Today, having the brand name is everything, and as a result, we see more and more duplicates pretending to be the real deal. This can be extremely frustrating, especially when investing in a more expensive and luxurious timepiece such as a Citizen watch. Unfortunately, while these copycats may look very similar, they lack the quality materials and craftsmanship that you expect from a watch like Citizen. If you are unsure about whether your brand new watch is authentic, then there are some easy tips and tricks that will help you to find out how authentic the timepiece actually is whether it is a Citizen Promaster, Citizen Eco-Drive, Citizen Chronograph or Citizen Diamond watch.
An important thing to note is that you should only buy men's Citizen watches and women's Citizen watches from reputable sources. You can find out if a store is an authorised stockist from the official Citizen website. Any stores that are not listed on this site cannot be trusted to sell you the real deal. If you find an amazing deal for more than 50% off, you may want to double-check your sources as this is a big red flag that they are selling counterfeit pieces. It's as they say, you pay for what you get!
Overview:
The Citizen Logo
The most obvious thing to look for is the citizen logo. Often, counterfeit products have incomplete, or tiny differences in the logo that can be a dead giveaway that the piece is not authentic. Look at the back of the case and compare the font and spelling of the letters. The logo should also be centred on the back. Take a look at the product images on the official website and make sure that everything lines up how it should.
Leading on from this, many dupe products are constructed using various different watch parts. As a result, you may find that the colour is slightly different across the dial, hands and straps. Another obvious trait is that many Citizen watches have a revolving bezel, and often the fake products are not equipped with this function.
Documentation
Genuine Citizen watches all come with official documentation and manufacturers warranty. This is to help people just like you to rest assured that they have received a real timepiece, so all authentic sellers will keep documentation. Some dodgy sellers try to fake documents too. So compare the serial numbers, spelling logos and dates to ensure that the documents are real as well. Some authentic watch sellers will also provide you with the instruction manual, you should check that the model numbers match the watch as well.
Serial and Model Number
Each Citizen watch is engraved with its own unique serial number that is engraved on the back of the case. If you look on the back of the case, you should find the number. If it missing, then that is a big indicator that your watch is not real!!
Knockoffs can be tricky to recognise at first sight, so it's crucial to buy from licenced sellers and double-check even the smallest details to make sure you are getting what you paid for! Dupes may have the same appearance as genuine timepieces, but they are inferior in terms of quality and complexity.
