The Fake Space Compax Spotting Guide

LouS · Oct 10, 2015

No apology necessary. I'm just a guy who likes watches.

You should know that a member of a French vintage watch forum sent UG an inquiry regarding just this model not long ago and they said it was legitimate. I still think it's fake.

You seem new to vintage watches - my apology if the assumption is incorrect - so I will go a bit further to articulate some vintage watch basics. You have to do your own research, and that involves deciding which sources to trust. What you've done here is ask the opinion of the forum. I've given you mine. I could be wrong, and you could make a killing at the auction, or I could be right, and you could waste a few thousand dollars. Your money, your risk. Regarding UG's legitimization of this watch, do you know their history? Whether modern UG has any link to and/or expertise in their own past?

I will modify a quote originally made about ebay by the great collector M4tt " "I love vintage watches; they reward knowledge, diligence, and deft action but punish ignorance, foolishness, and greed."

Welcome to the Forum! Search "Space Compax" and devour & digest all the available info - make your own decision.

ELV web · Oct 10, 2015

R rattrapante
Sorry about this question but you are an UG specialist ? From where do you have your informations?
To have 100% secure you have to send the watch to UG directly and let it check right!?

Why don't you just read this thread, there are not that many comments to read, as a buyer of one, you will surely appreciate it, as a seller of one you will surely not :whipped:

LouS · Oct 10, 2015

ELV web
Why don't you just read this thread, there are not that many comments to read

On second thought, that's true. If you can't be bothered to read two pages of posts before shelling out your hard-earned, you have no one to blame but yourself for the aftermath.

aap · Dec 8, 2015

This is what was mentioned here before - a diver on a space watch (aside from the other wrong parts)?!
https://www.chrono24.com/en/univers...tm_campaign=SavedSearch&utm_term=AdHeaderlink

HeuerLoon · Mar 10, 2016

Thread revival, but justified.

Found this on the inter web. A Seamen's (unfortunate name, yes) V72 chrono.

I suspect this watch is the correct home for the bevelled lugged imposters.

Mapearso · Apr 14, 2017

This thread reminds me of this... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getty_kouros ... only in reverse. Getty experts insist the Kouros was real. UG experts insist the Space Compax is fake, even though UG themselves (albeit under different ownership) suggest its authentic.

What doesn't make sense to me is why make all these fakes in the first place? Why does anyone crank out multiples of these 'fake' signed V72 powered versions, with what appear to be high-quality dials, and the same bezels and pushers as the genuine Space Compax.. when there is not a lot of profit to be had as such????

I get that there's real money to be made from the unsuspecting by faking a 62xx PN Daytona, or swapping a fake PN Daytona dial on a gen 62xx Daytona.. But really, choosing a relatively (at the time) unknown brand like UG to make high-quality fakes of with V72 movements and genuine parts ... Seems like there's a couple hundred bucks of margin per unit. To me, the math -- and the story -- doesn't add up

(I will now put on my flame-proof suit ... )

LouS · Apr 15, 2017

Mapearso
What doesn't make sense to me is why make all these fakes in the first place? Why does anyone crank out multiples of these 'fake' signed V72 powered versions, with what appear to be high-quality dials, and the same bezels and pushers as the genuine Space Compax.. when there is not a lot of profit to be had as such????

Simply because the parts are available - those cases were made for other brands, and a deluge of NOS ones appeared on ebay around 2014, and high quality dials still appear. If the parts were available to more profitable watches to fake, they would fake those too.

If you truly have the courage of your convictions you could snap 'em up and laugh all the way to the bank when the rest of us are shown to be wrong by the discovery of a heretofore unknown catalog or period photo. It's happened before - I'm thinking of the Skipperera and a few others.

Mapearso · Apr 15, 2017

LouS
Simply because the parts are available - those cases were made for other brands, and a deluge of NOS ones appeared on ebay around 2014, and high quality dials still appear. If the parts were available to more profitable watches to fake, they would fake those too.

If you truly have the courage of your convictions you could snap 'em up and laugh all the way to the bank when the rest of us are shown to be wrong by the discovery of a heretofore unknown catalog or period photo. It's happened before - I'm thinking of the Skipperera and a few others.

Thanks Lou. Appreciate the input

Re courage of my convictions, I do and I did. If nothing else, I have spare pushers and a spare bezel (and an extra V72 movement) for my "real" Space Compax.

