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Gallery of Fakes
To create a gallery of "fakes" is to raise the controversial question of just what is (and is not) a "fake". Webster's Dictionary tells us that a fake is something that is "not what it purports to be". Let me use this simple definition as a frame of reference in this attempt to describe the types of "fakes" that are displayed on this page. A first point to note is that we are talking about the watches themselves -- the case, dial, hands, movement, etc., that are assembled to create a watch. We look at the watch itself to determine whether it is "what it purports to be" or whether it is a "fake". This Gallery is not about the people who make the fakes, it's not about the people who sell them, and it's not about the representations that are made in connection with the sale (which may turn a fake into a fraud). Rather, we look at the watch itself, and only the watch. Someone selling a fake may describe it accurately (as a fake); in this instance, the seller is being honest. Still, the watch itself is a fake, so it belongs in the Gallery. In defining what ia and is not a "fake", let's start with the easiest case -- the "pure fake". Someone takes an inexpensive chronograph, made by another manufacturer under another brand name, has the dial refinished to indicate "Heuer Silverstone", and adds the name "Heuer" to the movement. It purports to be a Heuer Silverstone; but is it not a Heuer and it is not a Silverstone, so all would agree that it is a "fake". A second variety of fake is a watch that began life as one type of Heuer, but has been altered to purport to be some other type of Heuer. For example, a watchmaker can take a Reference 404 chronograph (made by Heuer, with no model name on the dial), and refinish the dial to add the more valuable "Carrera" name. It purports to be a Heuer Carrera, but it is not. Yes, it might be a Heuer, on a physical level, but it is definitely not a "Carrera". It is a Heuer Reference 404 chronograph with a (badly) refinished dial; it purports to be a Carrera, so it is a "fake". Now we get to one of the most difficult situations -- a watchmaker takes parts from genuine Heuer chronographs (or from supplies of genuine Heuer parts), and creates a watch from the parts. The parts are all from the correct model, but the chronograph, as such, was created by the watchmaker, and not actually made by Heuer. "Made by Heuer" means just that -- this watch was assembled / made / created by Heuer. Can a watchmaker disassemble and re-assemble a genuine Heuer, in performing an overhaul? Of course. Can this watchmaker replace worn or damaged parts? Sure, this is an accepted practice in the industry. Can he replace the original hands with new hands that were made by Heuer, for this exact model? Yes -- at this point, the watch will no longer be 100% "original", but I don't think collectors would call it a fake. Going further, let's consider the example of someone taking the major components from two or more timepieces (all of them the same model) and putting them together to create a working chronograph. For example, a collector may combine the case and movement from an Autavia 11630 GMT, with the dial and hands from another Autavia 11630 GMT, to produce a complete watch. In my experience, most would think of the resulting chronograph as "rebuilt" or "salvaged"; few would call it a "fake"; all would agree that, if its history is known, it will be worth something less than a fully original Autavia 11630 GMT, as produced by Heuer. What we decide to call these watches is largely "academic -- they will look absolutely "correct" and will usually go undetected. Last on our list of categories are the so-called "Frankens" -- when someone has taken various parts from different Heuer models, and combined them to create a working watch. Have a look in the Gallery (below), and you will see a Carrera dial in a Camaro case, and a Daytona dial in a Carrera case. Are they genuine Heuer parts? Yes. Is the resulting piece a genuine Heuer Carrera or Daytona? No. It is not what it purports to be (a Carrera or a Daytona), so I classify it as a "fake". I realize that this is a controversial topic, but readers consistently confirm that this Gallery of Fakes and this information is extremely useful. Accordingly, I present it for what it is -- one collector's opinion based on his own definition of what is and is not a fake. My view of "fakes" may be parallel to Supreme Court Justice Stewart's view of "obscenity" -- I don't know how to define it, but I know it when I see it. I would welcome your e-mail with any comments on the watches shown in this Gallery, including additional information about how and where they were made. If anyone can present further information to authenticate any of these watches, as genuine Heuer chronographs, the watch will be removed from the Gallery. In two years of maintainig this Gallery, noone has demonstrated that any watch shown in this Gallery has been genuine. Jeffrey
M. Stein |
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coming soon |
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Last Updated: 2005.04.18 -JMS |
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There seems to be an abundant supply of fake dials for the blue Montreals. Shown across the top row in the following table, a telltale of the fake dials is the absence of the "frame" around the date window. All genuine Montreal dials, whether blue, black, white or gold, have this window. While the fake dials may be abundant, genuine hands for the Montreal are scarce, so those assembling the fakes have used a wide variety of hands, as shown in the table. The Montreal is a large watch, so these franken hands often come up a little short. Not surprisingly, those who have compared the fake dials with the real ones report that the fakes are far inferior in quality. Click here to view a genuine Montreal dial. |
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fake dial; wrong hands; also, Heuer never used the blue dial in the black case. |
fake dial; wrong hands and chrono needles |
fake dial; wrong hands and chrono needles |
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fake dial; wrong hands (way too short); wrong movement (bridge). |
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dial from Montreal; case from late Autavia GMT; hands from Viceroy Autavia |
the very rare Montrera -- Montreal dial and hands, in a Carrera case |
fake dial (as per usual); wrong hands; wrong bezel (from white Montreal) |
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Last Updated: 2006.04.04 - JMS |
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Heuer never made a manual-wind Silverstone; this fake likely from a "Mondia" brand chrono. |
another "Mondia" that became a fake Heuer |
the world's only Silverstone GMT; but how do you read the second timezone? |
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wrong hands and wrong movement (Cal 11) earn this one a place in the Gallery |
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Last Updated: 2004.01.07.10.12.32 - CM3 |
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a Carrera, through and through, except for the dial and hands |
the unique DayMontErona, consisting of Daytona dial, Montreal hands and Verona back |
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Last Updated: 2004.01.07.10.12.32 - CM3 |
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offered on Italian ebay (08/04) |
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Last Updated: 2004.08.16 - JMS |
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Heuer never produced a "Flygraf" chronograph, but that hasn't stopped others from creating them. These seem to be derived from the LeJour Flygraph or the Renis Flygraph.
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nasty looking mark on the case-back is from a Yema |
orange chronograph needles |
notable for its nasty looking mark on the case-back, from a Yema, and "Ebauche Suisse" at bottom of dial |
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poor man's fake Flygraf; 7734 instead of 7736; same case and bezel as fake Flygrafs |
"Yachtingraf", the poor cousin of the Flygraf; rarely seen among the yachting crowd |
first cousin of the Flygraf; same dial, but they left off the extra art-work; awful looking movement |
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Last Updated: 2004.07.27 - JMS |
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