Buying a watch? Here's what to look out for!

Are you going to buy a watch? A branded watch or have you already bought one and wonder if it is genuine? Whether you go for cheap or expensive, you don't want a cat in the bag. Especially if you're going to buy a watch online, you need to pay close attention so you don't make a bad purchase. You don't want a fake watch and you also don't want bad service after purchase. In this News, we give you tips & advice on what to look out for when buying a brand watch and how to recognise a fake watch.

A branded watch at a bargain price - is that possible?

It could be possible. But do check the shop you are buying form. Are you sure it is a bargain? WatchXL also offers heavily discounted brand watches, but a bargain...? Of course with certain brands, a "bargain" is still quite some amount of money. Price differences are caused by different reasons, like old collections, purchase of large quantities by the seller, etc.

Price difference too good to be true?

You might think when you see heavily discounted brand watches that could be fake. It is good to realise that if the price difference is too good to be true, it probably is! Too good to be true. Especially when all other suppliers have a normal recommended retail price, it is suspicious when there is one supplier in between with a much lower price.

Versace watch

Watches from well-known fashion brands

Fake watches are definitely being sold, especially from well-known fashion brands and especially on channels like E-bay. These brands are in high demand worldwide and there is a lot of money to be made by imitating them. So if you are going to buy a watch from a well-known fashion or designer brand, pay close attention to whether it is genuine.

Curious about our brand watches? Click here >

What do I look out for when buying a branded watch?

In any case, we advise you to pay close attention to where you buy your watch. From which online provider. Google the name of the shop and check the reviews. Unfortunately, even that does not say everything these days, but Google is working on improving the reliability of reviews. You can also find reviews on social media and webshop seals of approval that the company is affiliated with.

Buy your watch from an authorised dealer

Make sure that the webshop where you want to buy a brand watch is an authorised brand dealer. Sometimes you can find a list of affiliated dealers on the manufacturer's website. For example, you can see on Citizen's site that WatchXL is a Citizen Dealer. If necessary, contact the brand itself.

Shop a watch at a trusted website

Several foreign suppliers have a trusted webshop but they ship from abroad. Especially when it comes to expensive products, it is advisable to check if you can find shop's office address. If necessary, get in touch beforehand to check whether customer service is available. Pay special attention to customer reviews, which you can find in Google, for example.

Not a member of the trustmark? Suspicious!

If a company is not affiliated with one or more of the well-known trustmarks, an alarm bell should go off immediately. Well-known trustmarks in the Netherlands are WebwinkelKeur, Thuiswinkel.org and Webshop Keurmerk. International trustmarks are Trustpilot and Google reviews. Well-known trustmarks in Belgium include WebwinkelKeur and Safeshops.be.

Check how a webshop handles returns

When you buy from a reliable webshop, you know that you can return a product and that the purchase price will be credited to you quickly. Do you have doubts about the authenticity of a watch after receiving it? Send the watch back and ask for your money back.

Received a branded watch? Check if it is genuine!

But how do you check a watch for authenticity? Admittedly, the really expensive watch brands, such as Rolex, for example, make very good fakes. It is already difficult for experts to recognise a fake watch. In any case, pay attention to the following:

1. How does the watch feel, how does it look
Bought an expensive watch that looks poorly finished? Doesn't feel right, is it too light? Check the official specs of the watch and compare it with the model you bought. Weigh the wristwatch and compare the weight with the weight according to the manufacturer.

Pay attention to the finish of the watch

2. Look at the back: are there any serial numbers on it?
Most branded watches contain various serial numbers on the back. Those serial numbers, as well as brand logos, are often perfectly in the middle.

Serial & type numbers on the back

3. Compare pictures from the manufacturer with the watch you bought.

Unfortunately, the more expensive the genuine branded watch, the better the fake watches tend to be. It does then become more difficult to distinguish real from fake.

4. Check the brand logos on the watch:
Do these look good or do you notice that they are not quite perfect? Are they not in the centre nicely? Suspect!

Versace watch with logo on the clasp

5. How does the watch strap feel?
Is the finish of the strap that what you should expect from an expensive brand watch? Does it feel too light or is it not smooth? If so, you may doubt its authenticity.

6. Also check the clasp for serial numbers.
There are often numbers or marks on the clasp as well.

7. Was the watch delivered in a neat watch box from the brand?

8. Does the watch come with a certificate of authenticity and a booklet?

Authenticity card Versace

9. Ask the manufacturer if the serial number is correct

10. Walk into a branded dealer and ask them if your watch is genuine

A cheap branded watch, fake?

That perfect offer, that far too cheap watch, it must be a fake then? Fortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes these are somewhat older watch collections that have been on the market for several years. Gradually, they have reached the outlet stores, prices have dropped significantly and thus a lively trade in discounted branded watches is created.

A watch shop may also be buying in a decent batch at a time. This reduces the price quite a bit. You may not see this with the latest collections because here the recommended retail price generally applies.

Many price differences in watches

If you search the internet for a men's or women's watch, you will notice that there are quite a few suppliers. You will also notice that there is quite a difference between the highest and lowest prices of the various shops. How can this be? Why is a watch at one watch shop so much more expensive than at another?

Brand watches at WatchXL

WatchXL is an official watch dealer, we are a dealer of all the brands we sell and we can offer you service before, during and after you buy a watch from us as you should expect from a dealer. You will a very large assortiment of Versace watches, Gc's and Philipp Plein timepieces at outlet prices at WatchXL. WatchXL buys large lots from these brands and we have a large stock. Sometimes these are models from an earlier collection that we may discount.

Brand watches with certificate

WatchXL sells genuine brand watches with a certificate. But we do have many offers. WatchXL is an official watch dealer for Gc, Guess, Philipp Plein, TW Steel, Citizen and Paul Rich, among others. We are a reputable webshop that has been around for 15 years.

When in doubt, check out what others say about us or feel free to contact us. We will gladly help and advise you!