Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Ch David
Trying to check if your Apple Watch is original?
We will teach you how to do it with:
This guide works for any Apple Watch series and color.
You can tell if your Apple Watch is genuine by running the product ID code through Apple’s Check Coverage website (it’s free).
Fake watches never match in Apple’s database, while authentic products always do.
Apple is known for not sharing their operating systems, so it’s impossible for fakes to get the serial code right.
The serial number is a fool-proof way to authenticate Apple watches.
Here are the steps to check your Apple watch’s serial code:
Now, let’s leave the list aside and see the step-by-step guide with images.
First of all, go to Apple’s website here: checkcoverage.apple.com.
As you go to that website, you’ll have to input your item’s code and complete a Captcha that proves you are a human.
Next up, you will see the result of your product’s serial number, and if your item is authentic, it’ll look just like in the image below.
If your serial code doesn’t give any results, including the green tick saying “Valid Purchase Date”, we’re sorry to say that you’re looking at a fake Apple watch.
There can be bad news when checking the serial number, and that is pretty much the red flag which commonly tells that an Apple watch is fake.
This image was used from the test of an Apple iPhone 11, but the fake results are always the same for every Apple product that’s scanned on the Check Coverage website.
As you can see in the image above, the replica item’s serial code was scanned on the website, and the website basically told us that they couldn’t find that specific serial code in their system, which leads us to the bottom line of a fake product.
Finding it too hard? Reach out to our Apple experts:
Furthermore, search online and have an idea of the original packaging that comes together with your specific Apple Watch.
For the third step of the guide on how to spot fake Apple watches, we are going to have a look at the real vs fake Apple watches for their GUI – the graphical user interface.
The graphical user interface is crafted by all of the icons of the apps, the menu, and actually the general software available on your Apple watch.
In the image with the real vs fake Apple watches above, you can see what the GUI of the genuine Apple watches is supposed to look like – all of the icons are listed right there.
Yet again, we’d like to mention that you have to pay attention to these icons because even though they might not look like a big deal, even these icons can easily tell you the authenticity of your device.
Other relevant real vs fake guides: AirPods Pro, Casio G-Shock.
The fourth step is also about the serial number, but this time, we are going to talk about where else you can find the serial number, and more precisely, where you should actually see it.
An authentic Apple watch serial code should be found in:
Looking at both the Apple iPhone and the Apple Watch, you can see how the serial number is mentioned and how it matches on both of the devices — this is what you should see for an authentic Apple Watch.
Here is the case of a fake Apple Watch:
The genuine Apple watches must have their serial code listed on the rear side of the case, so keep in mind that this is something you’d have to look out for as well.
Here it is: An authentic Apple Watch, with its serial code engraved on the left side.
As a side detail, this is the genuine serial code that we’ve used for the first step of the guide on how to spot fake Apple watches.
A quick mention:
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
We are now talking about the only two physical buttons on the side of the real vs fake Apple watches.
In the picture with the real vs fake Apple watches above:
The sixth step of the guide on how to see real vs fake Apple Watches brings us to the screens of the fake vs real Apple watches.
Let’s see how glossy and shiny fake watches are, as well as what genuine screens need to look like.
The image with the real vs fake Apple watches above shows you how:
Its overall quality is quite low, to say the least.
Looking at the genuine Apple watch, you can see how its screen presents higher quality since it almost doesn’t reflect any light at all, and how it isn’t as glossy as the replica screen.
As for the seventh method on how to spot fake Apple watches, we are going to discuss a fairly simple spot to check, and that is the band of the watch.
Just as a point of reference, we’ve highlighted an authentic Apple watch in the image above where you could see its band, together with the two buttons that help you interchange it.
While the authentic Apple watches evolve and get better with each new series, they still have the same layout and pattern that’s been followed in the previous series as well.
This is a compact list of the steps you need to take to spot and identify a fake Apple Watch.
You may not always be able to go through the fully-detailed Apple Watch legit check guide. This list may come in handy when you’re rushed.
If you have read this guide and are still uncertain about whether your Apple watch is real or fake, the Legit Check App offers an authentication service to put your mind at ease.
Should you either not be confident in your ability to follow this guide or are simply lacking time, all you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your Apple watch and we will get back to you with the results within 24 to 48 hours.
The results will also come with a report on why we believe your Apple watch is fake or authentic.
Need our opinion in regards to the authenticity of your watch? It’s a service we provide.
Alternatively, we have free authentication resources for watches: written guides and video tutorials.
Thank you for reading this,
Ch Alex
