Suspect sophisticated Sir Winston fake

[Cestis4]

First off, the box in question is from an extremely reputable source and it was my first one acquired. I subsequently sourced others from legit sources . For a Christmas party, I opened the box in question and handed a few out and noticed the band. I then compared it to three other boxes I have and noticed some discrepancies in the box construction (height is different in lower part) and lid is thinner.  See photos below : The box in question and the suspect cigars are in the middle for comparison in all photos except the side profile where the suspect band is on the left and the very last photo where the suspect box is on the right and shows the height difference. Note the embossing, font and ink spillover on the suspected band below compared to legit ones straddling it from different boxes.    Appreciate all input.

 

[nKostyan]

The box looks like a fake:

• the lock's nails are unevenly hammered, causing deformation;
• the internal vertical seal lacks rounding;
• the height of the bottom and lid do not match;
• and the bottom has a knot, which is not acceptable.

There is a good lecture by Dmitry Drutsa, brand ambassador of Habanos S.A., on fake boxes. It is in Russian, but an online translator will help you.

[Chibearsv]

I’m not liking the sloppiness of the bands or the box. Ink on the bands, ink on the liner and lid, are a mess. Too much for me to buy.