How to Tell if a Rolex Watch is Real or Fake
Listen for the telltale "tick, tick, tick" rather than a much more rapid ticking noise., Look for jerky second hand motion., Look for fake "magnification" of the date., Loosen the stem and roll back the hands to change the date, it should change to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Listen for the telltale "tick
On standard watches, the motion of the second hand is jerky and truncated because the majority of them are quartz watches.
The second hand shifts abruptly from each second position to the next.
If you listen carefully, you can usually hear a quiet "tick, tick, tick" from this motion.
On the other hand, Rolexes (and many other fine watches) have second hands that move almost perfectly smoothly because they have automatic movements not quartz.
Because of this, Rolex does not make a "ticking" noise.
If you hear a slow ?ticking noise coming from your watch, this is a dead giveaway that you're not wearing a real Rolex, the noise you hear should be much faster than a battery operated watch.. -
Step 2: tick" rather than a much more rapid ticking noise.
As noted above, Rolexes have second hands that smoothly sweep across the face of the watch, rather than jerking from one position to the next.
Look at your watch's second hand carefully — does it turn smoothly, tracing the path of a perfect circle around the edge of the watch's face? Or does it appear to speed up, slow down, or jerk as it turns? If the second hand's motion is anything less than silky smooth, you may have an imitation on your hands.
In fact, if you look extremely closely, a real Rolex's second hand motion isn't perfectly smooth.
Many models actually move at a speed of about 8 tiny movements per second.Some models even have slower speeds.
To the naked eye, however, this motion is usually undetectable, so the second hand looks like it's moving smoothly. , Many (but not all)Rolex watches have a small dial or window that displays the date.
Usually, this is on the right side of the watch face (near the "three o'clock" position).
To make this dial easier to read, some Rolexes include a small magnification lens (sometimes called a "cyclops") in the glass over the dial.
This part is difficult to counterfeit, so many fake Rolexes will have something that appears to be a magnification panel, but, on close inspection, is actually only ordinary glass.
If the magnification panel over the date dial doesn't actually seem to make the date numbering any larger, you may have a fake.
Actual Rolex magnification windows should magnify the date to
2.5x — the date should take up nearly the entire window.Some good counterfeits will magnify the date somewhat but often not to the point that the entire window is filled.
They will also not be centered over the date exactly.
Be suspicious of a magnification window that looks glued on imperfectly or off center. , This is virtually impossible to replicate.
If it does not do this it is likely a fake. , Real Rolexes are constructed from real metal and crystal and thus have some heft to them.
They should feel solid and substantial in your hand and on your wrist.
If your Rolex feels suspiciously lightweight, it may not be of the highest quality — it may be lacking some of the precious metals used in many models of Rolex or may be constructed entirely from substandard materials. , Some imitation Rolexes feature a clear glass back which allows you to see the inner workings of the watch.
This clear backing may or may not be concealed beneath a removable metal cover.
In fact, no current models of Rolex contain this sort of clear caseback, so if your watch has this feature, it is not a true Rolex.
Only a few Rolexes have ever been made with clear case backings, and these were all exhibition models.It is thought that counterfeiters add this clear caseback to help vendors sell watches to unwitting customers by allowing them to view the workmanship inside the watch.
Inexperienced customers may be wowed by the inner workings of the watch, rather than alerted to the fact that something is wrong. , Take your Rolex and turn it over.
Examine the back of your watch — it should be made of smooth, unmarked, high-quality metal.
If the band is not made of leather, it should be made from high-quality metal construction as well.
If any part of the watch's construction is made from plastic or a thin, cheap-looking metal like aluminum, you're dealing with a fake.
These qualities are clear signs that corners were cut during the manufacture of the watch.
Rolexes are made from only the finest materials.
No expense is spared in the creation of each watch.
In addition, if the back casing of your watch appears to be made from metal but can be removed to reveal a plastic inner case, the watch isn't genuine. , One surefire way to determine whether a supposed Rolex is real or not is to see if it is waterproof.
All Rolex watches are made to be perfectly airtight — if your watch leaks even a little bit, it's probably not the real thing.
To test whether your watch is waterproof, fill a cup with water, make sure the stem is screwed on tightly and dunk the watch into the cup for several seconds, and take it out.
The watch should be working perfectly fine and you shouldn't see any water inside the dial.
If you do, you have a fake on your hands.
Obviously, if your watch is a fake, this test can harm or even ruin the watch.
In the event of water damage, you may be forced to take the watch to an experienced repairman or even buy a new one entirely, so, if you're not comfortable with these possibilities, try to rely on the other tests.
Note that the Submariner is the only Rolex watch designed for deep water usage — while other Rolexes should be fine in the shower and the swimming pool, they may leak under more serious aquatic conditions., If you're still not sure if your watch is a real Rolex, it can be helpful to compare the way your watch looks to the way it is supposed to look.
The Rolex website contains a catalog of all the watches Rolex produces, with multiple pictures for each.
Find the model of watch you have on the Rolex site, then compare the appearance of your watch to that of the available "reference" images.
Pay special attention to the dial — is everything laid out where it should be? If your watch has an extra dial like a chronograph or a date dial, is it in the right place? Are all the inscriptions identical? Is the lettering the same? If you can answer "no" to any of these questions, you probably have a fake.
Rolex's brand is famous for the quality of its craftsmanship — noticeable errors are extremely rare. -
Step 3: Look for jerky second hand motion.
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Step 4: Look for fake "magnification" of the date.
