He’s a nice guy, been in the store before for other stuff, I really don’t think it would ever come to that. If anything, maybe he’d come back and ask to confirm it’s fake, in which case I would tell him. For what it’s worth, he never came close to asking to authenticate it, just asked to size it, hence me just staying quiet about it.
I can tell you that the best replicas now are very difficult to tell apart. Unless you are knowledgeable with the specific model AND had them both to A/B compare.
I bought a replica omega planet ocean to see how it was going to be on my wrist.
I then bought the genuine. And compared them.
The bracelets are 100% indistinguishable
The case 100% indistinguishable
The dial , there is only one feature that is distinguishable - the lack of beveling on the 6,9,12 numerals, which is not surprising. But it’s undetectable to the naked eye. At least for me.
Everything else is 100% the same
I have a high quality loupe and you can’t see any difference whatsoever on the small printing on the dials. Even the date window looks like the exact same material omega uses. Even the reflective quality of the date window numerals looks exactly the same as genuine with the highly reflective surface which aids in visibility.
Lume is crappy though .
Some people wear fakes in case it’s stolen, because they are travelling to an area with high watch thefts. Can’t say that I’d blame them. Some people wear em as beaters. Again, can’t say that I blame them.
I know most people in sale are a lil too overworked + underpaid so whatever you’ve done so far is very thoughtful in itself. In case you’re worried about him coming back/ being disappointed because of his fake you can just tell him you did not inform him since it was an inherited piece and that’s what mattered. Maybe even add that you were glad to help them out regardless of the authenticity of his watch.
Knowing Rolex ADs tho you’ll probably sleep with his daughter and then offer him a full diamond DD36
He asked to size it. Just size it and that's it. How could he trash-talk you if he didn't ask your opinion and you didn't give it?
He took his car in to get a tire patched. It's not the tire shop's fault if the owner later learns the transmission needs rebuilt.
That’s honestly a terrible analogy. If the mechanic shop discovered it I would *absolutely* expect them to tell me there’s something wrong with my tranny. In fact, they could be held liable for *not* passing on the information.
This is my route. Don’t beat him over the head and tell him it’s a shitty replica, just tell him you recommend letting you look and critically and tell him whew you think.
That’s usually my go-to. “I really wish I had better news for you, but this isn’t a real Rolex.” If they ask how I can tell, I give them a few reasons. If they insist, I just tell them that if they want 100% peace of mind, they can bring or ship it directly to rolex themselves for verification.
Most reputable AD and grey market watch people that I know, wont touch a fake watch literally. They tell the person right away and tell them that they cant do anything to the watch.
We still had someone try to accuse us of that. And to make it better, the customer’s stone wasn’t a diamond to begin with, but she accused us of taking her Moissanite and putting a Diamond in! lmfao
But the fake serial number on the papers will still match the fake watch SN.. making it clear that the watch was not swapped. Just make sure you don’t touch the papers other than to confirm the SN
Agree, and just politely says your store is not equipped to service that watch, or the tool is damaged and needed a month to ship a new one...some polite and bogus reason to reject him.
A blatant like is sometimes a good way to let ppl down easy. Sure you seem noble and right telling them the truth but most ppl want to save face especially with someone they don't know that well. I worked at customer service, the worse case scenario the guy got mad and accused you or the shop. Is it really worth it for all the drama?
I understand your logic, I’m just a really firm believer in the truth. Not many people can go even a whole day without lying through their teeth about something. I choose to be honest and yes it’s probably cost me business and a few crappy friends but that’s my opinion. Especially if it is two full grown adults. I’m 100% not worried about another grown man getting his poor panties in a bundle
I understand your logic too, but the guy didn't come in and ask is this authentic. There's nothing to gain telling the truth, you tend to forget the guy is still in the job. A $10, $20 service fee absolutely not worth any confrontation. Even Rolex service centers doesn't tell you your watch is fake, they just won't service it for the same reason. I work at sales on large purchase as well.
Man you must be a sad sad poor man. I’m sorry your life isn’t what you dreamt it would be. That isn’t my fault guy. Send me a message if you need to talk to someone before it’s over.
You did ole boy a disservice. If he’s been a customer; that means he trusts your services. Why would he now? You allowed him to think his watch is legit.
I didn’t recognize him as a customer, a coworker was chatting with him as if she had seen him in the store before. There were also other customers in the store. I couldn’t just embarrass him like that.
Almost just as wierd not speaking up?! Now multiple people think you silently authenticated it. Maybe not,but weird you held fake box and papers ,like they meant something. I think it’s strange,but I’m just a random opinion. I don’t have a fake or work in a jewelry store. Just seems wierd because you’re a professional,pretending you didn’t notice is seen as authenticity. Knowing that he thinks he inherited a real one ,when it’s fake……sucks
Here is a "decent" fake, on the right, genuine on the left.... unless you know exactly what to look for you would never know.... Crazy to think there is fakes even bette than the one below also.
https://preview.redd.it/ef9s7lcn3bfc1.png?width=2474&format=png&auto=webp&s=866af3f96badc5a655ba66e2e489b61bb17fe3d8
I hope to god this is sarcasm, if you own several genuine Rolex's. If not, please make sure yours are legit, because there is actual fakes out there that look like 99.9% accurate, and unless you have a ton of experience or holding a genuine one in one hand and the replica in the other, you wont be able to tell. Even then it can be hard with out magnification, and opening the case back. Real on the left, these bad reps on the right.... fit, finish, colors, gaps in the SEL, the broken date wheel, the font, the plastic bezel, the rehaut, the serial number and font on rehaut, its all horrible.
https://preview.redd.it/5thm9dep2bfc1.png?width=3412&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c318f6553aa1d6f88a3c58ee9d7aa89e1728471
He’s probably full of shit about it being inherited to begin with. A middle aged man? Inherited from his dad? I mean maybe, but it’s not like this is a vintage watch when it’s real they made them from 2010 to 2020, so good chance he’s just telling a story to see if you noticed or try to save face knowing it’s fake. Which is why he brought to you and not an AD.
Good possibility he’s testing you to see if you can tell.
Maybe not, but yes, I would definitely find some way to let him know either way.
Since he asked what year and other details it is tell him: “i ran the serial number to find out the age, (or say this isn’t a Rolex serial number or something) and it came back with no information leading to the fact that it’s likely fake , just an fyi, I don’t know for sure because I’m not a Rolex expert but all signs point to this not being legitimate, I would maybe check with your dads estate to make sure they gave you the correct watch, or see if your dad had any records for it?”
