Rolex box: fake or not?

[filfb22]

Hello everyone.
I’m here once again to ask for a fellow watch lover opinion.

Got today from an Omega AD friend a 16610 Submariner from 2002. He got that from another jeweler who deals with Rolex.

Papers seem to be ok but I’m concerned with the box. On Yt and Rolex forum I saw a lot of fakes and this one checks all the fake requirements.

Before calling my friend I’d like to be a bit more sure about the originality of the box.

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies

 

[Donn Chambers]

Looks like one of the older boxes from the 1980s, early 90s.

 

[filfb22]

Donn Chambers

Looks like one of the older boxes from the 1980s, early 90s.

Yes! Got a feedback from someone who is a rolex box geek and unfortunately it does seem to be a fake one by many details. Now it is going to be an awkward afternoon with the AD...

 

[Evitzee]

filfb22

Yes! Got a feedback from someone who is a rolex box geek and unfortunately it does seem to be a fake one by many details. Now it is going to be an awkward afternoon with the AD...

Why get hung up on a replica box from a 20 yo Rolex? Enjoy the watch, forget about the box unless you paid some super premium.

 

[filfb22]

Evitzee

Why get hung up on a replica box from a 20 yo Rolex? Enjoy the watch, forget about the box unless you paid some super premium.

Let's agree on disagree... since I paid for a full set I expect a full set and not a "let me change that box for you with another one". For me it is imperative to make business with people I trust. Watch back to where it came from and a certified one from Chrono24 incoming! 😀

 

[Donn Chambers]

filfb22

Let's agree on disagree... since I paid for a full set I expect a full set and not a "let me change that box for you with another one". For me it is imperative to make business with people I trust. Watch back to where it came from and a certified one from Chrono24 incoming! 😀

I would also be upset if I bought it as a “full set.” But with that said, I’d have done my research and known that wasn’t the box for a 2002 Sub. Even if it’s not fake, it’s from the wrong era.

 

[blufinz52]

Did you present the same photos and authenticity question on TRF?

 

[Dan S]

I'm not sure it's fake, but I also couldn't swear that it's original to the watch. That said, I'm pretty sure the box was generally added to the watch at the point of sale, so I suspect that there was a fair amount of variability. Many dealers probably just grabbed a box from the back and sent it out the door with the watch.

Where's the rest of the set, including booklets, hang tags, anchor, etc.? The set includes a lot of items besides boxes and warranty paper, and it would be interesting to see if the rest of them are period-correct. Usually it's pretty easy to tell if a set it put together by carefully examining all the accessories. If you only have boxes and warranty paper, then it's not a full set anyway, so it's not really a big deal IMO as long as the warranty paper is legit. Boxes are relatively cheap, correct or incorrect, and many dealers have no idea if the box is original on a pre-owned watch, so I wouldn't get too high and mighty about trusting the person you're dealing with.

This is what I sold with my A-series 16610 a couple of years ago, and I can't swear it was entirely complete (the polishing cloth is in the box, but there was no calendar card that I recall).

Edited: Sep 10, 2023

 

[Davidt]

That isn’t a fake box.

Whether it’s correct for a 2002 Sub is a different question.

 

[filfb22]

blufinz52

Did you present the same photos and authenticity question on TRF?

I’ve presented the pictures and the related question to two other Rolex forums. A friend also kindly brought five of his older boxes and the differences were quite striking.

 

[filfb22]

Davidt

That isn’t a fake box.

Whether it’s correct for a 2002 Sub is a different question.

Maybe in the pictures may look legit but it was not.

Strangely it has the same boxes as other period sport watches. If I recall correctly they switched boxed to more modern ones in 2005/6?

 

[filfb22]

To put a final cap on the question.

After confronting the seller he offered me to swap the box with another one. He also said that he didn’t have time to check whether the watch he picked up had a “repro” box or a nice one.

At the end the watch is back in his safe and my money are back with me.

I think I’ll go back to Omega where you don’t need a scientific lab to determine whether boxes are fake or not!

Thanks everyone for the replies and the usual competence. Have a great day!