Rolex Bubbleback Identification

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bsmitra

·Sun. 6:59am

Request the help of forum once again.

I was considering a Rolex Bubbleback 3015 but what is stumping me is that even though caseback is steel, inside caseback is pink gold with 18 K stamped.

What is the issue here? Is it genuine? Vant find a similar piece online.

Sorry, dont have outside pic of case back but it is steel!! (Or is it polished?)

Thanks

 

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Mark020

·Sun. 8:04am·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

It is for sure a redial. I think the movement is strange as well but that may be just me

 

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Dan S

·Sun. 8:10am

Do you have this watch in your hands, or are these photos being provided by a seller? Obviously this case should not have a gold case-back.

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 8:14am

Hi, i took these photos myself from seller's home. But forgot to take the back pic, even though it struck me then as well how could outside be steel and inside marked 18K gold. And yes, inside isnt some local stamp, its actual orig stamp.

Is its a redial? Felt orig though.

 

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Dan S

·Sun. 8:20am

The whole thing is more than fishy. The Rolex movement has been replaced with an ETA movement. TBH, I am not familiar with this reference.

Edited: Sun. 8:25am

 

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Canuck

·Sun. 8:26am

Total fake!

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 8:30am

Hi, request the forum to see this link. Exact same case is available there, with steel outside and 18K marked inside

https://watchcharts.com/listing/1843733-vintage-rolex-case-bubble-stainless-18k-ref-545383-5015-3015

Seems as though a think 18K plate is affixed onto inside of case back.

Shall wait to hear from forum. These 2 pictures are from that site with Credit.

Thanks

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 8:34am

Also, there is a pic on page 162 of Dowling Hess book on rolex, which seems similar to this. But ref 3015 is not mentioned in that book atall.

Those who are saying total fake may well like to put forth their reasons too as one more watch case had sold 4 years back as shared on the link above.

 

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redpcar

·Sun. 8:38am

ETA 2878 movement in a vintage Rolex? uh oh.

 

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redpcar

·Sun. 8:41am

100% chance that the dial is glued or taped in place.

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 8:44am

redpcar

100% chance that the dial is glued or taped in place.

This is a very Nice clue! Thank you!

I had missed an original dial Rolex Himalaya when someone advised it was fake even though 80 year old watchmaker kept asking me to take it.

This i will check out. Thanks

 

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Dan S

·Sun. 8:49am

B bsmitra

This is a very Nice clue! Thank you!

I had missed an original dial Rolex Himalaya when someone advised it was fake even though 80 year old watchmaker kept asking me to take it.

This i will check out. Thanks

Any thoughts about the ETA movement that has already been mentioned 3 times? That alone is reason to just walk away.

 

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Dan S

·Sun. 8:51am

B bsmitra

Hi, request the forum to see this link. Exact same case is available there, with steel outside and 18K marked inside

https://watchcharts.com/listing/1843733-vintage-rolex-case-bubble-stainless-18k-ref-545383-5015-3015

Seems as though a think 18K plate is affixed onto inside of case back.

Shall wait to hear from forum. These 2 pictures are from that site with Credit.

Thanks

Sorry, 18k hallmarks would not be on stainless caseback. Something is wrong here. Perhaps someone bought this fake case and made the OP watch from it.

Can you even find other examples of the ref 3015? There should be hundreds of them.

 

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gatorcpa

·Sun. 8:55am·ΩF InvestiGator

Watch is a fake, made to deceive. Seller should be called out.

gatorcpa

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 8:57am

Empty hole suggestive of missing legs, ETA Movement as suggested (i am not an expert but am sure members here are) are red flags enough. Will walk away but would get the dial opened once for the heck of it.

Now i am sure its fake.

 

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gatorcpa

·Sun. 9:02am·ΩF InvestiGator

B bsmitra

Those who are saying total fake may well like to put forth their reasons too as one more watch case had sold 4 years back as shared on the link above.

Did it ever occur to you that someone used that fake eBay case to make this fake watch?
gatorcpa

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 9:25am

gatorcpa

Did it ever occur to you that someone used that fake eBay case to make this fake watch?
gatorcpa

Would somebody wait for 4 years to catch a foolish person like me? So much patience in manufacturing a fake unless its an ultra rare and costly watch!

Some guys have a lot of patience, it seems. But they forget the power of internet and collective wisdom of this forum.

Thanks a lot all of you!

Edited: Sun. 10:10am

 

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gatorcpa

·Sun. 9:53am·ΩF InvestiGator

B bsmitra

Would somebody wait for 4 years to catch a foolish person like me?

I suspect that it has passed through several sets of hands in that time. Some may have believed it is was real and others may have later figured it out and successfully suckered someone else into buying it.

About 15 years ago, there was a major Internet based watch dealer who got ahold of a batch of fake Omega Constellation cases and dials and sold them as “original replacement parts”. They weren’t and there were fairly obvious tells that any intermediate collector could easily see. Yet, we still see several examples of these here every year.

That’s what makes fakes like this so dangerous.
gatorcpa

 

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bsmitra

·Sun. 10:13am

I dont understand the economics of it if its not high end and very rare. Making a good fake is costly so return should be outsized. Thats what economics would have us believe.

So why take the trouble for making this mid range range Rolex case, why not Nautilus case or Patek/Rolex moonphase etc?

Just a rhetorical question.

Thank you and appreciate saving me from an act of foolishness.

 

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Canuck

·Sun. 10:15am

Case tube pendant is a dead giveaway! It should be the threaded case tube pendant to accomodate a Rolex Oyster telescoping crown which fits the threaded tube. Electroplated steel case. Rolex stamped into a ETA automatic rotor! Fake stamping on the rotor, fake stamping inside the case back? Case electroplated, steel back yellow inside, steel outside, marked 18 kt? I suggest the case back was electroplated as well, and the plating wore off the exterior of the back! Someone needs more proof that it isn’t real? Put your money where your mouth is!

Edited: Sun. 10:24am