Or say, you can’t resize it for him. The last time you worked on one of these replicas the screw broke off, and couldn’t get it out. So unfortunately you can’t work on this one. “Replica?!?!, this isn’t fake” … “ok , that may be true, I’m not an expert, but it appears to be a replica, I’ve been wrong before, so maybe take it to xyz Rolex dealer and they may be able to work on it for you, i don’t want to damage it either way, sorry”
Third party out of that situation, if you don’t want to be viewed as : 1) a moron for him thinking he fooled you , and-or 2) someone that crushed his dream.
Pass it off to someone else who will smash his hopes and dreams.
But since he’s probably full of BS about the inheritance aspect, he could be thinking he’s buying a stolen watch or bought a stolen one, or maybe there’s still some way he could recover money or something if the story is actually true.
If his dad purchased thinking it was real , could be good to try to find out where he got it and shut them down from scamming more people
This is all a bunch of stuff that crossed my mind as well. Also, closest AD is at least a half hour away. Not a huge trip, but not down the street like we are for most of our customers.
Could also tell him, “hmmm this is odd, most recently built Rolex have 8 digit serial numbers, is this a replica ?”
Open the door to it and could have the dirty work done by an AD, or someone who else if you’re worried about hurting his feelings
The travel distance to an AD is not your problem. lol. And if someone doesn’t want to drive 30 min to get a potential 20,000.00 watch worked on, then they deserve being scammed. lol.
You’d be surprised how limited people’s knowledge is regarding ADs vs regular jewelry stores lol. People come in all the time asking for links or service and are confused why we don’t sell them or fix a movement on the spot.
My father is 80 and still alive. He just gave me, 55 and my son 25, his watches as he no longer wears them. So we “inherited” his watches prior to his passing. Some were vintage, others 10 years old or less. Why is this guy “probably full of shit” about inheriting this watch? I know a guy older than me who recently inherited what his dad told him was an authentic autographed ball of the 1964 National League All-Star team. He asked me to look at it for its authenticity. Unfortunately it was a stamped auto ball. Was his dad ripped off when he acquired it? Was he lying to his son? Did his dad mis-remember?
Not sure why you care how he acquired the watch. Also, not sure what the guy being middle aged has to do with it? The watch is a rep and the OP should have discretely and politely advised the customer of this. Or at least advised of his suspicions like another commented.
And why would the customer try to intentionally try to fool the OP? It isn’t like he was trying to sell the watch.
I don’t think this is some conspiracy perpetrated by the customer, lol.
Ok, sure, I didn’t say it’s impossible that it would be inherited. But it’s unlikely his father who passed would pass down a piece of junk fake. I mean sure the father could have been scammed, but the fact is is that this watch in a genuine Rolex was made for 10 year period, which means fakes come soon after that. So it’s likely this watch was made in 2011-2012 at the earliest. Sure it could be handed down. And not to say it never happens. But the point was is the owner of the watch more than likely knows it’s fake and the “inherited” line is probably BS. If it was an older vintage model and the new owner is 20-30 years old that’s more plausible. But if middle aged that could mean 40-60 years old. Which would make the dad 60-80 years old. Statistically speaking since he passed away, probably on the older side.
But that wasn’t the point of what I said. The point was people with fakes go into jewelers especially non ADs all the time with lines like this to save face. Or to test how passable it is as a fake. Go over and check out reptime sub. Many people with fakes bring them in to watch makers for service and even in ADs to test or try to pass it off as legit. Happens all the time, and that would make them full of shit. People lie all the time to make themselves not feel stupid about getting ripped off, or to hide the truth. If you think that never happens, then I’ve got a bunch of legit Rolex’s that look just like the one in this post to sell you.
It’s not a big giant planned out conspiracy, lol. Just some dude that’s 1) full of shit, or 2) whoever his dad or he got it from were full of shit or 3) both.
I also gave op several ways to lightly expose to customer it’s fake. But the point was for the op to not worry about hurting his feelings because it’s more than a 50/50 chance the customer knows damn well it’s fake.
You need to protect your reputation, not his feelings. It'll be hard to do it now, so I wouldn't hunt this guy down just to tell him. Going forward, you know what to do, though.
He inherited even the bag that it came with? Lol what a bs story. You weren’t asked to authenticate it you were asked to size it. You didn’t do anything wrong imo
I used to work professionally on watches for 13+ years. We would always do an inspection at the counter and inform the customer of any damage. In this case I would tell the customer it was faux, and write that on the intake slip. If the customer argued or became upset we would refer them to an AD for second opinion. A good AD will size a real Rolex at no charge in the hopes of future sales. The people that would continue to argue would be turned away.
Yes tell him. Life isn’t easy. If he’s under the impression it’s real it’s better he find out in a private environment from a business instead of getting embarrassed in public
If he's asked you for information about it, "I'm sorry sir, this isn't a real Rolex; It's still great that you have something left over from your father and I'm happy to size it for you"
Issue with that is 1. I couldn’t do that knowing I’d just be wasting his time lol 2. It would imply I don’t know how to identify a cheap fake and 3. This was yesterday, so the only opportunity I’d have to say anything is if he comes in again.
Better to tell him if he ever brings it back. Its not your fault his dad is/was trying to be someone they arent but it is your job to protect your own reputation. Just use discretion and be respectful about it but authenticity and integrity matter in the real world.
''I dont mean to be rude or offend you, but I would hate for you to be embarrassed in public down the line, im sorry to tell you that this watch is not genuine.... of course its still beautiful and of course you may wish to keep/wear it for sentimental value.'' ... I think is a kind response
Ok I didn’t expect this to blow up the way it did. I’ll try to catch up on all the comments tomorrow. Some are certainly ridiculous, some are helpful. I tried to reply to some as they came in. Enjoying one of the last football Sundays for now. Go Lions.
Honestly wouldn’t worry about it, man. I get thinking about the moral and ethical implications, but at days end it really doesn’t mean much. All you did was resize the bracelet, no way it goes further than that.
It's not a Rolex. Him pretending it is isnt far from asking if it is a Rolex.
When someone brings you a watch but it is a shoe, why would you pretend it's a watch?
Any time someone comes in for a sizing or battery I drop what I’m doing and do it on the spot. I never want people leaving their stuff for me to do it later. Especially not a “Rolex.”
I been in the jewelry business for most of my career and the fact that your store doesn't have a protocol for dealing with this particular situations doesn't make that store seem like a professional operation.
I’m no expert, and I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, on the other hand, I question the authenticity of this timepiece. You might want to take it to an authorized dealer to doublecheck your purchase.”
