How to Tell a Real Seiko From a Counterfeit

Seiko is a brand of watches considered mid-level in terms of luxury. They cost anywhere from $100 to $1,200 for a woman's watch, and from $100 to over $4,000 for a man's watch. Like any reasonably nice commodity, the market has been flooded with knockoff Seiko watches. Fortunately, there are some tell-tale signs that let you know when a Seiko is real and when it's fake.

Instructions

1

Check the side of the watch. If it has two push buttons, it's not a real Seiko. The two push buttons indicate that the watch is chronograph, meaning that it can act as both a timepiece and as a stopwatch. Seiko does not currently offer chronograph watches.

2

Look at the back of the watch at the metal cover over the battery. If there is any sort of "sales pitch" written, such as "Water Resistant," then it's not a Seiko, since Seiko makes a point of not adding those sales pitches to the backs of its watches.

3

Analyze the logo. Counterfeit watchmakers often will misspell the logo in an effort to avoid legal action. They may also make the font a little larger or smaller, or change it altogether.

4

Check the protective sticker on the face of the watch. Genuine Seiko watches have protective stickers that are either completely transparent or pale blue. Counterfeit watchmakers often will have protective stickers that contain a red stripe across the middle it's cheaper to buy.