According to recent research published last month by Watchfinder & Co., Los Angeles has been identified as the third leading city in the United States for the prevalence of counterfeit luxury watches, trailing behind New York City and Chicago in this concerning trend.
The report, which delved into the scope of the counterfeit luxury watch market in the U.S., highlighted the startling estimation of over 23 million fake watches currently in circulation. Among the identified counterfeits, a significant portion were identified as Rolex replicas, emphasizing the scale of the issue.
The accessibility of advanced technology such as 3-D printers and computer numerical control (CNC) machines has made it increasingly challenging to distinguish fake luxury watches from authentic ones, with the emergence of highly deceptive “super-fakes” constituting a substantial portion of the counterfeit market.
Intriguingly, the study shed light on various forms of counterfeit practices, including the use of replica parts in otherwise genuine luxury watches, as well as the assembly of “franken-watches” comprising parts from various authentic timepieces. The prevalence of such deceptive practices has impacted prominent figures, including renowned musician John Mayer and pop star Adam Levine, who both reportedly fell victim to counterfeit luxury watch purchases.
Arjen van de Vall, CEO of Watchfinder, emphasized the complexities of detecting counterfeit luxury watches, expressing concerns over the increasing number of individuals deceived by these fraudulent products. As the counterfeit luxury watch market continues to thrive, the research highlighted the decline in consumer confidence, with over half of affected individuals expressing hesitation in purchasing pre-owned luxury timepieces in the future.