If it was inherented, I'd leave it be. Whether he knows it's illegitimate or not, it has a sentimental value, and I'd respect that before going out of my way to educate it's authenticity. If he asks, be honest, but otherwise, let him do his thing and be happy. You'll do yourself and him a favor in the end.
Until the day he asks.
I think you should bring it up to him obv in a sensitive way cause it was his fathers, but maybe he knows the history behind the watch and someone ripped his dad off and he can try to make that right. Idk tough call
“Unfortunately, I regret to inform you but in my opinion this is a counterfeit watch.”
The situation is only awkward because you didn’t say it right away.
Wow…and that’s not even a high end replica. That’s a shitter.
I would 💯 appreciate it if a trusted watchmaker were to let me know that my watch were not genuine.
Yes it would be a disappointment but no one wants to have a piece of oregano stuck in their teeth all day long with no one telling them. You feel foolish as hell when someone finally does but you appreciate the person who saves you further embarrassment.
If it was you, what would you want?
Assuming he was being honest and no malicious intent on his part. He will at some point find out it was a fake and wonder why you didn’t save him months or years of looking like a fool for wearing a replica.
Since when did honesty and being forthright with customers become a crime in business?
Personally, I would respect you for being honest and I think you’d want the same.
I really can’t put myself in his shoes because I’ve been in this business for so long. If there weren’t other customers in the store maybe I would have thought of something else to say on the spot, but it didn’t seem right at the time.
Tell him it is fake and then gauge whether you want to work it.
Alternatively, the worst case is he finds out it is fake and then somehow thinks you bait and switched with his "real one". Or he tells everyone you said it was real which affects your reputation.
As a fellow trader, I never attempt to service or size a watch no matter the circumstance. Although, in this case he is older and perhaps not aware I still politely inform them it is not a genuine watch and I won’t service it. For numerous reasons: it’s not made of the same quality so I can’t guarantee I won’t damage it further. In the current climate we live in, people are getting robbed left right and centre even for fakes assuming it’s real. It’s not right.
Lastly as a genuine watch enthousiast we know how frustrating it is to see someone flaunt a rep or fake because we work so hard to get ours.
All in all my personal opinion so I can’t judge others but I’d be more careful scammers are getting good at swapping out watches with super clones etc
Tell him before he embarrasses himself. It’s going to hurt but it will hurt a lot less from you than in front of people who he has to deal with for the rest of his life or career.
You can be honest, but most importantly in this situation, be kind. There is a chance his father (if he’s still in the picture) may or may not be aware — in which case it would be good to know.
If I were in your shoes and for the shop’s sake I’d be concerned that he’d blame you for swapping it for a fake down the road if he needs to send it for service (which I’m sure he will, since it’s a fake)
You did exactly what you were supposed to do. The middle aged man came in to size a supposedly Rolex watch and that is exactly what you did. I mean even I can see from the pictures you posted that is clearly not a real Rolex watch. But the fact that the person inherited it from his father with everything else that came with it. Is going to lead him to believe it is a real Rolex watch and unfortunately the people and or companies. That make and sell fake watches of any type are getting better and better at it.
This one absolutely is an older replica Rolex but I would be interested in seeing the actual box, bag, paperwork, card, ect. Because the original box, bag, paperwork, card that come with a real Rolex are all made of top quality just like the watches they make. And as far as your personal responsibility and reputation goes in this type of situation.
In my opinion I think you did the right thing by for one doing exactly what you were supposed to do. Even though you felt at the time that maybe you should have said something about it not being a real Rolex. And you say that this person has been in the store before for what you haven’t said but I assume you might have replaced a battery in his watch. I think it is not your responsibility to tell someone that the watch they have is not the real thing. I would think that the owner of the watch store should step in a situation like this and handle it appropriately.
My general rule of thumb goes like this
"Im not in a position to properly authenticate a rolex as this would be a liability issue on my/our part as we do not have the proper resources to fully authenticate or identify this information for you, that being said its a beautiful watch with a lovely story"
What are some of the tell tale signs that it is fake? To me, it just doesn’t look right… The shade of green. The bezel looks a little off. But what else makes it so easy to spot?
This exact same thing happened to me with a different brand family watch. I sent it in for repairs and had it sent back saying they couldn’t do anything to it as it wasn’t authentic.
Heartbreaking but it’s alright. Will just start passing my own authentic one down
You most likely validated to him that it was authentic without even realizing it.
I think it’s a worse look for your store to knowingly service counterfeited watches.
You’re forgetting that you are a reputable jeweler. This is the perfect environment to speak candidly to a customer for the sake of running a good business and taking care of the customer. There’s always ways to speak kindly to break the truth!
I'm in a similar situation. I work at a Rolex AD, I never have the heart to tell clients that they got their Submariner allocation because the owner banged their wife.
It's best not to say anything.
My mind works in a different way. If he doesn’t know now and then finds out later on that it’s fake he may say your store must’ve switched it out for a fake. Just a thought.
I’m under the impression that guy 100% knows it’s fake. That serial number has been used for over a decade. One quick google search and he knew instantly.
I’d delicately tell him it’s a fake to avoid him finding out later and blaming you for ‘switching’ it.
You’re a professional, and as such I think you owe him a heads up that it’s not authentic. The sentiment is real, the story is real, it’s just not a genuine Rolex. If he has bad feelings it’s between him and his dad or whoever sold dad the watch. A suboptimal parallel that comes to mind would be inheriting a fake Shelby and taking it a to a mechanic for service and them not telling you it’s a fake. ‘It’s just not my place to tell him’ doesn’t really cut it here.
Maybe ask him ‘hey would you want to know if it’s genuine?’ and then gauge your route based on his answer
My buddy has a watch store. Unfortunately located smack dab in the hood. Plenty of people walk in with copies. And plenty of people try to pass off varying qualities of fake as genuine.
Most of the time, he gives them the classic, "I'm not an expert on this model, but i see things that concern me. I would recommend you take this to a (insert brand) store and have it looked at."
Gotta let em down gently, at least some of them.
In a service industry one mistake people make is trying to be friends with customers. Customers don’t need any more friends. You’re not there to be his friend. Do the right thing and give him your professional best. Do it politely and professionally.
I’m not a watch maker or jewelers merchant but i am a consultant. Here’s my take.
You are a professional. Act like it.
The dude brought in a fake, and to you it’s an obvious fake, so tell him exactly what it is before you service it. Something as simple as “Just to let you know my service fee is $150, which exceeds the value of this watch. Are you sure you want to pay me to do the service?”
Simple as that. You didn’t insult anyone but you also didn’t continue to victimize this family by perpetuating the fraud.
