Reply With QuoteThat's a good read.
I always wondered though why fakers never tried to replicate the obvious signs better. Suppose it's too much of a hit on their profit margin!
Interesting article in French GQ on how to spot a fake - specifically Rolex, Omega and TAG - the preamble is in French but the interesting stuff is in English if you scroll down.
http://www.gqmagazine.fr/actu-montre...ag-heuer/26939
That's a good read.
I always wondered though why fakers never tried to replicate the obvious signs better. Suppose it's too much of a hit on their profit margin!
Guides like that, while helpful, don't really cover the whole subject.
Made me smile when I read the comment about rolex bezels lining up perfectly to the minute markers - the modern ceramic ones are appalling at present - some are bob on, but some are all over the place.
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Guides like that, while helpful, don't really cover the whole subject.
Made me smile when I read the comment about rolex bezels lining up perfectly to the minute markers - the modern ceramic ones are appalling at present - some are bob on, but some are all over the place.
"Next time, you will think twice before buying a Rolex € 100 on eBay."
Surely the price is the biggest giveaway, oui? Good article, though.
I think it's more of a checklist.Originally Posted by Umbongo
If all of the pointers have a tick next to them it's a fake kind of thing.
Yeah, agreed. Its at east an attempt to address the sh*teness of fakedom.
So no engraving on the backs of Rolex except a few ladies models? Riiiight.
Best get those Sea-Dwellers in the bin then chaps.
I think it may do more harm than good. Fakes are often much better than that now sadly and easy to think 'it doesn't have any of those so must be legit'.
Googling the serial number is one that should have been on there.
Fair point.
Great guide for cheaper fakes..
However fakes are on a whole different level nowadays..
Exactly - and they are what some of the membership here, with access to a whole world of newbies, like to collect.
Yes, it would be an error to assume that every replica or 'fake' would be caught out by one of these tests. Nonetheless, most would fall foul of at least one of them.
Well, Yes. If you are spending €100 on a 'Rolex', you know full well you are buying a fake. Still being ripped off though!
The best of today's fakes are known a 'Frankenstein's', and IMHO Paneria are the best of them. These can have a mix of originals parts; dials, cases and even boxes and papers. The second hand market today is a minefield. So, best advice is do your homework or ask on the forum the better informed. Original papers and serial numbers that match are always a plus, but then again there is always an exception to the rule (I would always stay away from Rolex papers printed and not stamped Rolex papers if premiums are being asked).
Regards,
M
P.S. always happy to help (PM please) with sport vintage and neo vintage Rolex/Tudors but best advice is enjoy the hunt and never buy quickly!
If a fake is being offered at £100 you know exactly what it is. It's when it's offered at £000's of pounds that the problems really begin.
Would be interesting to see something like this for vintage pieces
Yes great for newbies!
What to look for in a redial or relume job..
I'm a newbie and looking for a Rolex, thanks for the link.
Hope my mates wife don't read it, he bought a Rolex a year ago after saving for some years and told her that it's a fake he bought for £25 she would flip if she found out it's real.
Thanks for posting this Simon.
And milsubs, Omani SD's, etc.
The problem with these "how to spot a fake" articles are that they give the fakers ideas how they can fake them better. If I can get "jumping numbers" (as Roland Kemmner calls unique serial numbers), I'm sure the fakers can.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
The fakers are already extremely expert at doing that. They go to extraordinary lengths to copy the most minute details, based on years of microscopic study of the originals. I don't think advice like "Si le tic-tac fait beaucoup de bruit, méfiez-vous" is going to trigger a paradigm shift in faking.
I think it's a good thing for ordinary punters to have as much information as possible about fakes; suppressing it hurts them (and genuine watch manufacturers) more than it hurts the fakers. Similarly, educating the public about con tricks (”Pave your driveway, love?") may give some con men ideas, but it also helps people avoid getting conned.
Here's hoping she doesn't sell it for a £100 thinking she's done him a favour!
Isn't it the same as any type of crime? Should the police stop giving out advice of how to make your home more secure because it will educate burglars, or banks stop telling you how to avoid credit card identity theft because this will make hackers change their techniques?
That's exactly the reason why the door industry didn't educate people about 'lock snapping'. It was suggested that crime prevention advice would only educate burglars. Once it because obvious that criminals use the Internet too, then information about crime prevention became more public.
Similarly, I imagine people who make fake watches are knowledgeable about the details of their trade. Thought perhaps the details don't have to be 100% accurate to sell many fakes. If you can sell plenty of watches that look good enough, why bother investing in creating the perfect fake?
