Why You Should Not Buy From Replica Watch Sites

replica_header

 

It seems that online fake watch merchants have decided to spread their wings and expand their wares to include Seiko, Citizen and Casio watches. This subject actually surfaced in the Seiko & Citizen Watch Forum several times this year.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about replica Swiss watches. There’s a healthy market for them and people buy them as gifts, to try them out before deciding to buy the real thing, for safety reasons (they don’t want to wear their genuine Rolex Daytona going to unsafe places or events) or just for pure fun. Heck, someday I might get myself a replica Omega Speedmaster automatic just for kicks! 😉

I discovered that there are several replica watch sites have been advertising replica Seiko, Citizen and Casio products at prices that are similar or higher than genuine watches. They made it clear that the watches they’re selling are replicas (they’d prefer to avoid the word "fake" for obvious reasons) and have no qualms about it.

If you have already read my past article on spotting fake Seiko watches, you probably know a thing or two about differentiating bogus Seiko watches from authentic ones.

That’s not it. My actual concern is the fact that these sites are actually using stock catalog photos of genuine Seiko, Citizen and Casio timepieces. How do you know that these sites are selling authentic or knock-off Seiko watches? You don’t.

You won’t know until you’ve parted with your money, ordered the item, receive the package and open it up. Then it hits you like the proverbial brick wall and you get that sinking, stinking and sickly feeling deep in your guts. You scream bloody murder. "It’s a bloody toy watch!" 🙁

At least someone who replied to the thread mentioned that he ordered a Hamilton and a Citizen watch from one of these replica sellers. What he received was vastly different than what was depicted on the website. When he complained to the merchant, they replied something like "What you have ordered is similar to your request".

Um, yeah…that’s a very professional sounding reply indeed. Right.

He was pretty mad about it and I could imagine that he wrote his post in sheer anger. I felt sympathy for this poor bloke who was taken for a ride. He judged the products from the photos that were shown, not their description.

 

A closer look at the sellers

Who are these sellers? Well, I really don’t know. They could be small-time merchants who rely on "drop-ship" suppliers. In case you haven’t heard of drop-ship suppliers, these are mainly wholesalers or middle-men who will ship the product to the buyer. The merchant only takes in orders and processes them. For all you know, the seller may not even have handled the actual product in the first place.

In the absence of photographs of the replica watches (I doubt the suppliers will bother to take photos of them), their only recourse is to borrow pics of genuine catalog pics and upload them to their websites. They may get away with it as they have explicitly indicated that the stuff they’re selling are replicas (read: fakes).

I decided to take a cruise in cyberspace and look for such watch sales sites. I came across a few online sellers that peddled Seiko, Citizen and and Casio timepieces. The pictures of these watches looked to good to be true. I had to compare the photo of this seller’s watches with pics of known genuine Seikos to be doubly sure.

Just take a look at this screen capture below. Click on the thumbnail to see the picture in greater detail.

 

replicawatch1

 

Now, those are photos of actual late model Seiko watches depicted in the website. You can see a bevy of Sportura models lined up in the photo. Ironically the seller advertises them as “high quality fake watches”. How would you know in advance what you’ll receive exactly as pictured on the site?

The problem is that you won’t know for sure until that package arrives at your doorstep and you open it. 🙁

 

 

Too good to be true?

You know the common saying – “if something’s too good to be true, it usually is”. Well, that holds true for these replica watch sites. Case in point: The same seller advertises a replica Seiko Sportura SLQ021J Kinetic Chronograph watch for “an affordable price”.

Now, if case you didn’t know, the SLQ-series are one of Seiko’s flagship, limited edition Kinetic chronograph models. A true collector’s item,  powered by the hand made 9T82 movement and  fully assembled in Japan only by the most experienced and qualified technicians.

Here’s the thing: not one of these watches retail for less than USD2,500! (Gasp!)

 

Sportura_9T82 Sportura_9T82_back

Top: Not your everyday Seiko. The 9T82 Sportura Kinetic is regarded as a fine watch by collectors. Yes, this one’s genuine. 🙂

 

Now let’s take a look at that give-away price offer for that Seiko SLQ021! If you look at the price, it says a mere USD171. OK, fair enough it’s priced under two hundred clams. It’s a bogus Seiko Sportura anyway. But will it actually look exactly as pictured in the website?

