Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we talk about wristwatches and fifteen reason not to buy a fake, counterfeit,
or replica watch.
Reason number 1, it's illegal.
Not only does it impact the economy but it's at least trademark infringement and in many
countries, it's actually a criminal offense, especially if you sell it, sometimes even
if you buy it!
So be very careful when you travel with a replica watch because you mat get in trouble.
Two, eventually, it'll come out.
A watch collector or expert will quickly be able to identify that your watch is a fake
and that's quite embarassing.
Three, your watches could be seized.
Especially when you come through customs, your watches may be taken away from you and
you may have other more serious consequences.
Every country is different, but for example Japan and Germany, are much more aggressive
than the US.
Of course, you're always safe to have an authentic watch.
Four, it can affect the innoncent buyer.
Most sellers are not honest enough to tell you that it's a counterfeti, fake, or replica
watch.
Even if the original buyer knows that it's a fake, if he resells it, the person might
not be able to identify it.
So don't be part of a douping industry and get a real watch.
Five, fake watches are for fake people.
Basically, that's a slogan of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie which is a watch consortium
from Switzerland and of course, you could argue that it'd of their best interest to
have people buy real swiss watches and at the same time, they really have a point.
If you want to fake your watch, what else do you have to hide and fake?
Maybe your CV?
Maybe your record?
Who knows?
Six, It's obvious to people who know watches.
Let's say you have a fake rolex, it may look authentic to somebody on the street or to
you, but an expert will be able to identify the real thing froma replica.
If you want to learn more about how you can spot a fake rolex, please check out this in-depth
guide.
Seven, yo could lose your reputation.
Let's say people found out that you have a fake, the way that people look at you will
probably be very different.
They may question yout achievements in the past, or whether what you actually say is
the truth and that really works against you.
Eight, it will not last.
Replica watches are usually less expensive because they use inferior materials; the mechanics
are not as good, and overall, it's much more likely to break.
Of course, there are also relatively high-quality fakes, some of them even use real gold but
would you really want to pass that on to your children?
I guess not!
Nine, nobody's impresses by a fake.
Most people who buy fake get them in the first place because they want a certain status that
comes with a watch.
The problem is, once you wear the watch, people will see that.
It actually has the reverse effect, they'll look at you like a cheapo who just pretends
to have made it.
Ten, replicas are a waste of money.
It's not the real deal so you can't really resell it.
Otherwise, you commit an illegal act of selling replica watches.
Even if you sell it as a fake, that can be illegal.
When you try to sell a fake, you get basically nothing for it.
Once people have discovered that it is a fake, it's completely worthless.
Even if it's just a hundred bucks, it's like burning a hundred bucks or even worse, it
hurtsyour reputation.
Eleven, it will not keep accurate time.
Most watch movements that are faked are not as accurate.
You can argue that nowadays people don't really wear watches to tell time, they use their
cellphones instead.
At the end of the day, it's a fake and doesn't impress anybody and it doesn't even keep time
so what's the point?
Twelve, replica watches are not usually water resistant.
That means, when you have a fake, your watch will more likely to get condensation on the
inside or actual water when you walk througha rainshower and that tells even the amateur
that you are wearing a fake watch.
Thirteen, a fake watch' strap or bracelet is even worse than the watch itself.
Literally, it's the weakest link in the chain and chances are it'll break prematurely and
it will fall off and it's just a mess.
Simply don't do it.
Fourteen, fake watches damage the entire watch industry.
When people end up with a relatively good fake, they assume it's the real deal but then
it breaks prematurely and they think the brand actually sucks even though it was just a fake
that broke.
Overall, it cost watch companies a lot of money to fight fake watches.
Fifteen, finally, you'll regret it.
Even if you just spent 20 bucks or 50 bucks on that fake, over time, you'll notice that
it's a fake.
You'll feel embarassed, you're not going to wear it and it's just like burning their money.
Now, if you can't afford an expensive luxurious watch, that's no problem at all.
There are a lot of different options to find a watch that looks good on you and doesn't
make you look like a fake.
For example, if you are on a small budget, take a look at our $100 watch guide which
lists a lot of watches, all a hundred dollars.
if you have a little more money to spend on a watch, please take a look at our guide for
$1000 watches or less.
A much more economical way to actually end up with an authentic watch that doesn't break
the bank is to go vintage.
Now that requires some skill, you need to understand what is actually the real deal
and what is a fake.
the best way to circumvent that is to buy froma trusted source and at the end of the
day, you end up with a nice watch that cost a fraction of the retail price that is genuine,
looks good, has some character, and make you look like a proper gentleman.
To learn more about vintage watch buying, please check out our in-depth guide, here.
Personally, I'm not a huge wristwatch guy however, I like pocket watches.
The big advantage is, pocket watches are a lot more unique than wrist watches and you
can find a used 14 karat solid gold watch for about $500.
Try to find that in a wristwatch.
It's basically, impossible.
With all these options at your fingertips, there's really no reason to buy a fake or
a replica watch.
If you want to learn more about watches, please check out our watch guides, here.