Di, Dez 26th 2023
Fake Swiss watches have been a problem for as long as Switzerland has made great watches. This year is no different the war on counterfeit Swiss watches continues. Most of the seizures of these fake watches are coming from China and Hong Kong.
While the uphill battle against fake watches has not been easy. This year saw the first successes in other important countries: 150,000 watches were confiscated in Saudi Arabia, 62,000 in Turkey and 25,000 in Egypt.
Protecting Swiss industry is of the upmost importance to the integrity of Swiss Made products, despite such a difficult fight some Swiss Watch makers are doing better than ever.
Around one million counterfeit Swiss watches were confiscated worldwide in 2023, said president Jean-Daniel Pasche. The association constantly monitors the market for fake “Swiss Made” watches on websites and social media. It also offers training courses for customs and police officers in various countries.
After the pandemic, these training courses on fake Swiss watch detection & other luxury goods are offered in face-to-face classes again. For example, courses have been held in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Belgium, Hungary and Turkey. In Asia, the association is focusing on Malaysia.
As a reminder: last year, customs and police employees were trained in Peru, Portugal, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Poland and already in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Counterfeiting does not only affect the watch industry. Medicines, films, music and fashion items are also counterfeited.
Tourists who buy a counterfeit “Swiss Made” watch abroad are not immune to being caught when they return to Switzerland. “There are also confiscations at the Swiss border,” said association president Jean-Daniel Pasche. For more information about fraud detection and prevention check the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
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