Jump to content

Fake Rolex ’s are just getting to convincing


Recommended Posts

The replica industry is a odd beast- I know a lot of people who are pretty darn shallow though.  I know someone who owns a replica and won't wear it because they are worried about being robbed. (eyes rolling)

Personally, I don't think I'd buy a Rolex unless I had it under the loupe first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been a minefield for a long time. Already 20 years ago they were buying humdrum stainless Rolex watches, then putting the movement in solid gold cases made in Italy with exquisite dial and hands to make a new sought after model. Profit margin back then probably 10k per piece after buying the donor and the gold. They were/are so good that the only sure way to know is to analyze the gold (Rolex has its own alloys).

 

At that point it actually begs the question- how real is real? If an expert can't tell, and even Rolex has to go to the lab, and the workmanship is equal, dangit it's real, no?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, RyMoeller said:

The replica industry is a odd beast- I know a lot of people who are pretty darn shallow though.  I know someone who owns a replica and won't wear it because they are worried about being robbed. (eyes rolling)

Personally, I don't think I'd buy a Rolex unless I had it under the loupe first.

     Fake/replica  rolex.   about 20 yrs. ago,  at a swap meet:  there was a dealer selling VERY good looking "replicas " -80 bucks - i was collecting omegas,  he had none.   i bought a Bretling,  never a rolex.   vin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

At that point it actually begs the question- how real is real? If an expert can't tell, and even Rolex has to go to the lab, and the workmanship is equal, dangit it's real, no?

Don't worry, we aren't there yet. Experts can tell from a lot not so small details. This other great video is perhaps more illustrative. It is not even a real coaxial, just a camouflaged one.

BTW, selling a fake for genuine happens but is a large minority of the sales. 99% of the success of counterfeiting is due to watch "lovers" that  fuel counterfeiting by consciously buying it. They think it's a good idea to look richer and hence "better" by deception.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, jdm said:

Don't worry, we aren't there yet. Experts can tell from a lot not so small details. This other great video is perhaps more illustrative. It is not even a real coaxial, just a camouflaged one.

BTW, selling a fake for genuine happens but is a large minority of the sales. 99% of the success of counterfeiting is due to watch "lovers" that  fuel counterfeiting by consciously buying it. They think it's a good idea to look richer and hence "better" by deception.

 

    i did not like the "design" of any current rolex  and even the workmanship of the fake?  vin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I must admit the fakers nowadays are much better. I recall some eight years ago  my long term friend saw me wearing the Rolex datejust. To my surprise, he suddenly showed me a fake one and offered it to me for FREE. I gratefully thanked him but refused to accept. However I did examined the watch closely and was,n,t impressed by its weight. The craftsmanship.then was way off comparing to the one I noticed in this forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • this is something I've never quite understood about the some of the Swiss companies. In 1957 Omega was using 9010 for the keyless parts with epilam. there's been a slow migration towards using heavier lubrication's but still typically oils and epilam to keep them in place. When it seems like 9504 works so much better.  
    • OK, welcome in the world of alarm clocks... I guess the 4th wheel is dished because it is from another movement. If it was not dishet, then it would not mesh with the pinion of the escape wheel, am I right? The marks of wear on the 4th wheel pinion doesn't corespond to the 3th wheel table position, at list this is what i see on the picts. Calculating the rate is easy - there is a formula - BR = T2 x T3 x T4 x T5 x 2 /(P3 x P4 x P5) where T2 - T5 are the counts of the teeth of the wheels tables, and P3 - P5 are the counts of the pinion leaves. Vibrating the balance is easy - grasp for the hairspring where it should stay in the regulator with tweasers, let the balance hang on the hairspring while the downside staff tip rests on glass surface. Then make the balance oscillate and use timer to measure the time for let say 50 oscillations, or count the oscillations for let say 30 seconds. You must do the free oscillations test to check the balance staff tips and the cone cup bearings for wear. This kind of staffs wear and need resharpening to restore the normal function of the balance.
    • Glue a nut to the barrel lid, insert a bolt, pull, disolve the glue.  Maybe someone will have a better answer. 
    • The stress is the force (on the spring) x distance. The maximum stress is at the bottom, and decreases up the arm. That's why they always break at the bottom. I used a round file, then something like 2000 grit to finish. I gave the rest of the arm a quick polish - no need for a perfect finish. Just make sure there are no 'notches' left from cutting/filing. The notches act like the perforations in your toilet paper 🤣
    • It's probably a cardinal rule for watch repair to never get distracted while at the bench. Yesterday, after finishing a tricky mainspring winding/barrel insertion (I didn't have a winder and arbor that fit very well) I mentally shifted down a gear once that hurdle was passed. There were other things going on in the room as I put the barrel and cover into the barrel closer and pressed to get that satisfying snap. But when I took it out I realized I never placed the arbor.  When opening a barrel, we are relying on the arbor to transfer a concentrically-distributed force right where it is needed at the internal center of the lid. However, when that isn't present it's difficult to apply pressure or get leverage considering the recessed position of the lid, the small holes in the barrel and the presence of the mainspring coils. It was a beat-up practice movement so I didn't take a lot of time to think it over and I pushed it out using a short right-angle dental probe placed in from the bottom, but that did leave a bit of a scratch and crease in the thin lid. I had also thought about pulling it using a course-threaded screw with a minor thread diameter smaller than the lid hole and a major diameter larger, but that may have done some damage as well.  Thinking about how this might have been handled had it been a more valuable movement, is there a method using watchmaking or other tools that should extract the lid with the least damage? 
×
×
  • Create New...