Omega, founded in 1848, has been known for generations to make quality, accurate watches. Popular and expensive brands like Omega are often counterfeited, but replica omega watches are usually easy to differentiate from the genuine article.

Things You'll Need:

Watch-back opener

Jewelers loupe

Instructions

Use a jeweler's loupe (or magnifying glass) to examine the face of the watch in question. Check the font on the face and on the date wheel. If it is blurry or offset, the watch is likely fake. Check the luminous dots. If they are not perfectly round, this is another red flag.

Check the serial number underneath one of the lugs. If the watch does not have a serial number printed on it, it is a fake. If you find a serial number but still suspect a fake, do an internet search on the number; many of the companies that produce fakes stamp the same serial number on all of the watches they make.

Check the bezel. Look for the printing to be out of place or blurry, the luminous dot at the top to be off-center, or for the bezel to not click properly into place while turning.

Find a picture of the caseback your model is supposed to come with and compare it with the watch in hand. Fake watches are often close, but almost never perfect, replicas of the real thing. Check for misspellings and design elements that are out of place.

To confirm the authenticity of your watch without a shadow of a doubt, remove the caseback. This will allow you to view the movement. Fake movements will not be stamped with a serial number that matches the number on the case, and will often look cheap and have little in the way of decoration or metal parts. Compare a picture of the internal movement from Omega with the watch in your hand. This is by far the most accurate, though also the most involved and difficult, way to determine whether your watch is genuine.

Tips & Warnings

When in doubt, take the watch to an Omega dealer. They will be able to confirm if the watch is a fake very easily.

To avoid purchasing a fake, only buy from reputable dealers, and avoid pawn shops, gray market dealers, and any merchant that does not offer a manufacturer's warranty.