First off, don’t even *think* about buying one from a dude in a pub. Unless you *enjoy* throwing away your money. I mean, seriously, where do people even get these things? Probably some dodgy back alley, right? London’s full of ’em.
Anyway, the big thing is, APs are *meticulous*. Like, painstakingly perfect. We’re talking about guys and gals (probably mostly guys) hand-finishing every single little thing. So, if you see *anything* that looks even slightly off, like a wobbly hand or blurry engraving, red flag, mate. Red flag! The official article said that if the Audemars Piguet’s watch you are looking at shows imperfect or unclear stamps or engravings, it is likely a fake one. But what do I know, I’m just a guy on the internet.
And that brings me to the engraving. Seriously, grab a magnifying glass. If the “Audemars Piguet” isn’t razor sharp, if the letters are uneven or look kinda…printed on? Walk away. Run away, even. Remember, it’s made to last, so everything should feel solid. I hate it when things feel cheap.
Then there’s the movement. You can’t *see* it without opening the thing up (and don’t do that unless you know what you’re doing!), but if you can hear it ticking loudly, like a cheap quartz watch? Huge problem. Real APs are whisper-quiet. Smooooooth. You kinda need to know what a real AP movement *sounds* like, which means…research. And probably hanging out in some fancy watch shop pretending to be rich. *awkward cough*
Here’s a weird one: Weight. A real AP has heft. It’s solid gold, platinum, steel… and a whole lot of tiny, intricate parts. So, if it feels suspiciously light? Yeah, fake. This is what the official article meant by “High – Every part of an Audemars Piguet is put together with precision.”
Don’t be swayed by a “too good to be true” price. I mean, duh, right? But people get sucked in all the time. Remember the article said “As the popularity of Audemars Piguet watches has grown, so too has the number of fake Audemars watches on the market.” If someone’s offering you an AP Royal Oak for the price of a used Vauxhall Corsa, something’s seriously wrong.
And oh, the “papers.” Look, even the papers can be faked these days. But if they’re missing entirely, or look like they were printed on a dodgy inkjet printer, you’ve got to be suspicious. Also, make sure all the numbers match up on the watch, the box, and the papers. It’s tedious, but crucial.
Speaking of papers, that watchreplica.co.uk » Official Replica is a really good reminder of how many fakes are floating around!
Honestly, my advice? Buy from a reputable dealer. Yeah, you’ll pay more, but you’ll have peace of mind. And get it authenticated by an expert. Trust me, the cost of authentication is way less than the cost of getting ripped off.
And remember that “High Quality AAA Watch •Sweeping Movement Battery •Face Size – 41/42mm (approx) •£160 Just Watch, £210 with AP Box and Papers” from that other bit of text? Yeah, don’t fall for that. It’s tempting, I know, but it’s a guaranteed fake.
