Fake Time Bomb II on eBay?

[Sun & Sand]

Looks like somebody may be trying to sell a replica Time Bomb II as if it were authentic:
see eBay item 121745172777

Oh, wait --never mind, no need to worry: item description says "Money back garuntee that it is authentic I took it to the local Oakley store for confirmation."

Ironically, the photos posted with the auction are almost a checklist of what to look for to spot a replica Time Bomb II, such as:
1) fake carbon trim ring;
2) oversize screws connecting band to case;
3) surface visible through back is machined, not smooth;
etc.

 

[digi7alph0enix]

I doubt there are many stores that could pick out a fake without a genuine one to compare it to. Could be possible it was taken in and verified by someone who wasn't qualified to do the job.

 

[Sun & Sand]

I doubt there are many stores that could pick out a fake without a genuine one to compare it to. Could be possible it was taken in and verified by someone who wasn't qualified to do the job.

In fact, the watch may actually be authentic. After all, when you look at an eBay listing, you only see a few photos -- not at all the same as inspecting the item in person. Even if something looks "off", you have to allow for the possibility of production variations as well as photographic anomalies.
Trying to evaluate the authenticity of an item remotely comes down to a judgement call every time.

 

[MasterO]

It does seem strange that the individual wouldn't have the case with the plate of authenticity or even the number out of 500 that it is

 

[Mycool]

What I find strange about this watch is the red rubber doesn't show through the "spine" on the outside. The seller sent me pics of both sides and it looks black.

 

[qtrain23]

Looks good to me

 

[Medusa50]

Look at the letters in red that spell Oakley on the engine. They are on a black background unlike other watches. The others are just red letters on the wheel. The font is different too. Look closely at the letter O. The horizontal lines of the letters should be thin and the O in particular should be squared off like a blocked font. I say it's shady. But then again I'm shady! Not slim shady!

 

[Medusa50]

 

[Carrera1963]

You have a good point about the rotor (the large moving piece in the movement that effectively winds the watch). If the pics on the left are of a genuine one, it is finished in what is known as Cotes de Geneves, a rising and falling decoration reminiscent of waves on the shore of Lake Geneva. Letters are applied directly within each "wave" of the decoration, with 2 blank waves outside. The eBay one has separate stripes marked to look like CdG but not being as expensive to create and the Oakley text on a polished window within. I'll tell you right now, the eBay rotor was quicker and cheaper to produce, which doesn't bode well for correctness...

 

[Sun & Sand]

In addition to the differences in the size, shape, spacing, and background of the red "OAKLEY" lettering that @Medusa50 pointed out, look at the differences in the screws and spacers across the photos that @Medusa50 posted above:

1) in the suspect watch (darker photo), the screws attaching the back to the case are recessed, not flush with the back;
2) in the suspect watch, the screws attaching the bracelet to the case are larger than the screws holding the case together, instead of all screws on the case being the same size;
3) although it's hard to be certain from the photo, in the suspect watch, the two crescent-shaped washers beneath the screws that attach the bracelet to the case appear to be crudely finished and poorly shaped, instead of being finished as finely as the back of the case and shaped to fit the case like a glove.

Are all these discrepancies just production variations?