How to spot a fake Rolex

General tips when examining a luxury watch that could mean it’s a fake:

• The logo may not be centred properly
• On a metal strap the links don’t move freely
• Letters printed on the dial are not sharp and crisp
• Functions like sub dials and helium release valves don’t function T
• hey weigh less because of the cheaper materials used Lack of or poor packaging
• A loud ticking noise, most quality watches are very quiet
• Fingerprints, dust or other residue inside the watch

Things to look for with a fake Rolex:

1. A ‘Registered Design’ number is engraved between the lugs, at the ’12’. At the 6′ between the lugs you should see the serial number of the case. If either number is missing the watch is a fake.
2. The bezel should always line up with a minute marker when moved
3. The winding crown should be finely carved and engraved, it will be a work of art, fakes often have basic winding crowns which feel much less intricate and look plain.
4. Movement on the second hand needs to be completely smooth it should sweep round rather than “jump’
5. A crown symbol should be etched into the glass at the 6 o’clock position
6. LT OCTO Real Rolex watches have a ‘Cyclops’ window which magnifies the date 2.5X, On fakes the magnification is often 1.5X or less so the date will look small and be hard to read
7. With the exception of a few ladies watches which have engravings, Rolex case backs are smooth or have a hologram
8. The case back: there are only two very rare, models of Rolex from the 1930s which have clear case backs which allow you to see the inner working. If you are buying a relatively modern Rolex with a clear case back it is a fake.

General tips when buying a luxury watch:

• If the price appears too good to be true, then it likely is
• Be very careful on sites like eBay. Some signs to be wary of are the use of blurry low resolution images in listings, lack of detail in descriptions and sellers with little or no feedback
• Just because the watch comes with an authentic looking box manual and certification it doesn’t mean that it is genuine.
• Buying in store? Follow your instincts. If the decor and location don’t fit with what you’d expect for a luxury high value item then don’t take the risk.
• Have the watch inspected by an expert, often better fakes require inspection of the mechanism to tell them from the real, product