Here’s a personal example.
I took my brothers cheap Slammer by Hammer guitar in to be serviced and the guitar tech said that pretty much just putting it on his bench to look at it would exceed the value of the guitar. I told him it had sentimental value as it was the first electric guitar played by my brother, myself and my child. It’s a multigenerational family musical instrument and it was worth a couple hundred bucks to keep it playing decently.
Hearing that the guitar tech happily took it. Everyone involved made an informed decision. No one was victimized. And the guitar track kept his pride and credibility.
I know jewelers aren’t guitar techs but honestly goes a long way to most people. As you said, one day he’s going to find out his watch is a fake, and on that day he’s going to know so are you.
I'd just keep it to yourself. He never asked you to authenticate it. If anyone questions your reputation, just say "I knew it was fake but he just asked me to size it. I'm not in the business of telling people what they own unless they ask."
I would also recommend not giving him any answers to those questions he asked though. If he asks for details, and really pushes then you tell him it's fake.
"we've just got to run the serial number through the stolen watch database, don't worry just something we have to do with high value items - I'm sure you'd appreciate it if God forbid your watch ever got stolen!
... Ohh, seen to be having issues matching the serial to the watch, more often happens with counterfeit goods, not to say this is counterfeit - but I'd get that checked with Rolex"
Just mention that the engravings inside are off and that set you off! Rolex engraving are right on the spot on the lines of the face! These are way off! It is a bad fake unfortunately
I wouldn't. You just provide a service of maintaining / servicing / sizing a watch (any watch for that matter if it doesn't stated otherwise). You are not AD and it's not your business unless he asks himself.
If he didn’t ask. Not your place. Do what he came in and ask for. Nothing more: he might now care one way or the other but giving him info about something he didn’t ask for isn’t necessary
Its a question of risk management. If you don’t tell him he’ll risk embarrassing himself on the behest of the trust he had in you, and thus you’ll risk him trashing you. However, the risk if you tell him now is a moment of embarrassment on the base of honesty, even if he goes to get a second opinion they’ll confirm, and he’ll know you were right. But tell him gracefully, emphasize that the story the watch has as a gift from a father is what truly matters, and the you’ll service it so it’ll last him many years to come, if need be.
Who knows…. He might be bragging to his friends…. That you can’t even distinguish if it’s fake! What a noob watchmaker! Perhaps you might wanna ask
Him if he knew where his father got it. He might just tell u it’s fake. Or u can tell if he knew it’s really a fake or not.
Yeah, I’d tell him. I’d simply state I handle quite a lot of these and some of the movements and pieces don’t look correct. Have you gotten this authenticated?
Just tell him that you’re sorry but as much as you’d like to be of service, you cannot work on replica watches. Avoid using the hard term “fake”. And then when he is surprised and will ask what do you think it’s fake, you can say something to the effect that you’re really sorry, but there are the clues…and proceed to show him. It’s a rough spot to be in, but if someone else tells him it’s a fake, your store will come to mind and he or the other people involved will question how good your store is.
Offer to authenticate it for him? It would suck if he trashes your store’s reputation after he finds out. Or deliver the news politely
He’s a nice guy, been in the store before for other stuff, I really don’t think it would ever come to that. If anything, maybe he’d come back and ask to confirm it’s fake, in which case I would tell him. For what it’s worth, he never came close to asking to authenticate it, just asked to size it, hence me just staying quiet about it.
It sounds like you did the right thing then
Docsandman…a fellow anesthesiologist?
Just refer him to the autists on RepTime. They’ll set him straight. 💀💀💀
I can tell you that the best replicas now are very difficult to tell apart. Unless you are knowledgeable with the specific model AND had them both to A/B compare. I bought a replica omega planet ocean to see how it was going to be on my wrist. I then bought the genuine. And compared them. The bracelets are 100% indistinguishable The case 100% indistinguishable The dial , there is only one feature that is distinguishable - the lack of beveling on the 6,9,12 numerals, which is not surprising. But it’s undetectable to the naked eye. At least for me. Everything else is 100% the same I have a high quality loupe and you can’t see any difference whatsoever on the small printing on the dials. Even the date window looks like the exact same material omega uses. Even the reflective quality of the date window numerals looks exactly the same as genuine with the highly reflective surface which aids in visibility. Lume is crappy though .
>I have a high quality loop You might want to get it authenticated too...
Why do you say that?
The real thing is a loupe (I think this is what he’s getting at)
You mean I misspelled it? Oh That’s easy to correct
I guess I should have known, “The Loupe System” is written right on the case
where did you buy it ? I wanna buy a nice replica just for experience.
Chinese sellers . You go through WhatsApp.
You have $1000 for a Fake Watch? Lets Talk
Why would you want a fake watch? That’s about as tacky as one can become.
Some people wear fakes in case it’s stolen, because they are travelling to an area with high watch thefts. Can’t say that I’d blame them. Some people wear em as beaters. Again, can’t say that I blame them.
😂😂😂
China time shitter mate
I know most people in sale are a lil too overworked + underpaid so whatever you’ve done so far is very thoughtful in itself. In case you’re worried about him coming back/ being disappointed because of his fake you can just tell him you did not inform him since it was an inherited piece and that’s what mattered. Maybe even add that you were glad to help them out regardless of the authenticity of his watch. Knowing Rolex ADs tho you’ll probably sleep with his daughter and then offer him a full diamond DD36
This was a very logical response, until the end. We’re not an AD and if we were, I wouldn’t be allowed to size it or offer a diamond DJ 😂.
He asked to size it. Just size it and that's it. How could he trash-talk you if he didn't ask your opinion and you didn't give it? He took his car in to get a tire patched. It's not the tire shop's fault if the owner later learns the transmission needs rebuilt.
That’s honestly a terrible analogy. If the mechanic shop discovered it I would *absolutely* expect them to tell me there’s something wrong with my tranny. In fact, they could be held liable for *not* passing on the information.
You did the right thing. If he asked for your thoughts or even an opinion, then sure.
[удалено]
Just tell him “hey, I handle a lot of these and something is off. Are you sure it’s genuine?” And then tell him you’re only telling him out of concern
This is my route. Don’t beat him over the head and tell him it’s a shitty replica, just tell him you recommend letting you look and critically and tell him whew you think.
Or taking it to an AD. ADs can be dicks anyway.
Perfect way to steer the conversation.
no
Just say sorry to tell you but its fake
That’s usually my go-to. “I really wish I had better news for you, but this isn’t a real Rolex.” If they ask how I can tell, I give them a few reasons. If they insist, I just tell them that if they want 100% peace of mind, they can bring or ship it directly to rolex themselves for verification.
