One of the most popular topics on any watch forum is the authentication of watches, a problem that has come about as 1) replica watches come onto the market and 2) lack of available spare parts means that sellers get “creative” in replacing authentic parts. People are very quick to accuse a watch as being “fake”- but what does this actually mean?

When you analyse watches, there are five categories of “realness”:

1) Genuine: A genuine watch is one that features 100% original parts and was made and sold by the watch company. It may have had replacement parts over the years, but these should be original parts. In the case of a vintage Heuer watch, I would argue that a watch can be fitted with service hands, but still be classified as genuine, as these parts were “officially” made and used by Heuer, even though they are different to the hands that came with the watch when bought new.

2) Assembled from Genuine parts: As the old watchmakers retired, many took the opportunity to clear out their spare parts drawers by using a collection of spare parts to assemble a complete watch. All of the parts are correct for a particular mode, so the biggest difference here is that the watch was never “made” by Heuer, but rather made by a watchmaker from genuine Heuer parts. Its a small distinction, but an important one.

3) “Franken-watches”: Like a horological Frankenstien, these watches usually have some genuine parts and some non-genuine parts. Most of the watches that are called “fakes” are actually franken-watches. There are a couple of reasons why you see so many franken-watches- usually, its because the original parts are not available and so the watchmaker found the next-best alternative. My definition of a franken-watch would be where one or two elements are non-original- for example,  fitting non-original sub-dial hands or an aftermarket bezel.

4) Forgeries: These are similar to the Franken-watches in that the watchmaker has either created something that never existed (e.g. a Carrera dial inside an Autavia case) or has taken a non-Heuer watch dial and added the Heuer shield to try and create a “Heuer watch”. This category is far more insidious that the other three, as the motivation is not just a lack of available parts, but rather to deceive a customer. I’d also include the “Fleiger” Heuer watches in this category, and perhaps the Mapemondo

5) Replica: The lowest of the low- a (usually) cheap Asian copy of the real thing, and almost always a problem with TAG Heuer watches rather than the vintage Heuers. These watches range from USD10-100, some coming with Swiss movements, but generally its Chinese made movements. The replica watches are getting better each year, but its hard to get all of the details right- look closely at the design of the dial and there are almost always a couple of details missing on the replica’s. There are no redeeming features of replica watches- they infringe copyright…and I’d rather walk around with a real Swatch than a fake Submariner.

So which of the above categories are “fake”. Certainly 4) and 5) are fake and 1) is clearly genuine. The second and third types are a little harder to categorise, and different people will have a different view. My view is that they may not be genuine, but they are not fakes…they sit somewhere in the middle.

The last point to note is that we like to think of the Swiss watch companies of the ’60s and ’70s as being precision engineering companies with a strict approach to ensuring all parts are identical. This may be the case today, but it certainly wasn’t back then. Genuine bezels from the same era may have come from different suppliers, and so do have small variations in colour and font. Watches from the early-1980s (the dying days of Heuer) will often have some parts that say “TAG Heuer” and other parts marked “Heuer”- the watch is likely to be 100% genuine and was sold like that, but its easy to believe that this is a fake.

So there it is: five categories of watches, of which only two are clearly “fake” and only one clearly “genuine” what do you think about the two categories in the middle? The question can be more complex than most people will allow for, and creates a lot of ill-feeling when someone’s watch is branded a “fake”

Be Sociable, Share!

•