Tips on Spotting Fake Rolexes

Nothing in this thread has convinced me that I will even need or want a Rolex or a fake Rolex. Because of this I will waste no more gray matter on the topic and keep wearing my trucker cap that always tells me the correct time: "beer-thirty".

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

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Are you marsupialed?

lol, I like how he calls his solid gold Rolex understated and sober.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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What line of work are you in at the age of 24?
Getting my MBA from a top east coast school, along with other things

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

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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.
Dropping 6 digits on marsupialed accessories? So in that sense, it is also marsupialed to drop $3500 on some cow hide put together by a japanese man... It is what one values the most and provides the most satisfaction. Also to counter your point that no one knows if a person's rollie is real or not. 99.99999% of the people in the world dont know what G&G or Koji shoes are. (I thought my Gucci's and Ferragamos were the shiznit until I was 'enlightened' on this forum) So, you might spend $3000 on shoes, but people who dont know might think its $600, or even bargain basement. On top of that, I as a watch person, love the mechanical nature of the movement. Like the hand-wind Omega Speedmaster professional for example. Pure artistry. I am sure, the shoes people or the suits people can also identity how the manufacturing process of shoes or suits contain artistic aspects as well, so I conclude that there is no right or wrong. If you like purple label and kiton suits, and wear a $2000 Tag Heuer Carrera... thats fine, because you chose to spend higher % of income on clothing rather than watch. Other people might value it differently, and drop $600 and get a great brooks brothers suit (fitzgerald) on sale, then drop $12,000 on a Rolex Daytona. Either way, people choose to do what they do - so there is NO POINT TO SAY WHO IS RIGHT OR WHO IS WRONG

question for corey.m -

a $300 automatic cannot have what a $6000 real entry level rolex have.
Sapphire crystal alone costs $300.
One way to test if the watch is fake is to stab and cut the crystal with a steel sharp object like a knife or a screw driver. If it shows damage then its fake, if it doesnt show damage then its sapphire.

Another thing is after doing research obviously, for example my Omega Planet Ocean 42mm has dual-sided anti-reflective coating so in certain angles it looks as if the sapphire crystal doesnt exist and you could touch the pointers. Fakes usually skimp on the finer details.

I feel sorry for whoever spends $300 on a "good fake", because if you save a bit more you could have a decent preowned real watch. I just sold my mint condition 1 year old Tag Heuer Carrera automatic for $750. So we know if you shop around you can get a REAL watch for a decent price.

But then, in my opinion, if what you said is correct with a fake that has replicated automatic movement, sapphire crystal, authentic bracelet, authentic casing, and all the fine details correct, then it would cost almost as much as the actual item.
So, they have to skimp on something. To my knowledge even for my Omega, the sapphire crystal - $300 @ indy buying non-OEM, the OEM bracelet is $500. So two items added together would be $800 and that doesnt even include the watch itself...

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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Getting my MBA from a top east coast school, along with other things

How can you afford the nicer things if you're a student?

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"?

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Yes. That is exactly how its done. (Baaaa!)

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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a $300 automatic cannot have what a $6000 real entry level rolex have.
Sapphire crystal alone costs $300.
One way to test if the watch is fake is to stab and cut the crystal with a steel sharp object like a knife or a screw driver. If it shows damage then its fake, if it doesnt show damage then its sapphire.

The $300 Rolex fakes (called noobmariners in the replica communities) have true sapphire crystals. It has been tested. You don't need to stab it

I'm pretty sure that they accept a genuine crystal as well. I know that the Taiwanese watch makers one does.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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Another thing is after doing research obviously, for example my Omega Planet Ocean 42mm has dual-sided anti-reflective coating so in certain angles it looks as if the sapphire crystal doesnt exist and you could touch the pointers. Fakes usually skimp on the finer details.

The fake Omega 42mm PO isn't that great. It wasn't replicated by dissecting a genuine example. The 45mm PO was. From the fake factory they have single sided AR, but there is a guy offering an AR coating service. He strips the existing AR coating from the sapphire then coats both sides with the exact same AR coating that Omega uses.

