Is my TAG Heuer Authentic? All questions here please

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got the watch. guy seems pretty stressed when I told him it's fake... bezel 12 o clock pip seems recessed too deep? one indent on bracelet pins? blue packing tape? anything else I can learn from the future?

tomorrow I'll be sending it to tag for service to get official "fake" or no paper...

to be fair at this time I could have already bought a new aquaracer directly from tag... problem is I really like this model and I'm not spending 3k on something I don't "ABSOLUTELY" love..
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I took the pictures while riding a bus home from collection point .. lume like this is after 15min on the wrist at a cloudy day
 
kwilcox
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Darn, these fakes appear to be getting better and better. How long before they start fixing the bracelet differences too? Looks like it'll soon reach the point where fakes will be indistinguishable from genuine based on pictures alone for anyone not having first had direct hands-on experience with the real watch itself...
 
kwilcox
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My third attempt: used VG condition watch from well established Chrono24 US dealer arrives today.
 
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kwilcox kwilcox
Darn, these fakes appear to be getting better and better. How long before they start fixing the bracelet differences too? Looks like it'll soon reach the point where fakes will be indistinguishable from genuine based on pictures alone for anyone not having first had direct hands-on experience with the real watch itself...
hey! I don't "KNOW" it's fake! you guys told me it is so now with watch in my hands i posted some higher Res pictures so you can have a look again... tomorrow I'll drop it in tag boutique for a service...
 
kwilcox
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I just found a picture for a genuine BA0927 replacement link. Does your pin/tube look like this? In your picture, the pin looks similar but the tube is blurry. Looks like there should be one notch on the pin and two notches on the tube to me.
s-l1600.jpg
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kwilcox kwilcox
I just found a picture for a genuine BA0927 replacement link. Does your pin/tube look like this? In your picture, the pin looks similar but the tube is blurry. Looks like there's one notch on the pin and two notches on the tube to me.
s-l1600.jpg
dang it... I'll check it around midnight... i couldnhwve sworn I read about one notch, but missed the part on tube or pin... /facepalm so 2 on the tube means it's much bigger chance to be real?
 
kwilcox
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In my amateur opinion I'd say yes. I'm still trying to wrap my hands around all this fakery myself.
 
kwilcox
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When my third attempt arrives today, I'll check the bracelet pins and also take the back off to view the movement. If these match, the pip is right, the caseback engraving looks correct (pics showed this), the super luminos dial seems correct, the bezel looks authentic , the crystal is sapphire at typical Tag hardness levels (finding that fake sapphire crystals don't register as hard as the ones on my genuine Tag watches) and the color isn't off then I'll drop it off at the Tag Boutique for a pre-service. lol... For current production watches its much easier to just order from Tag. I wish mine wasn't discontinued.... I'm beginning to think that ALL supposed new watches in the style I'm looking for are fakes...
 
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kwilcox kwilcox
When my third attempt arrives today, I'll check the bracelet pins and also take the back off to view the movement. If these match, the pip is right, the caseback engraving looks correct (pics showed this), the super luminos dial seems correct, the bezel looks authentic , the crystal is sapphire at typical Tag hardness levels (finding that fake sapphire crystals don't register as hard as the ones on my genuine Tag watches) and the color isn't off then I'll drop it off at the Tag Boutique for a pre-service. lol... For current production watches its much easier to just order from Tag. I wish mine wasn't discontinued.... I'm beginning to think that ALL supposed new watches in the style I'm looking for are fakes...
same here. I actually really disliked dive watches until I saw this one I'm trying to figure out real of fake... new ones I'm quite meh about also... for me this from afar is like a normal sports watch. new ones with different arms and octagonal indices is much more dive watches
 
kwilcox
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I'm an actual diver and need to replace my classic Citizen Aqualand c021 that finally gave up the ghost. I always run an analog backup when I'm diving, so there's a real reason that I need mine to be genuine...
 
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kwilcox kwilcox
I'm an actual diver and need to replace my classic Citizen Aqualand c021 that finally gave up the ghost. I always run an analog backup when I'm diving, so there's a real reason that I need mine to be genuine...
I'm a certified diver aswell just from London diving is too expensive so I've done just one dive after certificate in 2017... somehow down to 18m accompanied by instructor, I never felt like I need time... just depth gauge and air gauge.. but for next summer I'm really curious about this while diving.... shows depth and time pretty nicely, however compass is useless...
 
