Saturday 31 January 2015

Fake or Original Ray-Ban?

 Ray-Ban New Wayfarer Classsic (RB2132)

Other than shoes, I also love eyewear. I've been wearing the same Calvin Klein sunglass with polarised lenses for many years. Just for a change, I recently purchased an original Ray-Ban New Wayfarer Classic. I'm a fan of Wayfarer glasses. However, it took me a very long period of time to educate myself how to differentiate between an original piece and a counterfeit Ray-Ban. As we all know there are plenty of fake Ray-Ban out there sold for a much cheaper price. It's unbelievably identical from the packaging to the finished product. If you look carefully, indeed there are some noticeable differences. 

1. The Retail Box - The original box is not glossy but feels and looks 'matte'. Besides, there's a label or barcode at the side which you can use the smartphone to scan and check if the information is relevant and matched the Wayfarer. 

2. The Carry Case - The most obvious difference about the carry case is the button, it should be engraved with the word Ray-Ban. The fake ones don't have that and the cases usually come in brown colour for Wayfarer. The Ray-Ban logo is always written in gold font. Apart from that, the case should have a premium feel to it and hard on the front. 

3. The Manufacturer's Information Note and Cleaning Cloth - The information note is printed clearly on glossy quality paper. The manufacturer's address should be at the very bottom of the paper, not in the middle. The back of the note is supposed to have entirely black background, the counterfeit one will have white background at the bottom half. Besides, the cleaning cloth should feature the red Ray-Ban logo which also includes the registered circled trademark 'R'. 

4. The Gold Sticker and Left Lens Etching - There should be a glossy gold sticker on the lens and it uses static to stick. The fake one has a matte gold sticker. The original sticker words are clear and sharp. Also notice the silver beads at the sides are in small size and oval. If you look close enough, the left lens has a small etching 'RB' which is subtle and soft.

5. The Temple Arms - The temple arms curved inwards if viewed from on top. The fake ones are straight, it makes your sunglass slips off easily. Normally Ray-Ban sunglasses have metal built inside the temple arms to reinforce the sturdiness. 

6. The Badge - It should be attached into the arms and not glued. The words are shiny and small. 

7. The Temple Arms Information - Do check the model information printed on both arms. If you don't see any model number, "MADE IN ITALY" and "CE", then you're certainly getting a knock-off Wayfarer. The number 52-18 shows the size of your sunglass. 52 means 52cm lens while 18 means 18cm arms. 3N is to indicate the category of filter. 3 means high while N means it's a normal filter. The words should be printed nicely and clear. 

8. The Hinges - Hinges at the corners should be made of good-quality metal construction. They are cleanly bolted to the glasses, not glued. Besides, the hinges feel tight when you try to fold or unfold them. 

Nevertheless, bear in mind just because your Ray-Ban doesn't have certain indicators as I've mentioned above it doesn't mean yours is the counterfeit sunglass. When you are getting one, it should feel authentic and you can tell from the build quality. It shouldn't feel or look cheap. Be extra careful when you shop online for a pair of Ray-Ban sunglass. The best is to visit an optical shop and inspect the sunglass yourself before buying. I've seen online sellers offer online shoppers the replicas of Ray-Ban. You should know the fact that none of the original Ray-Ban sunglass is sold for as low as RM150. I hope this sharing helps to guide you in purchasing a Ray-Ban sunglass. 

3 comments:

  1. Good sharing but nowadays, imitation products are so close, its really hard to tell. =(

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  2. Good sharing but nowadays imitation products are s close to the original, you can hardly tell which is the real product. =(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that's the case with the Wayfarer. Only "trained eyes" can spot the differences.

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