Rolex is the time lord for many, as each minute seems to be carved with great care and finesse. But what happens when people come across a fake Rolex or a Rolex replica?
Isn’t it something we all wish to avoid? Some people also claim that they don’t attempt to buy their dream Rolex out of fear of ending up with a fake one.
Originality matters, as does quality, even today.
In this article, we share the ways in which you can still fulfill your dreams of buying an original Rolex, and that is only possible if you know how to spot a fake Rolex from a real one.
In this article, we will tell you different ways in which a real Rolex is different from a fake one. You would only need to follow the way in which you can identify a real one from a fake one, et voila, you can have your dream Rolex with you in no time.
But do not leave this article by checking it with your watch after matching it with just one or two categories, instead, go through each. Some companies will make a Rolex replica instead of a fake Rolex and might cover a lot of identifying markers to confuse people.
Difference Between Fake Rolex and Rolex Replica
There is a significant amount of energy invested by people in identifying if it’s a fake Rolex or an original piece that they plan to buy. Most of us who dream of having a Rolex are not aficionados and prefer to buy a Rolex as a gift or as a treasure for ourselves or our families.
With Rolex rolling out almost seven lakh watches a year, people just don’t seem to love it as a timepiece but as something they even love to counterfeit.
How would you know you have the original Rolex with the counterfeits available aplenty in the market? We start by mentioning some original Rolex telltale signs.
- Anything that is heavy is a Rolex. All you need to do is weigh one in your hands. If you feel one is heavier than the others, you can keep it aside as an original piece.
- Winders are a piece of art on a Rolex watch and when you have a finely crafted winder right in front of you, and if it weighs heavy too, you can be close to being sure, you might have found an original piece.
- The Cyclops lens will magnify the date and even though a counterfeit Rolex might try doing it you can always spot the difference between the Cyclops lenses easily. It is not very hard and all it takes is a good eye for detail.
- A fake Rolex will tick but a true one stands like a silent time sentinel. All you need is a good pair of ears to differentiate between a real vs fake Rolex. Listen carefully for the ticking sound and if you find it in your watch, know you hold a fake Rolex. The ticking sound is not a specially designed sound but it is the sound of the secondhand stuttering against the mainframe, it can only be made silent by the Rolex manufacturers. A fake Rolex will not be able to spend that much time and effort needed to make it silent.
But, if your watch passes on these four tests, you can take a deep breath and believe in the real Rolex you might be holding on to.
But knowing a fake Rolex from a real one might have other points to consider. Below we walk you through 20 differentiating points between a fake Rolex vs real Rolex.
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Real vs fake Rolex |
Fake Rolex |
How to get a real Rolex |
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Dealer Information |
Check the seller and find out if they are authorized to be Rolex watch units |
Spot a real, authentic Rolex watch dealer and only buy your watch from them. |
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Mechanics of your watch |
Quartz movements are only done by Rolex for the Oysterquartz collection. In the span of 25 years, only a few such watches were made. Only the Datejust and the Day-Date models have such a built. If the mechanics are quartz and your watch is not a Datejust or Day date model, you have a fake Rolex with you. |
Except for those two brands, you can only find a manual wind movement like in the Cellini collection or a self-winding automatic movement as in the Rolex Kermit collection. |
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Look at the case back |
If there are engravings, a reference number, a brand mark, or any Rolex logo, you can know it’s not a real Rolex |
Real Rolex watches will have no engravings or anything else like a reference number, brand logo, etc., and the caseback will be the plainest you’ve ever seen on an original Rolex. |
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Watches with a display back |
If you get a display case back and it is not from the Prince Cellini collection, you are holding a fake Rolex. |
Every other watch collection from Rolex has a solid case back. |
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Make of the watch |
Any scratches on your watch or a dull finish indicate a fake Rolex |
Look very carefully and closely, and you will find a real Rolex with an exquisite finish that is glazed and has the best flawless polished look you can find with any fake watch |
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Do not forget to look at the winder |
Fake Rolex winders will not match the finish of the rest of the watch |
The winders are as highly polished and as beautifully carved as the rest of the watch |
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Look for the Cyclops lens |
If you are in the market for a watch that has a Cyclops lens display date option, view the quality of the lens carefully. If the magnification is not enough, it is not a real Rolex. |
The Cyclops lens (2.5x) clearly magnifies the date, and you can see it from a distance when you check your watch for time. |
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Check for the serial number engraving quality |
An ordinary fake Rolex might have a serial number you can easily spot. It might even appear like a scratch. |
A real Rolex has a deep engraving, and you will know the difference if you come across a real one after seeing a fake Rolex. Clean and clear engravings are a part of the real Rolex. |
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Watch for the micro etching of a crown logo at the 6 o’clock position |
If you have a fake Rolex, you might not find this indicator in the watch, which is prevalent in all watches Rolex has made since 2002 |
Most of the time, you might have to tilt the watch dial to identify the micro etching of the crown logo at the 6 o’clock position. Anything after 2002 will have it, and it’s very hard to replicate accurately. |
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Search for the serial number position |
Most fake Rolex watches will not have the expertise to engrave the Rolex serial number in the right place |
Engraved at the rehaut at 6 o’clock for newer models. For older models, it sits at the case flank in between the lugs at 6 o’clock |
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ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX |
Check for these words, and chances are you won’t find them. |
You will find it engraved around the dial rehaut at the 6 o’clock position. |
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Color observation is a must |
Check the color of the watch with the sample specimens displayed on the real Rolex site. Fake Rolex colors might differ slightly |
The color is clean, clear, and not blotchy. A color that stands out is quite evident in a real Rolex watch. |
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The watch material |
If it is not 18 karat gold, 904L stainless steel, Everose (a platinum and rose gold alloy), 950 platinum, Rolesor (a combination of gold and steel), or Rolesium (platinum and steel), it is not a Rolex. |
Check the material of which the Rolex watch is made. It will only be made of the materials mentioned in the previous column. |
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Gem sets |
Fake ones don’t have the best quality gems. |
Real Rolex has the best quality gems, singularly selected by the in house gemologists working with Rolex. |
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Winder engravings |
Not fine and not the right one for most fake Rolex watches |
In pre-1960, Rolex had a crown logo with a cross. A steel or gold twin crown clock has a bar. Platinum models will have a single dot. A white gold triplock will have a gold crown with a larger dot in between two smaller ones. Its platinum version has a small dot between two larger dots. |
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Cost of the watch |
Cheap as per Rolex standards |
Rolex watch prices are all over. Do not buy one without crosschecking. |
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Dip your watch in water |
Keep it in water for a few seconds and a fake Rolex will show signs of leakage |
A real Rolex is always waterproof. |
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Look at the writing |
Use a magnifying glass to spot a fake Rolex |
The writing must be convex without any bubbling for it to be a true Rolex |
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GMT Hand |
It will sit closer to the dial |
It sits between the hour and minute hands, and this is a technical constraint that a fake Rolex cannot copy. |
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Holograms |
If your watch comes with holograms, you have a fake Rolex. A blue-black Batman bezel is a fake Rolex. |
There are no holograms on post-2007 watch models, and even older watches don’t have one right now. |
Conclusion
Find out how your dream Rolex will be different from a fake one. If you don’t take steps to separate out the fakes from the real ones, chances are you will waste your money. Something capable of becoming a family heirloom will simply not be worth it if you don’t choose carefully. A fake Rolex is not worth your time, attention, or money. If you give your watch away some time and find out if you have the real one, it might become a treasure you’d love to keep through the tides of time. It can be a faithful friend, evoking the right feelings every time you wear it on your wrist.
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