The luxury eyewear market has a counterfeit problem large enough that most shoppers have unknowingly encountered it. Knowing what to actually check — beyond just "does it look right" — makes the difference between buying a genuine piece and an expensive imitation.
Start with the materials, not the logo
Logos are the easiest thing to copy. Materials are not. Genuine acetate has depth and slight variation in its colour, almost like it has dimension to it, where cheaper imitation plastics tend to look flat and uniformly glossy. If a frame feels light, hollow or overly rigid, that's usually the first sign something's off.
Check the hinges
Hinge quality is one of the hardest things to fake convincingly, because it requires actual engineering rather than surface-level replication. A genuine, well-built hinge should move smoothly with no wobble or looseness, and should hold its position rather than sagging open. Counterfeit frames routinely cut corners here because hinges are expensive to do properly — ours use a bespoke 5-barrel construction specifically because it's harder to replicate and far more durable than a standard two-barrel hinge.
Look for individual numbering and authentication
Genuine limited-production eyewear is usually numbered for a reason — it ties a specific physical object to a specific production record. Every pair we make is limited to 1,000 pieces and individually numbered and authenticated. If a "limited edition" pair has no numbering, no documentation and no way to verify production scale, that's worth treating as a red flag.
Buy from a source you can verify
This is the simplest and most reliable check of all. Buying directly from the brand, or from a retailer you can independently confirm is authorised, removes almost all of the risk that secondary marketplaces and unverified sellers introduce.
Trust your eyes on the finish
Hand-finished details are difficult to mass-replicate convincingly. Laser engravings that are slightly soft or inconsistent, lenses that don't sit perfectly flush in the frame, or paint used to fake a colour rather than acetate that's genuinely that colour throughout — these are the kinds of finishing details that separate genuine craftsmanship from an imitation built to look right only in photos.
Frequently asked questions
Does individual numbering guarantee sunglasses are genuine?
Numbering on its own isn't proof, but a brand that numbers and authenticates a genuinely limited run, and can verify that record, gives you a real way to confirm what you've bought — something unnumbered "limited edition" claims can't offer.
What's the biggest red flag when buying luxury sunglasses secondhand?
Inability to verify the seller's authorisation or the product's origin. A significant price drop alone isn't necessarily suspicious, but a missing ability to verify authenticity is.
Can hinge quality really tell you if sunglasses are genuine?
Yes, to a meaningful degree. Hinge construction is expensive and difficult to replicate properly, which makes it one of the more reliable physical indicators of genuine build quality.
