How to Spot a Fake Audemars Piguet

Spotting a fake luxury watch isn’t as easy as it may seem. You probably already know to stay away from watches with labels that read ‘Ademers Piget’, but there’s more to it than that. Considering how expensive an Audemars Piguet watch is, there are a lot of counterfeiters out there looking to take advantage of buyers. Considering the payoff can be rather large for those they manage to fool, their knock-offs can be extremely convincing. Avoid being on the losing end of the equation if you’re looking for the real thing.

Pricing Matters

In the timepiece world, you generally get what you pay for and brands like Audemars Piguet are well known for being beautiful pieces of machinery. Keep that in mind when investigating costs. Research the prices of similar or matching models to get an idea of the real market price. Anything significantly lower is probably not just an incredible deal. However, as counterfeiters get better and better, they’re also getting smarter about pricing their watches. (You’d think they’d just rely on their own legitimate watch business, but alas, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen anytime soon.)

Alternative Resources

Spotting a fake Audemars Piguet may be as easy as asking someone you trust. You can visit your local jeweler or luxury watch store to see if someone will help you. While they may be hesitant to spend too much time with a non-paying customer, you may find someone who’s excited to share their specialized knowledge with a willing audience. Or you can choose to stop by our physical location in Orlando.

Know Your Seller

If the seller doesn’t have an established reputation, then you should probably just avoid them completely. It’s entirely possible the seller is just getting started online, but shelling out that kind of money for an Audemars Piguet doesn’t really warrant taking any chances. The website should have reviews from customers, ideally spanning several years. While it’s possible for reviews to be faked, it’s also fairly easy to find disgruntled customers on the internet today. Check out every page of the website, including the spelling of the domain name. Sometimes counterfeiters will trick people by closely copying legitimate website names as a way to lure customers in. Also, see where the seller is actually located. If they’re abroad, they’re probably located somewhere in Asia. This doesn’t always mean it’s a shady business, but it may indicate a scam. If you’re buying a used watch, make sure that you request the service history. This can help you determine if the watch was both properly cared for and which repairs were made.

Check the Quality

If you happen to have the watch in your hands before making the purchase, you may be able to catch some inconsistencies on a counterfeit. Luckily, it doesn’t necessarily take an expert eye to spot them. The stamp on the watch especially is usually the first place to start. If it’s off-center or cloudy, then you’re probably dealing with a counterfeit. An Audemars Piguet should look bright and beautiful as opposed to cheap and glowing. The design on the dial should feature the Tapisserie pattern. This complicated drawing of swirling lines is often either omitted completely from a counterfeit or poorly reproduced.

Part of spotting a fake is just staying on your toes when it comes to what’s being offered and who exactly is offering it. However, you can save yourself some time and effort by choosing a seller who has managed to prove themselves in their industry.