Authentication is not one test. It is a series of small checks, and every one of them has to agree. A single good sign proves nothing; a single wrong detail is enough to stop a piece from going on sale.

Paperwork and markings first

We start with what can be checked against records: serial numbers, date codes, authenticity cards, blind stamps and reference numbers. They have to be correctly formed and fit the model, materials and year the piece claims to be.

Then the piece itself

Our in-house team compares the leather or canvas, the stitching, the heat stamps and the hardware with known genuine examples of the same model and era. Engravings, fonts, finishes and construction all have to match.

Watches go to the lab

Watches are also checked by our partner watch lab, which authenticates the case, dial and movement and services the watch when it needs it.

A 1930s Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96
A late-1930s Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96 — every detail is checked against known references for its year of production. · Photo: EMore98, CC BY-SA 4.0

When we are not sure

If a piece needs a second opinion, we send it to an independent authentication service. If we still can't be certain, we don't list it. Everything we sell comes with a Fallen Luxury Certificate of Authenticity and our lifetime authenticity guarantee.