Okay, so you got yourself a “Rolex” from that dude on the beach, or maybe your aunt brought back a “Patek Philippe” from her trip. Either way, it’s stopped ticking, and now you’re wondering if you can waltz into Timpson and get it sorted. The short, kinda depressing answer? It’s complicated.
Let’s be real, most proper watch repair places aren’t exactly thrilled about touching fakes. Think about it – they’re dealing with potentially dodgy parts, movements that might fall apart the second they look at them wrong, and the whole ethical quagmire of contributing to the fake goods market. Plus, they don’t want to tarnish their reputation by being associated with replicas.
I mean, imagine the horror! “Yeah, we fix Rolexes, real *and* fake!” Not a good look, right?
You might be thinking, “But it *looks* good! Maybe they won’t notice!” Don’t kid yourself. These guys (and gals) are professionals. They can usually spot a fake from a mile away, especially if they’re used to dealing with genuine timepieces. And even if they *don’t* immediately clock it as fake, once they open it up, it’s game over.
Now, there are exceptions. I’ve seen stuff online about smaller, independent repair shops that might be willing to take a crack at it. But honestly, it’s a gamble. And even if they *do* agree, you’re probably looking at a hefty bill. Sourcing parts for a fake can be a nightmare. They might have to cannibalize other watches (fake or otherwise), or even try to fabricate something themselves. That ain’t cheap.
And let’s talk about the movements. Some of these fake watches use surprisingly decent movements, often Chinese-made automatics that are actually quite reliable. But others? They’re basically held together with spit and wishful thinking. The article I found about fake Rolex parts suggests just replacing the whole movement. And honestly, that might be the most sensible option. You can find basic automatic movements on sites like AliExpress for peanuts. But then you’re back to the question of who’s gonna install it for you.
Frankly, sometimes the best advice is the blunt approach: hammer time! (Okay, maybe not *literally*). As one of the sources said, it might be easier to just buy a new watch. Seriously. Depending on how much you value the watch, and how much you’re willing to spend on repairs, it might be more economical to just cut your losses and start fresh.
One last thing: if you *do* decide to try and get it fixed, be upfront about it being a fake. Don’t try to pull a fast one on the watch repairer. It’s disrespectful, and they’ll probably just refuse to work on it anyway. Plus, some places will charge you a fee just for looking at a fake watch! Apparently, they’re tired of people trying to sneak them in.
