In a recent study conducted by Watchfinder & Co., a reputable source for preowned luxury watches, Los Angeles has been identified as the second city in the United States with a significant presence of counterfeit high-end watches. The research, which was released last month, estimates that there are more than 23 million counterfeit luxury watches currently in circulation within the U.S. market. Notably, approximately 50% of the luxury watches identified as counterfeit or featuring fake components in the past year were Rolex timepieces.
New York City holds the top position in the nation in terms of the prevalence of counterfeit luxury watches, while Chicago ranks third in this regard.
The research highlights a growing concern related to the proliferation of high-quality counterfeit luxury watches, often referred to as “super-fakes.” This issue is exacerbated by the accessibility of advanced manufacturing tools like 3-D printers and computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which enable scammers to create replicas that are increasingly convincing. Luxury watch counterfeits account for roughly 20% of all counterfeit sales, with nearly half of the fake watches sold for $500 or more.
Super-fakes, which closely resemble authentic luxury watches and require meticulous inspection to differentiate, now make up approximately 80% of the counterfeits submitted to the preowned watch authentication company, a substantial increase from the 20% reported five years ago.
Some counterfeit watches not only feature entirely fake components but also incorporate replica parts, such as bracelets, dials, or clasps, making it challenging to distinguish them from genuine articles. Another category of luxury counterfeits includes “franken-watches,” comprising parts from authentic watches of the same brand, resulting in a timepiece that appears legitimate. For example, pop star Adam Levine purchased an alleged Omega brand luxury “franken-watch” at auction for $3.1 million.
Celebrities have also fallen victim to scammers selling high-end “franken-watches.” Musician John Mayer filed a lawsuit after discovering that the Rolex and Patek Philippe watches he acquired, among several others, for $656,000 were counterfeit.
Arjen van de Vall, the CEO of Watchfinder, commented on the findings, stating, “Sadly, it comes as no surprise to see how many people are being tricked into purchasing fake goods, especially since spotting them isn’t as easy as you would think. Our research showed that 54% of Americans who have been deceived with a fake watch now express reluctance to purchase preowned watches in the future.”
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