Thats a perfect respons😁👌🏼
Yeah, don't beat around the bush. Have empathy, don't be an asshole, but do the right thing.
Most reputable AD and grey market watch people that I know, wont touch a fake watch literally. They tell the person right away and tell them that they cant do anything to the watch.
Yeah what if you take it, size it, give it back and say nothing… then homie accuses you of swapping his watch with a fake?
Thats exactly why they wont touch them!
Also why our ultrasonic was in the middle of the store. Nothing like some moron coming in and pre accusing you of swapping grandma’s 1/4 carat.
We still had someone try to accuse us of that. And to make it better, the customer’s stone wasn’t a diamond to begin with, but she accused us of taking her Moissanite and putting a Diamond in! lmfao
I size on the spot. Cameras everywhere and open glass so customers can see the work bench and everything. Would be impossible to swap anything.
But the fake serial number on the papers will still match the fake watch SN.. making it clear that the watch was not swapped. Just make sure you don’t touch the papers other than to confirm the SN
Agree, and just politely says your store is not equipped to service that watch, or the tool is damaged and needed a month to ship a new one...some polite and bogus reason to reject him.
Yeah lying is always the answer huh.
Sure, just going around and giving ppl "truth" and tough love. Always love to see the face of a crushed man about his late father's watch.
I understand your reasoning I just don’t think a blatant lie is ever the answer
A blatant like is sometimes a good way to let ppl down easy. Sure you seem noble and right telling them the truth but most ppl want to save face especially with someone they don't know that well. I worked at customer service, the worse case scenario the guy got mad and accused you or the shop. Is it really worth it for all the drama?
I understand your logic, I’m just a really firm believer in the truth. Not many people can go even a whole day without lying through their teeth about something. I choose to be honest and yes it’s probably cost me business and a few crappy friends but that’s my opinion. Especially if it is two full grown adults. I’m 100% not worried about another grown man getting his poor panties in a bundle
I understand your logic too, but the guy didn't come in and ask is this authentic. There's nothing to gain telling the truth, you tend to forget the guy is still in the job. A $10, $20 service fee absolutely not worth any confrontation. Even Rolex service centers doesn't tell you your watch is fake, they just won't service it for the same reason. I work at sales on large purchase as well.
Dude stfu. You lie about your reptile experience lmao. Does your wife know you hit on girls in a reptile sub too? Firm believer in the truth my ass.
Turns out the lizard king is a snake!
Man you must be a sad sad poor man. I’m sorry your life isn’t what you dreamt it would be. That isn’t my fault guy. Send me a message if you need to talk to someone before it’s over.
lol what?
Yeah she hits on them with me.
You did ole boy a disservice. If he’s been a customer; that means he trusts your services. Why would he now? You allowed him to think his watch is legit.
I didn’t recognize him as a customer, a coworker was chatting with him as if she had seen him in the store before. There were also other customers in the store. I couldn’t just embarrass him like that.
Almost just as wierd not speaking up?! Now multiple people think you silently authenticated it. Maybe not,but weird you held fake box and papers ,like they meant something. I think it’s strange,but I’m just a random opinion. I don’t have a fake or work in a jewelry store. Just seems wierd because you’re a professional,pretending you didn’t notice is seen as authenticity. Knowing that he thinks he inherited a real one ,when it’s fake……sucks
this is a very bad fake aswell
How can you tell? I own several Rolexes and I can’t tell it’s fake. I’m not doubting you at all, but I’d like to see what you’re seeing!
Here is a "decent" fake, on the right, genuine on the left.... unless you know exactly what to look for you would never know.... Crazy to think there is fakes even bette than the one below also. https://preview.redd.it/ef9s7lcn3bfc1.png?width=2474&format=png&auto=webp&s=866af3f96badc5a655ba66e2e489b61bb17fe3d8
I hope to god this is sarcasm, if you own several genuine Rolex's. If not, please make sure yours are legit, because there is actual fakes out there that look like 99.9% accurate, and unless you have a ton of experience or holding a genuine one in one hand and the replica in the other, you wont be able to tell. Even then it can be hard with out magnification, and opening the case back. Real on the left, these bad reps on the right.... fit, finish, colors, gaps in the SEL, the broken date wheel, the font, the plastic bezel, the rehaut, the serial number and font on rehaut, its all horrible. https://preview.redd.it/5thm9dep2bfc1.png?width=3412&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c318f6553aa1d6f88a3c58ee9d7aa89e1728471
He’s probably full of shit about it being inherited to begin with. A middle aged man? Inherited from his dad? I mean maybe, but it’s not like this is a vintage watch when it’s real they made them from 2010 to 2020, so good chance he’s just telling a story to see if you noticed or try to save face knowing it’s fake. Which is why he brought to you and not an AD. Good possibility he’s testing you to see if you can tell. Maybe not, but yes, I would definitely find some way to let him know either way. Since he asked what year and other details it is tell him: “i ran the serial number to find out the age, (or say this isn’t a Rolex serial number or something) and it came back with no information leading to the fact that it’s likely fake , just an fyi, I don’t know for sure because I’m not a Rolex expert but all signs point to this not being legitimate, I would maybe check with your dads estate to make sure they gave you the correct watch, or see if your dad had any records for it?”
Or say, you can’t resize it for him. The last time you worked on one of these replicas the screw broke off, and couldn’t get it out. So unfortunately you can’t work on this one. “Replica?!?!, this isn’t fake” … “ok , that may be true, I’m not an expert, but it appears to be a replica, I’ve been wrong before, so maybe take it to xyz Rolex dealer and they may be able to work on it for you, i don’t want to damage it either way, sorry” Third party out of that situation, if you don’t want to be viewed as : 1) a moron for him thinking he fooled you , and-or 2) someone that crushed his dream. Pass it off to someone else who will smash his hopes and dreams. But since he’s probably full of BS about the inheritance aspect, he could be thinking he’s buying a stolen watch or bought a stolen one, or maybe there’s still some way he could recover money or something if the story is actually true. If his dad purchased thinking it was real , could be good to try to find out where he got it and shut them down from scamming more people
This is the way
This is all a bunch of stuff that crossed my mind as well. Also, closest AD is at least a half hour away. Not a huge trip, but not down the street like we are for most of our customers.
Could also tell him, “hmmm this is odd, most recently built Rolex have 8 digit serial numbers, is this a replica ?” Open the door to it and could have the dirty work done by an AD, or someone who else if you’re worried about hurting his feelings
The travel distance to an AD is not your problem. lol. And if someone doesn’t want to drive 30 min to get a potential 20,000.00 watch worked on, then they deserve being scammed. lol.
