Is my TAG Heuer Authentic? All questions here please

jamesbizs
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oh hey guys lol anyone want to go in on a group purchase of a fake modern aquaracer?

I have infiltrated a few of these clone communities. And I think I have a source for a new aquaracer. Really curious about that.

oh and none of the people involved care about the bezel lume pip issue. They just consider it a flaw from the factory, and no one is bothering to even try. The new boxes tho, are WAY better....

But yeah it's crazy. There are 5 factories that produce these "super clones". each one does something different. The tag heuer super clones don't seem to be as good quality as omega and rolex.

I really want to buy a seamaster, because the pics they provided are insane. Everything looks right. It's scary. My finances right now just really suck, so I can't. I have a seamaster I'm adding links to for someone, and I'm not 100% sure if it's real or not. But hey, new links fit and it looks the same, so not my responsibility. I just don't handle many omega's lately, so I'm a bit ignorant. I also haven't handled any newer Tag heuers. Only parts for them.

We are lucky they don't put in the same effort for Tag heuer as they seem to for Omega and rolex. They even have clone gshocks..... Weird thing is, the tags cost more money than a seamaster... And that's with exposed movements too, so the movements have to look nice. Tag doesn't have that issue.

As far as cost. It seems that the watches we've been dealing with, can be bought for less than $100. They are making 1000% profit on these watches. No wonder they don't care that I stole watches from them. They make so much money on a watch, they can afford to lose literally half of them, and still make 500% profit overall... It's crazy. I'm in the wrong business!!
 
jamesbizs
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Aquagraph Aquagraph
Can they fake those textile straps? I mean, TAG charge 拢230 for them so there must be something pretty special and difficult to manufacture there... 馃槜
Of course they can. I've seen many of them for sale . Which one do you mean exactly? And no, there is nothing special or difficult as far as I can tell. Maybe a little harder than rubber? But not THAT much harder. Even the clone watches price the watches as the same price. Unlike OEM, it doesn't matter what model something is. A clone watch is a clone watch, be it carrera or formula. All the same pricing.

I can take a picture of a fake aqua I have with that textile strap. Even the clasp is correct now... At least before, you can tell with the clasps. But here? Nah. Even the strap has the strap model number embossed on it. This was the first watch to ever fool me. Before I knew all about the bezels.
 
jamesbizs
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Oh and one last thing. From what I've gathered and or been told, they DO use Authentic movements in the watches now. Everything else is fake tho. It's literally cheaper for them to buy the same movements the Swiss use, than to make their own.....

oh and sorry for all the essays haha.
 
jamesbizs
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S Starcorvette
Hi, what do you think about this one? Thank you.
Need better pics. These have the very easy bezel lump pip tell. We need to see a clear pic of that.
 
Jim Dollares
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Thanks for checking in James, always value your insights.

About the group purchase, how do you see that happening? I am intrigued but dont understand how you see this going down
 
jamesbizs
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Jim Dollares Jim Dollares
Thanks for checking in James, always value your insights.

About the group purchase, how do you see that happening? I am intrigued but dont understand how you see this going down
glad to be appreciated lol. Don't have that so much lately!

and as far as the group purchase lol I honestly don't know. I was just throwing the idea out. I have no idea how it would work. I just know I can't afford it right now .
 
JAH
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jamesbizs jamesbizs
Let me add some more detail. The older watches all had the arrows. Pretty much up until 2000's stopped being a thick. Going into The exclusive, that was pin and tube.

Omega's had pin and tubes for much longer than tag heuer. You have to go pretty far back to find the cotter pins. And I'm not even sure how far back. Could be 40 years. Any omega pretty much 1980's and up, has pin and tube. I know nothing about longines. Most lower prices watches also have that. For price, and also to allow an owner to change the bracelet size. Sieko's have a weird thing tho if I remember, where it's a cotter pin, but also has a tube of some sort?

What sucks about all that, is that no one sells an affordable link remover tool that is capable of removing higher end pin and tubes. There are some, but they are priced very high, and personally, I'm not a fan. You really have to know what you're doing. I've always had to make my own tools, which involved making properly sizes pins, and then using a hammer. Not always the best in the end either. And then you have S/eL's. Don't get me started on those.


Now, as far as F1's. Even the newer F1's have the arrow, because they are considered the lowest tier. That allows them to keep the pricing lower. Now, that doesn't count, only with the CERAMIC Formula watches. I'm guessing that the ceramic needs a tube to not break or something. But yeah, all ceramics need a pin and tube. If you want to figure out if it's fake tho, all you need to do is look on the underside of the bracelets. Real ones are polished top and bottom. Fake ones are brushed underneath.

Does anyone know if Tag makes any pin and screw bracelets these days? There was one model long ago that did that. How about now tho? Besides the LINK of course. That doesn't count.

@jamesbizs The F1 with "Senna" bracelet also use pin and tube....
 
jamesbizs
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JAH JAH
@jamesbizs The F1 with "Senna" bracelet also use pin and tube....
ah yes. that one... I always forget that weird amalgamation exists. First they steal the LINK design, and put it on a different watch, and then they bastardize the coolest part about the LINK mechanism. WHY.
 
Turpinr
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jamesbizs jamesbizs
Let me add some more detail. The older watches all had the arrows. Pretty much up until 2000's stopped being a thick. Going into The exclusive, that was pin and tube.

Omega's had pin and tubes for much longer than tag heuer. You have to go pretty far back to find the cotter pins. And I'm not even sure how far back. Could be 40 years. Any omega pretty much 1980's and up, has pin and tube. I know nothing about longines. Most lower prices watches also have that. For price, and also to allow an owner to change the bracelet size. Sieko's have a weird thing tho if I remember, where it's a cotter pin, but also has a tube of some sort?

