Counterfeit Rolexes have improved dramatically. The £50 fakes are still obvious; the £2,000 "super clones" are not, and some now use decorated movements that pass a casual glance through a caseback. Here is the sequence a specialist actually runs, cheapest and fastest checks first.
1–3: The things you can check across a table
The second hand. A mechanical Rolex sweeps at 8 beats per second — smooth to the eye but visibly stepped under magnification. A ticking second hand on anything but a genuine Oysterquartz is conclusive.
The cyclops magnification. Genuine Rolex cyclops lenses magnify the date 2.5×, filling the bubble. Most fakes manage about 1.5× and the date floats with space around it.
The weight. Rolex uses 904L steel and solid links. A genuine Oyster bracelet feels dense and cold. Fakes are noticeably light.
4–6: The engraving checks
The rehaut. Post-2005 watches carry "ROLEXROLEXROLEX" engraved around the inner flange with the serial at six o'clock, precisely aligned to the hour markers. Alignment and depth are what fakes miss.
The lug engravings. Reference at twelve, serial at six, between the lugs. Crisp, deep, evenly spaced. Shallow or crooked engraving is a red flag; missing engraving means a heavily polished case at best.
The crystal etch. Post-2002 Rolexes have a tiny laser-etched coronet at six o'clock in the sapphire, visible only at an angle in good light. It should be almost invisible head-on.
7–9: The dial and hands
Print quality. Rolex dial printing is razor-sharp under a 10× loupe, with no bleed and perfectly even letter spacing. Fakes show fuzzy edges, especially on the small text at the bottom of the dial.
The coronet. The applied crown at twelve should have five distinct, symmetrical points with clean separation. Fakes get the proportions subtly wrong.
Lume. Genuine Chromalight glows blue and lasts hours. Older Super-LumiNova glows green. Both should be evenly applied with no overspill onto the dial.
10–12: The parts you need to open it for
The movement. This is the only conclusive test. A genuine Rolex calibre carries a specific finish, a specific rotor, a specific calibre and serial marking, and specific bridge geometry. A specialist recognises it instantly.
The caseback. Rolex casebacks are plain and unengraved on almost every model. An "exhibition" caseback on a Submariner or a decorative engraving is wrong.
Screw threads and gaskets. Genuine cases open with a specific tool and a specific resistance. Counterfeit cases feel wrong to anyone who has opened a hundred real ones.
The checks that prove nothing
The "it passed the magnet test" claim is nonsense — plenty of fakes use non-magnetic steel. The serial number "checking out" online proves only that the number is plausible. And a heavy box with good documents proves that the seller has a good printer.
Nothing outside the movement is conclusive on a modern super clone.
What we do
Every watch we list is opened and inspected by an independent watchmaker before it goes on the site, with the movement, case, dial and bracelet checked against the reference. That is the check that matters, and it is the one you cannot do across a table in a car park.
Browse the collection
Every watch in our collection is independently authenticated and covered by a 24-month warranty. Read more about how we authenticate.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Rolex service centre will identify a fake when servicing, but they do not offer authentication as a service to the public.
Yes — copied from a genuine watch. The serial is a dating tool, not proof.
Increasingly. A real movement in a fake case is still not a Rolex, and it is worth a fraction of one.
