# How do ya spot a fake?



## Steelfish # 3 (Apr 20, 2007)

This is my first of many i'm sure but i was wondering how you spot fake ones.


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## Don Indiano (Feb 21, 2006)

Steelfish # 3 said:


> This is my first of many i'm sure but i was wondering how you spot fake ones.


It's not always easy. But do you mean, spot fakes for sale, or in real life?

In real life, most fakes have ridiculously glossy subdials.
On the 'Bay, most fakes say "no papers so bid accordingly".
For Breitling for Bentley fakes, first look at the crown, which is quite always that of a Steelfish.
Now you can spot 50% of the fake Bs.

-don


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## SnapIT (Apr 29, 2005)

Hello,
I tend to go the other way. Study the real thing. Really study it. Spend time on navitimer.net and look at the older models also. After they have been seared into your minds eye, spotting fakes becomes like shooting fish in a barrel.


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## Callaway (Apr 26, 2006)

Most the the time even though they are getting better at faking their natural greed takes over than they cut just the slightest corner, if you were not really familiar with the original you might be had. I saw a Planet Ocean recently it was very very good but they messed up on the helium valve, the regular SMP had the Omega symbol in the crown the Planet had the He symbol in the crown as they say the devil is in the details. Like Snapit indicated know the product inside and out, and buy the seller not the watch. If you want to see some scary fakes check out Swissreplica.com they in some cases are using the ETA Swiss movements not Asian which makes it double tough to spot unless you know the product.


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## mjbryant (Feb 10, 2006)

When the price is too good to be true  .


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## gtopaul (Feb 12, 2006)

Anything vintage with Breitling on the dial from Argentina. :-| I can't believe the obvious put together stuff coming up from there. Altered dials and laser engraved backs and bridges. Try finding most of them in your Richter book.

Paul L


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## chris56 (May 2, 2006)

i did a ton of reseacrch on this before buying my bentley and here are the few things i found out. on the gt the white ring is way to thick and on the big 48mm the sub dials are reversed becuase of the movement not being right.

also most fakes don't have anti-refletive coatring which gives the crystal that bluish tint. and they don't have the "T" crossed on the engraving in the back.

that being said my friend has one and when compaired to mine it would be almost impossible to tell if he coated the crystal. there is a big difference from the $30 canal street replicas to the ones for $300 which is what he paid.


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## g-banger (Nov 2, 2006)

There are alot of reallly bad fakes out there, but then there are some excellent fakes.

When i used to work sell watches, i had heaps of customers come in wearing fake breitlings. Most fake breitlings dont use sapphire crystal, so it looks domed and unclear, some brietlings have tourbillion on them, the bracelet feels so light. 

best thing to do is go out to your local AD check out a real one, find REAL images of them here, and compare to the fake ones.

Also beware, some have V7750 movements but fake movements

good luck


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## mjbryant (Feb 10, 2006)

`nuff said?


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## Split Second (Apr 18, 2007)

Here are my thoughts: :rodekaart

*The watch*

The bracelet is poorly made, flimsy, and will look very stretched;
Number/code marking steel type on bracelet is missing;
The lumination is uneven and does not remain bright for long;
Crown is either too large, or too small or does not sit properly in the bumper guards; 
Markings are uneven;
Lume marker @12 on bezel is usually too large; and,
Bezel is not flush with the body;

*The seller*

Must sell quicky, hence the incredibly low price;
Just received item as gift, but managed to almost immediately loose box and papers;
Item is guaranteed authentic, but misrepresents (or clueless about) every other detail in the description (auto colt is described as a rare aerospace);
Provides two lousy, out-of-focus pictures; and,
Payment by immediate wire transer only.

Mike.


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## no_self_control (Jun 27, 2007)

there are some interesting points here. but to be honest, i don't think there is any certain method of spotting a fake. the bits i relate most to are the out of focus shots, the i got it from my relative and the too good to be true price. the word genuine is a bit difficult to read one way or the other - honest seller trying to differentiate or crooked seller trying to over-state? the only sure way of not getting stung is not to buy on line. even people with apparently good feedback will happily over-sell their items or just plain lie!
often handling the watch gives an instant impression of whether it is genuine and any reputable watch sell will not be passing on fakes.
and as i've just found out, even if it isn't actually fake, it may not be exactly original either. i paid good money for a breitling aerospace, allegedly in excellent condition, only to find it had been extensively modified and refinished and is actually a very poor example.
once bitten, twice shy!
so, if in doubt, let it go.


