How to spot a fake?

I've bought like ~50 fakes over the past 12 months.  For the life of me, if I simply look at the watch, I would have NO CLUE how to tell the fake apart from the real deal.  

• With regard to cosmetic differences, I cannot tell which is fake and which is real
• The only way I've ever been able to tell the difference is by interacting with the crown and the movement.  The screw down crowns on the fakes almost always give it away immediately.  The screw down action is gritty, as though the threads on the screw don't mesh properly with the threads on the inside of the case
• And then, once you change the time on the watch itself, it's clear that the movement is like a cheap toy.  There's almost always very little resistance, and the hands spin wildly, without any ability to tightly control the minute hand setting
• Any kind of complicated complication, the fakes always completely F&^% up, and if you interact with the GMT function or the chronograph, it's laughable how bad the fakery is
• Fakes focus 100% on cosmetics - they're only designed to look real, so that's what they do best

Finally, I would say, Rolexes are very, very, very easily faked.  Rolex watches have always been designed to be simple, reliable tool watches.  As such, it's much easier for replica manufacturers to copy and stamp out the Rolex designs.  Beyond that, since Rolexes sell in such high volume, and since there's so much demand for them, Rolex fakes are the cash cow for the replica manufacturers.

If somebody on here can look and immediately spot how that watch is a forgery, just by looking at a grainy photo, I'd be incredibly impressed!  Then again, people are able to do it all the time on Reddit's r/watches.  Truly impressive skill!

I not sure pal but my advice would be if it is still a considerable amount of money they asking but heavily discounted compared to market standards then if it looks to good to be true it usually is, I got stuck buying a Raymond Weil from Turkey when I first started this journey and although it was genuine the movement inside was damaged and needed nearly the amount of money I purchased it for paying out to have it rectified 🤬🤦‍♂️

Hard to tell from those pictures.  The date magnification doesn't look right.  The back of the end links also look off.  I'm not an expert though.  I'd go with the if it seems too good to be true, it probably is

“I've bought like ~50 fakes over the past 12 months.”

🙀 Why?

To hand out to all my “clients.” The deal is, if you buy at least 8 oz, you get a free Rolex.

Nah, real reasons:

1. To hand out as gag gifts to co-workers and friends
2. My Chinese relatives wouldn’t let me buy them real watches, but being Chinese, they love a good deal, so went absolutely ape-s^%# with happiness and gratitude when I bought them fake Rolexes instead
3.  Before potentially dropping $10k-plus on a watch, I want to be able to put it on the wrist and test drive for a few weeks. Weirdly enough, ADs don’t tend to let me do this! So, I’ll order a fake and see if it wears well, if I actually like the look or not, etc., etc. 

As they say, if the deal is too good to be true than don’t believe it.

As many have said already, if is too good to be true, than it usually is. Another axiom is "buy the seller". 

Having said this, hard to tell without good close up images and/or a loupe. But Rolex don't let anything out unless it's absolutely perfect. So some basic signs are:

1.  The pin that holds the hands in, is rough textured and not smooth.
2. The numerals on the date wheel are not sharp and have bled into their surrounds.
3. The cyclops magnification doesn't feel strong enough.
4. The Rolex crown is hard to reproduce, so if you see any where the prongs of the crown start blending into one another, that's a tell.
5. Compare the position and sharpness of text on the dial. Refer to same model on the Rolex website.
6.  Lume may not be as strong as expected, on the wrong spots or wrong colour.
7. Ultimately inspect the movement. I'm no watch maker but Rolex movements have very specific components that make it hard to replicate, hence why fakes settle on ETA or equivalents. If you google a picture of the movement for this watch and compare, you can make a judgement call. 

Hooe this helps.

Hard to believe that there are fakes out there that look this good. I usually can spot a fake watch from a mile away, so I would say it’s real, based on the looks. 

But as other members already said: if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true 🤷🏻‍♂️ 
How much are they asking for it? 

There is a serial number on the card, not sure how easy it would be to check with an authorized reseller to check if the watch was ever registered. It may be real but it could also be stolen. 

The picture shows plastic still on the watch. Every Rolex sold from a AD must have all plastic removed before they give it to the customer. I would bet this is fake. 

My opinion is that it is difficult to tell fakes from real these days and realistically even harder when looking at photos on a computer/phone. I think the key really is buying crom respected second hand dealers who can be trusted. There are plenty of such reputable traders and with them, if you get a fake you can be assured they themselves have been duped (although given their experience this is unlikely) and they will make it right 

Ouch that is very unfortunate. I suppose the hope is you are getting a a good deal but like you say if it looks too good to be true then it often is.

