AC Fowler: One of these watches
is a vintage Rolex Submariner,
estimated to be worth up to $30,000.
The other? A total knockoff.
With replicas steadily improving
in quality and detail,
it can be difficult to tell the difference.
So we headed to luxury consignment shop
The RealReal to meet with
one of its authenticity experts
and learn some tips on how
the average shopper can spot a knockoff.
Laif Anderson: Remember your training.
[laughing]
AC: Laif has gathered
five pairs of luxury watches.
One is real, and one is a replica,
and I'm gonna see how well I do
telling them apart.
So, by the end, I'll be able to hopefully
have some tips to authenticate like a pro.
How do you think I'm gonna do?
Laif: I think you're gonna test how good
your eyes are and your attention to details,
but I think you're gonna come out on top.
AC: All right, let's go.
Laif: All right.
The first thing we're gonna do is
we're gonna kit you out to handle the watches.
AC: OK, what does that mean?
Laif: That means that we have
certain precautions that we use
to handle the watches so that we don't
leave any kind of fingerprints or anything,
especially if we have to open the watches
to authenticate or just handle them in general.
So, the first thing we're gonna do
is we're gonna put on what are called
finger cots.
AC: All right, here we go.
Laif: There you go.
And the next thing you're gonna need is a loupe.
AC: OK, a loupe.
Laif: I've already got mine on,
but you're gonna need it.
This helps support magnification over one eye
while you're manipulating things with both hands.
AC: OK.
I have no idea how to start even with this.
Laif: So, I think that's a good way to start it,
just this wire is a little bit loose,
so you can cross over like that.
AC: OK, very cool. Wow.
Laif: And make sure you got a
pretty good field of vision,
you can just pop that up on your forehead
after you feel comfortable.
AC: OK, cool.
I mean, just with this, I feel more confident.
Laif: We're gonna dive right in.
I'm gonna show you two watches.
These are two Hublot Big Bangs.
They're a Swiss Company, much like the majority
of the watches that we sell on The RealReal.
They're a very storied company.
The key elements, things that we're gonna look for,
are in the fit and finish.
AC: OK.
The fit. And the fish. Laif: And finish.
Especially in these watches where they use
so many unique components.
So, you wanna look at the printing on the dial,
you wanna look at the numbers, also on the bezel,
they have these bezel screws,
you wanna look at the fit and finish of those.
How crisp and clean everything is.
AC: All right, it says Hublot Big Bang,
so I feel like that's a good sign
for this one?
Laif: Mm-hmm.
AC: It says titanium, but it might just say that,
maybe it's not actually titanium.
I'm gonna feel the weight to see
if it feels like titanium.
I guess I have no idea.
[laughing]
All right, cool.
So, but I also need to put it on, right?
You said the wear is a big part of it too.
OK, cool.
It fits me perfectly.
I'm made for this lifestyle.
I think that's one of my biggest takeaways.
It also upside down. [laughs]
Laif: I was gonna let you figure that out.
AC: All right. Yes, great.
All right, I feel like I know some things
about this watch.
Laif: OK. AC: But I'm gonna inspect
the other one to see if I'm right.
All right, switch.
Laif: OK, switching.
AC: All right, automatically,
I feel like this one's a little bit heavier.
Laif: It's a little bit larger,
so that's not to be unexpected.
AC: Yeah, right.
I can already tell that the screws on this one
are a little bit cleaner.
So, yeah, that might mean something,
or it might not.
[laughing]
The numbers are pretty similar on this one too.
I feel like I learned nothing from that,
so I'm just gonna put it on and see how it feels.
OK, I really like how this one feels.
I think I know which one is real
and which one is fake.
So, after examining both Hublots,
I think the real one is
this one right here.
With the black rim, a little bit heavier,
slightly nicer screws,
so I feel like I'm gonna say this one.
Laif: OK. That is your guess.
[AC laughing]
AC: OK, and am I right?
Laif: Well, no.
You're wrong.
It is a super fake, so
I will give you super credit
for looking at the details that you did.
AC: Super credit, wow.
Laif: But not being familiar
with what it should be,
that's where they get you.
AC: OK, cool. Laif: Starting off,
we're gonna look at the dial printing,
and you can see that the "Hublot" on this one
is raised, it's very sheen,
it has a nice fit and finish to it.
Also, all of the numbers
are very tight and clean.
The printing of Hublot on the dial
is one of the bigger tells,
because it's not very finished.
It's not raised like this one,
it was what we would expect to see.
AC: All right. So, I definitely
failed the first round, but I feel
like I can do it on this next round.
So what do we have?
Laif: For round two,
we have the Omega Seamasters.
We'll take them off the cuff, because these,
we want to inspect every angle,
all the fine details
as well as the case back,
'cause these have a special engraving.
This has a hippocampus on the back.
AC: It's pretty well crafted from what I can see.
All right, I'm gonna try it on
to see how it fits.
Feels good. Not too heavy, not too light.
Hand me the next one, sir!
Laif: OK.
This one is a slightly different model,
but that's half the fun.
AC: I feel like this is a big deal.
This one, the hippocampus,
and all the things that are happening on the back
are sort of raised.
And they're, like, engraved on the back,
which I feel like might be an important sign.
All right. So, this is what
I'm gonna do for this one,
'cause I didn't do it for the last one:
I'm gonna look at them both together,
which I feel like
is really gonna help me see things.
I'm gonna make a guess, an educated guess,
and I'm gonna say
that this one is the real watch.
Laif: OK. [AC laughing]
AC: Am I right?
Laif: You are not right.
You were fooled again.
One of the things that you didn't do
was you didn't check the bezel.
This bezel doesn't turn.
AC: Ah, OK.
