Fraudsters are using the watch buyer’s ignorance
Caution, Fraudster: Catching out customers with luxury watches by Rolex, Chopard & Patek Philippe
A slick method of deception is currently abounding amongst various watch traders, in particular in Asia and Russia. The unsuspecting customers are being presented with apparently high quality, genuine watches by the sales staff at the jewellers', usually with interesting reductions and discount. Popular watch brands such as Rolex, Chopard, Patek Philippe and all brands that are elegant and expensive are often offered by these swindlers.
As soon as the customer has decided on a watch, the purchasing process is not immediately completed. It is at this point that, on some pretext, the customer is led into a trap. The customers are told that, for example, the watch is undergoing a free check or is being set up correctly, so as to gain an hour or two's time. It is in this period of time that these exceptional criminal types exchange the individual parts of the luxury watches. A watch buyer in Moscow experienced an entire solid gold Rolex armband being exchanged for a gold-plated one, another customer in Macao was unfortunate enough to find out months after his purchase that even the movement of his Patek Philippe had been completely exchanged for a cheap ETA calibre. A buyer in Shanghai bought a Rolex with a fake diamond bezel, having been tricked out of the real one by sleight-of-hand in only a few seconds. The swindlers had simply prepared the second watch to look the same and merely exchanged the watches. The fact that the buyer almost always has the original packaging and certification papers is only of limited value as it will most likely be extremely expensive to restore the watch to its original condition by the manufacturer.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that watch buyers purchase their watches only from licensees and serious watch traders, and to refrain from a purchase when they have the slightest suspicion!