Expert tips for avoiding fakes when buying pre-owned watches

Whether you’re looking to flesh out your collection of classic timepieces or are just looking for the perfect piece of wrist-candy to complement a certain look, buying pre-owned watches opens you up to a much wider selection. It can offer unprecedented access to pieces that might seem unattainable, including limited editions, cult classics that have been discontinued or even bestsellers that are impossible to get hold of new, thanks to lengthy waiting lists.

But while buying pre-owned can be a great way to access hard to come by watches, you also don’t want to risk ending up with a replica Rolex, phoney Patek Philippe or counterfeit Cartier. Fortunately, there’s no need to worry: pre-owned watch specialist Watchfinder & Co. is on-hand to educate us on how to spot a fake – try out its quiz below to test your knowledge.

None of us like getting ripped off with knock-off designer products. Research conducted by Watchfinder & Co. has found that 35% of Brits have unwittingly bought a fake designer item and 36% of those bought that item preowned. Understandably, this had a real impact on customers’ confidence with a whopping 68% of those who got conned with counterfeit goods now avoiding the sector.

Clearly you don’t want to end up with a counterfeit watch when you’re expecting a legitimate luxury timepiece. But spotting them might not be as easy as you think. According to Watchfinder & Co.’s expert team of watchmakers this has become more of a challenge: Watchfinder’s dedicated authentication team have reported that, just five years’ ago, 80% of all fake watches would have been easy to spot at first glance and only 20% needed further investigation, this has flipped in recent years, with a whopping 80% of counterfeits now looking more like the genuine article than ever before. 

So how can you be sure you’re avoiding rip-offs? Fortunately, Watchfinder & Co. is here with expert guidance to help you sidestep sham products. 

Stay informed about the ever-changing world of fakes

Want to know what the telltale signs are that set an Omega apart from a No-mega? Then check out Watchfinder & Co.’s handy video guide, which is packed full of handy tips on spotting fakes.

One of the first giveaways is measurements. Naturally, they’re not going to be inches out but imprecise casting here and there can mean things are off by a fraction of a millimetre, enough for it to seem ever so slightly off. Another giveaway for the eagle-eyed is print quality: counterfeiters tend to cut corners on printing, so if you spot softer edges to the type on your watch face, this is another sign your Hublot’s not legit.

Sight isn’t the only tool for stopping yourself getting duped though. Try to get hands on with the watch: by touch you’ll be able to detect tiny flaws that your eyes may miss. Some subtle signs something’s amiss is if the watch seems lighter or heavier than you’d expect, if the clasp feels flimsy when you close it or whether the winding of the crown feels clunky and uneven.

Finally, make sure you do a side-by-side comparison. Even if you can’t compare them in the flesh, weighing up the differences between the listing photo and the manufacturer’s own imagery can show up subtle inaccuracies that set an authentic timepiece from a cheap imitation.

Look out for retailers with inspection and authentication processes

But perhaps the most important piece of advice is to make sure you’re buying from a trusted, reputable retailer. Now, this advice is all well and good. But how do you know for sure that a pre-owned specialist or marketplace has the appropriate checks in place to ensure the watches you’re buying are the real deal? The key is to only shop from sellers who check and authenticate every single watch as standard and can prove it’s done by accredited experts.

To give you peace of mind when purchasing pre-owned timepieces, Watchfinder & Co. has created the most comprehensive inspection and authentication process in the industry. With 60 distinct steps, they inspect and authenticate every watch before its made available to buy, meaning you can trust that the classic chronometers listed on its platform are the genuine article. And the team that carries out these checks is accredited by 19 different luxury watch brands, meaning you can be 100% confident they know what they’re doing.

So if you want to be sure you’re getting the real McCoy when buying that watch, head on over to Watchfinder & Co. for more expert advice. And if you’re worried about whether a luxury watch you already own is legit, you can pop into one of Watchfinder & Co.’s boutiques, where their experts will be more than happy to take a look.