Rolex Fake vs Real

Where To Buy Good Men’s Rolex Replicas

Watch-replicas.com Authentic Rolex watches will have their serial numbers deeply engraved, not something that is just scratched at the surface. Since 2002, Rolex has been micro-etching a crown logo at 6 o'clock. This is visible to the naked eye without a magnifying glass.

Often counterfeit Rolex watches are unmasked the very first time they are picked up. Cheap movements and inferior materials cannot weigh the same as a genuine Rolex and simply feel cheap. They may even clatter and shake. Even the grooves are imprecisely made and on the whole, the watch just doesn't feel real.

As a historic, luxury brand, the quality of Rolexes really comes down to the fine, subtle details. Glaring indicators of a replica Rolex are discolored metals, incorrect spelling on the dial text, and gaps or spacing between watch fixtures (bezel to base, solid end links, etc.).

The rotating bezel is one of the defining characteristics of the Rolex Submariner diving watch and a great place to start your Rolex authentication. Turn your watch on its side and look at the “sandwich” of the crystal case, bezel, base, and bottom casing.

An authentic Rolex Submariner has a condensed, flatter look on top. The bezel sits seamlessly in the base, and the crystal casing on top is flat. A replica Rolex Submariner might have a slight gap between the bezel and the casing and the crystal on top might curve slightly to form a subtle dome look.

We all know the scene—you pass a dodgy market stall down a back alley, when suddenly the guy manning it pulls out a drawer to reveal a surplus of what appear to be luxury Swiss timepieces. With just the smallest amount of scrutiny, though, it becomes apparent that there’s nothing luxury about those watches at all. It used to be that spotting an imitation watch was this easy—but the game of making a fake has changed, with counterfeiters using increasingly sophisticated machines and technology to craft timepieces as close to the originals as possible. Modern day imitation watches are becoming harder to recognise without a trained eye—so how can you be sure that you’re buying the real deal? We take you through a few steps that might help you spot a fake.

The Rolex Submariner holds the dubious honour of being the most copied watch worldwide, so it’s a good frame of reference to start from. Held up next to an imitation, the differences between the real Submariner 116610LN and the fake are incredibly subtle, and more often than not, high magnification is needed to see them. Overall, a good rule of thumb is that the fake watch won’t be finished with nearly the same attention to detail as the genuine Submariner.

Rolex is one of the most recognizable watch manufacturers, producing approximately one million timepieces per year. Rolex models have been worn by the likes of James Bond and other celebrities. Because of the popularity of Rolex, and especially models like the GMT-Master II or Submariner, it is no surprise that there are replica Rolex models produced. Some signs that may point to being a fake Rolex include: if the price is too good to be true, if the diamonds don’t match or look like an afterthought, and if

For some owning a Rolex is more of a status symbol and less about the mechanics or history of the brand, but buying a fake Rolex should never be the answer. At WatchBox we are committed to the integrity of luxury watches and employ trained watchmakers to inspect and authenticate every watch before entering our curated inventory. Our team takes watch fraud extremely seriously. Here are some tips for spotting fake Rolex watches.

The cases, for example, appear to have extremely similar polished and brushed finishes—but the lettering between the fake watch’s lugs give the game away, featuring much rougher engraving. Looking closely at the machining of parts likes the crown will also reveal the work to be irregular and less refined.

The vast majority of fake Rolex watches in the world are cheap, easy-to-spot knock-offs. “You know that if it cost $50, it’s not a real Rolex. It’s a very obvious fake,” says Matthew Bain, a Miami-based watch expert who operates Matthew Bain, Inc.

But others are not so obvious. Bain says that just last year, a group of counterfeit ceramic Rolex Submariners snuck into the market. “If you didn’t look at one next to the real one, and you just looked at it alone, you probably would not be able to tell it was fake,” he says. “A lot of people got burned.”

Genuine Rolex watches have their serial numbers deeply engraved into the metal, whereas fakes often just have it “etched” with acid. The serial number is located behind where the band connects to the body of the watch, on the six o’clock side. On the 12 o’clock side, you’ll find the model number, typically denoted by the text, “ORIG ROLEX DESIGN,” followed by the number below. In order to view the number, you have to remove the band; this requires a pushpin or small paper clip to remove the pin that holds the band in place.

Counterfeiters often don’t bother changing the numbers, instead printing the same digits on each replica. A simple Google search for your watch’s serial number should reveal whether that particular fake was mass produced. “Many times they will etch the wrong model number on a watch. For example, a Submariner model number for a Yacht-Master,” says Abe Diveroli of Primetime305.