 

 replica_slq

“Look, Maw! It looks just like the real thing for  just 171 bucks!” 

 

Now, high end and ultra-high end Seiko watches aren’t easy to copy to begin with. The Kinetic movement itself is a patented horological marvel from Seiko. Sure, replica makers could come up with the intricate molds and materials if they wanted to.

But they’re not likely to duplicate high end Seiko watches. Why not? Well, for one thing – there’s just no demand for fake high end Seikos. For starters, well-heeled consumers with money to burn would rather buy some big-name Swiss brand watch rather than an expensive Seiko.

Fake Swiss watches have a faster sales turnover and profit margins are much higher. Counterfeiters from the Far East would rather invest their time and money in copying the likes of Rolex, Cartier, Patek, Dunhill, Rado, Breitling and Omega…to name a few.

There’s no way a USD171 copy of a Seiko SLQ021J will end up looking exactly like the website shows. Not a chance.

Here’s yet another replica watch merchant and I looked at its "100% replica Casio watches".

 

replicawatch3

 

Now, I’ve seen fake Casio Pathfinder and Triple-Sensor watches before in person. They’re likely to be cheap imports brought in from China.

They almost look identical to the real ones but have nowhere the build quality of the genuine products. Neither do they have the altimeter, barometer, digital compass functions associated with these complicated watches.

You’re certainly forgiven if you look at the Sea Pathfinder model in the above screenshot and proclaim it looks like the real thing. In fact, it is a genuine Pathfinder. The million-dollar question is, will you get the watch as portrayed in the website?

 

Will the real Citizen 20th Anniversary Aqualand stand up?

Now this issue is pretty intriguing. Following the thread that first appeared in the SCWF, I checked out this photo of a Citizen JV0030 20th Anniversary diver from a replica watch site and emailed Sir Les, who is an expert with Citizen Aqualand divers and incidentally, owns one as well.

I’ve even played around with the Citizen JV0030 at a watch store last year, wondering whether I should get one (it’s a pretty big watch!) for myself. It’s an excellent diver’s watch in its own right, with world time, EL backlight, chronograph, blue lume and a depth gauge to boot.

 

 

citizen-JV0030-01E_replica JV0030-01E_princeton

A JV0030 Aqualand sold by a replica seller (left) and the same model advertised by a reputable merchant (right)

 

If you examine both photos, you’ll see that there are no differences. Of course there are none! That’s because the replica seller is using the same catalog photo from Citizen. The problem is that the customer wouldn’t know if the item that he’ll be receiving will be identical to the JV0030 in the photo.

Now, are you willing to risk buying from a replica seller?

 

Yeah, we take Western Union payments too!

To facilitate payments for replica watches, some of these replica watch vendors also offer payments by Western Unions, bank wire transfers and international money orders. Hey wait, there’s more! If you pay by Western Union, they’ll throw a 30% discount over the advertised price too!

Now, what sort of reputable merchant takes Western Union payments in the first place? Western Union is a well known remittance service like bank wire transfer. People usually use services like Western Union and MoneyGram to send monies to their friends and loved ones across the world.

However, when a seller also accepts Western Union as a mode of payment and gives incentives, something is amiss here. Western Union is not like PayPal, which keeps records of the sales transaction and provides protection for the buyer.

 

western_union (WinCE)

Above: A typical Western Union agent outlet in Europe

 

Western Union takes your money, charges the sender a fee for it (that means you) and processes the remittance. The beneficiary (that’s the merchant) receives the money and you’ll have to trust the seller to deliver as promised.

It’s not Western Union’s practice to keep track of the transaction that the money is to be used for – and once you have remitted the funds, there’s no turning back. Once the seller has your money, he’s not likely to refund you for your case of buyer’s remorse. 🙁

At least with credit cards and PayPal you can always initiate a complaint and a charge back if you felt that you’ve been cheated.

So, be wary of online watch sellers who take Western Union payments and give you discounts on top of things.

 

 

Knowledge is always your best defense

I’ve received quite a few emails from people asking me to have a look at an item on eBay or an online seller. They want to know if the watch that they’ve just bought or are considering to purchase is a genuine one.

I’ve more happy to oblige with answers if I know enough about the seller and the watch that they’re referring to. In all my replies I tell them to do some research on their end. Learn how to tell the difference between reputable online dealers and the flaky ones.

