Bearing an amazing resemblance to their real equivalents, these counterfeits are widely available to acquire online for a fraction of the rate of the original. Because of this, online imitation watch sales have soared. Actually, a black-market risk knowledge company estimates that 40 million fake watches are offered globally each year, the internet earnings of which are about $1 billion.
In comparison to their less costly equivalents, “super fake,” such as Rolex counterfeits [นาฬิกา rolex ก๊อป, which is the term in Thai], watches are made by craftsmen-counterfeiters that have understood the ultra-complex style of the actual products. These products are being made to such a high criterion that experts in the sector usually have difficulty distinguishing real products from fakes. The most effective reproduction Swiss watches on the market have a high-precision, Swiss-like mechanical motion, as well as detailed information about the appearance of these watches. Thinking that the unlawful imitation trade makes up 6% of the Swiss watch industry’s exports, which the Federation of the Swiss Watch Market states that 30 million original watches are created yearly in the legal market, the degree of the issue is worrying.
Some argue that fake products assist to promote, as well as increase the value, via promotion of the fraudulent items, but this issue is heavily harmful to brands’ reputations. High-end brand names recognize that there may be a small monetary loss related to fakes and replicas; however, the purchaser of a watch that cost ₤50 is not the same consumer that will acquire the genuine thing. When it pertains to “counterfeit watch [นาฬิกาก๊อป, which is the term in Thai]” the crucial concern is reputational damage to the brand as well as the disintegration of exclusivity.
Though the reputational damage is harder to quantify, it’s clear that deluxe brand names achieve successful businesses since exclusivity is offered. Therefore, when products become accessible to every person, individuals are less inclined to invest cash in something that everyone has. Without a doubt, for some watch collectors, the demand to safeguard that one limited-edition item they have been wishing for might make them more susceptible to dropping target when they see an item available that is close to, or frequently indistinguishable from, the actual thing. On top of this, other authentic collection agencies may be delayed in making any purchase in any way if they feel the item lacks exclusivity as a result of the fake items that are extensively offered on the market.