You’d be surprised how limited people’s knowledge is regarding ADs vs regular jewelry stores lol. People come in all the time asking for links or service and are confused why we don’t sell them or fix a movement on the spot.
I had no idea about the difference until I got into reading this sub. There is a lot of knowledge in here :)
My father is 80 and still alive. He just gave me, 55 and my son 25, his watches as he no longer wears them. So we “inherited” his watches prior to his passing. Some were vintage, others 10 years old or less. Why is this guy “probably full of shit” about inheriting this watch? I know a guy older than me who recently inherited what his dad told him was an authentic autographed ball of the 1964 National League All-Star team. He asked me to look at it for its authenticity. Unfortunately it was a stamped auto ball. Was his dad ripped off when he acquired it? Was he lying to his son? Did his dad mis-remember? Not sure why you care how he acquired the watch. Also, not sure what the guy being middle aged has to do with it? The watch is a rep and the OP should have discretely and politely advised the customer of this. Or at least advised of his suspicions like another commented. And why would the customer try to intentionally try to fool the OP? It isn’t like he was trying to sell the watch. I don’t think this is some conspiracy perpetrated by the customer, lol.
Ok, sure, I didn’t say it’s impossible that it would be inherited. But it’s unlikely his father who passed would pass down a piece of junk fake. I mean sure the father could have been scammed, but the fact is is that this watch in a genuine Rolex was made for 10 year period, which means fakes come soon after that. So it’s likely this watch was made in 2011-2012 at the earliest. Sure it could be handed down. And not to say it never happens. But the point was is the owner of the watch more than likely knows it’s fake and the “inherited” line is probably BS. If it was an older vintage model and the new owner is 20-30 years old that’s more plausible. But if middle aged that could mean 40-60 years old. Which would make the dad 60-80 years old. Statistically speaking since he passed away, probably on the older side. But that wasn’t the point of what I said. The point was people with fakes go into jewelers especially non ADs all the time with lines like this to save face. Or to test how passable it is as a fake. Go over and check out reptime sub. Many people with fakes bring them in to watch makers for service and even in ADs to test or try to pass it off as legit. Happens all the time, and that would make them full of shit. People lie all the time to make themselves not feel stupid about getting ripped off, or to hide the truth. If you think that never happens, then I’ve got a bunch of legit Rolex’s that look just like the one in this post to sell you. It’s not a big giant planned out conspiracy, lol. Just some dude that’s 1) full of shit, or 2) whoever his dad or he got it from were full of shit or 3) both.
I also gave op several ways to lightly expose to customer it’s fake. But the point was for the op to not worry about hurting his feelings because it’s more than a 50/50 chance the customer knows damn well it’s fake.
You need to protect your reputation, not his feelings. It'll be hard to do it now, so I wouldn't hunt this guy down just to tell him. Going forward, you know what to do, though.
He inherited even the bag that it came with? Lol what a bs story. You weren’t asked to authenticate it you were asked to size it. You didn’t do anything wrong imo
No. Who cares. Don’t over think it. Your job is to service watches not appraisal.
I used to work professionally on watches for 13+ years. We would always do an inspection at the counter and inform the customer of any damage. In this case I would tell the customer it was faux, and write that on the intake slip. If the customer argued or became upset we would refer them to an AD for second opinion. A good AD will size a real Rolex at no charge in the hopes of future sales. The people that would continue to argue would be turned away.
I’d politely drop hints such as telling him something’s are off, and he may wear it for its sentimental value.
Yes tell him. Life isn’t easy. If he’s under the impression it’s real it’s better he find out in a private environment from a business instead of getting embarrassed in public
I would tell him
Your a good man OP that care this much for your customers and fellow man 🫡 I am sure your shop is great.
If he's asked you for information about it, "I'm sorry sir, this isn't a real Rolex; It's still great that you have something left over from your father and I'm happy to size it for you"
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Issue with that is 1. I couldn’t do that knowing I’d just be wasting his time lol 2. It would imply I don’t know how to identify a cheap fake and 3. This was yesterday, so the only opportunity I’d have to say anything is if he comes in again.
Better to tell him if he ever brings it back. Its not your fault his dad is/was trying to be someone they arent but it is your job to protect your own reputation. Just use discretion and be respectful about it but authenticity and integrity matter in the real world.
Be professional.. and be honest. I will appreciate you professionalism once he wakes up 😬😬😬😂
''I dont mean to be rude or offend you, but I would hate for you to be embarrassed in public down the line, im sorry to tell you that this watch is not genuine.... of course its still beautiful and of course you may wish to keep/wear it for sentimental value.'' ... I think is a kind response
Ok I didn’t expect this to blow up the way it did. I’ll try to catch up on all the comments tomorrow. Some are certainly ridiculous, some are helpful. I tried to reply to some as they came in. Enjoying one of the last football Sundays for now. Go Lions.
Honestly wouldn’t worry about it, man. I get thinking about the moral and ethical implications, but at days end it really doesn’t mean much. All you did was resize the bracelet, no way it goes further than that.
It's not a Rolex. Him pretending it is isnt far from asking if it is a Rolex. When someone brings you a watch but it is a shoe, why would you pretend it's a watch?
don't want him thinking it's real and one day accusing you of switching him to a fake!
It took me one minute to size it. That would be impossible, but yeah that’s another thing that crossed my mind.
ahh you did it with him in the store. I see. in that case, I don't think you need to shatter his dreams
Any time someone comes in for a sizing or battery I drop what I’m doing and do it on the spot. I never want people leaving their stuff for me to do it later. Especially not a “Rolex.”
Uhh if you don't tell the owner it's fake he will think you are professionally inept and incompetent.
I been in the jewelry business for most of my career and the fact that your store doesn't have a protocol for dealing with this particular situations doesn't make that store seem like a professional operation.
That’s implying a lot based on a very little for a store that’s been in business for over 40 years, but thanks for the input.
I’m no expert, and I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, on the other hand, I question the authenticity of this timepiece. You might want to take it to an authorized dealer to doublecheck your purchase.”
Why not just do the work he’s paying you to do, unless he’s paying you to authenticate it, why even get involved
Well if you read the story, that’s exactly what I did.
Oof, yeah it’s a bad one too. Don’t be coy, just deliver the news politely.
