Sep 4 2010
Do Not Mistake A Cheap Timepiece For An Expensive One
If you find a great deal on a luxury watch brand you haven’t heard of, should you worry that it is a counterfeit? It is possible that you might be looking at something that looks like an expensive watch, but is more likely a cheap copy. There are a lot of watches available that incorporate the same looks as a respected watchmakers products. But there is another category of wristwatch products that include many expensive ladies watches being sold on the Internet and through magazine ads that are not actually counterfeit, but they are sold using outrageous misrepresentations and should be equally avoided.
The fake watches are not nearly as fine quality a product as the real ones are but are advertised in a deceptive way. The names that these timepieces use will sound similar to the luxury watches, but they are obviously not the same. The fake watches are usually made with much more inferior raw materials and are mass produced rather than made by an experienced craftsman. The typical things that are done include a few things like are a combination of an impressive Swiss, German or European sounding name, or an impressive recommended retail price, or fancy verbiage that sounds like what a luxury watch brand such as Cartier Ballon Bleu would say, or impressive comparisons of features to those of other luxury timepieces, or a special price you can buy it for that is incredibly below the retail price.
The deception here is that claimed retail price is a complete lie. Is there a secret to their low price? Simple, they are cheap watches. There are laws in place that deal with this method of advertising, but many companies either get around them or ignore them completely. The only way for someone to make sure that they are buying the watch that they expect to is by doing some research and shopping at a reputable dealer when they are looking for something to put on their wrist.
There are some tips on spotting luxury watch imposter brands that a person should be aware of. Hand crafted, quality timepieces will not be sold for less than a couple hundred dollars unless they are fake. Quality timepieces are good investments and they do not have to be sold as being marked down by fifty percent or more to be sold. No real luxury brands are ever sold at fire sales, massive inventory clearances or end of model year closeouts. A real luxury brand will be well discussed on the Internet so do a search for the brand name and if you can’t find something like a Cartier Ballon Bleu review or collectors and owners discussing the merits of the brand, it is unlikely to be a true luxury brand. Always purchase a quality timepiece from a store that has a good reputation. When using sites such as e bay, don’t believe that you can get a watch that is real at a price that is well below its actual value. Only in rare cases do these ultra-cheap imposter brands have official company websites that showcase the products. Just because you see a incredibly sophisticated website doesn’t ensure that the brand is actually a valid luxury brand.
Ultimately, any deal on a new luxury timepiece that looks too good to be true is assuredly a scam. The economics of the manufacturing and selling products make it impossible for new wristwatches to be sold at 70-95% off of a legitimate retail price. Deceptive retail prices are used to get buyers excited that they are saving hundreds of dollars on an item. People get swept up by the idea that they are getting a steal of a deal and stop looking at the obvious clues that something is not right about the product they are buying.
