jonny_afghan wrote:Dear All,
For those interested in jump hours, the seller of fakes is back again:
The seller previously known as "digitalread" and "modernwatches", both from spain, is back.
This time using the name: "tiktokwatch" and "delwatch". The usual stuff is back:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/tiktokwatchyet to see the "fakesonic" back on his listing though.....
There is also also a Spaceman for sale, can anyone out there confirm this is a fake ?
Regarding the Space: Relying on my large personal collection of Spacemen and Pieter Donesen's book "Watch", five things lead me to believe it is a fake. Unfortunately, we will be teaching them how to build a better fake.
1. Dots on the hands - those should be squares, I have seen no examples with round dots - always squares. Think about it - would a world class designer do something so stupid as to put round dots on their piece that is to be a masterpiece of squares and angles?
2. Band links have ridiculaously large gaps when viewed from side - a genuine one will at first glance appear to have solid links, the fit is so tight.
3.Spaceman graphic on clasp:
left opening of the half circle is at least twice as big as it should be and the opening should not continue past the center of the graphic(supposed to indicate a space rocket with the takeoff burst of smoke around the base).
4.Space lettering on clasp: uneven strike of the punch, leading to letters that are heavy(deep) at top, shallow/light at bottom - having worked in the stamping part of tool & die for 12 years, my eye immediatly was drawn to the sloppy look of that. I don't think the Swiss would have shipped those.
{added: More specifically, the font is actually wrong - the correct font is very thin thru the top and bottom(horizonal sections) of the charecters and thick thru the verticals). They did better on the face, as it would be simple to scan and silk-screen that face onto a mirror, from an original. 
5.Poorly cut notch for band to case connection: The originals have a neatly ground notch that angles down at about 45 degrees from the face, so the tighly linked band will have absolutely no wiggle room. The one pictured has a particul;arly sloppy notch at the top, showing no lip angling downward following the band and the angle is not severe enough - which explains why the upped "lip" is not present. They "oopsed"(mistake) ground it off in the grinding process. "The devil is in the details".
Sure, this is inconclusive, but the problem with people who sell fakes is that you can NEVER trust them again.
Javier: Instead of struggling to make fakes, why don't you have some made that are
obvious imitations, and sell them as such? You would certainly make more thru the shear volume of sales, then you can by a dribble of high dollar sales. We didn't mind your "Lip" remake - it was obviously not an original and so, you sold many - I even helped by giving it a decent review on my other site.
I try to keep this site relevant by keeping it a refuge for honest, helpful collectors....I think my signature quote explains where I stand on dealing with the [rare]dishonest sellers.
13 Aug 2008, 09:40