Knowledge is still your best asset and defense. It’s free and will save you from a heartache later on. 🙂

 

Note: This article is a reprint and re-edited from my previous article titled “It’s A Bloody Toy Watch!”, last April 2008.

 

 

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Comments

I never buy fakes. This article is interesting research into the fake market that I have never given a second thought before.

Funny thing is, I had a rather dim view of Seikos before reading your witty & glowing reviews that propelled me to buy one just recently. Cheap doesn’t always equate with low quality.

I wouldnt have thought that Seikos would be sought after as replicas as opposed to the swiss made watches. I can understand why people wanna get fake Tags or Rolexes coz I used to collect genuine Tags (have about 5 genuine Tags in my collection well as a Sea Dweller and my dad’s 1973 Rolex GMT) before reading up on your Seiko collections.

Heck, just by reading up on the Marine Master, many say that make for make wise, The Marine Master is of better quality.

However, I think it is the romance of the Seiko divers and the Seiko watch history as put forth in many Seiko articles that make people appreciate Seikos and draw the economically challenged to look for fakes due to their mainstream appeal.

Hi there,

Good to know that you don’t buy fakes. Everyone has his/her reason for owning one, but I’d rather wear a humble original Orient than a fake Rolex Submariner.

I would never buy a TAG Heuer because I would not be getting my money’s worth from it. TAG is a slick, excellent marketing firm but it does not manufacture watches. There’s no such thing as a TAG Heuer factory. I’ve been told by a watch collecting expert that TAG outsources to the lowest bidder under the ETA umbrella.

I would rather buy an Oris, Fortis, Sinn or a Ball watch if I want to try a Swiss watch but never a TAG. With a TAG, you’re paying for their marketing costs and celebrity endorsements rather than the watch itself.

If you look at some TAG quartz chrono watches, you’ll see that the subdial layout is identical to a Tissot PRS200 or even a cheap Swatch chronograph. Same movement but each priced differently.

TAG Heuer often uses the same movement (e.g. the Valjoux 7750 chronograph) as with its cheaper branded counterparts, e.g. Tissot. Only that with Tissot you pay a lot less.

Many who have become Seiko converts feel that they get a lot of watch for the money paid, whether it is a high end Credor or a humble Seiko 5.

If TAG made something similar to the 8L35 powered SBDX001 Seiko Marine Master, its asking price would be at least twice that of the Seiko’s.

Just my two cents’ worth. 🙂

Here’s another site with 144 PAGES of Seiko fakes:
www.watchesprice.net/Seiko-Watches.html

Very disturbing…

I just noticed something on that fake watch site I linked to above. They offer a 30% discount if you pay with Western Union, claiming it is “cheaper for them”. What a bunch of scumbags. They know that if you pay that way, you’ll have absolutely no recourse when your piece of crap arrives in the mail. Those sites need to be shut down!

Hi Jeff,

Yes, I noticed that too. The seller doesn’t accept PayPal because he/she knows that buyer complaints will mean quick chargebacks by PayPal.

The so-called 30% discount by Western Union payments is too good to be true. Firstly, like you mentioned it’s a suicide purchase with no recourse for reimbursements.

Secondly, 20% is usually the average profit margin for genuine watch sellers. No seller in his/her right mind will give thirty percent discount for a certain payment channel.

Thirdly, very seldom you’ll find reputable sellers accepting Western Union or direct bank transfer/wire as payment. Purchases made through this way is based on pure trust. Trust has to be earned. It cannot be simply advertised.

Online merchants with a good sales volume may apply as Internet credit card merchants if they qualify the requrements (e.g. their chargeback rates are very low, they meet a minimum monthly sales quota, etc)

Although PayPal fees are higher compared to Internet credit card merchant fees, PayPal is the still most preferred method of paying as it instills public confidence.

Quartzimodo.

Hello, Quartzimodo! I’m amazed by this page! Very, very informative for us, watch collectors.
Your article regarding replica watches made me tremble inside for a bit. It always puzzled me how the hell internet onlines webstores can reach pretty small prices – a lot of times under 50% MRSP prices – and still make a profit from the sellings. Then, reading your article, the final question is: would these wholesalers be getting their watches for sale at replica manufacturers?

