Authenticating a Rolex Submariner (116610) - Rolex Submariner Genuine vs Replica Guide

[apeta]

Dear RWI community,

With the mods' approval, the aim of this post is to show someone how to spot differences between the genuine and replica Rolex Submariner watches - a guide with many ways to mark on your check-list in order to see whether you are looking at a genuine or a replica Rolex Submariner watch.

In this guide, you'll find genuine vs replica images linked for every step, which will help you notice the flaws on the counterfeit Submariners.

At the bottom of this post, we will paste a link to our full guide with the full ten steps on how to authenticate the Submariner. This information is, and will always be free for everybody. Therefore, your input and feedback (positive and negative) is highly appreciated, in order for us to get even more accurate with your help.

Without any further ado, let's jump in the guide:

Step 1: Check the lettering on your Rolex Submariner

For the second first of the guide on how to spot fake Rolex Submariner watches, we are going to inspect both the replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner watches for the lettering on the front side, on the dial.

First of all, let’s have a quick look at the reference Rolex Submariner replica vs authentic image in order to spot the flaws on the fake Submariner easier.

https://imgur.com/ffSvRJ6​

At first sight, you might not see the differences between the genuine vs replica Rolex Submariner watches in the image above, but if you look closely and carefully, you can see how the fake watch has its text improperly font-weighted and positioned.

By improperly font-weighted, we mean that the replica Rolex Submariner watch has the letters in the “SWISS MADE” text looking too thick and a bit washed-out, compared to the letters met on the genuine Submariner watch.

Replica manufacturers must save up on costs with the production and the machines that they use, so they will often skip some details, or make them present on the watch, but not perfectly displayed / installed / engraved / written etc.

So, if you take a quick look at the genuine vs replica Rolex Submariner image again, you can see how the genuine Rolex watch has all of its letters at the same font-weight, unlike the fake watch.

With this being said, let’s have a look at a zoomed-in replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner image in order to spot the flaws with the placement on the replica Submariner easier, with a little help of the hand-emoji pointers.

https://imgur.com/FAlpNtl​

In the Rolex Submariner genuine vs replica image above, we have pointed out how the fake Submariner Rolex watch has its “SWISS MADE” printings improperly aligned, as the “SWISS” text is placed too close to the tick which indicates the 30 minutes clock.

With the “SWISS” text being placed too close to the 30 minutes tick, you can see how the “MADE” text on the replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner is placed too far away from the tick.

Moving on to the genuine Rolex Submariner watch from the Rolex Submariner replica vs genuine image above, you can notice how all of the ticks and the words are placed correctly and perfectly, all of them at the same distance.

That aside, you can also notice several other minor differences in the way the characters on the replica watch are built: the “A” inscription on the genuine watch, for instance, is significantly different than the one found on the fake watch.

Step 2: Verify the date window on your watch

As for the second step of the guide on how to spot fake Rolex Submariner watches, we are going to check out the genuine vs replica Rolex Submariner watches for their date window.

https://imgur.com/xQqMWV0
​
In the replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner image above, we have pointed out how the replica Rolex Submariner watch has its number which indicates the date looking different than the one on the genuine Rolex Watch, due to the placement.

Looking at the authentic Rolex Submariner watch, you can notice how the number “1” is placed evenly, in the middle of the box, while the replica watch has its “1” placed higher than the one met on the genuine watch, leaving too much blank space at the bottom.

Let’s also have a look at another date number Rolex Submariner authentic vs replica image for your reference, in order to learn how to spot replica Rolex Submariner watches.

https://imgur.com/Vig1x9a
​
Once again, in the replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner image above, we have pointed out how the number “5” found on the genuine Submariner watch is perfectly centered in the middle of the box, while the replica “5” is not.

In fact, if you take a close look at the number “5” on the replica Rolex Submariner watch above, you can notice how the “5” is misplaced, as it is placed too close to the right edge of the box.

You can almost always expect perfection from a genuine Rolex Submariner watch, taking into consideration its price and the highly precise Swiss craftsmanship! The devils are in the details so replica manufacturers, on the other hand, will always have minor eye-visible flaws in their Rolex Submariner replica watch.

