Genuine watches and other often imitated goods might soon have a fighting chance against counterfeiters, thanks to a new technique developed at Eccle Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland that can help sort the fake from the genuine article. An EPFL-based start-up company called Nanoga has patented a system that creates photonic watermarks on ceramic, glass, and metal materials. Although the process was originally designed for expensive Swiss watches, it could be used to ensure the manufacturing origin of other products too. What makes the technique so powerful is that it does not change the appearance of the product, but rather incorporates an invisible watermark into the material that can be seen only under ultraviolet light. A video showing the process is available at youtube/4AGiyZ99iYI
