Cincinnati officials said that if the Rolex watch were genuine, it would be worth $2.56 million.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati intercepted a shipment of 200 counterfeit Rolex watches sent from China to someone in New York.
According to Border Force, the watch is a replica of an all-gold Rolex Day Date with a gold dial, known as the “Presidential” watch and valued at $2.56 million.
“Intellectual property theft threatens America’s economic vitality and funds criminal activity and organized crime,” said Port of Cincinnati Director Richard Gillespie. “Our officers are committed to protecting private industry and consumers by removing these supplies from our commerce.”
Experts say it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify counterfeit Rolex watches, although as few as 200 gold coins wrapped in bubble wrap can give officials clues.
Counterfeit goods sold under the counter in shady street markets may no longer be a problem, but new and improved super-counterfeits are causing alarm among industry experts.
Anthony Fabiano, co-founder of Watch CSA, an expert in authenticating luxury watches for trade clients, says the problem of super fakes is growing as quality continues to improve.
“These Level 1 counterfeiters are improving very quickly. They monitor forums, share information on how consumers identify counterfeits, and then immediately address those issues in the watches they make,” Mr. Fabiano told WatchPro.
The problem is compounded because while the total number of counterfeit watches produced each year may have stabilized at around 40 million, quality continues to improve at several modern Chinese factories.
Post time: Feb-23-2024