Is my TAG Heuer Authentic? All questions here please

Albert-AMG

^ Last post by @?Luis Rodas moved to this specific thread about authenticity

Hola Luís, y bienvenido al foro!

Sólo con el número de serie difícilmente te podrá ayudar alguien. Deberías colgar fotos en buena calidad donde se vea bien el dial, bisel, y la parte trasera del reloj.
También si escribes en inglés facilitarás que te contesten más miembros del foro. Saludos!

Albert-AMG

^ Last post by @?Luis Rodas moved to this specific thread about authenticity

Hola Luís, y bienvenido al foro!

Sólo con el número de serie difícilmente te podrá ayudar alguien. Deberías colgar fotos en buena calidad donde se vea bien el dial, bisel, y la parte trasera del reloj.
También si escribes en inglés facilitarás que te contesten más miembros del foro. Saludos!

Albert-AMG

^ Last post by @insyder and answer by @imagwai moved to this specific thread about authenticity…

Because I also think this is a fake watch… there are several red flags, starting with BA0810 which is a part number for a bracelet not a watch model

Teff22

Please go to any watchmaker to replace the battery. When he opens the watch, take a picture inside. Your watch has a ronda 5040b mechanism, take a picture of it and I'll tell you right away if it's original.

It's very difficult these days. It's those sellers with lots of reviews who have the biggest chance of selling a fake. No one doubts them. People trust them more than someone with 0 reviews.

I Irondrew12

All good. Also taken to 3 independent jewellers and all confirm a genuine watch. 2 opened the back and confirmed.

Jim Dollares

Hi Drew,

Your watch was returned from official TAG Heuer service rejected due to counterfit? Now three independent jewellers looked at it and tell you that it is genuine. Do I understand correctly that you trust three independent jewellers over the official TAG Heuer service center? Or did you talk to the service center and clear things out like you said you would, after which it was confirmed that TAG Heuer does not consider your watch to be counterfit?

Personally I have never seen a genuine one with that lume pip of yours, one of the easiest and most common issue and tell on a counterfit Aquaracer.

This is the lume pip on an authentic CAY1110:

Jim Dollares

Hi Drew,

Your watch was returned from official TAG Heuer service rejected due to counterfit? Now three independent jewellers looked at it and tell you that it is genuine. Do I understand correctly that you trust three independent jewellers over the official TAG Heuer service center? Or did you talk to the service center and clear things out like you said you would, after which it was confirmed that TAG Heuer does not consider your watch to be counterfit?

Personally I have never seen a genuine one with that lume pip of yours, one of the easiest and most common issue and tell on a counterfit Aquaracer.

This is the lume pip on an authentic CAY1110:

Jim Dollares

Hi Drew,

Your watch was returned from official TAG Heuer service rejected due to counterfit? Now three independent jewellers looked at it and tell you that it is genuine. Do I understand correctly that you trust three independent jewellers over the official TAG Heuer service center? Or did you talk to the service center and clear things out like you said you would, after which it was confirmed that TAG Heuer does not consider your watch to be counterfit?

Personally I have never seen a genuine one with that lume pip of yours, one of the easiest and most common issue and tell on a counterfit Aquaracer.

This is the lume pip on an authentic CAY1110:

I Irondrew12

This is an official TH website photo showing the Lume pip to be exactly as mine. There were also some slight variations to this model.

I Irondrew12

Not quite, it was returned as a "counterfeit "after being sent back a second time, due to Tag Heuer damaging the bezel, back case and strap.

It was returned to me damaged AFTER they had serviced it and provided a new warranty card.

It was only said to be "counterfeit" once I returned it querying the damaged they caused as above. The did not take good care of it and so I believe they are trying to fob it off now.

I Irondrew12

All good. Also taken to 3 independent jewellers and all confirm a genuine watch. 2 opened the back and confirmed.

Turpinrr

My 2016 WAY2112-0 has the same bezel, hole and pip as this.

I've seen scores of these "Aquaracers" with different explanations as to why they don't look like these, instead they're countersunk.

One excuse on Reddit was that the pip had been lost and a smaller pip put back in, instead.

Nope, they're just fake

McBeardy

It’s highly unlikely TH are trying to do you over after damaging your watch, to then lie & say it’s fake, far too much reputational damage done if that were case.

When they damage my lugs on my Monaco on a strap changed they sent it off to be repaired FOC, yes it’s annoying but no one’s injured or died, life goes on.

Counterfeit/ fake Aquaracers & F1s are so common in the second hand market and various auction platforms.

Unless you bought from a genuine TH AD you’ll be unsure to know it’s real.

As for the independents how up to date are they on TH & the fake market.

Thehighwayman

One thing in this ones favour is the gold finished movement. It's known that some fakes have a silver finished variant marked "Swiss Parts" rather than "Swiss"
The trouble is that there a number of factories making TH fakes. The people who are "in to" replicas even have names for the various factories.They run for a while, get raided and pop up again in a different form. Some are more accurate than others. What holds true for one replica of a particular model may not apply to others.

The bezel pip does look dubious and I can't see TH labelling it counterfeit if it isn't. It's very small fry to them,not worth the reputational damage to try and get out of correcting an issue as McBeardy said.

What it does prove is that this is a complete minefield, personally I wouldn't be inclined to buy anything online manufactured in the last decade.

Jim Dollares

After ten years of spending way too much of my time reading about, collecting and obsessing over TAG Heuer, one thing is for sure and that is the fact that digital online renders rarely look like the actual product irl. There is a running joke in this forum that TAG should fire the person responsible for digital renders.

Either way, there is no point in arguing, the important thing is that you are happy with your watch and that you feel comfortable wearing it.

I Irondrew12

I would question whether TH would label the watch as "Counterfeit" based on the fact it went back with damage and specifically damage to one of the "ornamental" screws on the rubber strap... It's possible therefore that the decision is made based on the strap as the screw head has since disappeared. It didn't go back to question it's authenticity, it went back because they damaged it.

Thehighwayman

Understood.
It's a very regrettable situation to be in.
I can't say whether it's fake or gen, it has plus and minus points.
It's possible it's related to the strap rather than the watch head. Possible also a suspect strap led to a deeper inspection.

I could hazard a guess that the watchmakers who deal with simple battery and gasket changes are not as skilled or qualified as those assigned to damage claims. That is supposition though.

In truth, I think the only people who can shed light on it are TH. I would be inclined to get some answers direct. In essence they have condemned your watch as worthless, so in my mind you're entitled to some more detailed reasoning.