How to check if your Apple Watch is original or fake (2024 guide)

Besides the health and fitness features, the sleek design, robust build, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem have contributed heavily to the Apple Watch’s popularity. To benefit from this popularity, many local brands have flooded the market with nearly identical counterfeit Apple Watch models.

So, if you have recently bought a new Apple Watch from a place other than the official Apple Store or an authorized Apple reseller and have doubts about its authenticity, you are at the right place. Keep reading to learn how to distinguish between an original and a fake Apple Watch.

Why is it crucial to verify your Apple Watch’s authenticity?

From getting the true value of your hard-earned money to privacy risks to health & safety concerns, there are many reasons why you should verify if your Apple Watch is fake or original.

• Inferior quality and durability: No matter how good a counterfeit Apple Watch is, it can never match Apple’s quality standards. Substandard material is more prone to crack, scratch, or degrade in a short amount of time.
• Security and privacy risks: Unlike an authentic Apple Watch, a fake one usually runs on insecure, unauthorized software that can expose your private data to hackers. Such counterfeits can also come with pre-installed malware that can put your connected iPhone or AirPods at risk.
• Limited functionality: As mentioned, fake a Apple Watch does not run on the official watchOS. Hence, it cannot offer Apple’s popular features and services like Apple Pay, Siri, Find My, or access to the App Store. Neither will the fake ones receive any software updates, so there is no chance of getting the new features.
• Health concerns: Many users buy the Apple Watch due to its various health monitoring features, such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and fitness activities. While the original Apple Watch delivers almost accurate readings, a duplicate Apple Watch will most likely provide incorrect readings, and therefore cannot be trusted for health monitoring.
• Safety concerns: A duplicate Apple Watch can neve meet safety standards. As an electronic device, it may be subject to electrical hazards such as short circuits or overheating.
• No warranty or support: Apple excels in after-sale services, but that’s only the case for authentic Apple products. Apple’s warranty or support won’t cover a fake Apple Watch. This means if things go south, you’ll be on your own, and in most cases, the repair cost can exceed the price of a new watch.
• Financial loss: This is the biggest downside of knowing you have bought a fake Apple Watch. Not only is it a poor investment in terms of quality, but you won’t be able to resell it either.

7 ways to know if your Apple Watch is real or fake

Now that you know the potential reasons why you must verify whether or not your Apple Watch is original, here are a few different ways to verify an Apple Watch’s authenticity.

1. Locate and verify the serial number

Verifying the serial number might be the best and quickest way to know if your Apple Watch is original or fake. Like any other Apple product, each Apple Watch has a unique serial number that you can use to confirm its authenticity directly from Apple.

You can turn your watch upside down to look for the serial number present on the edge of the sensors or head to Settings → About, then scroll to the bottom, and there you will find your Apple Watch’s serial number.

Once found, go to the Apple Support app on your iPhone or visit Apple’s Check Coverage Page to check your Apple Watch’s authenticity.

1. On the Apple Support app, tap on Check Coverage under the Support Tools section.
2. Tap Enter Serial Number.
   
3. Enter your Apple Watch’s serial number and verify if Apple recognizes it as a valid product.
   

If Apple does not verify the serial number, your Apple Watch is indeed fake. If Apple recognizes the serial number but it is associated with another Apple Watch, then again, your Apple Watch is fake.

However, most counterfeit Apple Watch manufacturers usually print the original Apple Watch’s serial number on its back to fool the buyers. So, even if Apple recognizes that the serial number is associated with an Apple Watch, there is no guarantee that your Apple Watch is original.

In that case, check whether the Apple Watch warranty coverage started the same day you bought it. If yes, your Apple Watch is most likely original; if not, it is fake.

2. Assess the operating system

The watchOS is the heart of the Apple Watch and is one of the major reasons behind its massive popularity. Thus, it is a strong indicator of the Apple Watch’s authenticity, as only the original Apple Watch can run on watchOS. Counterfeits can sport a copy of it, but it won’t be that fast and smooth. It is easy to tell if your Apple Watch is running on watchOS or some fake skin on top of Android.

• Authentic: Like other Apple’s proprietary operating systems, watchOS is known for its smooth, fast, and responsive interface. It is unlikely that you will experience any delay while opening apps or navigating menus. Most importantly, you will get access to all Apple services, such as Apple Pay, Siri, App Store, and more, along with accurate readings from health and fitness apps.
• Fake: Counterfeit Apple Watches usually come with an Android-based operating system designed to mimic the watchOS. Thus, they usually have a sluggish interface, often becoming unresponsive when opening apps and navigating menus. Moreover, they also lack access to Apple services such as Apple Pay and Siri and the ability to download apps from the App Store.

3. Inspect the Digital Crown and Side button

The Digital Crown and the Side button are integral parts of the Apple Watch and aren’t there just for cosmetics. There are functions in the Apple Watch that are only possible with a properly working Digital Crown or Side button. Here’s how to assess them to tell if your Apple Watch is genuine or fake:

• Authentic: The Digital Crown on the original Apple Watch is usually smooth to turn and provides precise haptic feedback when rotated. Also, the ring around the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch Ultra is orange-colored, not too bright, and not too dull. The Side button sits perfectly into the casket and opens the Control Center when pressed. The button never feels loose, wobbly, or difficult to press, unless there is a physical damage.
• Fake: The turning of the Digital Crown on a duplicate watch will feel rough or loose with no sign of haptic feedback. The Side button may feel loose, wobbly, and unresponsive when pressed.

