# Fake Ball Watches



## rnrprof (Feb 23, 2015)

I know that there are a bunch of replica watches of other brands- most all Swiss, but I want to make sure that there aren't any replicas of th newer Ball watches- I have 2- airborne- ceramic XV and the skindiver last version, and once you have one in your hands and look at the tritium incidences in a bit of dark you are sure, but what about people selling them online. Pictures may look good since they don't take them well enough to see the tubes.


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## crispyjm (Jul 23, 2014)

If they think it will sell the Chinese copycats will make a fake anything no way to be sure there aren't any already out


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## TigerDore (Jul 18, 2015)

The popular watches to counterfeit are big targets because everyone knows the name(s), their design makes them fairly easy to fake and the large difference in cost to manufacture versus retail makes it easier to counterfeit well and still be way below the standard selling price. 

Ball Hydrocarbons are the converse; they aren't as well known, they have lower margins between their cost of manufacture and standard retail price, plus the cost and time to counterfeit the tooling of a Hydrocarbon case, including the clasp system, would make it hard to make money with a knock-off. This is even before you consider the tritium tubes.


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## Nokie (Jul 4, 2011)

Anything can be reproduced if popular enough, but I agree with TigerDore, that Ball watches fly under the radar of most and are probably less likely to be copied.


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## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

I hate to burst your bubbles of illusion, but Ball watches have indeed been replicated in great number--I counted a staggering 80 models, from the early models from 2006 on up to models released as recently as two years ago, including Fireman (men's and ladies, 1st, 2nd and Racer), the Engineer Master II series, the Conductor series (why!?), most in the Trainmaster Series, the Pulsemeters, the Aviators, and many others. There is a lag time of about two years from the new model release until the time of the release of the replica version. A careful eye is often not enough to tell the difference on a computer screen--buy your Ball from a trusted seller, preferably from a Ball AD such as Topper.


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## TigerDore (Jul 18, 2015)

timefleas, I agree on buying only from ADs. My comments were restricted to the Hydrocarbon series only and I didn't say that it was impossible, only that the likelihood is low for the reasons I stated.


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## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

TigerDore said:


> timefleas, I agree on buying only from ADs. My comments were restricted to the Hydrocarbon series only and I didn't say that it was impossible, only that the likelihood is low for the reasons I stated.


And I stated that IN FACT there are a huge number of Ball replicas, and these include several from the Hydrocarbon series, including the convoluted clasps, the various rotating bezels and so forth--I am pretty sure, though, that this topic is bordering on off-limits for an official Ball forum, so again I suggest that everyone do keep a careful eye out on ALL gray market purchases, and further suggest we direct our discussions away from this topic and back to official Ball products.


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## Daswann (Jan 17, 2010)

But do the fakes produce the same kind of Lume? Since that is the main Ball differentiator.


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## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

Daswann said:


> But do the fakes produce the same kind of Lume? Since that is the main Ball differentiator.


Not likely, but that misses the point--replicas are for sale online, and it would be impossible to determine what kind of lume they had until in your hands. The fakes have thin plastic "tubes" arranged exactly as the Tritium tubes are arranged, they just don't glow--but you wouldn't know that without seeing it in person--thus, buy from a reliable source.


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## rnrprof (Feb 23, 2015)

timefleas said:


> Not likely, but that misses the point--replicas are for sale online, and it would be impossible to determine what kind of lume they had until in your hands. The fakes have thin plastic "tubes" arranged exactly as the Tritium tubes are arranged, they just don't glow--but you wouldn't know that without seeing it in person--thus, buy from a reliable source.


Wow- I have not seen any replica Ball watches advertised anywhere. It would seem to me that if I got a watch rep or not and it had zero lume it would go straight back to the seller and my money back through PayPal


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## samanator (Mar 8, 2008)

Enough discussions on fakes. Thread closed per the rules.


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