You mentioned 2 CITIZEN cases….interesting enough, both the models you mentioned are my all-time favorites, together with the ECOZILLA.
So here’s where I’ll ask for your help. I bought the 3 E-210 models, the Aqualand 20th anniversary and my 2 beloved ecozillas 300m (bracelet and rubber) at JOMASHOP.COM (world famous internet wholesaler N.Y. based).
Their prices are the smallest ones that I have ever come about on the net. No competition with them.

WOULD THERE BE A “SLIGHTLY” RISK OF MY BELOVED CITIZEN WATCHES PURCHASED AT JOMASHOP BEING FAKE ONES (OR BETTER SAYING ‘REPLICA’, TO BE P.C. )??

How can jomashop practice such small prices selling the real deal and STILL make a profit from their sells??

Please, as soon as you can, I’ll ask you to adress my enquire.
Thanks, and keep up the great work!

CHRIS

Hi Chris,

My article was about dubious replica watch sellers who use stock photos of original Seiko, Citizen and Casio watches. This is a gross misrepresentation of the products that they peddle.

A total newbie would look at the pics and think, “If it looks 100% like the real thing, I might as well get a replica!” Now, that is where the real problem is. The watch that you actually get may hardly resemble the one as advertised.

Truth be told, no replica manufacturer would go to great lengths to duplicate a Seiko, Citizen, Orient or Casio timepiece. It’s not worth their effort and costs. Swiss watches are another matter because demand for fake Swiss watches are not only high, they are extremely profitable.

That is why you can find really high grade copies of e.g. a Rolex Daytona chronograph whereas fake Japanese watches are often feeble attempts.

Jomashop.com is NOT a replica watch seller. They are a wholesaler who are able to source authentic watches at low prices. Wholesalers depend heavily on bulk sales, unlike retail outlets.

MRSP price tag is just a hypothetical figure but what matters most is the street price, which is the actual price that you’ll pay.

If I were an online seller, I can advertise e.g. a Citizen Promaster AV0030 for USD700 if I wanted to, and offer you a “discount” to USD245. If you’re a total newbie and clueless with watches, you’ll definitely be amazed at the generous discount (that would be a 65% reduction) and think it’s an unheard-of-deal. 😉

The street price for the Citizen should actually between USD230 to USD300 and even that, I would have made a profit margin around 20%-30%, depending on my cost.

To answer your question, there is absolutely NO risk of any of your watches being fake Citizens. None at all.

I wouldn’t say Jomashop.com has the lowest prices in the world (you can get better bargains from eBay sellers from SE Asia if you win a low winning bid) but to Jomashop’s credit, they do offer additional in-store warranty which is a rare practice.

Warranties are not exactly free – they cost money and are included in the the price of the watch. Think of warranties as “insurance”.

Again, I would like to iterate that my article wasn’t directed at legitimate and reputable merchants like Jomashop.com. I wrote it as a cautionary message against buying from replica sellers. Most of these vendors are based in the Far East and I suspect they most of them are from China.

Hope this helps. 🙂

Quartzimodo.

Hi Quartzimodo,

Great article on the practice of selling replica watches. I have one replica that I bought while on holiday in Hong Kong, but that was part of walking through the street markets. I would rather have the genuine article Orients, Seikos and Citizens. If I want a watch with a Chinese movement I will buy either a Seagull or an Alpha..

Regards

Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your comments. It’s one thing to knowingly buy a replica watch for fun, but it’s another to sell fakes online using photos of genuine watches to fool unwitting customers.

That said, it’s a matter of time before these people advertise replica Orient Star watches. lol.. 🙂

cheers,

Quartzimodo.

Quartzimodo,

The fake Orients are already out there, although some of them seem to be using some genuine Orient parts in their makeup – sort of frankenOrients.. I have seen some from Thailand that have what look to me to be fake dials.. They are being sold as NOS watches.. at least they are using pictures of the actual watches.. I could of course be mistaken and the dials may just be seconds.. the thing that looks wrong is the quality of the Orient crest.

Cheers

Tony

i like omega watches,but is really too expensive for a students. maybe i can get a fake one,but it must most like the real one.where do i find ???

Actually I don’t endorse buying replica or counterfeit watches. In most cases you won’t get after sales service or a warranty for fake watches. 😉

Check out some of the replica watch forums (if there are any) for the best sources to buy from.

Quartzimodo Admin.

