Buying A Rolex? Here's 5 Ways To Know If You're Dealing With A Fake

A fake Rolex is easy to spot if you know what to look for. You can pretty much tell in a matter of minutes if it's real or fake by looking for features that Replica Rolex watches cannot duplicate well. Here are 5 ways to instantly spot a fake:

1. Movement - Simply looking at the movement of the watch is enough to blow the cover on most fakes. Rolex watches (with the exception of the Oysterquartz) appear to have a silky smooth "sweeping" movement - The "sweeping" movement comes from the busy Rolex movement ticking five to eight times per second.

Many high end fakes will almost duplicate this effect but the keyword is ALMOST - even most of the high end fake watches tick around three to four times a second. This still generates a similar "sweeping" illusion but it is immediately apparent that it is not as smooth as a genuine Rolex movement.

2. Clear Case Back - Another giveaway for a replica Rolex is the clear case back. This is a transparent window on the back of the watch case that shows the movement inside. Despite many fake Rolex watches using quartz movements, there are some "higher-end" models that use a mechanical movement.

You won't see a battery, but a real mechanical movement ticking away. These are easily made (low quality ones) and are no indication of a real Rolex. These counterfeiters may be proud of their mechanical movement, but a clear case back Rolex has never been produced so seeing one is a clear indication of a replica.

3. Watch weight - A combination of high quality materials in the movement, case and bracelet add up to quite a bit of weight. An all gold Rolex which is quite light is a good indication of hollow links, or simply steel that is gold-plated and thus, a fake watch.

4. Cyclops - All Rolex models with the date feature will feature a Cyclops magnification glass; which is a raised sphere of glass that is designed to magnify the date display on the dial. The magnification on a genuine Cyclops glass will be approximately 2.5 times. Like many other attributes, a counterfeit Rolex watch may fall short of the capabilities of a genuine Rolex watch.

A replica Rolex will often use a lower magnification about 1.5x. An easy way to tell is to see if the date display is magnified enough to almost fill the whole window while looking directly at it.

5. Date and Bezel Rotation - Rolex has a proprietary process to manufacture all their watches and their quality control is world-class. Check the printing of the date number and see if it is well done. Also check for alignment in the window. If either of these are just a little off, chances are it's a fake. Real Rolex watches are "perfect" and shouldn't have even the tiniest imperfections.

Genuine Rolex bezels are a dream to rotate. It is smooth and the click you get is very subtle yet solid. A real Rolex should click about 120 times while a fake one only clicks about 60 times. Fake bezels also make a louder noise and are very obvious to spot if you've felt a real one rotated.

Jaye Cadlah owns Time and Gems, an online retail store that has been selling Rolex watches since 1997. Go to their website to browse hundreds of Mens and Ladies Rolex watches or stop by their showroom located in downtown Los Angeles. TimeandGems.com also has comprehensive used Rolex buying guides, as well as a frequently updated blog talking about all things Rolex.