Fake designer watches worth $8.5m seized by CBP in Chicago

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers located at an express consignment facility near Chicago International Airport have seized 26 watches and two bracelets that, on testing, were found to be counterfeit.

The shipment – arriving from China and en route to a residence in Chicago – contained counterfeit copies of six Richard Mille watches, eight Audemars Piguet watches, four Diesel watches, eight Casio G-Shock watches, and two Rolex bracelets. According to the CBP's trade experts, if genuine, they would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $8.5m.

In a statement, CBP said knock-offs like this are commonly sold in underground outlets and on third-party e-commerce websites, and "fund smugglers and members of organised crime."

It added: "Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens America’s economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of US workers, and, in some cases, national security and the health and safety of consumers."

A 2023 study by Watchfinder & Co suggested there are at least 23 million counterfeit watches circulating in the US market alone, and almost one in 10 Americans (9 per cent) have purchased one in the past.