December 09, 2014 – As one of New York’s top, we get a lot of inbound requests for information on the famous brand. We love Tag Heuer’s, as they are both stylish and technically advanced, and apparently so do the thieves and imposters.
So when someone calls, or comes into the shop with the Question – ‘Hey, Ron, I have a Tag Heuer how can I tell whether it is fake or genuine – we have some answers. And, if they need New York City’s top-rated Tag Heuer repair shop, well they’ve found that, too.
Enjoy some Tag tips and tricks on how to tell if your ‘Tag Heuer’ is real or fake. Real, you want to know you have a genuine Tag Heuer. So here you go – 1. The Crown The crown of the watch should not show any signs of glue or adhesive on it. Cheap replica Tag Heuer watches often have the logo actually glued or adhered to the end of the crown. The watch should wind smooth and free, without the feel of the movement moving in the case. The real Tag Heuer winds so effortlessly, it can even be mistaken for not having been wound at all as the movement of the crown is so fluid and undisturbed.
Counterfeit Tag Heuer watches don’t wind as smoothly and the winding mechanism can be felt moving. The Face Look closely inside the face of the Tag Heuer watch. A genuine Tag Heuer should be pristine, with no signs whatsoever of fingerprints or dust or any other microscopic debris. If the face of the watch has any signs of even a spec of dust, a tiny hair, or even a light fingerprint or smudge (can be seen underneath certain special lighting) then it is highly likely it is fake. The Dial The printing on the face of the authentic Tag Heuer watch is crisp, clean, and sharp. If the Tag Heuer watch has even the slightest blur or inconsistency in the lettering or numbering it is not authentic. The font used in the Tag Heuer watch is always the same, and the writing on the face of the watch should be distinct and very easy to read.
The spacing between the numbers / lettering on the face of the watch must also be perfectly aligned both vertically as well as horizontally. Luminosity Tag Heuer watches are made using a chemical called Luminova, which makes the hand and the dial glow in the dark, making it easy to read the time in any kind of lighting. The Luminova makes the hand and dial glow very brightly and distinctly without creating a glare or shadow on the other characters. A fake Tag Heuer will not glow as bright as the real Tag — the display will glow poorly or not at all, and the glowing, if present at all, will not be consistent and will cause more glare and shadow on the characters. Swiss Made All Tag Heuer watches will say “Swiss Made” on the bottom of the face of the watch.
![Authenticate Tag Heuer Serial Number Authenticate Tag Heuer Serial Number](/uploads/1/2/4/1/124160640/235275400.jpg)
Many fakes will say “Japanese Movement”, which would never appear on the bottom of the face of a real Tag Heuer watch. Watch Case Tag Heuer’s case is made of black suede. The Tag Heuer emblem is engraved on the bottom. Which is unique to the Tag Heuer name and design. Certificate of Authenticity All Tag Heuer watches are delivered to the buyer with a Certificate of Authenticity. This certificate of authenticity has been reproduced by counterfeiters many times over, however none will have the embossed holographic seal on the document, nor will it bare the unique number registered by Tag Heuer specific to that watch and that watch only. Before paying the requested price for a Tag Heuer, always insist on seeing its Certificate of Authenticity.
![Tag heuer authentication Tag heuer authentication](/uploads/1/2/4/1/124160640/179719589.jpg)
TAG Heuer watches have a six-character serial number made from a combination of letters and numbers. It typically has two letters and four numbers, but could have three numbers and three letters. The letters always go before the numbers.
If the dealer cannot provide the document, it’s probably a fake watch. The Band Check the band for links. Just look for a left and right piece to each of the links.
Fakes will have solid links, or they may have a line on them that’s supposed to fool you into thinking the links are two pieces. Repairing Tag Heuer Watches in New York City If you have a Tag Heuer watch that you are sure is genuine, but you need it repaired, I repair Tag Heuer watches in New York City.
Or, if you are thinking of buying a Tag Heuer and want it pre-inspected, I can do that, to help you tell a ‘fake’ Tag Heuer from a ‘real’ Tag Heuer. Real, a true Tag Heuer is a work of art as much as a work of precision timekeeping, so bring it to an expert for an inspection and cleanup. You’ll be glad you did. About Ron Gordon Watch Repair Ron Gordon Watch Repair is located at 280 Madison Ave, Ste. 510, New York, NY 10016.
We provide watch repair services throughout New York City, Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, Downtown and the boroughs of New York, NY. Read our, and Reviews, online.
Heuer Serial Numbers The whole subject of Heuers and serial numbers is a bit of a mess. We see that some older chronographs have separate serial numbers for the cases and movements; that some chronographs (Caliber 12 models, for example) have serial numbers on the cases, but not the movements; we are told that the serial numbers on various models were used by the case-makers, but not by Heuer, so that Heuer maintained no records tying the case serial numbers to production dates, models, etc. All this leads us to the oft-repeated conclusion that serial numbers on Heuer chronographs are not useful for the purpose of dating a particular watch or for confirming authenticity (in the sense of the case and movement having been together, since they left the factory). Heuer's serial number situation becomes all the more frustrating for those who collect vintage Heuers, when we see the lovely Rolexes and Omegas (with the dates inside the case-backs and tables of serial numbers, including the years of production); model numbers are also marked on the cases. Frustration turns to anger when we inspect the vintage Seikos and find that - for a $200 watch - numbers on the case-back indicate the month of production, as well as the reference numbers for the watch and movement; to add insult to injury (at least for the Heuer collector), the dials of the vintage Seikos are marked with the reference number for the watch and the movement; of course, the reference numbers for the movements are also marked on the movements. So when you spend $200 to $800 for your vintage Seiko, you have a reasonable chance of figuring our whether you have a watch that left the factory with its current components or whether someone has been making watches from the parts bin.
But let's get back to the Heuers: Even though we have authentic Heuer chronographs with no meaningful serial numbers, and cases and movements with no reference numbers at all, I believe that we can derive some worthwhile information from the serial numbers on the movements of certain Heuer chronographs, specifically those from the 1940's and 1950's. Accordingly, I have begun to compile a table / spreadsheet listing serial numbers on the movements of Heuer chronographs from 1940's and 1950's.