Good article. Refers to the rolex cyclops as 2.5x if not then a fake. Not true anymore as Rolex have most the plot with QC
Sorry, explain please?
Not all cyclops coming out of rolex now have a 2.5x magnification. Some cyclops have less than this. It's a mixed bag and goes to show inconsistency from Rolex. I have a sub with a x2.5x cyclops yet my brand new Gmt2 has a cyclops which clearly is not 2.5x. I know it's genuine since its brand new from an AD. But according to the guide the lack of correct magnification would be one sign that is not the genuine article.
What is the magnification on the GMT cyclops?
That's the million dollar question. Who knows? Historically the cyclops should be x2.5 but that's not the case now.
I read somewhere that the cyclops are all 2.5, but due to the different chapter rings on the cases between a sub and a gmt , you get more magnification on the sub as its further from the dial as apposed to the gmt being closer?
Saw this & it has to be the worst fake I could ever imagine!!!
where would you start with that monstrosity!!! its actually so far removed from the genuine item is it even a 'fake'?!
As my main interest lies in Speedmasters, particularly older 'vintage' models, the issue of fakes doesn't really arise. There are fakes but they wouldn't fool a cat. A thorough knowledge of the model will help protect against ending up with a 'Franken'. However, I have recently had the opportunity to examine a top quality, fake 42mm Planet Ocean and that was an eye-opener for sure. Even the bracelet was excellently finished, although not OEM quality. TBH, if the bracelet had been removed and replaced with an OEM strap I would never have guessed that it wasn't kosher. It was driven by an ETA 2824-2 movement which I assume would be a direct swap for the 2892 derived 2500, so the basic architecture and layout was spot on.
A genuine one or an Asian clone?
I'm not sure and wouldn't be confident that I could tell the difference TBH. It was silver coloured rather than gold and had the normal ETA markings. I could possibly get a couple of pics of the movement - after all we've already had the back off it anyhow. The guy that owned it claims that it's keeping time to within +3 secs/day, so it's certainly doing what it's supposed to do and could easily be swapped out for another if it dies.
That makes sense. But unfortunately you can variation between two gmts which is why I was questioning Rolex QC and inconsistency.
Just saw this while browsing on cousins, could be interesting.
"Real & Fake watches" by Fabrice Gueroux
https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/wa...es?code=C40600
Seems to be the 2015 English version of a 2010 French book.
Pretty much - I'm just half-way through written a journal article about this (I'm an academic) - the counterfeit literature all says the same thing "we can cut counterfeiting by educating the public" but that isn't the case here (or at least not in my research), when you look at fakes in excess of say £500, the people buying tend to be highly knowledgeable and not only that educate others on how to buy better fakes - moreover they often interact with the producers to improve the overall quality...
I have a copy of that on its way to me - I'll report back what's in it.
I don't think it's anything to do with QC, Rolex will fit the part they choose to fit.
'QC' (quality control) issues suggests that a 'bad bunch' of cyclops have got through, this is unlikely to be the case, more a decision on what magnification to fit to different GMT series watches.
I can understand if there was a difference between different models. But differences in the same model just shows rolex is not following a consistent spec. That's not good in my books.
Inconsistency is actually one attribute to look for in fakes!
Interesting tips... I wonder if you could also spot a fake by its crystal, maybe by the lack of AR coating.
Rolex don't use AR coating, except under the cyclops.
How interesting! My old Air King didn't have a AR coating but somehow I assumed new models had.
Why don't rolex use ar coating like other companies. There must be a reason.
I've reading up on fake Rolex SubC and its quite scary. As I'm looking to pick up a Sub soon and if I purchased a fake I'm not sure I could tell. At the same time it makes me question the value of a genuine item, when there is no noticable difference to a high-end knock off.
Then buy one (or more) of Eddie's watches, or a Sinn, Damasko etc. from an AD. Guaranteed genuine, lots of cash left, and you'll be wearing something different to the common herd.
F.T.F.A.
Value is relative.
The genuine item is the genuine item. Depends why people want to buy a rolex. Is it for their enjoyment or for showing to others. If it is the latter then buying a good quality knock off or a homage is the way to go.
If like most of us on here they want to enjoy, appreciate and celebrate what's on their wrist then the extra money for the genuine item is certainly worth it.
I think there's a psychological aspect to it too; if you're the type of person who likes to deceive then you're probably going to get more enjoyment out of wearing an accurate fake whereas I (and probably 99% of the people here) would feel guilty wearing a fake.
Interesting book, just ordered one
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