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Step 5: Loosen the stem and roll back the hands to change the date
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Step 6: it should change to the previous date when it goes down to the 6 position
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Step 7: not at the 12.
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Step 8: Feel for a suspiciously light weight.
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Step 9: Look for a clear backside to the watch.
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Step 10: Look for non-metal construction.
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Step 11: Test the watch's water-tightness.
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Step 12: When all else fails
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Step 13: compare your watch to the real thing.
Detailed Guide
On standard watches, the motion of the second hand is jerky and truncated because the majority of them are quartz watches.
The second hand shifts abruptly from each second position to the next.
If you listen carefully, you can usually hear a quiet "tick, tick, tick" from this motion.
On the other hand, Rolexes (and many other fine watches) have second hands that move almost perfectly smoothly because they have automatic movements not quartz.
Because of this, Rolex does not make a "ticking" noise.
If you hear a slow ?ticking noise coming from your watch, this is a dead giveaway that you're not wearing a real Rolex, the noise you hear should be much faster than a battery operated watch..
As noted above, Rolexes have second hands that smoothly sweep across the face of the watch, rather than jerking from one position to the next.
Look at your watch's second hand carefully — does it turn smoothly, tracing the path of a perfect circle around the edge of the watch's face? Or does it appear to speed up, slow down, or jerk as it turns? If the second hand's motion is anything less than silky smooth, you may have an imitation on your hands.
In fact, if you look extremely closely, a real Rolex's second hand motion isn't perfectly smooth.
Many models actually move at a speed of about 8 tiny movements per second.Some models even have slower speeds.
To the naked eye, however, this motion is usually undetectable, so the second hand looks like it's moving smoothly. , Many (but not all)Rolex watches have a small dial or window that displays the date.
Usually, this is on the right side of the watch face (near the "three o'clock" position).
To make this dial easier to read, some Rolexes include a small magnification lens (sometimes called a "cyclops") in the glass over the dial.
This part is difficult to counterfeit, so many fake Rolexes will have something that appears to be a magnification panel, but, on close inspection, is actually only ordinary glass.
If the magnification panel over the date dial doesn't actually seem to make the date numbering any larger, you may have a fake.
Actual Rolex magnification windows should magnify the date to
2.5x — the date should take up nearly the entire window.Some good counterfeits will magnify the date somewhat but often not to the point that the entire window is filled.
They will also not be centered over the date exactly.
Be suspicious of a magnification window that looks glued on imperfectly or off center. , This is virtually impossible to replicate.
If it does not do this it is likely a fake. , Real Rolexes are constructed from real metal and crystal and thus have some heft to them.
They should feel solid and substantial in your hand and on your wrist.
If your Rolex feels suspiciously lightweight, it may not be of the highest quality — it may be lacking some of the precious metals used in many models of Rolex or may be constructed entirely from substandard materials. , Some imitation Rolexes feature a clear glass back which allows you to see the inner workings of the watch.
This clear backing may or may not be concealed beneath a removable metal cover.
In fact, no current models of Rolex contain this sort of clear caseback, so if your watch has this feature, it is not a true Rolex.
Only a few Rolexes have ever been made with clear case backings, and these were all exhibition models.It is thought that counterfeiters add this clear caseback to help vendors sell watches to unwitting customers by allowing them to view the workmanship inside the watch.
Inexperienced customers may be wowed by the inner workings of the watch, rather than alerted to the fact that something is wrong. , Take your Rolex and turn it over.
Examine the back of your watch — it should be made of smooth, unmarked, high-quality metal.
If the band is not made of leather, it should be made from high-quality metal construction as well.
If any part of the watch's construction is made from plastic or a thin, cheap-looking metal like aluminum, you're dealing with a fake.
These qualities are clear signs that corners were cut during the manufacture of the watch.
Rolexes are made from only the finest materials.
No expense is spared in the creation of each watch.
In addition, if the back casing of your watch appears to be made from metal but can be removed to reveal a plastic inner case, the watch isn't genuine. , One surefire way to determine whether a supposed Rolex is real or not is to see if it is waterproof.
All Rolex watches are made to be perfectly airtight — if your watch leaks even a little bit, it's probably not the real thing.
To test whether your watch is waterproof, fill a cup with water, make sure the stem is screwed on tightly and dunk the watch into the cup for several seconds, and take it out.
The watch should be working perfectly fine and you shouldn't see any water inside the dial.
If you do, you have a fake on your hands.
Obviously, if your watch is a fake, this test can harm or even ruin the watch.
In the event of water damage, you may be forced to take the watch to an experienced repairman or even buy a new one entirely, so, if you're not comfortable with these possibilities, try to rely on the other tests.
Note that the Submariner is the only Rolex watch designed for deep water usage — while other Rolexes should be fine in the shower and the swimming pool, they may leak under more serious aquatic conditions., If you're still not sure if your watch is a real Rolex, it can be helpful to compare the way your watch looks to the way it is supposed to look.
The Rolex website contains a catalog of all the watches Rolex produces, with multiple pictures for each.
Find the model of watch you have on the Rolex site, then compare the appearance of your watch to that of the available "reference" images.
Pay special attention to the dial — is everything laid out where it should be? If your watch has an extra dial like a chronograph or a date dial, is it in the right place? Are all the inscriptions identical? Is the lettering the same? If you can answer "no" to any of these questions, you probably have a fake.
Rolex's brand is famous for the quality of its craftsmanship — noticeable errors are extremely rare.
About the Author
Zachary Baker
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in creative arts and beyond.
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