US officials seize $62m worth of fake watches

US border authorities have seized a shipment of counterfeit designer watches with a retail value of $62m at the Port of New York.

The fake Rolex, Tag Heuer, Omega and Breitling watches were found by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials in a box marked 'bearings' at the Port of New York. If genuine, the watches would have a total value of $62m (€48m).

“The CBP officers and import specialists at the Port of New York/Newark work tirelessly to ensure that counterfeit products are seized before they can enter the country and wind up in your home,” Robert Perez, director of field operations New York, said.

CBP described the fakes as being of 'generally poor quality.' The watches lacked any licensing information but used the same logos as the legitimate watches. Seizure of the fakes come several months after CBP officials in Texas stopped counterfeit watches with a retail value of $28.7m from reaching suppliers.