This morning I busted a fake Richard Mille that had been posted on Instagram by someone who’s not a watch expert and that was fooled by someone that claims to be a legit watch collector. Fake watches are for fake people and a fake Richard Mille can often be spotted a mile away to those of us with a trained eye. When someone wears a fake watch, he/she pretends to be someone they’re not and wants to deceive others pertaining his/her status. After busting the fake white gold RM001 Tourbillon —which was at bad as it gets— with incorrect font on logo, inaccurate case markings —RN0001 instead of RM001—, typos —’Sweiss’ instead of Swiss— and even minted as platinum even though the watch was meant to pass as white gold, the owner of such piece of crap dared to say: “yes, I have a couple of fakes.” In my book, if you own a fake or two, most likely all your other watches are also fakes.

Nowadays, after Rolex, AP, and Panerai, Richard Mille is perhaps the most copied brand out there and the market is flooded with fakes. From celebrities to wannabes, everyone and their mother seem to now own a Richard Mille. Thankfully Watch Anish and myself have done a good job at spotting them, but our work never ends.

Some of the most important things to look for when spotting the popular tonneau-shaped timepiece include the finishing of the case, the movement, the depth between the flange and the dial, the finishing of the movement and dial, the sapphire crystals and of course the quality of the strap and spring clasp.

For this article I’ve chosen the incredible Richard Mille RM030 Black Dash in black TZP sand-blasted ceramic which luckily has not been excessively copied as the RM011s for you guys to use as the benchmark out there.

Examine the Dial

Always pay attention to the dials. The Richard Mille RM 030 'Black Dash' is one of those Richard Mille timepieces that takes in all the DNA of the brand and exudes it back at you with unparalleled looks. If you examine the dials of the fake watches out there you will always be able to tell a real from a fake watch no matter the reference or model. Equipped with a power reserve indicator at 9, declutchable rotor indicator at 12 with on/off position and date aperture at 7 o'clock, this Richard Mille Automatic RM 030 'Black Dash' is simply perfect.

Examine the Case, Strap & O-Ring on the Crown

Fitted with the traditional Richard Mille tripartite case construction RM 030 'Black Dash' is fitted with a Black TZP sand-blasted front and back bezels, while its caseband is comprised of incredibly strong and light black NTPT carbon. Keep an eye on the finish of the middle case and the spline star-shaped screws.

The quality of the rubber on the o-ring on the crown and the strap needs to match and it should be of the highest quality. Additionally, the double spring folding clasp —that by the way was patented by Chanel— should operate smoothly.

The Movement Always Tells the Story

Inside the case of the RM030 and other RMs the movements are exquisitely finished in 5 grade titanium, steel and white gold in most instances. The markings around the case back are always crisp without typos, font inaccuracies or other issues. If you look at the movement on a fake watch you’ll notice that most elements are just a plate that has been designed to look like the real deal but all elements —gears, bridges, screws, jewels— are non-functional and just apparent. Also sapphire crystals have an incredible anti-reflective treatment that fakes don’t.

That Feel on the Wrist and Who’s Wearing It

On the wrist, you can feel and see what a Richard Mille should look like and why they’re priced in the six-figures range. Richard Mille is one of those brands that when you put the watch on, you hardly notice it is on your wrist because of its unparalleled level of comfort.

Next time someone is trying to flex with a Richard Mille make sure you take a close look and see if it’s the real deal or not. Even though you’d expect that some well-off people wearing an RM are wearing the real deal, you’d be surprised. And now, if someone can’t even afford to buy an Audemars Piguet watch at retail, most likely if they have an RM on the wrist, the watch is an absolute fake. Measure the wearer and you’ll be able to tell whether they can get one or not.

Sticker Price $140,000 USD —market price in the $280,000+ USD. For more info Richard Mille click here.