By Dan McDermott
Warren County Report
A Patek Philippe watch surrendered by Tareq Salahi to Warren County General District Court Friday has been deemed a fake by two jewelers asked to evaluate it’s authenticity. The watch was transferred to the court to be sold to satisfy a $2,063.35 judgment against the Salahis from a past due lawn mowing bill.
Ray Cosey of R. E. Jewelers Watch & Clock in Chambersburg, PA said he is absolutely sure it is a fake. “You can tell by looking at the back of the watch. It’s see-through. I could tell by the grade of the movement that it isn’t a genuine watch. You can buy them on the streets of New York for a little bit of nothing.”
A genuine Patek Phillippe can fetch up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a document filed with the court, Cosey estimates Salahi’s imitation to be worth $100.
On Tuesday, the Salahis presented the court a check for the full amount to satisfy the debt and retrieve the watch. Afterward, in a brief courthouse encounter with Warren County Report, the Salahis and their attorney David Silek appeared agitated that the watch was not immediately available for retrieval. Silek said “The watch isn’t here. They sent it away.” This writer explained that it had been sent out for verification of authenticity, appraisal and repair. Mr. Salahi replied that the watch wasn’t broken but had to be worn for a period to begin working again. I replied, “Well you’ll get back a nice clean, working watch. Every cloud has a silver lining.” Mr. Salahi laughed.
Jean Plauger who has owned Jean’s Jewelers on Main Street in Front Royal for 12 years was given the watch by the court to evaluate and have repaired if necessary. “As soon as I saw it I thought it was a fake. We sent it to Chambersburg to be sure.”
Plauger worked at McDaniel’s Jewelers in Front Royal for 13 years before opening her own shop. Mr. Cosey has 36 years experience in the jewelery and watch business.
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Dan McDermott: editor@warrencountyreport.com
Is there ANYTHING real about them, anything at all? Someone thought Michaele wears extensions (fake hair). Someone else thought he might wear lifts (fake height). I suppose the heights going up and down would also depend on what Michaele is wearing.
If Michaele has bling, wonder if it’s real?
There was a report that after they crashed the White House State dinner they went to a bar at near by hotel and stiffed the bartender for the tab.
I also betcha that Michaele was not her given name! I mean, what do you want to bet her original name was , oh, Pearl, or Trudy? No offense to those of that name. But Michaele seems a bit too…whatever.. to believe.
Missy Holt, Oakton HS, 44 yrs old.
Thanks Roger!
Missy, could it be shortened from Melissa? Missy is cute as a child nickname, but not so much as an adult.
An apparently common name, there are quite a few Melissa Holt and Melissa A. Holt and Melissa Ann Holt names coming up in the search.
If one was serious about modeling, they’d probably change names to something a bit different.
how about all johnys and such as adult names – I always found that to be silly, unless you’re clown and perform for kids
Why didn’t the court communicate directly with Patek Philippe?
http://www.patek.com
I wouldn’t be surprised if the watch were fake, neither would it surprise me if it were stolen property.
Heard last week in court: “It makes a Rolex look like a Swatch,” attorney David Silek.
Buddy, this white boy bling is as fake as your client. In fact, there is nothing genuine about the Salahis at all. Hope you like performing pro bono work, ’cause these 2 toads have no intention of paying your hourly fees.
Strange that this Sahali fraud wore a fake Patek-Philippe. If the purpose was to impress, it’s hard to figure, since most people wouldn’t know a Patek-Philippe from a Seiko. In fact, I’ve never seen a fake P-P, though I don’t doubt they exist. Middle-brow climbers recognize the look of the oyster Rolex, but P-Ps vary widely in appearance. For everybody knowledgeable enough to recognize a P-P (or Audemars Piguet, or Vacheron Constantin, the other two ultrawatches), there are a thousand people who know a Rolex.
Twenty-five years ago, my car was stolen off a city street. When the police found it weeks later, I discovered that the thieves had stolen some loose change, an old beat-up baseball glove, the back tires, and the cheap digital pocket watch I kept in the console. They didn’t bother with the old analog wind-up 1948 P-P, which I still have, and for which a jeweler offered me $8,500 last year.
It’s true that P-P and Rolex, as fine as they are, are in two different worlds. Take your P-P into a jewelry store, and the old repair guy will come out from the back room to see it. But if you bang your Rolex against a door jamb or forget and take a shower with it, you’re not out twelve hundred bucks.
I don’t know anything about Patek Philippe, (which I keep misspelling as Phillipe, LOL), but I know that craftsmanship is preferred over trend.
Unique over mass-produced.
Wood Chris Craft or Cigarette (as seen on Miami Vice)?
classicboat.com/boats.htm
powerboatlistings.com/cigarette/
That might not be the best example, because I don’t know much about boats either. But there’s something wonderful about well-made watches and boats and cars and homes, older examples that just beat the pants off of NEW AND IMPROVED stuff.
I’m guessing they are lying to their attorneys? I’d drop them like a hot potato, and bill them for whatever was already owed. How can you represent someone who believes their own lies? Or tries to pull a fast one on the person who is trying to help? Good golly!
I am not at all surprised that the patek was a fake. I mean there is nothing real with these guys. They wanted to pass off as real guests of the white house, they were fake watches to impress, fake hair! Replica patek watches do exist, they even have a website. Now, if you want to know the genuine patek from a knock off check out http://patekwatcheshongkong.blogspot.com/.
Nothing is surprising or beyond the realm for these dipshits, and I applaud your good work on all this coverage exposing these poseurs for what they really are.
I have to ask though: Why on earth don’t you spend $10/mo for a real website? I realize you’re a hometown newspaper, but being on a freebie blogging service, where you don’t even get control of your own SQL files makes you look pretty shady. You guys are getting noticed by some major media outlets — in fact, that’s how I got here.
I’d be loathe to point out that your reporting is further marred by copious grammar and spelling mistakes. I feel like taking my editing marker to the whole site. All of this points to hucksterism, which is sort of antithetical and makes your paper out to be an attack machine.
Just my .02 and not meant as negative criticism. You’re doing a great job but you can do even better. 🙂
White House Party Crashers
anyone has a nice pic of both?
paul umran
sharehr your compassion
It’s impossible to keep the gates and not harass anyone. The boys at the gates just didn’t want to get in trouble.
paul umran
sharehr your compassion
I am not surprised. When I first read he gave up his watch, I knew it was probably a fake, because he isn’t rich. He lives the life of a ‘con’ man. Anyone can dress the part, and pretend to live well…on credit cards….but when the bills start piling up…and you need to prove your worth…he doesn’t have a penny to his name. His only claim to fame is his shame.
[…] it was eventually determined through the court clerk’s office and local jeweler Jean’s Jewelers to be an imitation worth perhaps $100 a further uproar over the controversial couple ensued. The watch had been turned over to satisfy a […]