4. Examine the packaging and box contents

Like every Apple product, an original Apple Watch also comes in premium packaging with meticulous attention to detail. The printings on the box should be crisp and clear without any sign of smudge or blurriness. Fake Apple Watch also comes in similar packaging with similar box content but lacks attention to detail. Here’s how to tell them apart:

• Authentic: The original Apple Watch is always packaged in a sturdy, well-constructed box, with no rough edges or poor material, keeping in mind Apple’s quality standards. Each and every detail, like model number, watch size, and serial number, is printed on the box with high-quality print material. All the labels and text are always perfectly aligned with no sign spelling mistakes.
• Fake: A duplicate Apple Watch usually comes in a low-quality box made with flimsy material with blurry printing and poor alignment of text and images over the box. The box sometimes also lacks crucial details like model number, watch size, and serial number or have them printed in the wrong manner.

Additionally, verify the box content to see if anything is missing or extra. Other than the Apple Watch, its bands, and the charger, the box should have an instruction manual, a warranty card, and a safety sheet.

5. Check the branding and logo

Another area where Apple can never go wrong, but counterfeit brands fail to get right, is branding. Unlike fake brands, Apple is meticulous about ensuring that all the logos and text on its products are perfectly aligned and clear without any smudge or blurriness. As such, it becomes quite easy to differentiate between an authentic and a fake Apple Watch.

• Authentic: The Apple logo and other markings such as model, size, and more on the back of the Apple Watch are sharp, clear, perfectly aligned, and easy to read. Plus, the Apple logo also appears on the screen every time you turn on the Apple Watch.
• Fake: A fake Apple Watch can not match Apple’s printing standards, so the Apple logo and other markings on its back are often faint, blurry, or misaligned.

6. Assess the build quality

Superior build quality is also a clear indicator of a genuine Apple Watch. As one of the biggest products brand, Apple is known for using high-quality materials and advanced manufacturing techniques. And here’s how this can help identify the fake Apple Watch.

• Authentic: The body of an original Apple Watch is made from materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic, depending on the Apple Watch model you have. The finish is always smooth, with no sign of rough edges or gaps between the components. Moreover, the display is always clear, vibrant and fully fitted into the case frame.
• Fake: A duplicate Apple Watch won’t have any premium material and is usually manufactured using inferior quality plastic material, which simply feels cheap or flimsy. When looked closely, you can even find signs of shoddy craftsmanship as counterfeit brands don’t follow any pre-decided manufacturing process.

7. Check for Find My support

As mentioned, only the original Apple Watch supports Apple’s proprietary features, such as Find My. The feature is specifically designed to locate and keep track of your Apple devices linked to your Apple account. Thus, it is next to impossible for a fake Apple Watch to be compatible with the Find My service.

Counterfeit Apple products generally lack integration with the Apple ecosystem, which is why they don’t support Find My and other Apple services tied to original Apple products.

What to do if you bought a fake Apple Watch?

Trust me, nothing is worse than knowing that you have wasted your hard-earned money on a fake product, that too on an Apple Watch, which half of the population considers a luxury. But now, when you already have, here’s a list of things you can do that might or might not help you get your money back:

• Contact the seller: If you bought the Apple Watch from a third-party seller, immediately reach out to them, citing that the watch they sold you is fake and that you wish to return it and get a refund. On the other hand, if you got the Apple Watch online from platforms like Amazon or eBay, check their policy and contact them as soon as possible.
• Report to authorities: If the seller refuses to refund your money even after you have proved that they sold you a fake Apple Watch, immediately contact the consumer protection agencies in your country and file a case. Besides this, notify Apple that the particular seller is selling a counterfeit Apple Watch so they can take the necessary action.
• Use buyer protection: Many credit card companies offer protection against counterfeit items, so check whether you have this protection. If yes, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company.

Tips to avoid buying a fake Apple Watch

Other than paying attention to detail and knowing how to spot a fake Apple Watch, there are a few things you can do to avoid falling victim to buying a duplicate Apple Watch flooding the market.

• Purchase from official or authorized stores: The best option to avoid buying a fake Apple Watch (or any other Apple product) is to buy it from an official Apple Store. However, if there isn’t an official Apple Store in your region, look for an Apple-authorized reseller and buy the Apple Watch from there. You can check the list of authorized sellers in your region on the Apple website. Always avoid buying Apple products from unauthorized sellers.
• Verify seller’s reputation: When buying the Apple Watch online from platforms like Amazon or eBay, always look for the seller’s reviews and ratings. Also, contact the seller directly if you have doubts about the legitimacy of the Apple Watch. A legitimate seller will have no issues answering your questions.
• Examine the packaging: Check whether the Apple Watch packaging is of the highest quality and all the seals are intact. Always avoid buying any product with tempered or missing seals.
• Inspect the price: The Apple Watch is most likely to be fake if the pricing is too good to be true, as Apple products often have consistent pricing. Check and match the price across multiple platforms, and do not buy the product if the price is significantly less from another platform, as it is most likely to be a fake Apple Watch.

Spotting a fake Apple Watch is easier than you think….

That is all you needed to learn about identifying a duplicate or fake Apple Watch. Remember, with more and more blog posts like this, counterfeit Apple Watch manufacturers are getting more sophisticated with their manufacturing process. This makes it more important than ever to stay vigilant while buying an Apple Watch.

If you still have any questions, you can reach out to us via comments.