NO FAKES!
Goodmorning everyone!
here we are again with a new article from our blog, "hot" article !, yes, because this time we have decided to tackle a very particular topic, the world of fake watches.
But let's start from the beginning as always ....
the world of high-level watchmaking has always had very high economic standards for those who want to introduce it, sometimes to have a "standard" model in steel you have to be willing to spend a few thousand euros.
This is why in addition to defining a social status, the luxury watch market like all other related markets (fashion and accessories) have given way to the birth of so-called "replicas", mostly produced in China or Turkey, with materials very poor and already at first sight very different from the originals, to please those who "want but cannot".
But today we don't want to talk about the obvious, we don't want to force you to read a few lines about beach replicas, today we want to talk about that "underground" world that runs parallel to the world of collecting and selling watches, a very dangerous reality that every year ago its victims among the unsuspecting buyers, we are talking about the world of FRANKEN.
But what does FRANKEN mean?
the word derives from FRANKENSTEIN, the "assembled" creature par excellence.
one above all, that of FRANKENSTEIN JUNIOR;))
In our case, this term defines watches that have been assembled using original parts combined with cleverly reconstructed parts.
Constructions carried out following perfectly all the characteristics of the originals, only an eye awaiting, equipped with the necessary tools, knowing exactly where to look, can notice the differences, and thus avoid running into dangerous and very expensive scams.
a dial of a fake 6240 "SOLO" - in WHITE the characters of the original
ph. PEREZCOPE
The world of Franken mainly concerns vintage watchmaking, where it is increasingly difficult to trace documents that can prove originality and define exactly a contemporary watch from one that was not, also because until the last century even the manufacturers had much less restrictions and production controls, for example Rolex, in the sixties had overlaps on the references that are difficult to reconstruct today, especially on the first pre-Daytona, with regard to the correspondence between the references and the rarest dials.
on the left a 6263 Franken, the writing of the dial, the buttons, the crown and the glass are different from the original on the right.
It has happened that some very famous auction house has proposed and sold Daytona with dials removed from less sought-after models, but which combined with other configurations of bezel and buttons, acquired a greater value.
Or even the auction houses themselves, found themselves having to deal with mechanisms, also by manual winding Rolex Daytona, the V727, forgeries, assembled with original parts and reproduced parts, drastically collapsing the value of the watch.
a fake 727 caliber, left, compared to the original - ph. PEREZCOPE
But the counterfeiting does not stop there, there are also other practices that are much more difficult to identify, for example the transformation of a Daytona 16523 gold and steel into a 16520 steel only, which as you know is worth almost double.
In this case it is sufficient to work on the abrasion and the subsequent rewriting of the number 3 and replace it with the number 0, only with very high precision instruments can this counterfeit be detected, replace all the gold parts with the steel ones, dial included, and you have the your fake 16520.
an original case of a DAYTONA 16523 gold and steel
the top case is fake, the 3 has been replaced with the 0
Today even the world of modern watches is dealing with a production very close to the original, on YouTube there are many videos that compare fake with the originals, you can be amazed at how identical they are to unwary eyes.
In China, the parent country of counterfeit production, they have reached truly incredible levels, starting with the use of the same 904L steel used by Rolex, up to the perfect copies of the calibers.
on the left a DAYTONA PANDA made in China compared to the original
But even here, a very careful eye can reveal the mystery, always try to carefully analyze the details, talking about modern watches, ask yourself if, given the high cost, smudges or unfinished details are plausible ... I would say no, right ?
Always remember to carefully choose the retailer first than the watch, look for people who have a proven experience in the sector and who can guarantee you the purchase, only in this way you can feel safe from running into unpleasant adventures!
_________________________________________________________________________
Our new NO FAKE graphic inspired by this article will be available shortly..in a limited series of 100 pieces..a very special collection of sweatshirts and t-shirts! PREPARE TO BOOK IT, you will receive the instructions directly to your email in the next few days (if you haven't subscribed to our newsletter yet, do it now!)
See you soon!
Luca from INCASODIVINTAGE