First things first, let’s talk about the details. Seriously, get up close and personal with that watch. Are the engravings crisp? I mean, *really* crisp? Or do they look kinda…fuzzy? A legit watch, especially a fancy one, is gonna have super precise engravings. A fake? They sometimes get lazy with that stuff, ya know? Like, who’s gonna notice, right? (Wrong. We will!). And check for flaws! Even tiny ones. A real, expensive watch is gonna have near-perfect construction. If you see obvious defects? Red flag, my friend. Red flag.
Then there’s the sound. This one’s a bit old school, but worth a shot. Hold it to your ear. Hear a ticking sound? Yeah, that’s probably not a good sign, especially if it’s supposed to be a high-end, designer watch. Those are often super quiet, like, you shouldn’t hear *anything*. Think of it this way: a refined, expensive watch is not gonna be screaming its existence at you through its movement.
Now, let’s get a little more specific. If you’re rocking an Apple Watch (or *think* you are), there’s a quick check. See if you can find the serial number. Then, Google that bad boy. If it shows up all over the place, being sold a million times over? Ding ding ding! We have a winner (of the “you got scammed” prize). Real Apple Watches have unique serial numbers, and the same one shouldn’t be plastered all over the internet.
Speaking of specific brands, if it’s an IWC, pay *real* close attention to the font. I’m serious. Are the letters evenly spaced? Is the font weight consistent? These guys are detail-oriented. If the font looks wonky, something’s probably up.
And for all you Rolex hopefuls (and I mean *hopefuls* because fakes are everywhere), check the cyclops (that little magnifying bubble over the date). The magnification on a real Rolex is usually around 2.5x. If it looks closer to 1.5x, and the font looks thin? Busted! Also, Rolexes are supposed to be waterproof. I mean, I wouldn’t go scuba diving with it right away, but a splash of water shouldn’t kill it. *However*, I’m personally a little wary of actually testing this myself. I’d rather suspect it’s fake than destroy a potentially real (or really good fake!) watch. Just saying.
