Seized: $25m of Fake Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels Jewelry

US customs officers seized five shipments of counterfeit Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry mostly from China, with a combined “if genuine” value of over $25m.

Almost 2,200 items – rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces – were intercepted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville, Kentucky, as they arrived in the country.

The first shipment arrived from China on 19 June, heading to a residence in Pennsylvania. Officers seized 318 bracelets with fake Cartier trademarks.

The second arrived the same day from Hong Kong, destined for a residence in Tampa with 490 necklaces, 205 pair of earrings, and 80 rings, all with fake Van Cleef and Arpels trademarks.

Three more shipments arrived from China the following day containing 800 “Cartier” bracelets. Two shipments were heading to a residence in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the other was heading to Michigan.

The 2,193 items were deemed to bear counterfeit marks,” the CBP said. “Had these goods been genuine, the five shipments would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $25.32m.”

LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations, Chicago field office, said: “Intellectual property theft threatens America’s economic vitality and funds criminal activities and organized crime.

“When consumers purchase counterfeit goods, legitimate companies lose revenue, which can force those companies to cut jobs. Our officers are dedicated to protecting private industry and consumers by removing these kinds of shipments from our commerce.”

Source: DCLA

Sotheby’s Hong Kong Watch Sale Sees Two World Records

Two timepieces set new auction records at the most recent Sotheby’s watch sale in Hong Kong, while nearly half of the lots sold above their high estimates.

A Patek Philippe Ref. 2526, the first self-winding wristwatch from collector J.B. Champion, brought in HKD 5.7 million ($729,977), within its estimated range, Sotheby’s said Monday. Meanwhile Cartier’s Paris Cloche, No. 1/1, fetched HKD 1.7 million ($210,882), more than four times its high estimate. Both set a record for the highest auction amount for the specific model, Sotheby’s noted.

In total, the April 7 Hong Kong Important Watches auction garnered HKD 126.3 million ($16.1 million). Over two-thirds of buyers were from China and the US, the auction house noted.

Meanwhile, the top lot of the auction, a Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 made in 1960, saw fierce bidding between participants in the room and on the phone. That piece, which sold within its estimated range, went for HKD 8 million ($1 million) after nearly 20 bids.

Source: DCLA