I think Rolex has the best and easiest way to detect fakes especially on their newer sport watches. Just use torch light, there should be a very small crown laser engraved logo at the six o'clock. This logo is almost invisible with the naked eyes. You have to look deeper. IF you buying online, just make sure you buy with something that has protection from fraud. 

Yeah you're not wrong. I asked them to take some pictures of the crystal as that comes with the logo on it but they had "already packed it away so couldn't take the picture". Very convenient 🙄

Yeah I googled images of the reference and the first image it comes up with is fake models and talking about the scams out there

The 'too good to be true' concept usually applies, but be careful not to invert it, they could sell the same for real Rolex prices. At the price point it was, I'd say it was not even a fake. It was a replica disguised as an original, sold at a place where replicas are not allowed. In other words, the seller expected the customer to know that this was not real. 

Yet another red flag. As an online seller I can tell you that's a weak excuse if it's really legit. You know there will be questions and possible requests for more photos so why pack it up before it's sold?  

That is exactly right on the nose! If pressed for cash, they could have easily sold it even for a bargain basement £ 2,670 in a heartbeat with no problem if it was real. Today, anyone with a computer can find out the going values for these watches; only a counterfeiter would be asking £267.

I would probably only purchase through a reputable dealer or eBay now that they have the authenticity guarantee. However, in this case you could post over on the Rolex forums and those guys will be able to tell you in about two seconds if I watch is real or not.

With the continued upward trajectory of Rolex being one of the most desirable pieces, fakes are going to get better. There are 5 ways I've been told to avoid obtaining a fake.

1.) Loupe- I've always been told that the only way to see if a piece is fake is by using a loupe. When I get my watches appraised for insurance, I see them using loupes. 

2.) What Dealers Look for- YouTuber and former Watch Dealer Paul Thorpe recently talked about this on his channel (youtu.be/A6KpBMIF6VU).

3.) Buy from a reputable AD or Boutique if you can.

4.) Buy from a reputable Grey Market dealer (if you don't want to wait on your AD).

5.) If it's too good to be true, it probably is (with extremely rare exceptions).

Outside of that, it's a crap shoot from what I can tell, and that piece is fake for sure.

There’re policies required ADs to do that. Just to make sure you ‘wear this watch’ not selling them with ‘stickers included’. I bought a DJ last month and they have to do a peer review on the sticker removing process

£267? The bubble has well and truly burst. Sell your Rolexes now before you can’t give them away. Don’t wait for the next Barker and Jack video, get ahead of the crowd! 

Buy the seller not the watch. The noob factory can produce watches that fool the experts. You can buy box and papers for any watch for around 40 bucks. They are tracked by serial numbers. start there.

I'm sorry to say that the fake mfr's. mastered that item years ago...Being able to tell the little crown apart from a fake is what it takes. From what I've read and seen on video's the crown that is too perfect is not the real deal.....

Now that's a surprise. Just want to make sure if we are talking about the same crown? It's the not crown logo. It is the laser engraved which is invisible to the naked eye at 6 o'clock? I have seen many fakes but maybe not the newer high end. As far as I know this is not easy process. But look I supposed with the way technology progress now I won't be surprised if they can do it sooner or later. These guys maybe love the Rolex increase their price now to rediculous amount now. That way they can sell theirs higher. 

yes indeed...I am referring to the laser crown @ 6:00.....Me and a buddy both kicked in $350 and bought a rather expensive fake and it truly was a really nice piece....Scary for sure! It's actually harder for them to get the Winding crown emblem correct with regard to what the dots/dashes mean under the crown.....

The "o" of officially looks a bit out to me and I can't see the second "f". Might be the quality of the photo though but I would be careful. 

Thank you. Fortunately I gave it a miss.

Since the serial number is shown on the warranty card, I would ask to see the serial number on the metal rehault below 6 O'clock.  Then I would ask to set the time to a particular time and show right it right away to prove that they have the watch.

If you have suspicions, go by your gut.  Buy the Seller and always use an escrow service that holds on to the $$ until you've had time to get the watch checked out.  

If they're not interested in this approach, drop them fast.

That could be the protective film.  If you're not sure, have a watch maker check it out.

Fakes or "Replicas" are becoming very sophisticated these days; especially the high-end ones that sell for $500-$600 dollars.  

It really takes a trained eye from someone who knows and handles Rolexes on a regular basis. 

You're better off going thru Chron24, Ebay, or Crown and Calber.  Ebay has independent watchmakers authenticate anything over $2000 as a free service.  If they see something not right, you get notified and you can make a decision to accept or get refunded.