than offset by the fact that it is a complete piece of junk. That is essentially how most people who possess phony watches behave. In terms of quality, they simply aren’t quite as nice as the actual thing.
As a watch writer, I’ve had the good fortune to work with thousands upon thousands of watches and have visited several watch manufacturers. I haven’t seen a fake yet that fooled me, and if there is one out there, I could tell it was a fake right away just by observing the movement within. In actuality, a lot of fake watches aren’t even exact replicas of authentic timepieces manufactured by the companies they imitate. Major brand names like Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe, and Cartier are frequently used by replica watch manufacturers on hideous, shamefully awful Frankenstein timepieces. They really are the worst of them.
