First things first, Dubai. It’s like, *the* place people think of when they think of fake stuff, right? Especially watches. And yeah, you won’t be walking down the street for very long before someone whispers “Rolex? Good price!” at you. Deira is supposed to be like, ground zero for this stuff, with all the traditional souks buzzing with… well, let’s just say “alternatively sourced” goods.
But here’s the thing: “good” is a super relative term, innit? What one person thinks is a steal, another might think is just straight up garbage. You gotta decide what you’re looking for. Are we talking “passes from a distance of 5 feet” good? Or “I’m trying to convince my rich uncle this is the real deal” good? Big difference.
I saw a thing online, like a watch authentication service offering to tell you if you’ve been duped. Which, I mean, yeah, good for them, I guess? It also tells you that there’s definitely a market for high-quality fakes if people are worried enough to pay someone to check ’em. So, they *do* exist.
And that brings us to the vendors. Apparently, you’ve got everything from dodgy street vendors with their wares spread out on a blanket, to legit-looking boutiques selling… well, let’s just say they’re “inspired” by the real thing. The more you pay, presumably, the better the quality. I’m guessing those high-end shops aren’t exactly selling stuff that’ll fall apart after a week. But hey, who knows?
Speaking of quality, one thing that always jumps out when people talk about spotting fakes is the weight. Apparently, real luxury watches use heavy-duty materials like platinum and gold, so they feel solid. A light, flimsy feeling watch is a huge red flag. I’d imagine the better fakes try to compensate for this, but you know, corners gotta be cut somewhere, right?
Personally, I think the whole thing is kinda funny. Like, if you’re gonna drop a bunch of cash on a fake watch, why not just buy a *real* watch from a less flashy brand? There are tons of decent watches out there that won’t break the bank. But hey, to each their own. Some people just want that Rolex logo, I guess.