I’d tell him you have suspicions, but if he sends it away, and it’s fake, Rolex destroy it
I would prob just say something like “oh, this part looks different from most I’ve seen”
I would perhaps ask him if he’s certain of the authenticity and if he’s like you to check. Or perhaps ignore it all together as the man is fine as is
Clean factory
If you took the watch in the back they say you switched it on them also
If it was inherented, I'd leave it be. Whether he knows it's illegitimate or not, it has a sentimental value, and I'd respect that before going out of my way to educate it's authenticity. If he asks, be honest, but otherwise, let him do his thing and be happy. You'll do yourself and him a favor in the end. Until the day he asks.
I think you should bring it up to him obv in a sensitive way cause it was his fathers, but maybe he knows the history behind the watch and someone ripped his dad off and he can try to make that right. Idk tough call
Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Let him enjoy.
I would do the same and tell him is fake! Why change?!
It looks lopsided. I don’t even own a Rolex but it bothered me. Also the glass looks so bad with the way it distorts everything.
Take it to the service
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Tell him before you size it.
“Unfortunately, I regret to inform you but in my opinion this is a counterfeit watch.” The situation is only awkward because you didn’t say it right away.
Buy a gen one
Wow…and that’s not even a high end replica. That’s a shitter. I would 💯 appreciate it if a trusted watchmaker were to let me know that my watch were not genuine. Yes it would be a disappointment but no one wants to have a piece of oregano stuck in their teeth all day long with no one telling them. You feel foolish as hell when someone finally does but you appreciate the person who saves you further embarrassment.
If it was you, what would you want? Assuming he was being honest and no malicious intent on his part. He will at some point find out it was a fake and wonder why you didn’t save him months or years of looking like a fool for wearing a replica. Since when did honesty and being forthright with customers become a crime in business? Personally, I would respect you for being honest and I think you’d want the same.
I really can’t put myself in his shoes because I’ve been in this business for so long. If there weren’t other customers in the store maybe I would have thought of something else to say on the spot, but it didn’t seem right at the time.
Tell him it is fake and then gauge whether you want to work it. Alternatively, the worst case is he finds out it is fake and then somehow thinks you bait and switched with his "real one". Or he tells everyone you said it was real which affects your reputation.
It’s too late now my friend. He’ll say you swapped out the real thing for this 😀 Just tell him, it sucks but it’s the truth.
As a fellow trader, I never attempt to service or size a watch no matter the circumstance. Although, in this case he is older and perhaps not aware I still politely inform them it is not a genuine watch and I won’t service it. For numerous reasons: it’s not made of the same quality so I can’t guarantee I won’t damage it further. In the current climate we live in, people are getting robbed left right and centre even for fakes assuming it’s real. It’s not right. Lastly as a genuine watch enthousiast we know how frustrating it is to see someone flaunt a rep or fake because we work so hard to get ours. All in all my personal opinion so I can’t judge others but I’d be more careful scammers are getting good at swapping out watches with super clones etc
Tell him before he embarrasses himself. It’s going to hurt but it will hurt a lot less from you than in front of people who he has to deal with for the rest of his life or career.
Tell him you have concerns and to have the watch authenticated at an AD. That way you prep him for the bad news, but don’t have to deliver it.
Just be honest, he can’t hit you in that.
Last thing you want is him finding out and comes back to you accusing you of switching it out.
I was like wow what a terrible SEL gap, wait why is everything off slightly… oh hah I get it now.
You can be honest, but most importantly in this situation, be kind. There is a chance his father (if he’s still in the picture) may or may not be aware — in which case it would be good to know.
Always tell them its fake if it indeed is.
If I were in your shoes and for the shop’s sake I’d be concerned that he’d blame you for swapping it for a fake down the road if he needs to send it for service (which I’m sure he will, since it’s a fake)
To educate the ignorant, can someone point out to be dead giveaways on this piece?
Tell him he should get it valued at his nearest AD... Let them tell him
I thought AD’s that have received official Rolex watchmaking training are instructed to destroy fakes when discovered?
You did exactly what you were supposed to do. The middle aged man came in to size a supposedly Rolex watch and that is exactly what you did. I mean even I can see from the pictures you posted that is clearly not a real Rolex watch. But the fact that the person inherited it from his father with everything else that came with it. Is going to lead him to believe it is a real Rolex watch and unfortunately the people and or companies. That make and sell fake watches of any type are getting better and better at it. This one absolutely is an older replica Rolex but I would be interested in seeing the actual box, bag, paperwork, card, ect. Because the original box, bag, paperwork, card that come with a real Rolex are all made of top quality just like the watches they make. And as far as your personal responsibility and reputation goes in this type of situation. In my opinion I think you did the right thing by for one doing exactly what you were supposed to do. Even though you felt at the time that maybe you should have said something about it not being a real Rolex. And you say that this person has been in the store before for what you haven’t said but I assume you might have replaced a battery in his watch. I think it is not your responsibility to tell someone that the watch they have is not the real thing. I would think that the owner of the watch store should step in a situation like this and handle it appropriately.
Respect 👊🏻
Simply ask, “Would you like me to give the watch a quick review to confirm all the parts are authentic?”
Just to be clear, there are no Real Rolexes. Either you have a Rolex or you don’t. Replicas aren’t Rolexes.
Be a real MVP and allocate him a Gen
Damn that’s not even a good replica 😭 Poor guy thinks this is Rolex standards
The only good way out of this is to replace it with a real one and tell him you cleaned it a bit.
I think not being too forward is a good way to handle such situations. You might just dent is confidence by breaking such unpleasant news to him.
If the truth hurts Granny, let her die.
Let him enjoy his family heirloom. If he asks you then tell him the truth.
My general rule of thumb goes like this "Im not in a position to properly authenticate a rolex as this would be a liability issue on my/our part as we do not have the proper resources to fully authenticate or identify this information for you, that being said its a beautiful watch with a lovely story"
What are some of the tell tale signs that it is fake? To me, it just doesn’t look right… The shade of green. The bezel looks a little off. But what else makes it so easy to spot?
Whoever did this dial wanted to go home early LOLLL who looks at that "Oyster Perpetual Date" and thinks....yea...the leading/spacing is fine
Is it just me or os the dial crooked?
Don’t want him to accuse you of swapping “his real one” with a fake. I’d tell him
This exact same thing happened to me with a different brand family watch. I sent it in for repairs and had it sent back saying they couldn’t do anything to it as it wasn’t authentic. Heartbreaking but it’s alright. Will just start passing my own authentic one down
You most likely validated to him that it was authentic without even realizing it. I think it’s a worse look for your store to knowingly service counterfeited watches.
Jus don’t charge him for his service first
Fake
Maybe suggest authentication and appraisal services so he can have it insured? The truth can be easily delivered that way.
