Is my TAG Heuer Authentic? All questions here please

TD1 S4

Thanks, some of the same model and series will have The printed on raised serial numbers and text
and some will have a completely engraved back case with the serial in a different location ?

denzoid

I've been wanting an A.R. for a while and saw a deal on Amazon (US) for a WAY201A.BA0927 for $1190.00 so I jumped on it. I didn't notice until after I ordered it that it was "shipped by Amazon" but sold by a third party seller (AJWillis). The watch arrived and it looks legit except the s/n is "not found" on the Tag warranty website and the QR code on the warranty card just loads the serial number on a google search page (on an iPhone 8) The seller has zero feedback and his address is in Queensland Australia. What I THINK happened is the seller (or Amazon) listed this at the wrong price as it is the selling for the same price that this seller has on a (quartz) WAZ2114.BA0 875 ($1190.00) I am OK with it being a grey market watch but I would like some reassurance that it's legit. I took a bunch of photos but this is the only one that came out clear, I will try again if requested.

Yago

Hi @denzoid, these days it's next to impossible to distinguish real ARs from fake. I believe most members of the forum would advise to buy at an AD only. A brand new AR with a huge discount from a grey seller sounds too good to be true doesn't it. Who knows.
From this photo I think the tip of the yellow hand is a tad wide/sharp. The print on the dial seems a bit sloppy. Look at the 3 of 300 or the 5 of Calibre 5 and compare with DC's photo of his review on C11:

But let's not jump to conclusions. Can you provide more photos of the watch, including clear caseback photos, boxes and paperwork? Best not to show the serial number on the caseback and on the paperwork, including the tag.

jamesbizs

oh yeah that is super fake. sorry

denzoid

Thanks guys. I saw the reddit image but tbh I wasn't sure which one was the real one, I can clearly see the differences but the fake (to me) looks sharper/crisper and the real one looks more rounded. Considering my lack of knowledge that's why I decided to post here, to get some expert opinions. Returning the watch is not a problem. I will just look at this as a learning experience. Thanks for the help, much appreciated!

jamesbizs

You do know that I have been buying fakes, and then shutting down the sellers with it, on top of learning more about what makes the fakes, fake, right? i buy fakes, as a tool. It's not just idle curiosity. It's professional curiosity, as I'm also in the tag heuer business.. I work directly with ebay to track down and shut down the fake sellers, and have directly taken down almost 200 accounts now, and who knows how many indirectly. Not to mention, when I buy from the criminals, I KEEP their goods AND my money.

jamesbizs

It might seem counter intuitive, but sharper/crisper is actually bad when it comes to watches. That means they are using cheaper tools, and running them faster, and also not doing much finish work.

Jim Dollares

Yes yes I know James, was just trying to have a bit of a laugh. I think I need to stop cause obviously noone understands me 😁 anyhow, we're glad to have you here sharing your knowledge

Yago

@denzoid look at this comparison from above. Your caseback has the same issues. No doubt in my mind that this is fake. Some other issues as well but this is obvious. Old TAG logo (badly executed) on boxes and cards and new on others and watch is also obvious. You should use Amazon warranty to get your money back.

jamesbizs

It's tough to go based on comparison pics anymore, because tag changes things up a lot too. And I can show you the case backs of some of the fake watches i've gotten, that fixed some of those problems. I have a CAY1110 that I can't seem to find any issues with the back case. Thankfully they haven't figured out the bezel lume and some other things. Plus the pin/tube for the bracelet is always wrong. And they all seem to have boxes made by the same factory.

Yago

TAG should do more about this.

Jim Dollares

Yes yes I know James, was just trying to have a bit of a laugh. I think I need to stop cause obviously noone understands me 😁 anyhow, we're glad to have you here sharing your knowledge

denzoid

I was thinking about the fake Aquaracer I bought from Amazon, and I was wondering, does amazon now have an obligation to recall or advise other customers that bought the same watch from this seller (AJWills) that the watches they purchased are not authentic?