What sucks about all that, is that no one sells an affordable link remover tool that is capable of removing higher end pin and tubes. There are some, but they are priced very high, and personally, I'm not a fan. You really have to know what you're doing. I've always had to make my own tools, which involved making properly sizes pins, and then using a hammer. Not always the best in the end either. And then you have S/eL's. Don't get me started on those.


Now, as far as F1's. Even the newer F1's have the arrow, because they are considered the lowest tier. That allows them to keep the pricing lower. Now, that doesn't count, only with the CERAMIC Formula watches. I'm guessing that the ceramic needs a tube to not break or something. But yeah, all ceramics need a pin and tube. If you want to figure out if it's fake tho, all you need to do is look on the underside of the bracelets. Real ones are polished top and bottom. Fake ones are brushed underneath.

Does anyone know if Tag makes any pin and screw bracelets these days? There was one model long ago that did that. How about now tho? Besides the LINK of course. That doesn't count.
I don't know about you but I'm not a fan of the split pins in the older watches.
On the other hand the tubes and end screws can be a PITA without decent screwdrivers.
 
Aquagraph
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jamesbizs jamesbizs
Of course they can. I've seen many of them for sale . Which one do you mean exactly? And no, there is nothing special or difficult as far as I can tell. Maybe a little harder than rubber? But not THAT much harder. Even the clone watches price the watches as the same price. Unlike OEM, it doesn't matter what model something is. A clone watch is a clone watch, be it carrera or formula. All the same pricing.

I can take a picture of a fake aqua I have with that textile strap. Even the clasp is correct now... At least before, you can tell with the clasps. But here? Nah. Even the strap has the strap model number embossed on it. This was the first watch to ever fool me. Before I knew all about the bezels.

I was being sarcastic James... I was so shocked when I found out how much those straps cost to buy from TAG.
 
jamesbizs
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Aquagraph Aquagraph
I was being sarcastic James... I was so shocked when I found out how much those straps cost to buy from TAG.
I'm bad at sarcasm in person, let alone online LOL.
 
Turpinr
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jamesbizs jamesbizs
I'm bad at sarcasm in person, let alone online LOL.
Sarcasm is hard to spot online 馃槜
 
Aquagraph
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Let's just assume everything I say is sarcastic, it will save time
 
JAH
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jamesbizs jamesbizs
ah yes. that one... I always forget that weird amalgamation exists. First they steal the LINK design, and put it on a different watch, and then they bastardize the coolest part about the LINK mechanism. WHY.
@jamesbizs ..Because they can !! lol.
I have two senna F1's with that bracelet and it just works. Probably so for me because i think the new link is too smooth and wanted a S/el or Link since the 90's.
So it is not exactly like the link bracelet but it certainly beef up the F1 a great deal.
My opinion anyway..
 
jamesbizs
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JAH JAH
@jamesbizs ..Because they can !! lol.
I have two senna F1's with that bracelet and it just works. Probably so for me because i think the new link is too smooth and wanted a S/el or Link since the 90's.
So it is not exactly like the link bracelet but it certainly beef up the F1 a great deal.
My opinion anyway..
ouch lol. i mean hey, I like a lot of things others don't like to!
 
Gilly11277
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Update - I took my watch to an AD in the Chicago suburbs.

They made me an offer so that tells me it's at least real to them. The salesman took the watch in the back but they didn't open the case. Given everything I've descovered, I decided to pack up the watch and ship it to Tag for polishing + service. This should be the final step in "authenticating" my timepiece. Thanks everyone for the feedback, will report back once I hear from them one way or another.
Edited:
 
jamesbizs
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Gilly11277 Gilly11277
Update - I took my watch to an AD in the Chicago suburbs.

They made me an offer so that tells me it's at least real to them. The salesman took the watch in the back but they didn't open the case. Given everything I've descovered, I decided to pack up the watch and ship it to Tag for polishing + service. This should be the final step in "authenticating" my timepiece. Thanks everyone for the feedback, will report back once I hear from them one way or another.
I mean, a dealer thinking a tag is real, means almost nothing anymore. I've literally tested them, and not a single dealer has spotted a fake I've brought in.... But again, there is nothing wrong with your watch and I doubt you'll have issues.
 
Garry Belton
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Guys, I need the opinion of experts. A few years ago I bought a used TAG and when I was changing the battery in it, I saw a gold movement. Later I sold it. And 2 years ago, I bought the same one in an official store in (Italy), but in a different color, and when I opened it yesterday to replace the battery, I saw that the movement in it was silver. please tell me: Which one is fake?
(the first two photos are a used Tag, and the next 2 photos are a new one purchased from a dealer)
Edited:
 
jamesbizs
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You know what the problem is? I have fakes and reals with both of those movements. Real ones were never supposed to have movements that aren't swiss made, rather than swiss parts. I don't know as much about the modern movements tho, and if tag has any reasoning behind what they use.

But the bezel lume on the black is awful. They always seem to overdo it. I have that exact same bezel, in black, and you can see the big difference. And you can tell the bracelet tape is the same kind the clone factories use.

So what's the story with the first one? You bought it new and battery was dead? Got anymore pics? Box looks real, and it seems that they even removed some of the sticker tags. which would only be done by a dealer. Which, by the way lol if you're going to hide the SN on the case, you might also want to white out the one on the sticker tag 馃槈. You only have a few months left on the warranty, but the scammers will definitely still use it...
 
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