Chapter 61

When several people arrived at the small building, Li Du moved out the five antique clocks, while Hans chatted with Raymond who looked very sharp.

Raymond's eyes lit up when he saw the antique clock, and he quickly picked one up to look at it, ignoring the chat with Hans.

After only one glance, he said firmly, "This is the style of Louis XV. If I were to judge their identities, I would say that they are French clocks inlaid with German Meissen porcelain flowers and gilt copper."

Hansen asked: "You mean, the porcelain inside is German Meissen porcelain, and this clock is produced in France?"

This is different from what Kevin, the owner of the grocery store, said. Kevin said that the box is British style, and it should be a British clock.

Raymond shook his head and said, "No, it's just a French-style clock, which should have been produced in England between 1815 and 1850."

After hearing this, Li Du and Hans looked at each other. This old man is an expert, and Kevin has judged some things after watching for a long time, and he can see them at a glance, and the time is more accurate.

In this way, it can be judged by combining the words of Kevin and Raymond. The authentic antique clock was born in the period of George III from 1815 to 1820, and it is matched with German porcelain and British gold-plated French-style clocks.

Hans coughed and said the information.

Raymond glanced at him in surprise and said: "You have very good eyesight. This is not a famous clock. It is amazing that you can analyze these data."

Hans said: "How much are you willing to pay for these clocks? I think this kind of old art is very tempting for anyone who likes clocks."

Raymond put down the clock and said: "If they are indeed French clocks inlaid with German Meissen porcelain flowers and gilt copper, then they are certainly some old works of art."

"What do you mean?" Hans had a bad expression on his face.

Raymond continued: "The ones you have here are counterfeit goods, and they are counterfeit goods within the past twenty years. Sorry, they are worthless."

This remark was very damaging to Hans, because they had chosen the minutes at random, and the president had told them that only two of the nine minutes were genuine.

"It can't be such bad luck, right?" Hans smiled bitterly and looked at Li Du, "All four are fakes? Didn't we pick out a real one?"

All transactions in the industry of treasure pickers are based on information disclosure and fairness. Treasure pickers cannot fool buyers, and buyers generally disclose the information they know to them.

If treasure pickers sell fake or inferior products, no matter whether they are intentional or not, and whether they are aware of it or not, their personal credit will be reduced in their industry, and fewer and fewer people will be willing to do business with them.

Therefore, Hans guarded Raymond and communicated directly with Li Du.

Li Du didn't answer him, but looked at the old man with great interest and said, "Mr. Raymond, how do you judge that they are fakes?"

The old man said confidently: "Come on, let me teach you a lesson. No matter how realistic the fake is, there are many ways to detect it."

He held up the antique clock in front of him and said, "First of all, you see, the genuine antique clock is cast in one piece, while the fake one is made of thinner materials and is assembled and welded with thin copper plates."

"Assembly and welding need to be carried out layer by layer, so the gaps between the plates are large, the surface is not straight, and the watch as a whole gives people a floating feeling, not as thick as the original."

Li Du looked at it, frowned and said, "I think they are quite heavy."

Raymond smiled, pointed to the surface of the clock and said, "Okay, keep reading, do you think the gold paint on this surface is gold-plated or gold-plated?"

There is no doubt that metal plating is a modern craft, while gold plating is a traditional craft in the early years.

"For fakes, a large part of its cost is on the gold plating, so it will not be plated very thickly, and there are even cases where gold plating is not done on the side and back of the clock base."

Speaking of this, Raymond raised the clock and looked at it, and then said: "Not bad, this clock is all gold-plated, even if it is a fake, it is a well-made fake."

Li Du shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I really can't see that it's gold-plated instead of gold-plated."

Raymond said: "Then we have to take it apart, you don't mind, do you?"

Of course I don't mind, antique clocks are not porcelain, they are mechanical products, and they must be disassembled to check the wear and tear of the parts in order to be traded.

He stepped aside, Hans started working with a full set of screwdrivers, and Li Du quietly changed a clock for him to dismantle.

During this period, the old man continued: "The counterfeit watch movement parts will be worn out, and we will find that there are screws, nuts, washers with modern specifications, and even relatively new metal materials."

"Also, if this is a two-hundred-year-old clock, the movement must be worn out, especially between the barrel axle and the plywood. If you find that this part is not worn at all, then something is wrong. ..."

Antique clocks were taken apart, and the worn movements and parts were displayed in front of them. In addition, the screws and nuts and other parts inside are simple in shape, which is obviously not a modern style.

Seeing this, Raymond frowned, and he pondered: "Of course, fake antique clocks must be old, including the movement, but it still doesn't care about the details..."

"For example?" Li Du asked.

"The movement can be imitated, but the authentic product has marks, such as the number, the manufacturer's emblem LOGO, the production year, the patent number, etc., and the imitation antique clock may also have it, but I have never seen a mark that is clear and concave. Yes," Raymond said.

Hans carefully cleaned the dust inside with a hair dryer, and then clear letters appeared on the movement and several important parts.

In addition, there is a line of letters printed on the base of the clock: 'May George, Prince of Wales be immortal as time'.

At this moment, Raymond was a little confused.

Hans was also a little confused, and said, "Isn't this the clock from George III's time? Why did you praise George, Prince of Wales?"

Li Du said: "The prince is George IV. George III was plagued by mental problems in his later years, and the prince George, Prince of Wales, ruled as regent. This can also prove that this is the work of George III in his late period."

Hans said in surprise, "Your knowledge of history is not bad."

Li Du rolled his eyes, and he raised his mobile phone and said, "When Kevin introduced the history of the box, I checked it online by the way. Coincidentally, I saw this historical record."

Raymond stopped talking. He took out a magnifying glass to look carefully in front of the clock, and took out his mobile phone to take pictures. He didn't know who to pass them on to.

After a while, the phone rang, and he went to a distance to say a few words, and when he came back, he said, "Make an offer, how much is this clock?"

Hans asked, "Have you confirmed its identity?"

"This is genuine." Raymond nodded, "It turns out that I was wrong."