At the beginning of January we had posted a blog on “How to Spot a Fake Breitling” now that is actually the theme of today’s post and it is inspired by a topic we have posted on Facebook and Twitter posing the question “What ways can you spot a fake Gucci timepiece?” Today is Gucci Friday in our world and while we are not always looking to comment and write on the idea of replicas, that just happens to be the topic of discussion today. If you consider this to be a hate forum on replicas, I am sorry this is not the intention of the Golden Tree Jewellers blog. We just wanted to talk about why we don’t support the purchase of fakes (beyond the obvious fact that its bad for our business).
Ever since the beginning of mechanization, production, commercialization and promotion brands have emerged as a link between a physical product and the emotions of a consumer. Most products are chosen today because at some level there is an emotional attachment to a brand name. Let’s step back, where did brands come from? Well, back in the good old days, cattle ranchers fell into the practice of literally iron branding their cattle as competition rose around the country side and ranchers took more ownership of their differentiated product.Perhaps for example, one particular rancher was notorious for always having the biggest juiciest herd. The brands slowly became symbols of distinct quality, these stamps created trust in the eyes of the purchasers. Over time groups of loyal purchasers would congregate around that symbol and create an attachment with it because of the distinct properties it has come to symbolize, there is an emotional connection. While the Jewellery and Timepiece industry is much different than the cattle industry we trust your picking up what we’re throwing down.
Fast forward to today, a time where we are inundated with brands and their messages, some of them we pay attention to, many of them we don’t. The ones we do pay attention to and loyally follow serve as a connection we have to other people. Remember how we said that brands create an emotional connection, well, when many people all have that emotional connection to the brand, they may in turn have an emotional connection to being part of “the club.” As a non-timepiece example once again, when you look at the Harley-Davidson community and the brand, it is very distinct, full of loyal followers that have allowed the H-D name to carry them to new, great levels of relationship and inclusivity. If you were to ride into an H-D rally with a knock-off hog, our bet is that you may not be riding out on it in one piece.
Let’s give an example now of something from the jewellery and watch industry. Gucci is a brand that has been around for a while, they are leaders in the fashion industry and have an unmistakable brand lineup of different products from bags, to glasses, to clothes etc. The Gucci Timepieces are another unmistakable expression of their brand identity.
We want to attack this issue (purchasing fakes) from two different perspectives so that we can attempt to portray the true motivations for both sides.
“The Faker” – The Faker will most likely buy a replica timepiece because of the most obvious two reasons, they want to be part of the Gucci community and what it has come to represent for a fraction of the price. Understandably not everyone can afford a Gucci form the TWIRL Collection, does this make it right or cool to buy a knock off? Now, consider these three scenarios or types of people (Not that we ever like to stereotype), the first is where a person buys a Gucci under the impression given to her that it is real, ordinarily she would not buy such a product because its a fake but she has been dooped, trust us this happens ALL THE TIME! If this is the case try to inform yourself the best you can with different blogs and product reviews about what a real model looks like, look for the specifics. The second scenario is the one where the purchaser knows it is fake but does not care and does not ever claim to be part of the Gucci community. These people do still discredit the the true Gucci Timepiece customers but the effect is limited because they are not going around flashing their new I-Gucci. These people will often be the first one’s to tell you it is a fake, so God love them for that! The third scenario is when some kid goes and picks up a fake timepiece and then struts down the street showing everyone his new watch claiming that it is the real deal, he is part of the Gucci community he claims and should be recognized as a true member. These are the types of scenarios that really show a lot of disrespect to a community of people that have become loyal to a brand and have a true emotional connection to what it stands for. They have made sacrifices financially to be a part of this group and the kid that picks up the fake and claims it to be real discredits the true owners. So whichever scenario you find yourself in, try to take a look at the other person’s point of view, and remember, we all know what a fake looks like, and if we don’t its easy to find out, so the likelihood of being called out on it is high.
Don’t buy fakes! Don’t ruin the emotional connection between the brands and their followers, show some respect and perhaps find a new community to join if your financial means do not allow you to be a part of the Gucci family.
If you have any examples of fake watches, Jewellery etc we would love if you would post it to the Golden Tree Jewellers Facebook page or on this blog so that we can help educate people on how to spot the fakes!
If this guy tries to sell you an I-Gucci, chances are you are about to join the "Fake Community"