Please sirs,

My wife bought a Citizen Watch Eco Drive Pro Master Watch BJ200-09E (Model Number). She claims she got this watch for only 250 USD from a store in Hongkong. I find this rather unbelievable considering (I think) that this watch is somewhere at the higher end?.

Can you please help me spot the fake from the original. My watch came with just the watch no box, no nothin.

thank you very much sir

I purchased a Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay many years ago (sma003). I recently purchased another one ebay (sma011).

The sma011 has a blue sticker over the caseback with information written on the sticker rather than engraved into the caseback like the sma003.

Is this modern cost saving by Seiko?

thx!

Hi Peter,

It is normal for Seiko to place the blue sticker over the caseback to protect it in storage. Some people prefer to leave it on the caseback (until it peels off by itself) or remove it immediately for hygienic reasons. As far as I know, that piece of plastic doesn’t come with text printed on it (except for certain Japan market models, written in Japanese).

The SMA003 and SMA011 have different caseback numbers although both share the same 5J22 Kinetic Auto Relay movement. I am familiar with neither models, but your SMA011 should have engraved inscriptions on the caseback, denoting the words “SEIKO”, the serial numbers, the country of production, the movement and caseback types, the water resistance indications plus additional case type codes. No Seiko watch, no matter how “plain” the caseback is, should not have inscription-less casebacks.

Seiko may cut costs in certain models by opting for a plain, non-decorative caseback, but not to the extent of omitting the engraved information relating to the watch. And certainly not by printing them on the blue sticker. If you suspect the authenticity of your watch, please email me via the contact form.

hope this helps,

Quartzimodo

Hello there!

[Comments edited for readability – QA]

Your article is well done I have a same issues with Longines Clous De Paris Mens Watch L2.704.4.16.3 His original price is approx. $2250 and the AAA Luxury Watches sells this watch at $187 plus shipping fees. At least they are operating with a Paypal account. I sent a request and I’m waiting for it at my risk. It’s doesn’t bother me if it’s a fake and I hope that this fake would be good “replica” Please send me e-mail if you know something about this replica web site seller

Hi Kodja,

I am a firm believer of the saying “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is”. If the original costs more than $2000, you can’t expect a sub-$200 fake to be the best of the bunch.

I don’t buy replica watches of any brand as I feel it’s a total waste of money. Replica watches come with so many grades and you won’t know what you’re getting until you receive the watch. High quality replicas usually cost several hundred dollars as the counterfeit manufacturer puts in better quality material and workmanship into the watch.

All the best with the replica Longines! 🙂

Quartzimodo

This has got me scratching my head! I bought a nice Citizen Eco-Drive from jomshop, with no complaint excepting the crystal is already REALLY scratched after a short time. Any way it could be something else? This is scary, since I had a list of other watches (well, only 2 or 3) including a Rolex Sub. or deep sea dweller (I had good luck with a new air king Rolex,1973, cleaned up x2 over 30 yrs, and dive/swim lots). What is one to do in order to stay safe??? I was told that Rolex now requires a “tune up” q 2 or 3 years for $200-$300, even with the watch working. Any thoughts out there (I’d love 1) a bomb-proof small dive watch for me 2) small “nicer” dive + watch for my wife. Now I’m afraid of Tag and Tissot too, even if originals! Now what & where??? THANKS rlhmd

Hi rlhmd,

I can’t comment on why the crystal of your watch scratches easily as Citizen may be using cheaper glass material for its low end models. You didn’t furnish the model number either, therefore I don’t know which Eco Drive model you have.

As for your vintage Rolex watches, Rolex service centers have a common policy to insist on an expensive service package. It doesn’t matter whether you have a late model Sea Dweller or a vintage one…it’s a Rolex! I’m not sure what you meant by “staying safe”, but common sense should prevail. If you value your vintage Rolex watches, don’t subject them to water immersion or rough use.

I have a couple of vintage Seiko watches and they’re hard to replace if damaged. Seiko no longer makes the internal spare parts therefore I exercise caution with such watches. Even with my 6105 and 6309 divers, I never get them wet – let alone swim with them.

Quartzimodo.

hey
please just tell me i want to buy rolex replica watch
it is very cheap and i am from india so should i trust on this site????

should i will get my watch after paying ??????
or it is fake please tell me?????

i am student

so please reply me…..

Write well, support you to move on and look forward to your next

article…

hi quatzimodo,

thank you for the article….

