How to Tell If a Rolex Is Real.

Every genuine Rolex has a unique serial number engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock on the case side (visible when the bracelet is removed). On watches made after 2005, it is also laser-etched on the rehaut (inner bezel ring). The serial number corresponds to a specific production year. Use the free Rolex serial checker below to verify that the format is consistent with a real Rolex. Fakes often use made-up serials or numbers that don't match any documented Rolex production batch. A serial that doesn't fit the known format ranges — numeric pre-1987, letter-prefix 1987–2011, or 8-character random post-2011 — is an immediate red flag.

Rolex movements run at a minimum of 6 beats per second (28,800 vph), making the second hand appear to sweep smoothly and continuously around the dial. The naked eye cannot detect individual beats at this speed. Virtually all fake Rolexes use cheap quartz or low-grade mechanical movements. Quartz fakes tick once per second with a distinctive jerky step. Low-grade mechanical fakes may sweep, but often at only 18,000 vph (5 beats per second), giving a noticeably choppy motion. Hold the watch face-up and watch the second hand for 10–15 seconds. If it steps or stutters, it is almost certainly not genuine. Note: The only genuine Rolexes with a ticking second hand are quartz models from the 1970s–1980s, specifically the Rolex Oysterquartz and Beta 21 — these are rare collector's pieces.

Any Rolex with a date display features a Cyclops lens — a bubble of sapphire crystal positioned over the date window at 3 o'clock. Rolex's Cyclops magnifies the date figure by exactly 2.5 times. When you look at a genuine Rolex date, it should fill the Cyclops aperture almost entirely and appear crisp and perfectly centred. On genuine pieces, the date is immediately obvious and highly readable. On counterfeits, the Cyclops either provides no meaningful magnification (1.0–1.5×), appears off-centre, is positioned slightly too high or low, or distorts the number edges. To test: hold the watch at eye level and observe the date. On a real Rolex it should look enormous and perfectly sharp.

With very few exceptions, all Rolex watches have a solid, plain case back with no exhibition window showing the movement. Rolex believes their movements are best protected behind solid case backs, and they have held this philosophy since the 1930s. The only exceptions are a handful of rare antique Rolex pieces from before World War II, and certain limited presentation models. If someone is selling you a Rolex with a display case back showing the movement — unless it is a confirmed pre-war antique — it is a fake. Counterfeiters use display backs because their cheap movements look impressive through glass, and because buyers mistakenly believe this signals quality. Turn the watch over. A solid, brushed or polished back is correct. A glass window is wrong.

Rolex watches are manufactured from solid 904L stainless steel (a grade normally reserved for aerospace and chemical industry applications), 18k solid gold, or platinum. These are dense, heavy materials. A genuine stainless steel Rolex typically weighs between 100 and 160 grams depending on the model. Gold models range from 190 to 220 grams. Platinum pieces can reach 270 grams. Pick up the watch. Genuine Rolexes feel immediately substantive — almost unnervingly heavy for their size. Counterfeits are typically made from pot metal, zinc alloy, or low-grade steel, and feel noticeably light and hollow. If you can, compare directly with a confirmed genuine example of the same model. The weight difference is often instantly perceptible.

Rolex engravings are among the most precisely executed markings in watchmaking. The serial number and model (reference) number are engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock respectively, using a method that produces fine, crisp lines with sharp edges. The characters should appear deeply and evenly cut, with perfectly consistent spacing and stroke width. Run your fingernail very lightly across the engraving — you should feel definite ridges. Fake engravings are typically shallower, sandblasted in appearance (looking "dotted" under magnification rather than cleanly cut), poorly spaced, or slightly smeared. Under a loupe (jeweller's magnifying glass, 10×), the difference between a genuine and fake engraving is immediately obvious. The crown logo on genuine pieces should be precise and sharp — not blobby or asymmetrical.

