|
Deep in the
breathtaking beauty of the Scandinavian landscape, in northern
Denmark, is a quaint and lovely fishing village named Skagen.
This particular area for many is associated with both the
charms of nature and romance.
It has flourished, as
Skagen’s artistic reputation had been widespread for over a
century. The sleepy little village has been depicted on
canvases and traded at foremost auction houses for years. Thus
the sheer creativity inspired of such a place of beauty has
been also reflected in the international Watch Company, Skagen
Designs.
It all began in 1987,
when Henrik and Charlotte Jorst traveled to the US from their
home in Denmark, to achieve the ultimate goal of owning their
own business. So, Skagen Designs was established to present
natural artistry in merchandise, to the world Artistry that
could be had at affordable cost. Presently, the Skagen
Collection of watches, clocks, sunglasses, and pens mirrors
their founders’ aesthetic Danish nature via elegant yet simple
products, highly skilled workmanship, and perfection of
technical manufacturing processes.
Skagen watches and
other products are manufactured in both the United States and
Denmark.
Some special
notes about the watches in the
Skagen Denmark Collection.
They're celebrating 14 years of
Danish design, from 1990-2004. The collection features
contemporary and sleek Danish styling. All watches have cases
of solid stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium. All watches
are fashioned with precision Japanese quartz movements and are
constructed of scratch-resistant mineral crystals. Many models
are water-resistant. There are also quite a few styles with
luminous hands, screw backs, multifunction, chronograph, and
date. The bands are made of water-friendly rubber or premium
leather, and they also come in solid titanium, aluminum, and
stainless steel. The price range is moderate. And, as
always, there is the Skagen Denmark Lifetime Limited Warranty,
which comes with each watch, and is published online.
Not too
long ago, Skagen was in the news with the opening of its new
Showroom on
5th
Avenue in NYC. This structure which opened in May 2005, was
designed to reflect the very picturesque resort town of Skagen
itself, since that is the inspiration behind all the company
merchandise. This concept comes out with an open design, sea
glass walls, and actual sand dunes. Once in this beautiful
sandscape, the customer can also feel the creativity that is
Skagen.
You might be
wondering, how to identifying a product as counterfeit?
Perhaps one of the most fail-proof plans is to locate the
manufacturer’s serial number. Although some fakes do have
serial numbers, many do not. The thing is to have the
manufacturer verify the serial number. It’s a good idea to
include a photo of your watch with your request, if you’re not
doing this in person. Another good thing about having the
manufacturer’s rep to check the serial number, is that if the
merchandise is not authentic, then either eyeballing the watch
or viewing its photo can confirm this fact. It’s usually very
clear when the watch has been altered. Some watches will have
their dials painted, or bracelets and/or crowns that were not
a part of the original model.
Here are a few more
tips to spot a counterfeit watch.
1. First, know what you are looking at.
Have you seen examples of this before? It is tough to spot a
fake if you have not researched the real thing.
2. Using a jewelers loupe, or some form of
magnification, check the dial and any printing. Is it fuzzy or
broken? Is the ink light or faded? Is there ink where there
should be engraving?
3. Look at the general quality of the
piece. Are there sharp edges, or ill-fitting screws? Are there
pins where there should be screws? Is anything not quite the
right color? If it has a jewel, is it dull or glassy?
4. Last, but most important – your father
was right. If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
A watch that normally retails at four figures is not going to
be sold on the street corner for two hundred bucks. Your best
bet is to purchase the watch from a registered dealer of that
brand. You may pay more, but you have the security of knowing
you have the real thing. |