Watch 101
By
Nick Kenyon
29 Sep 2023
8 min read
Fake Rolex watches are getting more accurate every year, so it’s essential to know the key differences to look out for if you’re in the market. Never forget: always buy the seller
A decade ago, if someone had a fake Rolex you could almost guarantee it would leave a green stain on their wrist and tick louder than a grandfather clock. Today, it’s not that simple. The market for fake watches is worth billions of dollars, with an estimated 40 million sold every year around the world. If you’re a Rolex fan, it gets even worse, with half of those 40 million watches estimated to have the Big Crown on the dial.
Not only are fake watches more common, but the level of sophistication is increasing too, with fake manufacturers able to replicate even the most minute details of a timepiece. From fake boxes and counterfeit warranty cards, to near-perfect replica dials and movements, the telltale signs of a fake are getting more specific every year.
Avoiding a fake watch is far from impossible, however, and that’s what we’re here to explore today, with one of the most desirable and commonly faked watches in the game — the Rolex Daytona. We purchased a $1,000 super-clone for Wristcheck watchmakers to disassemble and examine, not only to find the most accurately manufactured components, but also those easiest to spot as being fake.
It’s an unfortunate fact of the watch industry, but it’s important for authentic dealers to know exactly what fake manufacturers are capable of producing, to ensure we’re always able to spot a counterfeit watch when they see one. After all, theWristcheck Authenticity Guarantee wouldn’t be worth much without this kind of present-day coal-face knowledge.
Thanks to one of Wristcheck’s watchmakers (who used to work at Rolex), let’s take a granular, step-by-step look at both a genuine Rolex “Panda” Daytona ref. 126500 and a super-fake. From the dial and the case to the quality of the movement, here’s everything you need to know to spot a counterfeit Daytona.
Dial
The dial isn’t called the face of the watch for no reason — it’s the first thing anyone sees. Here’s what to look out for.
Rehaut - The brushing of the genuine Daytona is very fine and very consistent in its execution. In comparison, the fake rehaut has a thicker brushed finish and catches the light in a more inconsistent way.
Color of the dial- The genuine dial of the “Panda” Daytona is a warmer, almost creamy shade of white, while the fake dial is less rich in color and looks more gray in its shade.
Fit of the bezel- the bezel of the genuine Rolex is perfectly fitted to the case, without any gaps or unevenness. The fake is much lower quality in terms of machining tolerances and has a small gap between the case and the bezel. Not only does it look bad, but it also means the fake almost certainly isn’t water-resistant.
Case & Bracelet
The case and bracelet finishing of the fake are some of the highest accuracy elements of the entire watch, with a very similar polish to the genuine Daytona. Because the case and bracelet are elements a potential buyer will always look at closely, the level of finish is something the fake manufacturers spend a lot of time trying to replicate accurately.
Movement
Typically, the movement is the easiest way to spot a fake Rolex. Unless you know and trust the seller of a Rolex you’re considering buying, it’s always important to request a close look at the movement. No, it isn’t difficult and no, it doesn’t void the warranty. If the seller says either of these things, it’s a red flag.
Bridge surface finishing - Immediately, you’ll spot that the rhodium plating of the brass bridges inside the movement of the fake Daytona is much rougher, with a coarser brushing when compared to the genuine movement. The plating and brushing of the genuine movement are fine and even in their application.
Breguet overcoil hairspring - The current generation of super-fake Rolex watches are regulated with a flat hairspring, the blue color of which is almost green and inconsistent in its tone. The genuine Rolex hairspring is produced using an alloy called parachrom, which is deep blue in color and features a Breguet overcoil, which means a section of the spring loops over the top of itself, creating two layers.
Free-sprung balance wheel - Adjacent to the Breguet overcoil hairspring is the free-sprung balance wheel, which features inertia weights around its circumference instead of the curb regulator that is employed by the fake movement. Essentially, if there are two arms coming out of the red jewel that sits on top of the hairspring and balance wheel, it’s a fake movement. A genuine movement only has one.
Timing performance - Both the fake and genuine Rolex operate at 28,800vph and serve up a power reserve of 72 hours, however, Rolex quality means superlative timing performance and the poor accuracy of the fake is another sign of its counterfeit origins. When tested by Wristcheck, the fake was seven times less accurate than the genuine Rolex, which measured within 2 seconds per day, while the fake was at 14 seconds per day. If the Rolex you’re considering is only a few years old, this level of inaccuracy wouldn’t occur if it was genuine.
Warranty Card & Accessories
Fake manufacturers also produce accessories to accompany their fake watches, but even these have telltale signs that give them away as being not genuine.
Chronometer hang-tag - The genuine Rolex hang-tag is a deep shade of green that features black marbling through its surface, while the fake hang-tag is a flat shade of green. You can also tell by the gold printing of the genuine hang-tag, which is extremely precise and even in its application, while the fake looks poorly printed.
Warranty card - The warranty card should almost always have the date of purchase written on it. If it doesn’t have a date, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fake, but it is a red flag. A critical feature of a genuine Rolex warranty card is an embedded NFC chip, which if you hold your phone to it, will take you to the Rolex website. It’s visible in the top right corner of the card as a tiny square, which you can see disrupting the otherwise flat surface of the card. The final element of the warranty card is the UV strip above where it says “MODEL”. A genuine Rolex warranty card has a bright and distinct blue quality to it, while the fake UV strip is barely visible.
So there you have it, everything you never knew about fake Rolex Daytonas and how to spot them. If you haven’t yet checked out our YouTube video explaining this process, make sure to check it out and let us know in the comments which watch we should do a comparison of next.
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