Both accept the genuine dial, hands, crystal and bracelet. They accept the genuine bezel insert with some modification. These parts are readily available from ADs online.

The 45mm PO is another watch I wouldn't buy online for the same reasons.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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I feel sorry for whoever spends $300 on a "good fake", because if you save a bit more you could have a decent preowned real watch. I just sold my mint condition 1 year old Tag Heuer Carrera automatic for $750. So we know if you shop around you can get a REAL watch for a decent price.

Yeah, I'd do the same thing. I'd take a Stowa, Hamilton or customised Seiko over a fake. But I see the appeal and understand the rational, so I don't judge.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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But then, in my opinion, if what you said is correct with a fake that has replicated automatic movement, sapphire crystal, authentic bracelet, authentic casing, and all the fine details correct, then it would cost almost as much as the actual item.
So, they have to skimp on something. To my knowledge even for my Omega, the sapphire crystal - $300 @ indy buying non-OEM, the OEM bracelet is $500. So two items added together would be $800 and that doesnt even include the watch itself...

They skimp on marketing, R&D, distribution, paying western world wages etc. All the overheads of running a legitimate business.

Omega has huge margins on their spares.

Seriously, some of the replicas have been better built than their genuine counterparts.

Don't get me wrong. There are some absolutely terrible fakes out there with loads of "tells". Some cost a lot of money too.

However there are handful that are perfect from the factory, and some more which are close to perfect and can be modified to be practically perfect.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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How can you afford the nicer things if you're a student?

there are many ways college and grad students make $$$ (investing in the stock market, playing online poker, going to the casino, running a bookie, etc etc)
but there are many ways college and grad students save $$$ (living @ home, not going out everynight to bars, thrift in general etc etc)

Originally Posted by corey.m

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Don't get me wrong. There are some absolutely terrible fakes out there with loads of "tells". Some cost a lot of money too.

However there are handful that are perfect from the factory, and some more which are close to perfect and can be modified to be practically perfect.

now you are making me paranoid about my planet ocean

so from what you are saying ... if they sell @ $300 then they must make about at least 100% profit ...
so the pure cost of everything is $100-$150 for a fake watch that has everything OEM except the movement?
Thats about 1000RMB in China, and $300 is about $2400RMB in China.
So, which means they are paying the watchmakers in grains of rice instead of money...

I don't have any real knowledge of the various factories profit structure.

I do know that there are multiple factories catering for different levels of the fake market and that they all have very high output.

I guess the money's in the volume for most of them.

There single man / small operations obviously have higher margins.

There's one guy selling absolutely perfect 111Hs for $1300 USD. Small runs of 5 or 10 every few months.

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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...99.99999% of the people in the world dont care

FTFY

Originally Posted by junior varsity

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there are many ways college and grad students make $$$ (investing in the stock market, playing online poker, going to the casino, running a bookie, etc etc)
but there are many ways college and grad students save $$$ (living @ home, not going out everynight to bars, thrift in general etc etc)

But not you eh? Daddy?

Originally Posted by Master Squirrel

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But not you eh? Daddy?

Which isn't always a bad thing. My dad gave me a Yachtmaster as a graduation gift when I finished law school. I like it, its pretty classic and understated. I don't ever recall getting envious looks from people or anything like that.

Originally Posted by Master Squirrel

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But not you eh? Daddy?

Never had a dad. We were so poor, we had card board boxes as furniture and milk crates as chairs... Enough said.

Originally Posted by corey.m

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I don't have any real knowledge of the various factories profit structure.

I do know that there are multiple factories catering for different levels of the fake market and that they all have very high output.

I guess the money's in the volume for most of them.

There single man / small operations obviously have higher margins.

There's one guy selling absolutely perfect 111Hs for $1300 USD. Small runs of 5 or 10 every few months.

paying $1300USD for a fake?
That has to be either really stupid or really smart (if you can turn it around and sell it to a watch shop for many times that )