Step 3: Look at the bracelet (strap) design

Moving on to the third step of the guide on how to spot replica Rolex Submariner watches, you have to flip your Rolex over to the bracelet (strap) and check out the quality of the design and of the materials used.

You can notice the poorer quality of the materials used for the replica watch in the image right below.

https://imgur.com/GRi5OOX
​
Looking at the Rolex Submariner replica vs genuine image above, you can notice how the genuine Rolex Submariner watch’s strap material is made out of oyster steel, and how on the replica Rolex Submariner, the strap looks like it is made out of poorer quality material.

Also, keep in mind that the authentic Rolex Submariner watches are not bulletproof, but since they use oyster steel for the bracelet, it is really hard to scratch it, so a fake Rolex Submariner watch can be spotted out if it has a lot of easy scratches.

Step 4: Analyze the pearl of your Rolex Submariner

Up next, we are going to check out the genuine vs replica Rolex Submariner watches for the pearl on the dial, which is another small detail that is flawed by the replica Rolex manufacturers.

https://imgur.com/b8oodqA
​
In the replica vs authentic Rolex Submariner watch image above, we have pointed out how the replica Rolex watch has its pearl improperly fit into the “case” in which it stands.

Looking at the genuine Rolex Submariner watch, you can see how the pearl is placed correctly, as well as it has the same height as the “case” in which it stands. The material is also high quality and does not have any imperfections.

Going to the replica Rolex Submariner’s pearl, you can notice how it is placed too deep, as the metal material “case” is higher and bigger than the pearl.

Step 5: If possible, get inside the watch and check the inscriptions

Moving on to the fifth step of the guide on how to spot replica Rolex Submariner watches, we are going to check out the interior of the genuine vs replica Submariner Rolex watches.

For this step, you’ll have to open the Rolex Submariner watch, and so, if you have the possibility to do it, we recommend you do it since this is one of the most important spots to analyze if you can.

https://imgur.com/8wCRpwV
​
In the replica vs authentic Rolex Submariner image above, we have pointed out a critical fault met on the replica Rolex watch, which is the missing of the interior inscriptions.

Please note: a Rolex Submariner is not automatically authentic if this detail is present. We expect some replica manufacturers are already picking up on this flaw. This specific step is only added so that you can instantly call a watch fake if this flaw is present, but not the other way around.​

Looking at the authentic Rolex Submariner watches, you will always notice the Rolex inscriptions, never missing.

Also, you can notice how the replica second-hand watch has poorer materials used because of the stains below the case on the bottom side of the watch.

On the authentic Rolex Submariner watch, you can see how there are no stains or flaws under the watch, as the quality of the materials is perfect and it does not have any comparison term to the replica Rolex Submariner.

Step 6: Examine the cyclops lens

For the sixth step on how to spot fake Rolex Submariner watches, we are going to check out the fake vs real Submariner Rolex watches for its cyclops.

By cyclops, we are talking about the crystal magnifier window above the number which indicates the current date set on your watch, visible in the image right below.

https://imgur.com/bJ8KaWy
​
Looking at the replica vs genuine Rolex Submariner image above, you can notice how the replica Submariner watches’ cyclops is improperly placed, as it is not centered in the middle of the box that displays the date number (date window).

On the other hand, the authentic Rolex Submariner watch has its cyclops placed correctly, as it is perfectly centered in the middle, above the date window.

Conclusion

Thank you for being with us until the bottom of the post. If you find anything wrong in this guide (and please do!), let us know in the comments, and we are going to fix it. As we previously said, our aim is only to help people differentiate the authentic watches from most of the replica ones.

As for our future plans, we are going to release more guides on how to authenticate watches and come back to share the information with you guys.

The link to the full guide on our website is: https://legitcheck.app/guides/watches/rolex/real-vs-fake-submariner/

Eventually, you can also read our guide on the iOS/Android mobile app (which is 100% free as well).

 

[SS72]

A lot of time and effort has gone into this, and it's intent may be good, but in my opinion, the flaws you have highlighted are from the Submariner replicas of yesteryear. If they do still exist, it's on poor quality, cheap watches that the TDs and members here wouldn't touch.

