If you want to own a top-notch timepiece, you may spend around $9716 USD. This is the average price of all new and used Rolexes sold to consumers, so expect this retailer and other luxury watch brands to be selling quality timepieces at this cost.
Quality watches are a statement of class and taste in addition to being functional. That’s why you’ll need to know how to spot a real luxury piece vs. a department store dud. Read on for more information on what sets luxury watches apart and how you can make sure you aren’t buying a fake.
How to Spot Real Luxury Watch Brands
Quality watches have many factors in common with one another regardless of brand. However, these aspects set them apart from everyday watches that you might buy at a department store. When purchasing a luxury product, you can expect fine craftsmanship, beauty, and durability.
Materials
Many watches that you get from non-luxury vendors are made with low-quality materials. The best of these watches are made from aluminum or plastic. Unfortunately, others are made from a rather disgusting combination of melted-down scrap metal, which is unappealing since wearers have no way of knowing what’s in their watches.
On the other hand, luxury watches are made from fine metals such as steel, gold, and platinum. Brass is also corporate in many metal casings, as are titanium/steel alloys for strength. Combined with a face made from quartz or durable high-class glass, you have a durable watch that can last a lifetime.
Movement
There are three types of movement that watchmakers use: Quartz, mechanical, and automatic. Quartz movements create a ticking motion but only involve 2 parts: a piece of quartz and (shudder) a battery. They’re used in lower-quality watches that you might buy at a department store or chain manufacturer.
Mechanical and automatic watches are for serious shoppers. A mechanical watch is driven by engineering and mechanics that indicate fine craftsmanship. For example, gears turn precisely in time and cause the second hand to sweep instead of tick.
Automatic watches are similar to mechanical ones with the caveat that they don’t need to be wound up. It has the same movement type as a mechanical watch but winds automatically when you move your wrist. Like a mechanical movement, these may be used in a luxury product.
Accuracy
Mechanical and automatic movements are great because they have a classy sweeping motion, but they aren’t just a good choice for the aesthetic. They also are more accurate.
The goal of a luxury watch is to be accurate within 2 seconds every given day. Of course, you’ll need to adjust them every once in a while when these seconds add up, but you will never be off by a few minutes a day (as quartz mechanisms make your watch prone to).
Assess Watch Weight
As we previously discussed, quality watches are made from steel, platinum, gold, or a combination of these. All of these metals are fairly heavy, where metal alloys are lighter. This means that a luxury watch should be heavy when you lift it.
Most fake luxury watches are made from melted-down alloys that look extremely similar to quality materials. However, the person trying to dupe you can’t hide that the weight of the scrap metal is much lighter than a real quality watch would be. Lightness also indicates that the watch contains a quartz movement rather than a mechanical one, and therefore will be less accurate.
Listen to Your Watch
In addition to being lighter, quartz movements also make a different sound than mechanical and automatic alternatives. The watch should move smoothly, which means that you won’t hear much of a ticking sound. Instead, it will be quiet, and you’ll need to listen hard with it close to your ear to hear it.
Don’t ever buy a watch that ticks loudly. It’s a guaranteed scam.
Avoiding Fakes and Knockoffs
While many things set a luxury product apart from the riffraff, some low-end retailers may be dishonest. Unfortunately, they will still attempt to pass off a very convincing fake as the real thing. Luckily, even the most real-looking knockoffs have some telltale signs of a fake.
If you think you’re getting a ‘steal’ on a product, that’s something you need to be wary of. You’re unlikely to find a luxury watch at a highly discounted price. Remember that it’s too good to be true; it almost certainly is artifice.
When in doubt about a seller, read online reviews from other customers. Dig deep to ensure that you find real reviews rather than those written by the seller themselves. You can feel more confident in your decision if other classy people give them the stamp of approval.
Authenticity Certification
Some luxury watches don’t come with a certificate of authenticity, but many do. This especially applies to Swiss watches.
They will come with a number to check with the brand and ensure that the watch is authentic. This is hard to fake because you can simply ask the retailer about the number before purchasing. Any seller worth their salt will allow you to do this (if they don’t, find a new vendor).
You can feel secure that your watch is real when you call the retailer and give them this number. They’ll tell you that they did, in fact, create the watch, so you can be sure that it isn’t a fake. These certificates also increase the watch’s value and mean that you can resell it for more later if you choose to.
Final Thoughts
Watches aren’t just a functional timepiece—they’re a fashion accessory that lets you show off your good taste, class, and wealth. Getting pieces from the best luxury watch brands is a great way to do this. However, it’s just as important that you avoid fakes as it is that you look for a high-end retailer.
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Featured image source: Alange-soehne.com
