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Counterfeit Watchers ChronoTools Forum ChronoTrader Forum

Counterfeit Watchers Discussion Forum

A forum for identifying and avoiding wholly or partially non-authentic wristwatches -- including counterfeit, replica, Frankenwatches and other fake or bastardized pieces. Our objective here is to DISCOURAGE the sales and purchase of counterfeit wristwatch and jewelry products. It is also for helping people identify watches that are mostly authentic, but have been: altered for personal customization, repaired with inappropriate parts or modified to be passed off as more valuable pieces.

Including a photo of the piece you are talking about ALWAYS helps! You can learn how to post a photo here: How To Include Photos In Your Postings. 'For sale' postings, commercial solicitation and ads are not allowed. Links to Internet auctions are acceptable only if their purpose is to question the authenticity of a product or provide new clues for identifying counterfeit products. Links that appear to be 'shills' promoting the sale of counterfeit products will be deleted. Links to websites of sellers of counterfeit items are not permitted -- we know they are out there and do not need to be encouraging them by sending traffic to their sites. Privacy, additional policies and administrivia are covered in the Terms of Use.

Replicas: Why?
In Response To: Replicas: Why not? ()

: I've read this forum for a while and I haven't
: found a valid argument why a person should
: not buy a fake.

If you have any sound reasons FOR buying counterfeit watches, I'd like to hear them. As someone who has studied this for a while, I have never heard any good ones... only excuses why some people believe they deserve the perception of owning 'luxury' products without having to go to the effort and expense to buy the real things like the rest of us did.

Curiously, people who buy fakes seem to have a contradicting thought process. They act like it is 'only a name' when they choose a counterfeit product with a premium brand name on it. Counterfeit buyers seem to be ignorant of or ignore the real merits that make the genuine item far more valuable than the fakes--they just consider one watch to be about the same as any other. But they obviously consider the luxury name brand important enough that they are willing to accept items of highly dubious quality and origin just to get that brand name on them. So I am at a loss on how to interpret people's willingness to pay for counterfeit versions of 'the name'--especially when they have contempt for or ignorance of why the name is valuable--as anything other than wanting to cheaply impress themself and others.

Here's my thinking about what buying and wearing fake/counterfeit watches really says about the wearer:


  1. Poor Grasp of Value - Replicas are made to sell by looking like something far more valuable than they are. They are seldom made for quality, carry no warranty, are made from cheap parts and are usually not worth repairing. They are basically overpriced disposable products, so are a poor value for your money.

  2. Lack of Integrity - Those that choose cheap replicas to try to impress others that they have a real luxury watch are using falsehoods to represent themselves. So that makes people wonder what else about how you represent yourself is false.

  3. Weak Ethics - Choosing replica watches shows the world that you are willing to support unethical and illegal businesses--not giving a care about ethics and legalities involved if they get in the way of getting something that you want cheaply.

  4. Gullible - Especially where someone unknowingly buys a fake, they show themselves to be easily deceived and someone that throws caution to the winds trying to get a super deal on an expensive item.

  5. Isolated - Certainly there are no clubs for owners of fakes. No comraderie among fellow owners. No sharing of tips, tricks and performance issues. No assistance with operation, warranty or repair issues. Fake buyers are on their own with nobody to care, nobody to help and nobody to compliment or encourage them--except for the occasional person you might encounter that doesn't know enough about watches to realize you are trying to 'impress' them with a cheap counterfeit.

Current Position
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