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kwilcox
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Tag bracelet pins/tubes are interesting. Looks like the pin has one offset notch and the tube has two. This tube configuration would appear to be so that the pin notch will lock into the tube from whatever direction its inserted. Much more difficult to construct then a pin/tube pair that both contain one centered notch. I wonder why Tag did this? Maybe to make tapping out the pin easier and also to allow the operation to be repeated without wearing out the tube. If this was the case, one would expect that Tag pins would also have a mark on the end to identify which end was which as well.
 
jamesbizs
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O Oggy
Looking to buy a Calibre 16 watch, this one caught my eye, but the price makes me a little suspicious - could someone advise. Thanks

a.jpg b.jpg c.jpg d.jpg s-l1600 (1).jpg s-l1600 (2).jpg s-l1600 (3).jpg s-l1600.jpg
These are rarely faked. But I'm not seeing anything wrong with it. Where did you buy it?
 
jamesbizs
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R rimaarts
I somehow think he bought just this one. the shop he bought it from on the other hand....

serial number means nothing? I've seen plenty where serial number doesn't check out...

tag inspection might take too long? eBay has 30? 90? days? PayPal has 6 month. how long can it take for pre service inspection?

what do you mean send it to tag after?? if I open eBay case, guy might very well say nope, not a fake. send it back, I'll give money back and I'll relist it... don't I need a paperwork to prove that it's fake?

aside from it's eBay, aquaracer and shop has dissapeared... is there anything else that says fake?
In the old days, the serial numbers didn't check out. Now, almost all of them have real serial numbers, that they took from real watches. They used to steal them. Now I think they are the ones that buy them.

Tag inspection might take too long. Yes. Ebay is 30 days. Paypal is 6 months, but it's harder, AND you have to pay for shipping.
If you open up an ebay case and the guy says " not a fake", then that sucks for HIM. You don't need to prove anything. And I don't even send the watch back. I will not let them scam someone else. And as mentioned, the guy already has the same watch listed again.

And your pictures show that it is in fact a fake.
 
kwilcox
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R rimaarts
I'm a certified diver aswell just from London diving is too expensive so I've done just one dive after certificate in 2017... somehow down to 18m accompanied by instructor, I never felt like I need time... just depth gauge and air gauge.. but for next summer I'm really curious about this while diving.... shows depth and time pretty nicely, however compass is useless...

I'm a great lakes wreck diver with typical control depths of ~35M. 10-15 minute bottom times, dark, cold, bad vis. Easily within the range of a real Aquaracer. Would have imploded the first fake I received...
 
jamesbizs
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kwilcox kwilcox
Tag bracelet pins/tubes are interesting. Looks like the pin has one offset notch and the tube has two. This tube configuration would appear to be so that the pin notch will lock into the tube from whatever direction its inserted. Much more difficult to construct then a pin/tube pair that both contain one centered notch. I wonder why Tag did this? Maybe to make tapping out the pin easier and also to allow the operation to be repeated without wearing out the tube. If this was the case, one would expect that Tag pins would also have a mark on the end to identify which end was which as well.
It's not that the pin can be inserted in whatever direction. After all, a center notch also means that. A tube and pin wears out. TWO notches means it will take longer to wear out. 2 notches on the pin tho, would make it almost impossible to remove. It's hard enough as it is. The center notches are fairly easy to remove. ALL high end watches use this system. Older Omegas for some reason didn't tho. Some older movados didn't. Tag, ALWAYS did. The only exception, are end links on the kirium and alter ego watches. But even those bracelets still use the double notch on the LINKS themselves. I do not know of any modern higher end watch that has the center single notch. actually, high end is going too far. Mid end? less? I'd say watches $300+ maybe.

Also, arrows on the ends only matter for split cotter pins. Tag heuer uses them only on formula ones. And only on non ceramic ones. As you said, it doesn't matter what direction it's inserted. So it doesn't matter to identify which end. You can also swap them around when it does start to wear out. And they will wear out eventually, even with the double notch. But man, all the fake tags I have, you can almost remove them by hand with a pin, with just finger pressure lol. Tag heuer OEM has better tolerances too.
 
jamesbizs
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kwilcox kwilcox
Lord, I don't know how you caught the second one. Cyclops alignment looks good. Bezel pip seems correct. Even the super luminos dial shot seems authentic. Caseback font? Something about how the bezel was embossed?
Bezel pip is always the easiest and fastest way with these.

let me edit. Bezel pip is the easiest way to tell with stainless or ceramic bezels. ESPECIALLY in pictures. So my response was in context of the watch in the listing you asked about.
Not always easy with metal inserts like what you have. But sometimes it is easy. But much harder with pics, as it all depends on angles and lighting.
Edited:
 
jamesbizs
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kwilcox kwilcox
Darn, these fakes appear to be getting better and better. How long before they start fixing the bracelet differences too? Looks like it'll soon reach the point where fakes will be indistinguishable from genuine based on pictures alone for anyone not having first had direct hands-on experience with the real watch itself...
never. They will never fix the bracelet issue. It's not worth it. They will never make perfect clones of tag heuers. They don't want to, nor need to. I've asked them directly. ALL tag heuer clones have at LEAST a dozen tells. and they always will. Some details get better here and there. But there is not a chance in hell they will ever make OEM style pin and tubes for each watch. Too much cost. Not enough reward. They will continue using generic ones. Also, movements are now real, so opening the case back will show you nothing. At best, the only difference is, they so far don't seem to use screws on the movement holder. But that's not a guarantee. Maybe they will change that. Or maybe someone opens it up and does it themselves. Or maybe someone removes them from a real one, or forgets to put it. But no screws at least can set off alarm bells.
 
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