Aftermarket Watches: how to identify authenticity and understand customization in high-end watchmaking
By Janet Gómez
Aftermarket watches are a trend in high-end watchmaking that never goes out of style. That's why, on El Blog de los Maestros, we tell you how to identify their authenticity and understand personalization in high-end watchmaking.
Following the controversy caused by the video of actor Alfredo Adame and influencer Mazaclan, where they analyze an aftermarket watch from Maestros Joyeros whose dial modifications caused uncertainty regarding its legitimacy.
In El Blog de los Maestros, we reveal the mystery and tell you whether that luxury watch is original and why the dial changes were made, as well as some basic concepts about high-end watch customization.
Difference between a luxury watch and an aftermarket watch
It is important to note that the difference between a mass-produced luxury watch and an aftermarket watch lies precisely in the fact that the latter has undergone a personalization process.
The watch shown in the video is a luxury watch certified by Maestros Joyeros, which was subjected to a personalization procedure, modifying the original design of its dial, but both its skeleton and its movement retain the factory design.
Regarding Adame's questions about the changes to the luxury watch dial, the personalization process that the piece underwent eliminated that small detail, but not the quality of the piece.
Maestros Joyeros' aftermarket watches are backed by over 10 years of experience from Time Findr.
Aftermarket Watches: how to identify their authenticity
Identifying the authenticity of an aftermarket watch involves understanding how technique, materials, and execution interact, as personalization can elevate a piece or compromise its design, because every detail counts.
An aftermarket watch is not fake, as it retains the design, the factory mechanism, and in many cases, its original case, which verifies its origin. Its personalization required rigorous analysis to avoid breaking high-end watchmaking standards while bringing a new piece to life.
To achieve this balance, Maestros Joyeros works hand in hand with Time Findr, a Mexican company specializing in the buying, selling, and curation of luxury watches in Mexico.
Time Findr analyzes every detail: weight, engravings, movement, finishes, references, and even the precision of each component. Because an aftermarket watch not only looks different, it feels different without losing the quality of high-end watchmaking. The weight, for example, reveals the quality of the materials; the engravings must be crisp and perfectly aligned; while the movement must respond with accuracy and fluidity.
Behind Time Findr there is experience, knowledge, and absolute attention to what many overlook. In this context, the relationship between Maestros Joyeros and Time Findr becomes especially relevant.
While Maestros Joyeros represents the tradition, technique, and art of high jewelry in Mexico, Time Findr provides the analytical vision and technical validation that supports each luxury watch customization.
It is a balance between creativity and certainty: personalizing without losing authenticity. Thus, recognizing an aftermarket watch is not only a matter of aesthetics but of discernment, because in true luxury, every second counts... and every detail too.
Maestros Joyeros' aftermarket watches are backed by over 10 years of experience from Time Findr.
High-end watch customization: what it is and how it is achieved
High-end watch customization can be understood as a form of artistic expression, but it also exalts the authenticity of the original design in the luxury watch and is only achieved with the work of expert hands.
In order to understand how the process of high-end watch customization is achieved, Fede Cortés, founder of TimeFindr, who for more than 12 years has been dedicated to the curation, buying, and selling of luxury watches with diamonds, spoke with actor Alfredo Adame, who is a collector of high-end watches.
The so-called "Golden Boy" had the opportunity to visit the Maestros Joyeros boutique in Masaryk, Polanco, to learn about the high-end watch customization process carried out by the Jalisco jewelers.
To celebrate this meeting of high-end watch experts, Maestros Joyeros gifted the actor a Cartier Santos 100, an iconic aviator watch created in 2004 to commemorate the centenary of the original model, which was customized with natural diamonds.
This aftermarket watch retains its original case and bracelet, as well as its finish quality and spring tension, and its mechanism is almost 100 percent intact. These characteristics mean that this aftermarket watch retains its factory features almost completely.
Discover the perfect balance between design and high-end watch customization by exploring the exclusive aftermarket watches by Time Findr available at Maestros Joyeros.
Each piece is a style statement backed by the expertise of specialists who understand the true value of luxury. Visit our boutiques and receive personalized advice from the Time Findr experts, who will guide you to choose a luxury watch that stands out not only for its aesthetics but also for its legitimacy. Visit www.maestrosjoyeros.com to learn more.
