How to Tell a Real Black Friday Watch Deal From a Fake One

Black Friday is the best week of the year to buy a watch in Ghana. It is also the busiest week of the year for people selling fakes, and for people selling discounts that are not really discounts.

Here is how to tell the difference.

Fake discount sign 1: the price went up first

The oldest trick: raise the price in October, cut it in November, advertise a big percentage. The watch costs what it always did.

The protection is simple. Find the watch you want now, screenshot the price with the date, and compare on the day. A real reduction comes off the price you saw weeks ago.

Fake discount sign 2: the "was" price is invented

Check the reference number against what the brand or other reputable retailers charge. If a seller's "original price" is far above what anyone else has ever charged, the percentage off means nothing.

Fake discount sign 3: everything is 70% off

Deep reductions are real, but they are specific. End-of-line models, last units, discontinued colourways. A seller offering the same huge discount across every brand, including current models, is either selling something other than what you think or never charged the "full" price in the first place.

Fake watch sign 1: a price no one else can match

A genuine Tissot or Hugo Boss watch has a real cost to the seller. If the Black Friday price is below what it would cost them to buy it, ask how. A discount has a reason. An impossible price has an explanation you are not being given.

Fake watch sign 2: no caseback, no reference

Ask for a photo of the actual watch turned over, and for the reference number. Look the reference up yourself and check it matches the photographs. Our guide to buying a watch on Instagram covers the full list of questions.

Fake watch sign 3: "original" with nothing behind it

In Ghana the word "original" is used for everything from genuine pieces to high-grade copies. It is not a guarantee, as we explain in why "original" means nothing. Ask what happens if the watch turns out not to be genuine, and get the answer in writing.

Brand-specific checks

The two brands most copied in our market have their own tells. Read how to spot a fake Fossil, how to spot a fake Michael Kors and verifying a Tissot before you buy.

Our position

We do not raise prices before Black Friday. Our deepest cuts go on named pieces and we say why they are reduced. Every watch is inspected and authenticated by us before sale and covered by our authenticity guarantee.

And if you buy elsewhere and want a second opinion, bring the watch in. We will tell you honestly what we see.

See what is coming on our Black Friday page.