The Swiss watch brand Tissot has been around since 1853. It went international in 1858 when Charles-Emile Tissot, the son of the company founder, started selling pocketwatches in Russia. The success has led many others to make replicas and imitations of Tissots. As of 2010, a genuine Tissot T-Touch watch cost between £260 to £390, whereas a replica cost from £130 to £195. There are low and high-quality replicas, but most of them share a few revealing signs if you need to tell them apart from the real thing.

Examine the watch hands under a magnifying glass. Tissot T-Touch watches always have white tips at the very end of the hands. The white tips look somewhat like elongated diamond shapes and they usually have a black border (if the rest of the watch hand is black).

  • The Swiss watch brand Tissot has been around since 1853.
  • Tissot T-Touch watches always have white tips at the very end of the hands.

Examine the dial under a magnifying glass. Assess how crisp and clear-cut the "N, S, W, E" letters look and the engravings on the bezel insert. The engravings on fakes, particularly low quality fakes, will sometimes possess a certain dullness or imprecision.

Check the functions. Tissot T-Touch watches are famous for their functions and tools. Press the crystal to see if all the functions activate. Check to see if the alarm, compass, altimeter and thermo functions work. Low quality fakes won't have all the functions or they won't work consistently or at all.

  • Examine the dial under a magnifying glass.
  • Check to see if the alarm, compass, altimeter and thermo functions work.

Check behind the watch for a serial number. While some fakes have serial numbers, the absence of one is a clear indicator of an imposter.

TIP

Always ask for the certificate of authenticity before buying any watch.