U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 591 counterfeit Audemars Piguet-marked watches on Oct. 30 in Louisville, NKyTribune reported. The shipment traveled from Hong Kong to a residence in Texas.
A follow-up to the 460-watch seizure
The seizure is a material follow-up to the earlier CBP seizure of 460 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches bound for Texas. Both shipments carried the same brand's marks and were headed to Texas.
What the $85 million figure means
CBP's comparison put the authentic retail value above $85 million if the watches had been genuine. That is a hypothetical authentic retail comparison. It is not the value of the counterfeit goods.
Why it matters to buyers and jewelers
Residential import addresses matter because parcels shipped to homes can feed online and informal resale channels that never pass through an authorized retailer. Trademark enforcement at ports is one of the few points where those goods can be stopped in bulk, as National Jeweler's coverage of earlier Rolex and Cartier seizures shows.
For buyers, authentication is the protection: purchase from authorized dealers, ask for original papers and service history, and have a qualified watchmaker inspect any preowned piece. Jewelers who take in watches on trade or consignment face the same risk and should verify before they buy.
