With all the watch brands currently innovating the timepiece market, the prices have gone up as the quality improves, and the brand grows. However, there are still business that go into the unethical practice of disassembling luxury watches and replicating all the parts to sell them as originals at a fraction of the price. It is known in the business as “replicas” although a better term would be “piracy”. They mostly just try to make their knockoff watches as similar in the exterior to the real ones as possible, but on the inside they’re normally really bad. One of the most sought out victims of piracy is Panerai watches and the so-called “Panerai Replica”.                                                                                                                     

So today we will see a few tips so you can better detect when you are being sold a Panerai Replica, rather than an original Panerai Luxury Watch. Keep in mind that unfortunately some replicas are so well made that even authorized dealers have a hard time spotting the difference, but when it comes down to it a replica can’t match Panerai’s true value. Let’s begin!

Open the watch’s back case

There is no better way to detect a replica than to open the back of the watch and look at its components in motion. Normally, replicas have a very poor set of components, focusing a lot more on the look of the exterior parts of the watch itself. There’s this sotry in replica forums about a user seeing with his own eyes a replica Breitling at the Breitling Authorized Dealer (AD) that they showed him.

Some poor person brought in the Breitling they had bought privately for a lot of money to be serviced. It had worked for 4 years with no issues. The AD thought it was a real model until they opened it up and found out the truth. The person was obviously crushed, but even the AD could not tell initially. They looked at it closely side by side with a real one and there was no way to tell just from looking.

Look at the lettering

A lot of replicas have tells either in the font or engravings as well.

When speaking of a Panerai Replica specifically, most of them are done very well. There are a few tells however. Sometimes on the dial font PANERAI will have the wrong spacing near the "AI" so PANER A I. Not that exaggerated obviously, but a good eye might tell something is off.

So there you have it, if you’re looking to avoid getting stiffed with a Panerai Replica, be sure to buy one from an experienced jeweler and watch salesperson. Share this with family and friends and we hope you have a nice day. Goodbye!