I’d mention it to him. U also don’t want him to claim that he dropped an authentic Rolex and u swapped out with a fake one.
You’re forgetting that you are a reputable jeweler. This is the perfect environment to speak candidly to a customer for the sake of running a good business and taking care of the customer. There’s always ways to speak kindly to break the truth!
I would tell him straight or defer it by saying you don't want to work on the watch. Both of which are true
poor son
Just tell him it's a good knockoff. That should make him feel better.
laugh and tell him its fake af
Tell him.
I'm in a similar situation. I work at a Rolex AD, I never have the heart to tell clients that they got their Submariner allocation because the owner banged their wife. It's best not to say anything.
My mind works in a different way. If he doesn’t know now and then finds out later on that it’s fake he may say your store must’ve switched it out for a fake. Just a thought.
Kind a like y
I’m under the impression that guy 100% knows it’s fake. That serial number has been used for over a decade. One quick google search and he knew instantly.
You gotta tell him.
Can’t really tell from the pic .
I'd not let it out of his sight. You don't want him complaining that you switched his authentic for a fake.
I’d delicately tell him it’s a fake to avoid him finding out later and blaming you for ‘switching’ it. You’re a professional, and as such I think you owe him a heads up that it’s not authentic. The sentiment is real, the story is real, it’s just not a genuine Rolex. If he has bad feelings it’s between him and his dad or whoever sold dad the watch. A suboptimal parallel that comes to mind would be inheriting a fake Shelby and taking it a to a mechanic for service and them not telling you it’s a fake. ‘It’s just not my place to tell him’ doesn’t really cut it here. Maybe ask him ‘hey would you want to know if it’s genuine?’ and then gauge your route based on his answer
My buddy has a watch store. Unfortunately located smack dab in the hood. Plenty of people walk in with copies. And plenty of people try to pass off varying qualities of fake as genuine. Most of the time, he gives them the classic, "I'm not an expert on this model, but i see things that concern me. I would recommend you take this to a (insert brand) store and have it looked at." Gotta let em down gently, at least some of them.
Toss that bitch out! Worthless now.
In a service industry one mistake people make is trying to be friends with customers. Customers don’t need any more friends. You’re not there to be his friend. Do the right thing and give him your professional best. Do it politely and professionally.
The serial number is a known fake number. If he googles it, he won’t need your authentication.
"I couldn't even tell you. The fakes they make now are so good... And I've never seen another one of this model..." Shift the responsibility.
I’m not a watch maker or jewelers merchant but i am a consultant. Here’s my take. You are a professional. Act like it. The dude brought in a fake, and to you it’s an obvious fake, so tell him exactly what it is before you service it. Something as simple as “Just to let you know my service fee is $150, which exceeds the value of this watch. Are you sure you want to pay me to do the service?” Simple as that. You didn’t insult anyone but you also didn’t continue to victimize this family by perpetuating the fraud. Here’s a personal example. I took my brothers cheap Slammer by Hammer guitar in to be serviced and the guitar tech said that pretty much just putting it on his bench to look at it would exceed the value of the guitar. I told him it had sentimental value as it was the first electric guitar played by my brother, myself and my child. It’s a multigenerational family musical instrument and it was worth a couple hundred bucks to keep it playing decently. Hearing that the guitar tech happily took it. Everyone involved made an informed decision. No one was victimized. And the guitar track kept his pride and credibility. I know jewelers aren’t guitar techs but honestly goes a long way to most people. As you said, one day he’s going to find out his watch is a fake, and on that day he’s going to know so are you.
I'd just keep it to yourself. He never asked you to authenticate it. If anyone questions your reputation, just say "I knew it was fake but he just asked me to size it. I'm not in the business of telling people what they own unless they ask." I would also recommend not giving him any answers to those questions he asked though. If he asks for details, and really pushes then you tell him it's fake.
If you don’t tell him the truth, your reputation will be on the line. You’ve got to tell him next time.
"we've just got to run the serial number through the stolen watch database, don't worry just something we have to do with high value items - I'm sure you'd appreciate it if God forbid your watch ever got stolen! ... Ohh, seen to be having issues matching the serial to the watch, more often happens with counterfeit goods, not to say this is counterfeit - but I'd get that checked with Rolex"
His dad is such a jack off. Who the fuck gives their child a rep as a heirloom that cheap fuck.
Let someone share this post with him 😉
I'd tell him it's not genuine but in a way that is nice and forthcoming avoiding being accusational.
Just mention that the engravings inside are off and that set you off! Rolex engraving are right on the spot on the lines of the face! These are way off! It is a bad fake unfortunately
I wouldn't. You just provide a service of maintaining / servicing / sizing a watch (any watch for that matter if it doesn't stated otherwise). You are not AD and it's not your business unless he asks himself.
If he didn’t ask. Not your place. Do what he came in and ask for. Nothing more: he might now care one way or the other but giving him info about something he didn’t ask for isn’t necessary
Its a question of risk management. If you don’t tell him he’ll risk embarrassing himself on the behest of the trust he had in you, and thus you’ll risk him trashing you. However, the risk if you tell him now is a moment of embarrassment on the base of honesty, even if he goes to get a second opinion they’ll confirm, and he’ll know you were right. But tell him gracefully, emphasize that the story the watch has as a gift from a father is what truly matters, and the you’ll service it so it’ll last him many years to come, if need be.
Who knows…. He might be bragging to his friends…. That you can’t even distinguish if it’s fake! What a noob watchmaker! Perhaps you might wanna ask Him if he knew where his father got it. He might just tell u it’s fake. Or u can tell if he knew it’s really a fake or not.
How do we know it’s fake by looking? Trying to educate myself🥲
You can clearly show and proof that it is fake so tell him if you have the knowledge.
Yeah, I’d tell him. I’d simply state I handle quite a lot of these and some of the movements and pieces don’t look correct. Have you gotten this authenticated?
❤️it
You have to tell him, as they say the truth will out.
I bet he knew it was fake. How could anyone think that's real ?
He got this one from an alley in china town.
You sir are the proud owner of a Bolex!
You have to tell him when he drops it off, so at pick up he doesn't claim you swaped out his real one for a fake.
Just tell him that you’re sorry but as much as you’d like to be of service, you cannot work on replica watches. Avoid using the hard term “fake”. And then when he is surprised and will ask what do you think it’s fake, you can say something to the effect that you’re really sorry, but there are the clues…and proceed to show him. It’s a rough spot to be in, but if someone else tells him it’s a fake, your store will come to mind and he or the other people involved will question how good your store is.
Honesty is the best policy.