We promise to invest our time and experience into understanding your needs and desires. We won’t &#8230;
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Our aim is to make you feel relaxed and welcome, and to enjoy the Oakleigh Watches experience from start to finish.
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The oakleigh promise

It began as part of the Seiko brand but since 2017 it has become an entirely separate entity.

Is Grand Seiko part of the Seiko brand?

The Grand Seiko spring drive movement is the most technologically advanced mechanical movement in the world.

Are Grand Seiko movements good quality?

Where are Grand Seiko watches made?

The quality of a Grand Seiko watch equals that of the best Rolex watch. However, it all comes down to personal preference.

Is Grand Seiko better than Rolex?

Grand Seiko watches are a genuine good value alternative to even the best Swiss luxury brands.

Is Grand Seiko a luxury watch brand?

New Grand Seiko watches tend to depreciate quite quickly but their values then hold steady. So, if bought pre-owned, they can be a sound financial decision.

Is Grand Seiko a good investment watch?

Are Zeno watches a good investment? Zeno watches are great value for money but not normally bought as investment pieces.

Are Zeno watches a good investment?

They produce many different types of watches including – sports, dress and fashion. Something for everyone, they have a great sense of creativity and fun styling.

What type of watches do Zeno produce?

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Rolex is one of the most coveted luxury brands on the planet, known for quality, durability, style, and prestige. Such an aspirational timepiece comes with a hefty price tag and therefore it’s of no surprise that the business of fake Rolex’ has become very lucrative. Therefore, knowing how to Spot a Fake Rolex is crucial when making such a high value purchase.

These days, some fake Rolex’ are so good that they must be partially disassembled before they can be identified as counterfeit and can even fool the experts!

And trust us they’re good!

Most of the fake watches that we come across are pretty easy to spot with a trained eye but there are some – that could fool most experts under normal scrutiny.  And I’m not talking about across a room or even across a desk, I mean in your hand and with a loupe. Plus some very clever fakers have adopted a ‘two from one’ practice…

Imagine you have one real watch and one ‘super fake’.  The real one is worth say, £10,000 and the super fake is worth nothing.  They swap the movements so they now have two watches; A real case and bracelet that pass all tests and a movement that won’t be discovered until the back is removed, and a very good fake that might prompt you to open the caseback just to be sure… when you do, the movement is real so it must all be ok…

(Papers can be faked more easily than watches so they’re both ‘Full Sets’.)  They sell them both at ‘bargain prices’, say £8,000 each for a quick sale and they’ve turned £10K into £16K.

‘Caveat Emptor” as they say in Rome.

Here are our 10 tips on how to spot a fake Rolex:

1) Unauthorised Sellers
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Buying a Rolex is a serious investment, whether for pleasure or business, it’s a lot of money to part with. Therefore, our most important piece of advice is – only buy a luxury watch from a trusted seller or dealer.

Trust is very important when buying a pre-owned Rolex and here my friend, Google is your best friend.

ALWAYS choose a trusted, legitimate/authorised seller over a random individual you find on the internet. There might be a slight increase in cost but that’s the price of reassurance.

Look at the dealer’s selling history and reviews – especially trusted review affiliations such as Trustpilot.

Buying via international watch selling platforms such as Chrono 24 and Watchfinder, are a good place to start as the due diligence has already been done on the sellers.

eBay has recently launched a luxury goods arm and we sell via this platform. However, we are vetted as a Trusted Seller and any watch over £2000 will be sent for eBay authentication. Note – you do not have this security with individual sellers and sites like eBay and Craigslist can be rife with fake Rolex from’ bob666@gmail.com’.

Buying online can be a minefield, especially if not from a reputable seller. Therefore, if you decide to go down this route, you absolutely need to see the watch before you part with any cash. Below are some more physical clues on how to spot fake Rolex watches.

2. Movement

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Carefully open the back of the watch – a fake simply cannot match the craftsmanship and precision of a true Rolex calibre. Plus, each genuine movement will have “Rolex” engraved on it.

However, thanks to modern technology it is much harder to tell the difference, refer to our previous example of the “Super Fake”.

Another clue – if it’s a quartz movement, alarm bells should start ringing as all Rolex watches other than the Oysterquartz of the 1970’s to 1990’s have mechanical movements.

3. Seconds Hand

On a genuine Rolex, the ticks of the seconds hand are so smooth, it looks like it’s gliding. If there is any stutter – it could be a fake.  You can also try listening, a real Rolex will be silent.

Rolex has made a small number of battery-powered watches in the past. These were called ‘Oysterquartz’. Rolex has never made quartz versions of the Submariner, GMT-Master or other popular models.