I was looking to buy a chopard mille miglia gt xl(titanium limited edition, gray dial), what are your thought on that watch? i dont really feel confortable unloading 5k to jomashop, is it the real deal!?

Hi watchmaniac99,

Jomashop is NOT a replica watch seller and they have made it clear in their website, plus advertising their authenticity guarantee. Neither it is an authorized dealer (think “grey market”) and thus the standard international warranty does not apply. To be fair to the customer, Jomashop provides its in-house warranty but I don’t know if their level of service/repairs match that of Chopard’s own technicians. This is something that you have to take into account as you’re splurging five grand into a watch.

When in doubt, seek information from people who have actually purchased high end Swiss watches from Jomashop. Look for watch forums dedicated to Swiss brands, post your concerns there and the members should be able to shed some insight.

I think the Mille Miglia GT XL is a nice looking timepiece with a high beat automatic movement but I’m not familiar with Chopard watches. BTW, if you’re looking for high quality, high beat automatic chronograph watches, Seiko also makes them for a fraction of the Miglia GT XL’s price, sold under the Brightz Phoenix range. Seiko’s excellent 6s28 and 6s37 28,800bph movements are highly regarded by serious Seiko collectors. 🙂

hope this helps,
Quartzimodo

I purchased a watch for almost $400 from www.swissreplica.us.

I received the watch only to find I was sent a men’s watch and a damaged one at that.

I attempted to contact the company by email 2 days later (May 30) reporting the issues with the product. In this email, I provided them with pictures of the watch and asked for a replacement.

Again, I sent emails on the 30th, 31st of May and again, June 1st. I received a response from them June 1st and then absolutely nothing after that. I finally wrote again on August 24th and to date, no response. I called the customer service number, left a message and still, no one has gotten back to me.

I have never had the opportunity to even wear this watch I spent almost $400 for.

This company is a rip off. I urge you to NEVER deal with them. I am a professional person who, ironically, deals in the field of ethics. Trust me, not them. I am out $400 and still have NO watch to wear. Help put this company out of business.

>:(

Hi Brigitte,

Thank you for sharing with us your tale of misfortune with a replica watch seller. I looked at the website and ironically, it advertises as selling “genuine Swiss made replicas”. Now that’s one heck of a paradox. Does that mean there are non-genuine replica watches?
I’m not sure about the laws in Canada, where I assume where you’re from. If you have a Better Business Bureau in your country like in the U.S., you might want to file a complaint and explore ways of getting your money back. Selling fake watches is one thing; sending you the wrong item is another matter.

all the best,
Quartzimodo

I wrote your writting,

Im from Istanbul, I hesitated about buying replica watch for a long time.especially from abroad websites in internet.

When ? visited to Nisantas? in Istanbul ? went to rolex watchstore. I really like rolex deepsea.

I tried to buy a rolex deepsea replica from [URL deleted] a couple of weeks ago. The watch delivered to me about two week later. I was surprised. This is really really really good. Its the same as original. Noone can understand that its replica.

I recommend [URL deleted]. good customer comminication and good rolex deepsea

Ps.I just buy rolexdeepsea from this site. I dont know anything about the other watches.

Here’s a thought. If people are paying good money for replica watches, shouldn’t they be paying the sellers with replica money too? “Here’s five hundred bucks for that replica Omega Planet Ocean. My notes look just like the real thing, except they’re not real money. After all, I’m not buying a real Omega but a fake one. Why should I pay you with genuine money?” 🙂

Quartzimodo Admin

Hi Quartzimodo:
Thanks for your very enjoyable article. Could I mention
something of interest to your readers. I look at this
replica thing slightly differently. It is a matter of
degrees, from high to low in this scale:
1. The real watch, weather it is Rolex or Seiko etc. There
is a certain scale of hype here, from a lot to less.
2. The homage watch. Made by well known maker.
3. The Replica watch. The maker says it is a “replica”
Comes in various degrees of quality.
4. The “Fake” watch. Usually extremely poor in the
interior of the watch. The chromed watch is plastic inside.
Usually the price charged is corresponding to the
scale above.

Hi Paul,

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I wouldn’t include the “real watch” in your list, as it’s crystal clear as what is considered “original” and what is not. Homage watches are legally manufactured timepieces as they’re made by legal manufacturers (including Seiko itself), only that they have design influences from other watches. The Seiko SKX031K “Submariner’ and the Orient 2ER00001B automatic are clear examples of a homage Rolex Submariner watch.

