Have you ever spotted a Rolex for sale that just doesn’t quite look like a Rolex? Maybe the dial is a unique color or the bezel has big diamonds or is a color combo you’ve never seen on a Rolex before…

Is this a fake Rolex? Or is it an after-market watch?

We break down the crucial difference between these two watch categories and what to look for to ensure you’re getting exactly what you expect.

What are After-Market Watches?
After-market (or custom) watches are, at their core genuine designer watches, but decorated with non-brand approved details. Using a real luxury watch as its base, after-market watches are outfitted with diamond bezels and colorful or printed dials or encrusted (also known as “iced out” or “blinged out”) with pavé diamonds. (Check out our post here to see more examples of after-market alterations.)

Although after-market watches are not illegal, these modifications are not sanctioned by the original brand and therefore nullify the warranty. Moreover, it is important to note that, while the cost of the diamonds used to modify the watch will bring up the overall cost of the after-market watch, after-market watches typically have a lower resale value because brands have not authorized the cosmetic changes.

What are Replica Watches?
While an after-market watch is still fundamentally a genuine designer watch, replica watches are counterfeit or fake watches.

Replica watches are very much illegal—even though some sites will publicize that they carry replica watches and convincing knock-offs of the biggest brand names, particularly Rolex, Breitling, and Audemars Piguet. Even worse, unscrupulous retailers will knowingly sell you a fake designer watch claiming it’s a great deal on an authentic timepiece.

Counterfeit or fake watches can be a tempting way to “get the look,” but there are very serious repercussions to shopping replica watches, from actually having the watch confiscated by the authorities to having your credit card information stolen. Learn more about why you should never buy a phony designer watch here.

How Can I Ensure I’m Not Getting Scammed?
Although after-market watches are legal and there is a large market for them, if you’re not aware that what you’re buying is, in fact, an after-market watch, you can feel duped. Therefore, always read the listing details carefully. All credible retailers will be quick to point out when a dial or bezel is not from the brand and will note that in the product details, connoting that the item you’re browsing is an after-market watch.

As for replica watches, particularly those sold claiming to be authentic, the two immediate red flags are too-good-to-be-true prices and retailers without a return policy. If you’re quoted a price that is significantly lower than its competitors’, it may be because the item is fake and made with cheap materials. In addition, counterfeiters don’t often take the time to make sure their replica is a perfect reproduction of the original. We have some brand- and product-specific guides here that you can use to spot fake designer watches.

If you have further questions about after-market watches, please call our concierge associates at 1-800-690-3736 for help!

Faux-lex. Faux-mega. “Replica” Cartier watches.

Sure, buying a known-counterfeit designer watch seems like a pretty victimless crime—especially when you think about the big name brands who rake in beaucoup bucks for their watches. Plus, only you know you’re sporting a fake Rolex. Who are you really hurting, right?

Although it may seem like a harmless crime, trafficking in counterfeit watches is still illegal and will ultimately come back to haunt you. We shine some light on the shady underworld of counterfeit watches and breakdown the reasons why you should stay far away from phony designer goods.

Reason #1: Your watch can be confiscated and you can be fined for owning a fake watch.
In Italy and France, you will be immediately fined and can face serious jail time if you are caught simply buying counterfeit goods.

Stateside, it is not illegal to buy (even knowingly) a counterfeit watch. But it is very illegal to be caught selling counterfeit goods in the United States. If you are caught with just two fake watches, you can be accused of trying to sell them which is a big problem for you. Even first-time offenders can face upwards of 10 years in prison and a $2 million fee.

Reason #2: You will hurt your own reputation.
If you hope to break into the watch-collecting community, wearing a fake Breitling is a surefire way to end your entrance right then and there. First off, you will embarrass yourself if you try and pass off even a high-quality “replica” watch as the real-deal. Watch collectors will quickly be able to sniff out your fake.

Secondly, watch collectors are known for trading and selling watches within their tight-knit community. If you are known for owning a fake watch, other collectors may be skeptical of your collection and shy away from dealing with you.

And, even if you don’t aspire to amass a collection of watches, having a phony watch on your wrist raises eyebrows as onlookers question if anything else you’re sporting is inauthentic. Yes, it’s definitely just people snidely passing judgement—which isn’t fair, of course—but it’s the harsh reality of how you may be negatively perceived just for wearing a fake watch.

Reason #3: You dilute the brand’s prestige that you’re aspiring to.
Let’s say, down the line, you save up some cash and can afford a real-deal luxury watch. You’re effectively buying into the prestige, tradition and heritage of the timepiece; that brand name means something to you and a lot of other people. The problem with counterfeit watches is that they water down the cachet of luxury brands.

So, it may not seem like a big deal if a single person has a fake Rolex. But, if more and more phony watches work their way into the mainstream, people start to assume anyone and everyone wearing a Rolex watch is really wearing a fake. When fake watches saturate the market, it effectively wipes out designer’s renown—and leaves you out a few grand on a beloved watch that everyone dismisses as a fake.

Reason #4: It’s a waste of money.
While some counterfeiters are hawking their phony watches for a couple bucks, other counterfeiters build surprisingly convincing “replica” designer watches at a few hundred dollars a pop. Granted, spending $600 is not the same as spending $6,000 on a watch but it’s still a significant chunk of change! Moreover, it’s a big amount to spend on something fake. Factor in the likelihood that a counterfeit watch will break down within a year and you can quickly see how “investing” in a “good fake” is a real waste of your hard earned cash.

Reason #5: Your credit card info or even identity could be stolen.
In the past, counterfeit watches were typically purchased in person with cash. However, more and more counterfeiters have been moving online in recent years. In order to elude law officials, counterfeiters will frequently change their URLs and quickly open and shutter their websites. In turn, their faulty websites are incredibly vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves. Shopping on these shady sites leaves you susceptible to having your personal and credit card info stolen.