October 2, 2013. I repair watches, luxury watches, of all major brands. I repair Rolex watches, Tag Heuer watches and pretty much every other major brand of Swiss- or luxury-watch out there. These are beautiful timepieces, works of art and also works of chronological sophistication and they are also objects of style.
Style, Watches, and New York City Watch Repair
Now, New York City in general and Manhattan in particular are centers of style and also centers of entrepreneurship. When style meets entrepreneurship in watches, we have the booming business of fake watches and how to spot fake watches. So I often get asked:
- How can I tell if a Rolex is fake?
- How can I spot a fake Rolex? A fake Tag Heuer? A fake Hamilton watch?
- This watch seems real, and it’s an amazing deal – is it possibly a fake luxury watch?
- I got this watch from my Dad (Grandfather, Grandmother), but it doesn’t look like a real Omega watch (Breitling watch, Zodiac watch) – how can I tell if this is a real Omega?
And on and on and on. Sometimes people bring watches into our shop to be repaired, and we have to tell them the bad news: this is a fake fill-in-the-blank watch. Or, sometimes they bring in a watch, and in fact it is a genuine Tag Heuer, or a genuine Rolex but the cost to fix it, using only the best parts as we do, and using the high quality craftsmanship that we do is expensive. Then they have some stick shock.
Some Tips, in General, on Spotting a Fake Watch
Over time, we are thinking of rolling out some nifty infographics of how to spot fake Rolex, Tag Heuer, fill-in-the-blank luxury watch, and I’ll get back to that issue watch-by-watch. But for now, here are some general tips to tell if the watch you are being offered is too good to be true.
- How to Spot a Fake Watch Tip #1: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many luxury watches are quite expensive, so if someone approaches you in Manhattan, or has a cheap store, but seems to have “amazing values” on watches like Rolexes, Tags, or Breitlings – guess what? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So use common sense here. If the price is ridiculously low, it’s probably a fake.
- How to Spot a Fake Watch Tip #2: Craftsmanship, craftsmanship, craftsmanship! Luxury watches, like the kind of watches I repair in my Manhattan watch repair shop, look and feel like quality. If the watch has cheap lettering, cheap-looking parts, or a fuzzy logo, there is a good chance it is a fake. Quality shows! Even a non-expert can spot the bad fakes.
- How to Spot a Fake Watch Tip #3: Trust your instincts. You may not know much about how to spot a fake watch, but we all have instincts about the persons we deal with. If they are pushy, and seem shady, and your instincts tell you something is just not right, then walk away. Your instincts will often indicate that a watch is fake, even if you don’t know much about luxury watches!
- How to Spot a Fake Watch Tip #4: Talk to an expert. If you are going to spend several thousand dollars on a Swiss luxury watch, make sure that you and the seller agree that you can have the watch inspected. Bring the watch into me, and I can render an opinion as to whether it is a fake Rolex, fake Tag Heuer, etc., or the genuine watch.
Specific Fake Watch Tips
Over time, we are planning to issue specific recommendations on specific watch families. Tips like facts that authentic Rado watches have screws with straight slots, or the fact that there are no real gold plated Rolex watches. Stay tuned, and if you have a watch that you’d like to know is it a real watch or a fake watch, bring it in. For a reasonable fee, I can not only inspect the watch, I can also evaluate it and do any necessary watch repairs. ~ Ron Gordon
About Ron Gordon Watch Repair
Ron Gordon Watch Repair is located at 280 Madison Ave, Ste. 510, New York, NY 10016. We provide watch repair services throughout New York City, Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, Downtown and the boroughs of New York, NY. Read our Google Places, Insider Pages, and City Search Reviews, online.