Laif: That one does. AC: Oh, wow!
Laif: And all dive watches that have dive bezels,
they'll have a unidirectional bezel,
meaning it only turns in one direction.
So that's a pretty big tell.
But, again, you're dealing with a super fake,
you did admirable, you know,
they're very hard to tell apart.
AC: Thanks for trying to make me feel better.
This is not going well. But I feel,
I still feel confident for some reason. [laughs]
I can still meet the goal I set
of getting three of these right.
So let's just hop into the next one.
What do we have?
Laif: Next we're gonna look at Cartier Santos 100s.
AC: Wow, these are beautiful.
Laif: These are beautiful watches.
These are one of the best sellers
that we have at The RealReal.
These are meant to be worn.
AC: OK.
Laif: I mean, the artistry is there,
and Cartier does it probably better
than anybody else.
Their designs are fabulous,
but these are functional micromachines.
Have a look at these.
AC: All right.
Laif: And, again, we're looking
at fit and finish.
AC: I'm gonna put this one on the table for now
and take a look at this other one here.
Laif: OK.
AC: Now, this one, I'm already seeing some wear,
which is perhaps a good sign,
someone probably really wore this.
Really, really sturdy.
I'm gonna take a look at this one more time,
side by side.
Laif: Now, I will tell you about one other thing
that Cartier does.
They have a secret signature on the dial.
AC: On the dial?
Laif: Yes, so I'm gonna ask you
to find the secret signature.
It'll say Cartier.
AC: OK.
Laif: And it's hidden. It's not obviously,
right, the big Cartier
on the front of the dial, under the 12.
But there's another hidden Cartier signature.
AC: Oh, I found it.
It's, like, I guess in between
the six and the next number over here.
Is that it? Laif: Yes.
AC: All right. So, what I noticed also,
looking at this, is that there're, like,
little pieces surrounding the diamonds
that are not the same.
Like, they don't always go around the diamond,
it's kind of messy on the side here.
So I feel like a real Cartier watch
would've gotten that right.
So, here we go.
This is a very important round.
Out of these two watches,
I do believe this one is the real watch.
Laif: You got it. AC: Yes!
Laif: That is it. That is it.
AC: Excellent. All right, yes!
So, I got that one right,
now we're on to the fourth one,
we're nearing the finish line.
What do we have here?
Laif: OK, so what have here
are two vintage Rolex Submariners.
These sold for less than $1,000
when they were new.
But now, the watch that I'm gonna hand you,
retailing for about $30,000
'cause they are so collectible.
What are the first things that you're noticing?
AC: I'm noticing some similarities,
just inside, under the dome,
but also noticing some differences,
so I think I need to take a closer look.
Laif: Absolutely.
Definitely dive into these.
AC: I'll start with this one.
The logo looks right.
Laif: It's called the coronet.
AC: The coronet, yes. [laughs]
Laif: Given this era of watch,
we expect that the tritium
is not going to glow anymore.
AC: OK.
Laif: The half-life is expired; it is no longer
a luminous material.
So, if you do a quick cup test
of the watch, you just block out all the light,
you shouldn't see any glowing.
AC: OK, this one is actually glowing.
And so you don't want
to see it glowing, is what you're saying?
Laif: We would not expect to see that.
They stopped using tritium on the dials
in about 1995.
AC: OK.
Laif: OK, so we're getting a reaction
from the blacklight here.
AC: OK, cool.
Laif: Check this one.
AC: No. Laif: No reaction.
AC: OK, cool. I think I know
which one is the real
and which one is the fake.
Or should I say The RealReal?
I think...nay, I know,
the real one is
this one.
Laif: You are correct.
AC: Oh, yes!
Laif: Redemption is right there!
AC: I will say you gave me
a lot of hints, so. [laughs]
Laif: Yeah, I did on this one.
Because you're feeling so confident
and you're doing so well, we're gonna
make this a little bit harder for you.
AC: OK.
Laif: I'm just gonna give you one watch.
I'm not gonna tell you anything about it.
You're gonna have to use
everything that you've learned.
AC: All my skills.
Laif: All your skills. AC: OK.
Laif: This is it.
This is the moment that you move
from student to master.
AC: All right. Laif: This is it.
So, this is a Cartier Pasha.
AC: OK.
And this is more like real life,
because when someone brings you a watch,
you don't really have another one,
necessarily, to look at it next to.
Laif: Exactly.
This is exactly how we experience it.
AC: OK, all right, here we go.
I'm going in.
Cartier No. 2, watch No. 5.
Laif: Remember your training.
[laughing]
AC: Everything seems very sturdy.
I'm gonna open this up.
How do you open this? [laughs]
Laif: It does, has a mystery clasp,
and this what they call a butterfly clasp,
'cause it opens on two sides.
AC: Oh, no way!
Laif: You use your finger under one side,
and pop.
AC: Oh, wow!
Laif: So it pops up on both sides.
Opens like a butterfly's wings.
AC: That is a pretty cool design element.
[sighs]
After careful consideration,
I do believe that this watch
is, in fact, real.
Laif: Are you sure?
AC: And by real, I do mean fake.
[laughing]
No, I said real, it's fine.
Oh, gosh!
Laif: Yeah, yeah, this is a tough one.
AC: This is why you're the master,
and this is the reason why I am not. [laughs]
Laif: The big tell is if we flip this over,
the movement is not what we would expect
to see for the finish.
AC: Wow! Well, thank you so much!
It was great.
Laif: It was absolutely my pleasure.
I'll expect you at 9:30 on Monday.
AC: Right, yes, exactly. [laughs]
Laif: We'll get you working.
AC: For lesson two. [laughs]
I'm gonna take these off because
my fingers are sweating.