Most serious watch enthusiasts already know how terrible “replica” watches are, but I wanted to post this for the readers that are just getting into collecting.  I myself picked this P.O.S. up when I was in Hong Kong a few years ago, and realized how terrible of a fake it was almost immediately upon returning to the states.  I placed it in the bottom of a desk drawer, and there it stayed until I found it the other day while cleaning. 

Look at the side by side comparison of the genuine article on the left, and the cheap imposter on the right.  It’s not even close!

The casebacks are completely different, and the fake doesn’t even have a viewing window. Usually this is the case with replica watches, because the chinese automatic movements aren’t much to look at.

The next major downside to the replica is the bracelet end links. The end links on the real thing are machined out of a solid piece of stainless steel. The replica has hollow end links out of flimsy stamped steel.

The bracelet clasp on the real watch is machined from stainless steel, and by contrast, the clasp on the fake is stamped out of thin steel that is most likely not even stainless.

Real:

Fake:

Finally, the clasp mechanism on the replica on the fake isn’t integrated into the bracelet like it is on the real article.

Real:

Fake:

So, I hope this little visual guide has shown everyone that fake watches are not only wrong because they are essentially stealing from the original manufacturer, but they really are total junk. I wish that my readers were able to pick up both watches from their screen to fully understand the differences. It’s not all the details that I mentioned above…the fake just feels…fake.

This was one of the first “nice” watches that I really wanted, but for some reason it took me over two years to get around to picking one up. I opted to go for the model with the blue dial since it combines elements from a few of the different Carrera Tachymetre models. I like the orange long seconds had, as well as the orage accent around the minutes subdial. I also like the more pronounced minutes and hours subdials with the silver rings around them.

The watch feels a bit larger that its 41mm case diameter due to the oversized face and thinner bezel, and the bracelet is one of the most comfortable stainless steel bracelets that I have ever worn. I particularly enjoy how flat the bracelet clasp sits on the underside of the wrist. The blue face is also very versatile because it can look black in some lighting, and a deep blue color in direct sunlight. I think that the blue face with orange accents will lend itself to some cool strap combos, so stay tuned for more pictures with different straps!