 

[p0pperini]

I was going to make a similar point to SS72 - in order for this guide to be useful, it should state which factory and which version rep(s) have been used in the comparison photos. To be most useful, it would list the rep factory's models and the specific callouts between each factory's models and the gen. And then that information would need to be updated whenever a new model was released. Which is what this forum already does (although finding the information can at times take some detective work).

As it stands, this guide is generic and potentially misleading. Which is a shame, given the time and effort that's been put into it.

 

[balance27]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alex22]

excellent initiative but, as they have already written, you need photos and the names of the reps

 

[apeta]

Many thanks for your feedback, guys! Tbh, we simply intended to make a general guide, without getting into too much details about the reps' names/manufacturers. Main reasons is that we do not intend to put any of the reps manufacturers into a good or bad light, we simply want to address to anybody interested in both gen and rep watches. Looking forward to receiving even more feedback from the impressive RWI community!

 

[Glaude]

Just posting to confirm that this post got staff approval before being posted, and OP was warned of potential flaming response, their goal is to improve, so I think they are ready to take any feedback, they are not a rep actor, they are, like us, fighting the lack of knowledge of some people getting scammed by buying a rep thinking it's a gen.

Fire away your commentary, critiques, responses, tips

 

[lucyg00se]

"let us know in the comments"

He copy pasted this from a youtube vid of someone who obviously doesn't collect reps and is pretending to know what hes talking about

 

[p0pperini]

Many thanks for your feedback, guys! Tbh, we simply intended to make a general guide, without getting into too much details about the reps' names/manufacturers. Main reasons is that we do not intend to put any of the reps manufacturers into a good or bad light, we simply want to address to anybody interested in both gen and rep watches. Looking forward to receiving even more feedback from the impressive RWI community!

But a "general guide" is really of very little practical use. If anything, it could give an inexperienced buyer a false sense that they're being offered a gen - because what they're looking at doesn't fail on the listed series of flaws a rep will supposedly have.

they are not a rep actor

As I see it, they are "a rep actor" - the service they're offering "Send us your photos and we'll verify the piece" must surely be linked to the goal of becoming an income generator, one way or another. And the post does seem eerily similar to other "Hey, we just want to help everyone" openers by various parties previously who later reveal that they're looking to become a TD.

Anyway, as it stands the current guide falls down in two ways:
1. It fails to take into account the massive strides that rep factories are making, closing the gap between rep and gen
2. Having failed on point 1, the guide does little to inspire confidence in "Legit Check" and their ability to offer a reliable service

 

[apeta]

But a "general guide" is really of very little practical use. If anything, it could give an inexperienced buyer a false sense that they're being offered a gen - because what they're looking at doesn't fail on the listed series of flaws a rep will supposedly have.



As I see it, they are "a rep actor" - the service they're offering "Send us your photos and we'll verify the piece" must surely be linked to the goal of becoming an income generator, one way or another. And the post does seem eerily similar to other "Hey, we just want to help everyone" openers by various parties previously who later reveal that they're looking to become a TD.

Anyway, as it stands the current guide falls down in two ways:
1. It fails to take into account the massive strides that rep factories are making, closing the gap between rep and gen
2. Having failed on point 1, the guide does little to inspire confidence in "Legit Check" and their ability to offer a reliable service

We understand where the suspicion comes from, but becoming a TD is not our goal and I think our track record speaks for itself - we’ve written almost half a million words in +200 authentication guides on sneakers, clothes and bags. We’ve never charged for our guides, always had them free and intend to keep them free forever.

These guides were made in the same way - in constant back and forth communication with the community to make sure they’re improved. Yes, we have a service as well, but just like this forum uses Patreon for a small subset of users, we want to keep the website open and these guides improving - and a small subset of readers contribute, but the largest set of users is helped for free

 

[p0pperini]

becoming a TD is not our goal and I think our track record speaks for itself - we’ve written almost half a million words in +200 authentication guides on sneakers, clothes and bags. We’ve never charged for our guides, always had them free and intend to keep them free forever.

In that case, my apologies for a) my ignorance of your previous work and b) my suspicion that this appeared to be the preamble to something else.

