Tips on Spotting Fake Rolexes

Originally Posted by junior varsity

Click to expand...

well it is true that i think rolex and other top brands who do not offer deep discounts over MSRP are placing/catering themselves specifically to a segment of population ..

and i agree with that idea... a ferrari should always be expensive and out of the hands of the middle-class, so should a patek or zegna suits. it should be an achievement to be able to own one of those, and it makes people proud to have them.

by undermining the market with sales and catering to the mass audience like what Tag Heuer or BMW have done, also undermines the true value and also perceived value of the watch.

Also, by making it very exclusive, it makes the item hold its value much better than nonexclusive items. A $200,000 CLK Black AMG that you can walk out of the show-room with, depreciates 60% of its overall value in 2-3 years. A $200,000 Ferrari F430 that you have to be on the "list" for to even be considered, only depreciates 20% of its overall value in 2-3 years, if that.

This middle-class guy has plenty of zegna suits. They were unable to keep them out of my grubby hands. Sorry if that devalues yours. I am more proud of the things I do than the things I own. How old are you? You sound like a fifteen year old with rich parents.

A rolex datejust brand new is like $6500, that's not exactly out of the realm of someone who wants one who earns a decent middle class living.

I hope Rolex's aren't gemmed............


Adrian

Originally Posted by jhva3

Click to expand...

This middle-class guy has plenty of zegna suits. They were unable to keep them out of my grubby hands. Sorry if that devalues yours. I am more proud of the things I do than the things I own. How old are you? You sound like a fifteen year old with rich parents.

im 24, grew up poor, and worked hard to be able to afford the nice stuff

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

Click to expand...

This is an obnoxious post, but I'll take a stab at it. The place in Taiwan is not smelting their own 904L stainless steel and 18k gold among many other things they are not doing. What are their standards for work environments like? Are their factories clean and safe? Do they market the brand? Do they allow their sales people, factory workers and corporate employees a decent living?

I apologise if I came across as obnoxious. I was merely musing over the situation. I am aware that there are many things to consider when evaluating the price of a product, not just the materials and construction.

The watchmaker from Taiwan runs his own shop and works alone. He lives very comfortably as far as I am aware. His watches are in very high demand. Taiwan is a very nice place to live.

He uses 316L steel not 904L. He does use 18K white gold on the hands and dial as Rolex does.
There isn't really anything special about 904L. It has a slightly more nickel and chrome and exhibits slightly more corrosion resistance to acids and salt water. I believe that it's a more of a marketing device than anything else. Remember, Rolex used 316L on their bracelets until recently.

The other factories that I referred to are mostly in Guangzhou, China. It is a pretty terrible place and I don't think that the factories would be of an acceptable standard.

I wouldn't trust anyone but Rolex to verify the authenticity of one of their watches. The fakes are simply too good.

Originally Posted by corey.m

Click to expand...

I apologise if I came across as obnoxious. I was merely musing over the situation. I am aware that there are many things to consider when evaluating the price of a product, not just the materials and construction.

The watchmaker from Taiwan runs his own shop and works alone. He lives very comfortably as far as I am aware. His watches are in very high demand. Taiwan is a very nice place to live.

He uses 316L steel not 904L. He does use 18K white gold on the hands and dial as Rolex does.
There isn't really anything special about 904L. It has a slightly more nickel and chrome and exhibits slightly more corrosion resistance to acids and salt water. I believe that it's a more of a marketing device than anything else. Remember, Rolex used 316L on their bracelets until recently.

The other factories that I referred to are mostly in Guangzhou, China. It is a pretty terrible place and I don't think that the factories would be of an acceptable standard.

I wouldn't trust anyone but Rolex to verify the authenticity of one of their watches. The fakes are simply too good.

how are they able to replicate the 31 jewel 3135 movement ?

Originally Posted by corey.m

Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust anyone but Rolex to verify the authenticity of one of their watches. The fakes are simply too good.
Yes, I am sure honest dealers accidentally sell fakes oin Ebay, some of the time. Then again, if the buyer never knows the difference, I guess it doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

Click to expand...

im 24, grew up poor, and worked hard to be able to afford the nice stuff
What line of work are you in at the age of 24?

Originally Posted by junior varsity

Click to expand...

how are they able to replicate the 31 jewel 3135 movement ?
Maybe they don't. Maybe that's why you have to open the thing to ever tell ? A $5 watch tells as good time as a Rolex.

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Click to expand...

