The House of Gucci is an Italian fashion label established in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence. Upmarket, select and ultra chic, the quality and style of Gucci is known the world over. As well as fashion and leather goods, most notably handbags, Gucci have produced a selection of watches since 1997.
Gucci watches come in three types; bracelet watches, automatic watches and quartz watches. They may be made from yellow gold, white gold or stainless steel and sometime incorporate other materials including diamonds and leather. The gold watches are gold plated with 18-carat gold on stainless steel.
A quick scan on line will show that you can buy cheap “Gucci “replica watches many originating from China and Hong Kong. In many cases, these are quite openly replicas so that you can get the look of Gucci without spending a fortune.
However if you wish to buy a genuine new Gucci watch, they are only available direct from Gucci, their on line store, authorized boutiques or select department stores. Before you start looking, you should check out the Gucci website to see designs, current styles and prices. A gold plated Gucci watch will cost around £600 but prices vary according to design and model.
The danger point is in the second hand market and here you need to be careful.
So how can you tell the difference between a genuine gold Gucci watch and a fake? After all a fake Gucci gold watch is really only a fake if it is passed off as the real thing – especially on auction sites such as eBay
Genuine Gucci watches are only made in Switzerland so if your watch is engraved“Made in Italy” it is certainly a fake. The watches are the only Gucci items not produced in Italy a fact that many counterfeiters do not realise.
Gucci watches always have a crest logo engraved on the back of the watch face. However, the insignias and logos located on the back of authentic Gucci watches vary with each season and watch design.
Each genuine Gucci watch has a model number and serial number stamped on the back. The numbers are not available to check on line but you can try taking it to a reputable jewellers to check.
All new Gucci watches are sold with a box and certificate. Can you really imagine anyone throwing this away or losing it when it comes to selling?
Gucci have only been making watches since 1997 so if you are offered an antique Gucci watch it will not be genuine.
Most fake Guccis use cheaper materials and are lighter in weight than the genuine article.
A very important point to remember is that just because Gucci is a well-known make, the price of their watches may not be as much as you think. Certainly on eBay it is not uncommon to see second hand (or dubious) Gucci watches going for more than the recommended retail price
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