The winding crown on a genuine Rolex is a precision component. Screw it down — it should thread smoothly onto the tube with no wobbling or grinding. Pull it out to the winding position: it should click positively into each position (winding, date set, time set) with tactile resistance. When winding, the mechanism should feel buttery smooth with consistent resistance. The Triplock crown (three dots below the Rolex crown logo) found on Submariner, Sea-Dweller, and similar sports models is a complex three-seal system that requires precise machining. It should seat perfectly flush against the case. Fake crowns wobble, grind, cross-thread, or have a vague, indefinite click action. The Rolex crown logo engraved on the crown face should be perfectly symmetrical and deeply detailed.

From approximately 2002 onwards, Rolex began laser-engraving the word "ROLEX" repeatedly around the rehaut — the polished inner ring that borders the dial and sits between the crystal and the movement chapter ring. This engraving is performed using an extraordinarily precise laser and is essentially impossible to replicate with any fidelity on a counterfeit. On a genuine post-2002 Rolex, hold the watch at a slight angle to the light and look at the rehaut. You should see "ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX" repeated in minuscule, laser-sharp text around the entire ring, perfectly even, with the serial number of the watch at the 6 o'clock position of the rehaut on post-2005 models. On fakes, this engraving is usually absent, blurry, inconsistently spaced, or visibly inferior under any magnification.

Rolex bracelets are machined to fine tolerances. Fold the watch naturally — the links should articulate smoothly with no looseness, clicking, or rattling. Each link should feel solid and consistent. The Oyster bracelet links have distinct brushed and polished surfaces; the transition between these finishes should be sharp and clean. The clasp should open with a positive, definite click and close securely without any give. The Easylink extension (on Oyster bracelets from 2003 onwards) should be present on current models and should adjust smoothly. Check the underside of the bracelet: Rolex engraves patent and reference information on the inner surface of the clasp in fine, precise text. On counterfeits, bracelets rattle, the links have inconsistent finishing, the clasp is loose or lacks the engraved markings, and the overall assembly feels flimsy relative to a genuine piece.

Rolex dials are manufactured to extremely tight specifications. The text — "ROLEX," "Oyster Perpetual," the model name, and any other printing — should be perfectly aligned, consistently sized, and utterly sharp at any magnification. Applied indices (the hour markers) are individually fitted by hand and should sit perfectly flat and perpendicular to the dial surface. Luminous plots (the glowing material in the indices) should be level and uniform. The dial should have a consistent, flawless finish with no bubbles, dust, or imperfections. On counterfeits, text is often slightly misaligned, has uneven letter weight, or shows smearing under magnification. Applied indices may be slightly tilted, have visible adhesive, or be inconsistently placed. The Rolex crown logo at 12 o'clock should be perfectly proportioned — symmetrical, with consistent line weight.

On rotating-bezel sports models (Submariner, GMT-Master, Sea-Dweller, Explorer II), the bezel should rotate in one direction only (counter-clockwise on dive bezels) with exactly 120 distinct clicks, each click crisp, evenly spaced, and positive. The bezel should feel rigid and smooth between clicks with no wobbling or side-play. Rolex's Cerachrom ceramic bezels (introduced progressively from 2005) are virtually scratch-proof and maintain their colour permanently — fakes use painted aluminium or low-grade ceramic that chips and fades. The numerals and markings on a ceramic bezel are created through a platinum or gold vapour deposition process and cannot be scratched off with a fingernail. On a Datejust or Day-Date, the fixed fluted or smooth bezel should be perfectly centred and immovable.

Passing all 11 physical tests confirms the watch is mechanically consistent with a genuine Rolex. But it does not tell you whether the specific watch with that serial number has been reported stolen. A Rolex can be perfectly authentic and still be stolen property. Purchasing a stolen watch — even in good faith — can result in confiscation by law enforcement with no recourse or refund for the buyer. The final test is the most important for financial protection: run the serial number through the Global Stolen Watch Database. With over 200,000 records from police forces, insurance companies, and watch dealers across 45 countries, a clean result provides documented due diligence. It costs $5 and takes five seconds. For a watch that may cost five figures, this is the most cost-effective step in the authentication process.