Q&A: Game changer in the fight against fakes

Klemens Link is director of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection at Swiss physical traceability company Haelixa.

In his role, Link works with brands to safeguard product integrity, protect brand equity and restore trust as counterfeit goods increasingly enter legitimate operational channels such as returns, repairs and resale.

Watch Insider spoke with him about his role at Haelixa, and about the scientific processes of the company, in its bid to turn the tide in the fight against fakes in circulation within the watch industry

Watch Insider: How did Haelixa come about in the first place, and for what reason?

Klemens Link: Haelixa emerged from a clear industry gap. Brands were making increasingly strong claims about fibre origin, recycled content and responsible sourcing, but verification relied largely on documentation and self-reporting.

Paper trails can be falsified. Certificates can be misused. And substitution or blending can occur at multiple points in the supply chain without detection. In these conditions, trust is based on declarations rather than physical proof.

Haelixa was founded to address this structural limitation by introducing a scientific, material-level layer of verification that travels with the product itself. Instead of relying on external documentation, proof is embedded directly into the material.

This enables brands to verify sourcing integrity with certainty, strengthen operational control, and ensure that claims about origin and authenticity can be independently confirmed. It shifts authentication from assumption to measurable, forensic evidence, which is increasingly essential as products move through complex global supply chains and extended lifecycle channels such as resale and repair.

WI: Who owns the company? How much of it (if any) is private investment?

KL: Haelixa is a privately held company. Most recently, in February this year, we closed a €2 million Pre-Series A funding round. This was led by our existing investors, Verve Ventures and Zürcher Kantonalbank, who have supported the company over several years and continue to demonstrate strong confidence in our long-term direction. 

We also welcomed a new impact-focused investor, 212 NexT Fund, and received catalytic funding through the Temasek Trust Amplifier programme.

This backing reflects strong investor conviction that physical, product-level traceability will play a critical role in strengthening sourcing integrity, reducing counterfeiting risk, and protecting long-term brand value across global markets.

WI: In layman’s terms, how does the technology work? Is it as simple as saying that they’re placing tiny traces of DNA onto/into a product?

KL: At its core, yes. We apply an invisible, plant-derived DNA marker directly to the material. This marker is completely non-toxic, does not affect the product’s appearance or performance, and becomes permanently integrated at material level.

The marker can be applied at any stage of production. From that point forward, the marker travels with the material through every subsequent stage, including spinning, dyeing, assembly and final production.

Verification is done using PCR testing, which is the same scientific method widely used in medical diagnostics. A simple swab is taken from the product and analysed. The result is clear and binary: either the correct DNA marker is present, or it is not.

This provides definitive, forensic proof of authenticity and origin. Unlike labels, serial numbers or certificates, the marker cannot be removed, transferred or replicated because it is embedded directly into the material itself. Authentication becomes intrinsic to the product rather than dependent on external identifiers.

In luxury authentication specifically, this allows watches, jewellery, and leather goods to be verified at any point in their lifecycle, including service centres, returns processing or resale environments. The test delivers results within approximately 30 minutes and does not require specialist technical expertise.

WI: What examples can you name of watch brands adopting Haelixa’s services?

KL: Our dedicated DNA-based authenticity service was launched in early 2026, and we are currently conducting pilots with several leading brands. These partnerships will be announced publicly in due course.

The need is clear. The Swiss watch industry alone loses an estimated $1.88 billion annually to counterfeiting. As counterfeit products become increasingly sophisticated, traditional authentication methods such as visual inspection and serial numbers are no longer sufficient.

By embedding forensic proof directly into the product, brands gain the ability to verify authenticity at any point, including returns, servicing, resale or warranty claims. This provides operational control and protects both revenue and brand integrity across the full product lifecycle.

WI: How protected is the technology and process? Is there anything stopping a competitor from stealing Haelixa’s idea?

KL: Our technology is protected through multiple layers. First, our core processes are patented, including the encapsulation of the DNA marker and its application method. This protects both the underlying science and the industrial implementation.

Second, each DNA sequence is unique and confidential. Every client receives a distinct molecular signature that cannot be reverse-engineered or replicated without access to our proprietary systems.

Third, the encapsulation chemistry that ensures marker stability throughout demanding manufacturing processes is highly specialised. This allows the marker to withstand dyeing, finishing, wear, and environmental exposure while remaining fully detectable.

Finally, our solution is compliant with leading global standards, including GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications, which is critical for integration into regulated production environments.

Together, these technical, scientific, and regulatory barriers create strong defensibility, while ensuring that the solution remains scalable and reliable for global brands.