How to spot a fake Omega

General tips when examining a luxury watch that could mean it’s a fake:

• The logo may not be centred properly
• On a metal strap the links don’t move freely
• Letters printed on the dial are not sharp and crisp
• Functions like sub dials and helium release valves don’t function T
• hey weigh less because of the cheaper materials used Lack of or poor packaging
• A loud ticking noise, most quality watches are very quiet
• Fingerprints, dust or other residue inside the watch

Things to look for with a fake Omega:

1. The metal pearl “Lum dot” within the triangle above the 12 mark is often misaligned or off centre.
2. The Omega logo may be printed on the face when it should be applied either as steel, yellow gold or white gold.
3. Genuine Omega watches use special “LumiNova” on the dial and hands to help them glow brightly. Fakes will often have a faint or non-existent glow.
4. If your Omega has mechanical movement the second hand should sweep smoothly around the face. If the model is supposed to have a Quartz movement it should tick between points.
5. When setting the date on a genuine Omega the number will click into place and centre. With a fake, these numbers may not line up or sometimes the numbers are partially obscured.
6. Omega print a red dot on the rim of the case back to show if the watch case has been opened. If this is missing and you believe the watch to be new, it is likely a fake.
7. Taking off the case back, the movement is unlikely to have the brand markings, although some more expensive fakes may have also duplicated this.
8. The watch number will be etched with a laser on the lug. This number should correspond to the number provided with the Chronometer Certificate & warranty.

General tips when buying a luxury watch:

• If the price appears too good to be true, then it likely is
• Be very careful on sites like eBay. Some signs to be wary of are the use of blurry low resolution images in listings, lack of detail in descriptions and sellers with little or no feedback
• Just because the watch comes with an authentic looking box manual and certification it doesn’t mean that it is genuine.
• Buying in store? Follow your instincts. If the decor and location don’t fit with what you’d expect for a luxury high value item then don’t take the risk.
• Have the watch inspected by an expert, often better fakes require inspection of the mechanism to tell them from the real, product