A deluge of NOS pieces does not necessarily mean they are not genuine. To use a car analogy -- If a deluge of NOS AMG pre-merger DOHC cylinder heads popped up, I wouldn't suggest that just because they are NOS they aren't legit. If they were being sold out of China and not Europe and the castings were crap and the cam specs were wrong, then I'd call foul...

The one other thing that doesn't make sense to me here is why would UG authenticate this model? One would think they have every reason / incentive not to. So much easier for them to say "we cannot verify authenticity", or something similar. It seems to me like they have very little to gain by suggesting this execution is genuine. (and yes I'm aware that today's UG isn't yesterday's UG... So maybe it's not like getting an extract of the archives from Omega... but still seems easier and safer for them to say "fake" unless there is something that they can point to... ? )

By the way, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this -- fake or not, it's a sporty and handsome watch on the wrist. Wears real well and I probably won't see another one anytime soon

LouS · Apr 15, 2017

Mapearso
A deluge of NOS pieces does not necessarily mean they are not genuine.

But a deluge of NOS pieces preceded by a deluge of parts on ebay is at least suspicious

Mapearso
The one other thing that doesn't make sense to me here is why would UG authenticate this model?

Because the UG extract from the archives isn't worth the paper it's written on. I've never seen one yet that contained any information that was not provided by the requestor. You tell them you have a gold cased compax with case number x and a dial with Gobbi Milano on it, and the extract comes back to you with exactly that. It's like yelling into the Grand Canyon - you get back a high fidelity echo.

Dre · Apr 15, 2017

LouS
Because the UG extract from the archives isn't worth the paper it's written on. I've never seen one yet that contained any information that was not provided by the requestor.

I second that, considering on the amount of UG watches with extract that are on sale and floating around lately. Dealing with them first hand, and referred by someone who has dealt with them for years in terms of requesting an extract (when the price of extract was still $20), they are no more than a letterhead on a piece of paper. They will only produced the extract based on the information that the requestor has given them.

ELV web · Apr 15, 2017

Dre
I second that, considering on the amount of UG watches with extract that are on sale and floating around lately. Dealing with them first hand, and referred by someone who has dealt with them for years in terms of requesting an extract (when the price of extract was still $20), they are no more than a letterhead on a piece of paper. They will only produced the extract based on the information that the requestor has given them.

@Tony C. i haven't forgotten about this. I have written them to provide an extract for one of my watches. Thye have yet to reply.

Mapearso · Apr 19, 2017

Spotted, on my wrist, the 'fake' Space Compax

LouS · Apr 20, 2017

Mapearso
Spotted, on my wrist, the 'fake' Space Compax

...or the fake 'Space Compax'

Mapearso · Apr 20, 2017

LouS
...or the fake 'Space Compax'

Ha. fair enough

Mapearso · May 14, 2017

Here's one with Mk2 dial , handset, bezel and pushers but the 'fake' case ...

LouS · May 15, 2017

Mapearso
Here's one with Mk2 dial , handset, bezel and pushers but the 'fake' case ...

very high quality reproductions of this dial are available out of Vietnam

Mapearso · May 15, 2017

LouS
very high quality reproductions of this dial are available out of Vietnam

yes I've seen them on eBay. But I haven't seen reproductions of a mk1 dial

Mapearso · May 15, 2017

and a couple more examples where everything appears legit / genuine but for the 'fake' case

Mapearso · May 15, 2017

Please understand I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just find it very interesting that there are so many variants here with the 'fake' case, and while yes it is possible to get a high quality reproduction mk2 dial out of Vietnam, bezels, complete handsets, crowns and of course these pushers are not being reproduced, as far as I am aware ...

Thanks for letting me kick this around here

ELV web · May 15, 2017

Mapearso
Please understand I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just find it very interesting that there are so many variants here with the 'fake' case, and while yes it is possible to get a high quality reproduction mk2 dial out of Vietnam, bezels, complete handsets, crowns and of course these pushers are not being reproduced, as far as I am aware ...

Thanks for letting me kick this around here

If you really want to prove that. Perhaps you can try to find a UG ad or catalogue from the time with the said case. There are plenty of UG issued documents on the space compax from that time period (with pictures) but so far I think there is none with the case shape you are talking about.

The Fake Space Compax Spotting Guide

LouS

ELV web

LouS

aap

HeuerLoon

Mapearso

LouS

Mapearso

LouS

Dre

ELV web

Mapearso

LouS

Mapearso

Mapearso

LouS

Mapearso

Mapearso

Mapearso

ELV web

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