However, my reservations WRT the usefulness of offering a generalised guide to spotting a rep Sub still stand.

 

[johnwatch]

I blame this on What I call (Pandemic Time) Ha. All done in good faith interesting read.

 

[KJ2020]

To be more useful, pics need to be embedded in the posts. We don't use imgur here and clicking on your links now does not lead to the proper pic. There is an icon at the top right of the message entry box that leads to an image sharing site that will solve this issue.

 

[Spitfire63]

The guides might be free, but there is a $100 charge to get a personal authentification from photos,

 

[2841]

If anyone is charging people money to authenticate based on photos, it’s a scam. Most of us here knows about the level of detail that goes into modding and franken builds. Scamming people out of their money, based on photos is just bullshit.

 

[Glaude]

"let us know in the comments"

He copy pasted this from a youtube vid of someone who obviously doesn't collect reps and is pretending to know what hes talking about

No, it's from their own website, where you can leave comments. They never tried to lie about this, they took the care of posting the full guide here instead of a one liner asking to go on their website.

As I see it, they are "a rep actor" - the service they're offering "Send us your photos and we'll verify the piece" must surely be linked to the goal of becoming an income generator, one way or another. And the post does seem eerily similar to other "Hey, we just want to help everyone" openers by various parties previously who later reveal that they're looking to become a TD.

They are not a rep actor, they are working towards offering a service to potential gen owners, unsure of what they are buying. Of course it's a paid business, they offer a service and provide guarantee and refund in case they are wrong, if anything they are a gen actor.
It's a business they are not hiding it, they are getting "free" advice here and they'll perhaps earn money with it, but it doesn't cost any of the members or staff here a single penny to allow them to post and if in the end they prevent some people getting screwed, it's exactly what RWI has always done.

However, my reservations WRT the usefulness of offering a generalised guide to spotting a rep Sub still stand.

And I agree, I think it's a risky business model with the increasing quality of reps even down to the movement, unless they have the watch in hands to do a full tear down inspection, it's dangerous but it's their part to deal with that

If anyone is charging people money to authenticate based on photos, it’s a scam. Most of us here knows about the level of detail that goes into modding and franken builds. Scamming people out of their money, based on photos is just bullshit.

You may want to check their terms before calling them scammers, they will refund you if they are wrong.
It's a bit buried on their website, but it's there, they may want to clear that detail out in this topic though

 

[apeta]

In that case, my apologies for a) my ignorance of your previous work and b) my suspicion that this appeared to be the preamble to something else.

However, my reservations WRT the usefulness of offering a generalised guide to spotting a rep Sub still stand.

The suspicion is 100% understandable so no offense taken on that end. We're new to this community, we're accommodating ourselves to the practices of this community, so coming here with any expectation would be folly. Take for instance our "newbieness" by using the words "comments" instead of "replies" (what lucyg00se mentioned ). It's small steps like these: we'll now know to call them replies, as we were more used to Reddit rather than forums

What we come here for is, in fact, feedback like yours — we understand now that a general guide is not what you consider a good idea. Many more feedback like these and we'll be doing our best to help the most people with our free guides!

To be more useful, pics need to be embedded in the posts. We don't use imgur here and clicking on your links now does not lead to the proper pic. There is an icon at the top right of the message entry box that leads to an image sharing site that will solve this issue.

noted and will adapt to uploading pictures for ease of read in the future.

In regards to accusations about how our incentives are aligned — we won't beat around the bush, especially since Glaude pointed out a few of these things. We have a non-basic website to maintain (hundreds of pages, e-commerce), build, host, and we're dealing with items that by their nature are not cheap or easy to source (think sneakers worth $1500 or sometimes $5000 sold out everywhere, as well as of course GEN and REP watches) and other many things we have to pay for.

So yes, a pot is open for us to collect some resources (cash in this case, but also advice), but I think when we put it like this it makes sense why. These collection pots, in turn, allow us to make more free guides. We're not coming here to expect sales — we're rather coming in a humble way to ask experts to help us, if they want to.

Gmail and so many other products from google are free for everyone, while they charge money in some other areas. But most of their products are free for the masses.

Once again, we understand the skepticism, but we think we're able to have a conversation about it!