The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Had a very interesting chat with my AD the other day. He sells both Breitling and Panerai (and some 'other' marks - like Craplier, or Cartilage or something...) and we got to discussing fakes - my pet grump.

He told me that he is often asked by the local customs and excise people to authenticate watches and once he asked them what happens to the people who originally purchased the fake watches. They explained that the legislation here in France means that the person has to pay the full French purchase price to the C&E, plus a whopping fine AND the watch is then confiscated.

This all came about when we were discussing a Bentley Toubillon, as he had to authenticate one and found it was fake - and not a very good one - so imagine the shock for the original purchaser when in adition to the price he paid, he then has to pay again, and a fine, and not even get to keep the watch!

Just not worth it.

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Navitimer World, Evo, Blacksteel, Avenger
Loads of Panerai
Submariner Date, GMT Master llc

I hate fakes with a passion, so I totally agree with that course of action if people knowingly buy fakes, BUT it seems incredibly harsh if you just happen to not know much about watches and buy what you think is the genuine article in good faith, only to find you've been fleeced. Very unfair.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I can only agree - but it's worth considering that for the most part, these fakes are the £50 variety - and quite frankly, anyone paying that for a watch has got to be pretty dim to even imagine it might be real...

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Navitimer World, Evo, Blacksteel, Avenger
Loads of Panerai
Submariner Date, GMT Master llc

Yeah absolutely - you've gotta be some kind of plank to think you can pick up a genuine tourbillon for £50. But for the very high quality fakes being sold off as genuine (and often with close to genuine price tags), the last thing you want is to have to pay double, AND be fined for what is a genuine mistake. As each day goes by the "buy from an AD only" message becomes clearer and clearer.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

The situation, sportback mentioned is a EU-law. I already know a couple of cases (at least they were printed in the newspapers) about people buying fake LV-bags and sunglasses in from beachmerchants in Italy. They had to pay terrible fines. The point is the police assumption, that these pieces can be bought for resale, so they want to fight all that.

When they catch a beachfakeseller, they cant get much money as a fine from him, but when they catch a buying tourist, they know, they have a cow to milk.

Austrian customs at the airport frequently stops shiploads of fake watches. They will be showen to the agents of the originals, and if they sue, they will confiscate the watches. The problem is, that the buyers of the watches can hardly be found, as they are usually sent to dubious adresses.

BG
Thomas