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## Mark*p (Aug 12, 2007)

i have a number of fakes that i purchased for fun when i was overseas(about 15-20 bucks a piece lol). i can take pics on request. holding a real breitling then a fake you can immediately tell..... the bracelet is poorly made, if you look closely at the face the pieces arent machined well and dont line up , even the second hands dont line up.


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## markflorida (Aug 9, 2007)

Mark*p said:


> i have a number of fakes that i purchased for fun when i was overseas(about 15-20 bucks a piece lol). i can take pics on request. holding a real breitling then a fake you can immediately tell..... the bracelet is poorly made, if you look closely at the face the pieces arent machined well and dont line up , even the second hands dont line up.


Hi Mark
Thats a good offer, anything to try and stamp out fakes is great.
*HOWEVER BEWARE *You purchased an illegal item and imported it.
Did you know this: May 10th 2007 Mike Korpi from Portland Orgean came back from China with 8 fake Rolex watches. he paid $14.40 each, however when US customs found them he was fined $55,300. This was said to be the value of the counterfiet goods. Mike Korpi said they where for his children and grandchildren. Rolex can sue and demand $100,000 for each watch if they wanted. I dont think they will, but either way this should be a lesson to all. :think:


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## B-ling88 (Aug 16, 2007)

Be aware that some websites sell Swiss Grade-1 replicas, they make it pretty much 99% exact everything that not even jewellers can tell the difference..Pretty much only way to tell is to open up the back and check inside!


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## Mark*p (Aug 12, 2007)

markflorida said:


> Hi Mark
> Thats a good offer, anything to try and stamp out fakes is great.
> *HOWEVER BEWARE *You purchased an illegal item and imported it.
> Did you know this: May 10th 2007 Mike Korpi from Portland Orgean came back from China with 8 fake Rolex watches. he paid $14.40 each, however when US customs found them he was fined $55,300. This was said to be the value of the counterfiet goods. Mike Korpi said they where for his children and grandchildren. Rolex can sue and demand $100,000 for each watch if they wanted. I dont think they will, but either way this should be a lesson to all. :think:


im sorry but thats all rumor. for 1 i am in the navy and brought it back through US customs just fine with no problem. and 2, they are sold online from the US to the US every day.


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## SnapIT (Apr 29, 2005)

Yep, fakes are fine. hehe. Sold on line every day. Cool. Proceeds support criminal and terrorist groups. Great. Cause air craft accidents. Terrific. Poison our kids. Super. Cause needless deaths. Just what the doctor ordered.

*Wake up!*

http://www.fightthefakes.com/fightthefakes/2007/07/index.html

Next time you clip on a harness...then check the oil pressure gauge...

July 26, 2007
Fake aircraft parts dealers arrested in Russia

Police in Russia's Yaroslavl region have arrested a group making fake aircraft parts. The gang were selling the engine components as spares to Russian and foreign airlines.

The six men are either former or current employees of Russia's biggest jet-engine maker - the Saturn aviation plant near Yaroslavl. They were arrested as they attempted to sell counterfeit products worth more than $ US 140,000.

"The men have been stealing components from the Saturn aviation plant, which they then used to manufacture spare parts for planes. They placed identification numbers on them and produced fake documents to sell them," explained Ruslan Shihmagomedov from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The gang used the stolen components to make engine parts for TU-154 passenger jets and IL-76 cargo planes. Authorities say over the past three years counterfeit parts have been sold through a chain of middlemen to Russian and foreign airlines. But they have yet to establish which airlines purchased them.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, Russia has one of the worst flight safety records in the world.

"Previously-used parts are often refurbished, repackaged, and sold to other airlines. People are ready to do just about anything for money. But they forget that there are people who fly on these planes - friends, relatives, those close to us," noted Magomed Toboev, flight expert.

Prosecutors and government officials are now turning the spotlight onto the state of Russia's aviation industry after a high number of domestic crashes last year.

Aviation experts say the sale of such counterfeit products poses a serious threat to air passengers. And they are calling for tighter control on the supply of plane parts.

Meanwhile, a criminal investigation is being held, with police trying to track down other counterfeit parts and destroy them.

More at RussiaToday.ru

August 03, 2007
Counterfeit goods fund terrorism?

With the prevalance of counterfeit goods available on market stalls and on the internet, the global scale of intellectual property crime has soared. But would consumers be as comfortable with their purchases, if they knew they could be funding terrorist activities?