Replicas and fake watches go along the same vein, although replica watches are targeted at people who knowingly buy ones that are not the real thing. Fake watches are usually made to deceive buyers into thinking that they are originals. From the original manufacturer’s point of view, the both replica and fake watch industries are neither sanctioned by it (the brand holder), nor are they licensed to copy their designs.

best regards,
Quartzimodo

Hi there,

i’m just wondering, what are these “unsafe places” that makes people change their genuine Rolexes to fakes when going there? And who are these people owning a 10000$ watch and going to these unsafe places with a fake on their wrist??? It sounds really weird.
It really makes me smile when some cheapa$$ looking guy, driving a 20y.o. rusty car and wearing “phong-yung-junk” branded jeans is wearing Rolex. he is proud, that noone can tell its fake. But it even can be genuine watch – everybody will believe its fake. on the other hand there are a plenty of people you’ll never think they can even mess with replicas, but they really do, and you hardly will ever bother yourself by thinking that the guys watch may be not a genuine one… so take a minute to think before buying a replica. or original watch. if it doesnt match your general appearance, you might be just wasting your money…

Hi XPEH,

You have a good point there, but I can’t speak for everybody. There are owners who love their Rolex watches but in the interest of their personal safety (and their watches), wear fakes to places where they wouldn’t risk their original ones. They wouldn’t want to wear any other (cheap) watch either, so they would wear fakes instead. Some people are curious as to how close a replica can get to their real ones. Then again, there are those who have a fetish for high quality replicas and actually collect them. If they totaled up their purchases, they could have bought the original thing.

Sometime back in the 1990s, there had been a few incidents in Kuala Lumpur where an infamous “Rolex Gang” preyed on rich customers having their meals at outdoor restaurants. These robbers were armed with knives and machetes and one victim who refused to surrender his beloved Rolex and put up a fight, actually got his hand chopped off. You wouldn’t be resisting a robbery attempt like he did, unless you know that watch is extremely valuable.

Please do not buy watches at www.watchsaleout.pl, ordered two – the first is completely different than I ordered, the other looks like a toy for children, total rubbish. Mail correspondence did not help, did not allow me to exchange the product. Ordinary fraud.

Those guys here stole literally money from me. Bought a $195 watch and got a DOD.Sent it back,after they said is not their problem(watch arrived DOD), paid insured tracked shipping($63), and 4 months later I stil havent heard from them.They used to answer within maximum 3 hours my mail when I was asking questions about buying the watch !! SCAM ! Big SCAM ! Be aware or replicawacthes.us.com

Hi Nicholas,

I’m sorry to hear about your bad purchase. Unfortunately these are the risks that you’ll have to chance when buying from online replica watch sites. Some are good while others are dodgy at their best. I’m not sure if you can return the watch and get your money back, but you can air your grievances at consumer complaint websites such as Ripoff Report. You don’t need to use your real name; you can remain anonymous if you want to. Be very specific about the whole transaction if you choose to write a complaint – don’t exaggerate or make up false facts.

You may not get your money back, but at least you can get back at the seller for cheating you. 🙂

best regards,
Quartzimodo

Great article! Thanks for writing it and for sharing it with the world.

Buying fakes to try and pass them off as the real thing is a bit like having plastic surgery, isn’t it? You show the world that you look better than you really do… and nobody will ever know the difference unless you tell them.

For the most part, however, I think the merchants are just trying to make a quick buck… and are probably not involved in criminal activities… all for a quick buck.

As a former jeweler I find the quality that xxxxxxx.ru has been selling is simply amazing! I tried to buy one from them and was surprised because the Rolex Air King that I got has all the precise features and superior points on it. The crystal is made of Sapphire glass, which is scratch resistant in itself. It also comes with stainless steel case and highly automatic Japanese movement that is very constant and keeps a good time. I have this for 6 months now. I wear it daily and still the watch looks brand new which doesn’t faded away and it’s also waterproof. This is the best US$128 I’ve ever spent, really worth buying for!

Hi Perry,

Thanks for the comments. I originally wrote this article with the aim to educate consumers that some replica Seiko watches have found its way into the market. People who buy replica Swiss watches know that they’re not buying the original watch because the real thing usually costs at least 10 times over.

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