Rolex watches are being worn with pride every day, and the owner is completely unaware he is wearing a fake?

There are some amazingly high-quality faux lexes floating around out there, especially Sub copies. Mechanical movements, etched numbers between the lugs, etched rehaut, quality workmanship in some cases. The best fake sellers will even buy legit boxes and papers from a real watch or get faux boxes, too. It's a minefield, and unless one has handled many legit pieces, it would be nearly impossible for a novice to recognize fakes. Many will think "Well, the sweep hand is moving smoothly, not quartz-like (the old easy way to know) so it's legit."

Does anyone know someone who got burned like this? I'd be willing to bet 10 percent of those wearing Subs are wearing a knock off and are totally unaware. (And of course any 25 percent are wearing fakes and are totally aware.)

 

The fakes have become excellent... it’s truly shocking and enough to make me stay away all together.

 

The latest fakes/super fakes are very good to the point of being undetectable unless you have a real and fake side by side for comparison.

And now, you have those (maybe it’s just a hobby and not meant to fool anyone) who swap the few weak points of the fakes with genuine Rolex parts. How are you going to detect that?

https://m.yukiwatch.com/articles/article/7390084/186581.htm

 

I recently bought a 1999 Airking for a great price from a private seller. I was concerned it could be a fake, just becuase of all the fakery going on. I vetted it heavily a upon receipt, pulled the back to confirm the movement was correct and luckily it is. Even though a 20 year old Airking is not hot on the fakers market, I think the entire community is on edge when it comes to buying, and it is hurting the hobby horribly.

 

Try watching this and you’d be amazed by how close the fakes have got. Not to mention amount of these fakes getting hawked as genuine to the unassuming buyers looking for a bargain.

 

Fake watches are costing 400-600 usd and coming scarily closed to the real thing. Don’t thing I would throw cash in a sub unless getting it confirmed from a AD first it is the real deal.

 

Wasn't this discussed to death in another thread just last week?

 

This is why I will only buy a modern Rolex knowing the history of the watch... it is really really scary how close they are now.

 

So have the fakers gotten this good with the vintage ones? Even the really good fakes could be debunked by the movement.

 

And that video was super helpful, it really shows that the devil is indeed in the details. Seeing what they were showing it seems obvious, but not until you know what to look for. I didn’t know what an overpolished case looked like until someone showed me side-by-side, now I can’t miss one when I see it.
I think sharing this kind of info widely is the key to keeping an informed populous

 

It isn't as much fake with vintage as guys can completely rework cases now by adding layers of 316 steel and then polishing them down to look like unpolished mint examples on lugs, crown guards, you name it. Dials can be touched up to the point where you need a 20x+ loupe to see, hands are relumed and never mentioned... it's a mine field out there.

 

Yes. There is stuff that comes out of Vietnam that is quite expensive (considering it is fake) that is very good. Think about $800+ for just a case - ie for a 6542. No idea what it costs, but here's an example from a forum of a Vietnamese made 6542 gilt dial:

 

This is why I cannot imagine there aren't amazing counterfeits, aged, etc of the Speedmaster DON bezels that can bring 5k. If someone can make a Daytona look almost exactly like the real thing and include a mechanical movement in an attempt to make a few hundred or few thousand dollars, the margin on making fake bezels would be much greater and with much less invested in material and work. Sorry Rolex people for talking Omega in this thread.

That video is terrifying. I had no idea they were making exact replicas of the movements. Eventually, the argument becomes: Why not buy the replica for a fraction of the cost? I will not buy another Rolex used.

 

The fauxlex is so ubiquitous that I would be concerned that someone seeing a Rolex on my wrist would think it's a fake, even if I knew it was real. It has actually made me not want a real one for years, although I might be coming around.

 

Or how about getting robbed and shot for a fake Rolex if you're wearing one of those?

 

I bought my GMT 18 years ago, glad I did, wouldn’t want to be in the market now

 

I have been a career long Leica shooter- guys were taping over their logos and keeping their cameras in beer coolers in the car for fear of robbery all the time...never met someone who got robbed for their camera, or watch.
I would think the bling Bentley Breitlings would be more if a target than a sub...looks like an Invicta or a Seiko

 

Swiamister ... I'm quite new to this. I do due diligence, researching, asking around and reading. I know I've been burned on a Rolex Precision and "charged it to experience". Today, after reading extensively a 16 page thread, I made a bid on a piece .... but still cannot help having lingering doubts in my head. Honestly, with these experiences, these "doubts" are kinda zapping the fun out of this experience and I find myself saying "just buy new". Oh well, just a rambling 0.02 thought.

Cheers.

 

I completely understand. Generally, I never buy new, but this is one situation in which I might recommend it. After seeing that even the movements are being replicated exactly and seeing the incredibly subtle differences that require the right light and magnification AND a real watch to compare, I would be afraid to buy any Rolex used.

 

I just watched this video the other day and I could not believe how good that fake was. I'm not in the market for a Rolex anything at the moment, but if I were, I would probably be jumping through whatever hoops I had to in order to get one from an AD just so I could be absolutely certain my money was being spent on a genuine piece.