Seiko junk LOL

Japanese goldplated crap ROFLMAO

The real "L.O.L." here is that people can actually bring themselves to spend 6 digits on marsupialed accessories that literally have no place in this century/millennium while others beg to eat. But I'm sure that "telling, envious look" some oblivious peasant flashes you from the sidewalk corner makes it all worthwhile. Your posts reek of trying too hard.

Originally Posted by Beckertime

Click to expand...

Good fakes will look the same and weigh the same.
This makes me laugh. The day that some counterfeiting company can me make a suit for $200 that looks and feels (fits) identical to some virtuosic RLPL/Kiton piece is the day I swear off designer/brand-name clothes forever. There would be no point any longer . . . . So what do you get out of buying a Rolex for $10,000+ if it's indistinguishable from zillions of fakes that you already know with certainty are flooding the market from Canal Street NYC to Seoul? If someone has to take your watch off your hand and spend twenty minutes unscrewing the case in order to inspect it under a microscope just to determine whether it's "real" how much actual value can you possibly argue there is in that authenticity? I'm not trying to argue on behalf of counterfeiting, I guess I just feel like designers need to find a way to make their (genuine) wares seem worth the price -- and Rolex obviously manages that, given their success, but it just doesn't agree with my brain because I absolutely cannot fathom it. There are fake LV and Chanel purses all over the place too, but most of them are pretty obvious; if you want to be able to walk down 5th Ave with your head held high you can't be clutching a $20 fake Bastille that looks it. But when it comes to watches, if the fakes are that close to indistinguishable, how is it worth anyone's time to have (or even want) the real deal? Suits are suits, you need them to do business. Watches are completely superfluous today, so how do they remain such a major spending item? Do people just graduate from business/law school and go out into the world and say "oh look everyone else in my new corporate frat has a solid gold watch, I guess I better buy one too"?

Originally Posted by junior varsity

Click to expand...

how are they able to replicate the 31 jewel 3135 movement ?

They haven't yet. There is a 3135 "clone" available but it's just a 2836 clone dressed up to look like a 3135.

The watchmaker that I spoke of is using the 2824-2. His watches accept the 3135, and he offers the 3135 movement for ~1800 USD. You see 3135 for sale often enough.

The lesser factories use the 2836-2, often a copy.

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

Click to expand...

if the fakes are that close to indistinguishable, how is it worth anyone's time to have (or even want) the real deal?

As stated, I have asked myself this many times.

Ultimately, I see watches as creative expressions of engineering and industrial design.

If want to own an one, I think it's only fair that I should pay the creator.

Good philosophy, corey m. Ultimately, I will pass my rolexes to my son. Do I want to give him a collection of fakes? I swear I am spending so much time ensuring that I buy an original. Thanks for all the responses to this thread. Very, very insightful. One SF member suggested that I buy a book - which I did. I learned more about Rolexes in 30 minutes than I ever had. Honestly - they're like anything beautiful - cars, women, suits. Hey, possesion is 9/10th's of the law. I'm having another martini. I suggest everyone does the same. Ciao

The easiest way to spot a fake is to look at the person wearing it. I know that everyone has their vice, but I can't ever see laying down a substantial amount of money for a watch.

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Click to expand...

I
Rolex purposely prices their watches out of the reach of the middle class for a reason. I have never lost money on any pre-owned Rolex I have traded in. On several, I have even made a profit after several years. No other watch can make that claim. Enjoy trading in your Breitlings and Omegas for a paltry 20% if you're lucky. Talk about a real sucker for buying one of those.

I love the envious looks my watch receives from those in the know. Rolex defines sober, understated elegance. No suits or shoes could ever match that feeling.

Are you marsupialed?

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Click to expand...

I agree. If your watch is fake then you're a fake.

That's why I prefer my 18k Sub. It's impossible to fake a solid 18k gold watch for $300 much less $3000. You'd know by the weight and the tone first and foremost. Not to mention, my polishing cloth would easily rub out any goldplating exposing the steel beneath.

Nice try by the Rolex haters to come up with yet another lame reason why they can't afford the brand. Rolex purposely prices their watches out of the reach of the middle class for a reason. I have never lost money on any pre-owned Rolex I have traded in. On several, I have even made a profit after several years. No other watch can make that claim. Enjoy trading in your Breitlings and Omegas for a paltry 20% if you're lucky. Talk about a real sucker for buying one of those.

I love the envious looks my watch receives from those in the know. Rolex defines sober, understated elegance. No suits or shoes could ever match that feeling.

Doooooooouche