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of seized counterfeit goods. And this is just a drop in the ocean in the global network of intellectual property crime. A world which inflitrates the lives of millions of people every day.

Sue Jones, Head of Trading Standards, Westminster Council, London says, ''The types of goods we're seizing may change but the problem is fairly consistent. But what we are looking at now is extra weapons against the counterfeiters through seizing their actually earnings, the proceeds of their criminality.''

Their criminality is partly driven by society's insatiable desire for luxury goods.

A desire once constricted by price, now available to all willing to indulge in an illegal, and in all probability, fleeting purchase for the thrill of a huge cost saving.

Over 3 million people in the UK bought a counterfeit luxury items last year from one of the top ten luxury brands. One of the reasons consumers are spending more on counterfeit goods is because it seems to have become socially acceptable. But according to a recent survey, almost 80 percent of consumers would be deterred, if they knew sales partially help to fund criminal activity.
Simon Tracey, Head of Intellectual Property and Brands, Davenport Lyons said, "There have been links for example between the bombings in Madrid and those who were involved in the bombings themselves and the sale of fakes. Substantial sums have been made by one of the individuals involved in those bombings and the movement of fake goods.''

Links between counterfeiting and the funding of organised crime have been confirmed by the Anti-Counterfeiting group, which campaigns against the trade of fake goods. It cites reports by Interpol which finds clear links between counterfeiting and terrorist cells in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. But it's a problem which cannot only be tackled by legislation. Consumers need to be aware they play in a part in an illegal activity, which however small, has much wider repercussions.

More at timesnow.tv


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## andy1100xx (Jun 15, 2006)

Cheap fakes are usually fairly easy to spot, it's the high end fakes that are more difficult. However, there are quite a few serious forums dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect fake and, although I don't think it would be proper for me to name these sites here, I will happily admit that I visit them frequently, particularly when I am considering a new watch.

The members on these sites are fanatical about the slightest difference between original and fake and it is usually quite easy to find a detailed list for any watch. If it's not available, then just ask and you will usually get all the info you need. The members are also very particular about who they buy from and there is actually only a small number of 'reputable' dealers. These usually have their own web sites where you can view most of the good fakes available and the pictures are of the actual fakes, not the real deal.

One thing that is often overlooked is that it is not in the interests of the fake producer to provide the 'perfect' fake.... making each successive generation slightly better than the last but still with some minor but irritating flaw keeps the fanatics biting so there is usually always something that will give a fake away, even the best ones. 

Interestingly, a large number of the members who frequent these sites can (and usually do) afford the real thing but just get a kick out of searching for the perfect copy. Each to their own I guess.

Anyway, I'd recommend everyone to search these sites out and do some reading.. it has saved me from making some big mistakes.


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## Breitling fan (Aug 24, 2007)

cizkd anyone help me with this one ? Fake or no?I belive it is a fake beacuse the metal is is looking weird


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## O2AFAC67 (Feb 8, 2006)

*Of course it's a fake. Steer well clear of this one...*



Breitling fan said:


> cizkd anyone help me with this one ? Fake or no?I belive it is a fake beacuse the metal is is looking weird[/IMG]


It isn't just the metal looking weird. Stop in at any Breitling authorized dealer or contact Breitling USA and ask for a Bentley for Breitling catalogue. You won't find a watch which looks like this monstrosity. :-( :-| <|
Ron


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## Verner (Nov 21, 2006)

In my local pub the other night, a guy tried to sell me these at a cost of £60.00 each.

Apologies for the picture quality, I had to use my phone.......



















Told him I would swap him my EM for his two. NO DEAL!
I was suprised too!

;-)

Oh, and not sure if you can tell from the poor quality of the pictures, but apart from their blatant fakness, the second hands are on upside down....hence the B on the bottom of the second hand, is back to front! Quality!!!

Best wishes,

Verner


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## neogeek (Nov 18, 2006)

I am wondering if the fake Breitlings comes with the certificate and stamped with the matching serial number.


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## Noddy (Oct 5, 2007)

ya my concern too... do fakes comes with papers too? since they can fake the watch.. why not the papers?


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## DanielG (Dec 11, 2007)

I've now seen a couple fakes and quite a few real ones.

The crystal will give it away. Look closely at the crystal, not through it, try to see the crystal. If you can and there's no blue tint, it's not a Breitling. If the silver parts of the face reflect inside the crystal, it's not a Breitling.


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## GoldenBear (Jun 19, 2007)

Easy...Go to Ebay and type in "Breitling"...LOL


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