Knock-off (or Knock-it-off!)

Everyone is familiar with the term "replica" or "knock-off", which refer to copies of an original design. You see them in all types of products, from antiques to food, however nowhere is it more prevalent than in the fashion accessory product lines. Watches and handbags especially. There are people who purposely buy such products; perhaps they like the design but cannot afford the original, and others just want to be able to flash a certain designer's name without paying for the real thing. Is this a big deal? Well perhaps not to those purchasing the items for these reasons however it is a major concern for those that design and produce the originals. But what about those who THINK they are purchasing a designer brand, only to later find out they were duped? How do you prevent this from occurring?

It happens every day. Perhaps you saw a Gucci watch and it just blew your socks off, and you thought, "yeah, that is splurge-worthy". What do you do next? A few years ago, you would probably go to your local jeweler or mall and find your new wrist candy, but today not so much. These days, we head to the internet and perform a search and compare the specific product we are looking for between many different sellers, aiming to find the best price. So, you jump on and perform your search, you visit the major auction website, discount websites, many sellers whom you've never heard of, and BOOM! You found someone selling one for hundreds below everyone else. You view all of the pictures, read the description, look at reviews - YOU DID IT! SCORE! And you buy it. Maybe you find out soon after receiving it (like a friend of mine who purchased a Movado watch a few years ago and shortly after it was delivered, he sat to admire his new treasure, only to be shocked to find a "Made in China" sticker on the back of the case). Or perhaps a few months later it stops working properly and you bring it to have it repaired and are hit with the terrible news. How could this have happened to you?

There are many ways to figure out once you have the piece whether it is authentic or not. Every brand has its unique features, a simple internet search for your specific brand will list those out for you. But why wait until it's too late? An authentic designer watch purchased new will ALWAYS come with paperwork, specifically a warranty card from the manufacturer and a certificate of authenticity (in most cases). Does the watch or accessory you are looking at include these items? What about price? If everyone is selling a Gucci watch for $X,XXX and you find a brand new one for hundreds less, THAT IS A RED FLAG! Yes, there are times when a retailer can offer special pricing on authentic designer items; possibly they were able to buy them for a little less than usual or it's closeout, however when that occurs, most EVERY retailer will lower their pricing accordingly - we need to stay competitive after all! So, when you have Fifty stores telling you one price and two or three are hundreds less, RUN! And maybe it's not even a retailer selling it, maybe it is someone with a username like "Fundog1199" selling those items for less on an auction site. If that doesn't scare you, YIKES!

Here at Watch Me Now Mart (www.watchmenowmart.com), we don't play those games. We only align ourselves with well-known suppliers and manufacturers. We stand behind every product we sell because we want to earn your future business and that of your friends and family. We will be introducing our new designer collections soon, which will include watches, jewelry, handbags and eyewear from the world's top designers. Most products will be delivered straight to your door from the country where it was made - Italy, France, and Switzerland are a few of them. It is illegal to sell knock-off products in most countries but putting that aside, it's just wrong. It's bad for the original designers, the retailer and the consumer. One last thing - email us at info@watchmenowmart.com and tell us what sitcom "splurge-worthy" is a reference to, and you will receive a 15% discount code if you are correct! (Don't bother googling it, if you know, you know) Be well my friends. #watchmenowmart.