Counterfeit Watchers Discussion Forum

: Hi forumers,

: As I am about to purchase an Omega x-33 on
: ebay, I thought I'd do my homework and ask a
: few questioins here. First of all, is it
: easy forging an X-33? If yes, what signs do
: I have to watch out for when buying via the
: internet?
: All help appreciated!

: Thanks in advance, Benoit

Benoit
A good picture of both a genuine X-33 and the X-33 in question would help. I would look particularly at the hands, the numbers, the sharpness of the bezel and the buttons.

Search Google Images and look at the Omega website for pictures of the watch and its movement. It is particularly helpful if you can see the movement and the serial number: ask the seller for pictures of these – compare all photos with known genuine pictures.

Look on eBay and other auctions sites – what is the price of a secondhand X-33? Is the seller asking about the same price?

If it is new is the discount small or large? In the UK they are about £1900 (28,000 Euro.) A new one for, say, £1,000 would be suspicious.

I know little about the numbers of forgeries of X-33 or if there are any, so my advice is to look at the person who is selling it. 99% of web transactions are genuine but the following may help you find the other 1%.

Has he sold things of a similar value before?
Has he sold watches before?
If yes, what type and price of watch has he sold?
Has he a website?
If it is eBay, what is his feedback?
Beware of PO Boxes
Do a Google search on his name and address,
How long has he been in business
Does the seller have a public shop?
Does he respond quickly to emails? Long delays usually mean he is not very helpful once a watch has been purchased. Quick responses urging you to "buy it now because someone else is interested" or are a bad sign too.
Is the seller or the watch in a country that usually has these things for sale?
Does everything else make sense?

All the above is just advice – without seeing the watch in person, it may not be possible to tell anything.