4. Weight

Since 1989, Rolex has used the best steel on earth called “Oystersteel” (904L stainless steel), which is rust and corrosion-resistant and importantly – it’s heavy! If the watch you’re holding feels light, it was likely built with cheaper metal and is a fake.  The difference is subtle, but you can definitely feel it.

However, it gets a little tricky with older watches with Oyster bracelets from the 1980’s and earlier as these have hollow links made by stamping. These hollow bracelets are much lighter than the current range.  However, the ‘head’ of the watch should still be heavy and feel sturdy. Also, the bracelet end links on a pre-2000 sports Rolex are hollow and can feel a bit rattly after a few years wear so that’s not necessarily an indication of a low-quality replica.

5. The Crown

Even the crown on a Rolex will be identifiable by the craftmanship. Only the high-quality steel used by Rolex can hold the intricate details you find on a genuine Rolex watch. Therefore, a smooth, plain, or brushed over crown will be a sign it could be a fake Rolex.

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6. Dial, Hands &amp; Clasp

The most obvious tell is misspellings, however as we’ve already mentioned, these days fakes can be excellent.

A genuine Rolex will be perfect when made, and fake Rolexes will be much less refined. So, get the magnifying glass out and check the hands, hour markers, dial and clasp for uneven fonts, inconsistent spaces between the lettering/numbers and smudges.

Even the tiniest imperfection on a new Rolex dial is incredibly rare so if it isn’t absolutely perfect, it’s very probably dodgy.

It’s a good idea to have an official photo of the exact model you’re buying to compare.

7. Case Back

Most genuine Rolex case backs are smooth and rarely factory engraved or transparent.

Some exceptions are.

-Rolex Sea Dwellers that are engraved.
-Milgauss’ are engraved.
-Comex Submariners and Sea Dwellers are often engraved.
-Vintage lady Datejust models 6917, 69173, 69174 – engraved with ‘Stainless Steel’
-‘Registered Design’ Military watches …. but if you’re shopping for a 5514 then hopefully you know what you’re doing.
-Since 2023, some models such as the Daytona have had sapphire case backs

Of course, some people do have their watches personally engraved (we advise you not to, if you’re thinking of buying for investment), but this should be obvious by the engraved content.

8. Laser Etched Crystal

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Time to get your magnifying glass out again!

Some Rolex watches produced from the early 2000’s onwards will have a tiny laser etched crown at the 6 o’clock position on the crystal. The precision of this detail has made it difficult for counterfeiters to replicate – so it can be a good sign of authenticity (or not).

But beware, while the presence of the etched crown should mean that the crystal is real, it doesn’t mean that everything is.  Also, not even Rolex can tell you which references from which years should have the etched crystal (I’ve asked several people on several occasions), so don’t rely on this particular element.

9. The Big Date

The cyclops (bump) over the date on many Rolex watches is part of the brand signature. Its purpose is to magnify the date by 2.5 times.

If the glass over the date is flat and/or doesn’t seem to magnify very well then, it’s highly likely be a fake Rolex.

As always there are exceptions and the 40mm Rolex Sea Dweller and Deepsea Sea Dweller do not have a cyclops lens, despite having a date function. (They couldn’t make a glue strong enough to stand the pressure until 2019)

10. Model &amp; Serial Numbers

This is perhaps the best way to authenticate a Rolex watch. Briefly – every Rolex has a serial and model number which are deeply engraved and symmetrical, clear to read and even shine in the light at certain angles.

On the contrary, fake Rolex watches will have a stamp that appears a little messier. It will either look like several tiny dots or etchings and if acid etched it will have a sandy/grainy appearance.

For more information on checking serial numbers and Rolex serial number tables, read our comprehensive <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/watch-serial-numbers/">Guide to Understanding Watch Model and Serial numbers</a>.

In Conclusion

You really need to know your stuff. Knowing how to spot a fake Rolex is a crucial part of the buying process. If in doubt, refer to point 1 – always buy through a trusted/authenticated pre-owned watch seller.

Oakleigh Watches’ office is based within<a href="https://www.michlmayr.com"> S.Michlmayr &amp; Co</a> who have a Rolex certified watchmaker on the premises available to check all of our watches for authenticity.

We’d be happy to help and guide you through the process. Visit our collection pages for current stock and sign up to receive our regular newsletters and stock drops.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, we also offer a <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/sourcing-your-watch/">Sourcing Service </a>and are experts at finding your dream ‘genuine’ watch.

