© Screenshot
A new brand sells watches engraved with the iconic Luxembourgish red lion (albeit they've opted for other colours), but all is not as it seems.
We recently came across a new watch brand on social media, which purports to have been established in either 2015 or 2018 (more on that later) with the aim of selling "wristwatches and clothing accessories ... [focused on] artistic design, quality and affordability." Their watches were priced at €405.99-499.99.
Their website also claimed the business to be growing: "our products are definitely getting proper traction, as we are growing. We believe in the innovation and creativity of our design team and manufacturers, and their ingenuity is the major reason why we have been able to develop a steady customer base."
But all is not as it seems. Intrigued by the prospect of a new Luxembourgish fashion brand we attempted to find out more about the company, and came across some inconsistencies.
Multiple brands and websites - no registered business
We first came across the brand "Letz-Watch," and noted that it was - according to their website - owned by LUXCON VALLEY S.A.R.L. There was, however, no RCS (business registry) number noted on their website. We called the Luxembourg Business Registers (LBR) to confirm whether a SARL under the name "Luxcon valley" exists in the Grand Duchy, but they could not locate a record of the company. The LBR representative also confirmed that businesses must display their RCS number on their website, accessible to customers.
A search for Luxcon Valley showed that they apparently operate multiple websites in Luxembourg, one of which was called "Kabalux." Kabalux had an identical website to that of Letz Watch, and sold nearly identical products (the same watches, but different logo emblazoned on the watch face). That website claims to have been in operation since 2015, while Letz-Watch is from 2018.
Luxcon Valley also operate a babysitting website (where parents can find babysitters and vice versa), a logo and web design company, and a service called "spicylunch".
Knockoff designs
An initial warning signal went off when we did a reverse image search for some of the watches featured on the websites. While the company emphasises the hard word and dedication of their design team, the watches appear to be nearly exact replicas of MVMT watches. The only difference is that Letz Watch include a second hand, which MVMT do not - but this may have been added using photo editing software. The photos used appear to have been taken from MVMT, as can be seen in the side-by-side comparison below.
The watch on the left is the "Odyssey" model by watch company MVMT. On the right is the Kabalux/Letz-watch offering. / © Screenshot
Business address and a call to the company
Some of Luxon Valley's websites provided a business address for the company. We visited the address to see whether there was a company there, or if the person supposedly behind the company was registered at that address. We could not confirm that the building had any link to the company nor the person behind it.
One of the websites provided a phone number to the company, which we called. We spoke to the man featured on the website as the founder, who stated that Luxcon Valley was in the process of being registered. When asked why one of the websites said it had been operational since 2015, he said that this was not correct and that it had merely served as a testing ground for the new watch brand. He did not want to answer any questions about where the watches are manufactured.
We also noted that companies must showcase their RCS number if selling to customers in Luxembourg, and were told that the website was not operational and that it is not possible to place an order. While we did not place an order to confirm this, we were able to get all the way through to the payment page using various payment options available. One website also claims to have stocks of the watches across the world, ready for quick dispatch. Another noted that the watches were available for "pre-order" only, with a 90-day delivery time.
Websites taken down
All of the Luxcon Valley websites of which we are aware were swiftly taken down after our call. One resurfaced on Wednesday 27 March, with lower prices, but was once again taken down. However, there remains every possibility that the websites will be up and running again in the future.
When temporarily put back online, the website no longer included "Luxcon Valley S.A.R.L" as the owner of the brand, nor a business address.
Website screenshots
While the websites have all been taken down by the person behind them for the time being, we have a few screenshots of one website to share for reference.
Avoiding scams
For advice on avoiding scams, see our three-part series below. In addition to the information therein, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Don't buy anything from a company with no companies registrar number.
- If unsure, visit the LBR website or call them to confirm if the company exists. If they are from outside of Luxembourg, check with that country's companies registrar.
- Make sure the website uses a secure protocol (HTTPS), and check the certificate.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Search for the company and/or parent company name to see if there are reviews or other information available.
- Read the website carefully - do they claim to have lots of customers, yet you've never heard of them and can't find any information about them?
