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

The most obvious counterfeits can be identified within seconds of contact. While many of these tips will not apply to watches that are bought online, knowing the basics of counterfeit identification is a great first step.

1. Second Hand Movement - Save for a short time where Rolex made Quartz powered watches (OysterQuartz) all Rolex movements are mechanical. This means that they have a smooth sweeping motion when the second hand moves around the dial - "ticking" about 5-8 times per second.

High-end replicas can also try and duplicate this smooth sweeping motion but don't be fooled. They'll typically use a fake Chinese or Swiss movement that is mechanical (not Quartz battery powered) that is not as smooth. It will tick about three to four times per second.

2. Clear Case Back - Of course, if dealing with a (supposed) Rolex that is ticking very obviously, stay away! This leads to another apparent counterfeit giveaway - the clear case back. Perhaps it is the fact that many Rolex counterfeits used to employ a battery powered quartz movement, but many replica manufactures (and possibly owners) must be very proud of the fact that their unit is powered by a perpetual movement.

Many replicas will try to show this fact off by sporting a clear case backing. While this is certainly an interesting feature that is employed by various other high end luxury watches, Rolex has never created a watch model with a clear case backing.

3. Weight - Should the watch pass these two initial visual tests, the weight of the watch can be a telltale sign to a fake watch. A genuine Rolex watch is extremely heavy for the size (due to high quality materials used) and most replicas will not come close to matching the weight of a real Rolex. While the weight of a watch should not be the end-all to the authenticity of a watch, a suspiciously light weight "Rolex" should be an invitation to take a closer look.

4. Date Magnification (Cyclops) - The Cyclops lens is visible on all Rolex models that show the date. It is a sphere shaped piece of glass that magnifies the date about 2.5x. Counterfeiters often try and copy this poorly.

Counterfeit Rolex watches will often only magnify the date window 1.5 times and the difference is apparent after looking at the real deal. When looking at the Cyclops at a straight on angle, the date window should be magnified so that it almost fills the whole Cyclops glass.

5. Bezel and Date Display - The alignment of the date opening and number display should be perfectly straight. Look closely at the printing of the date number (with a loupe if possible) and look for any signs of low quality printing such as uneven ink or artifacts on the background.

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 specializes in Rolex watches since 1997. Go to their website to browse hundreds of Mens and ladies Rolex or stop by their showroom located in downtown Los Angeles. TimeandGems.com also has a number of guides on buying a preowned Rolex, as well as a frequently updated blog talking about all things Rolex.