10 Tips on How to Spot a Fake Rolex

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DatejustBlueFluted

Top Tips for Buying Your First Rolex

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Rolex Sky-Dweller Review: Seven Days With Rolex's Most Advanced Watch

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Omega Dark Side of the Moon vs Blue Side of the Moon

If you’re reading this then you probably agree with my assertion that a special watch can become a very important part of a person’s life.

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In fact, Patek Philippe’s ‘Generations’ adverts tell us that “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”. I’ve recently discovered that passing a watch between generations is not only a very special experience but that it can work in both directions.

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While posted to Germany with the RAF in 1962, my father bought a rather lovely gold Omega dress watch. Sixty odd years ago such watches were worn on a daily basis and that’s what my dad did throughout my childhood so it’s fair to say that it was a familiar sight and I got to know it pretty well.

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While walking on the beach one day in the late 1980’s, dad felt momentary confusion when the seconds hand of his watch snagged on the fabric of his shorts – he knew that something was wrong with this scenario but couldn’t immediately figure out what it was …. When he looked down, he realised that the bezel and plexi had both fallen off his watch and into the sand never to be seen again, exposing the hands to the elements, and to his shorts.

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A quick discussion with the local Omega AD confirmed that the watch was beyond economical repair and the insurance company quickly replaced it with a horrible champagne dialled quartz monstrosity (It was the ‘80s after all).

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Fast forward 25 years and this all came up in conversation over lunch one Sunday. Dad said that he had his old watch in a drawer somewhere and I asked if I could have it. I was delighted when he said that of course I could and went to find it.

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I sat there remembering the beautiful round gold case, the white dial with its delicate gold hands and markers and the black leather strap.

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I was very excited by the time he came back to the table but when he opened his hand, he revealed something that looked less like it belonged at a garden party and more like it had been dug up in a garden.

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Of course, the lack of the bezel and plexi had left the dial and hands exposed to the damp air for the previous twenty odd years and this had wrought havoc. Everything was mottled and corroded and looked a real mess – ‘patina’ wasn’t the word.

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When I looked at the case, I could see that it wasn’t solid gold (not a surprise as my parents were never wealthy) but gold plated, and the plating had worn through on many of the edges, revealing the base metal underneath. He did wear the watch daily for over 25 years after all.

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The lovely black Omega strap and matching gold-plated buckle were also lost forever leaving just the case, movement, dial, and hands, all of which were in a real mess. However, this watch was a member of the family and being a confirmed ‘watch guy’, I had no choice but to rescue it.

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I called on many contacts, each of whom set about tackling a different part of the challenge as they replated the case, made a new bezel from 18ct gold, restored the dial and hands, serviced the movement, and fitted a new plexi.

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When it came back, I treated it to a new leather Omega strap with period Omega gold plated buckle and put it in the correct Omega box.

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Of course, all of this work took many months, destroyed the originality of the watch and cost far more than it was worth to anyone but my family, but it was worth every penny.

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Initially it had been my intention to keep the watch as my dress watch but as soon as I saw it all together, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hold on to it and that it had to go to someone who would appreciate it properly. It was close to Christmas and so I wrapped it all up in festive paper and put it under the tree.

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When he opened his surprise present on Christmas Day, there were real tears in dad’s eyes as he told me that it was like “meeting a very old friend who hadn’t changed a bit in all of these years”.

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Nowadays he still wears his old Omega for special occasions, and I know that one day it will come to me and then to my son – not for a long while yet though. This is a piece of family history that will pass from generation to generation and will take a little bit of my dad with it wherever it goes – a very special watch that has become a very important part of our lives.

A Watch is like one of the family

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A superb example of the Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship and understated elegance for which the German manufacture is renowned.
This reference features a crisp white lacquer dial with applied baton hour markers, elegant blued steel hands and twin recessed chronograph registers, creating a beautifully balanced and highly legible display. The polished 42mm stainless steel case is complemented by sapphire crystals front and back, revealing the beautifully finished in-house automatic Calibre 66 with Glashütte ribbing, blued screws and a skeletonised rotor with a 21-carat gold oscillation weight.
Presented in excellent condition throughout, the watch is offered as a complete set with its original presentation box, warranty papers, instruction manuals and accessories.
The strap is a brand new Hirsch with the original GO pin buckle.
An outstanding example of German haute horlogerie, the Senator Chronograph offers exceptional finishing, true manufacture pedigree and timeless design, making it an excellent choice for both collectors and everyday wear.
Just tested, it is running within COSC spec and comes with a 12 month warranty.
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Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph

A superb Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship and understated elegance. A Full Set with a 12 month warranty.

Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph | 1996 | Full Set

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Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph

£3,750