Rolex's Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts

Rolex watches are probably the most widely counterfeited in the world. Everything from cheap US$25 replicas to more accurate versions that cost twenty times that much. Rolex has taken efforts to modify its watches to prevent counterfeits from being passed off as the real thing. From hologram stickers attached to the watch case backs, to micro-etching the crystal, and engraving the inner ring of the bezel. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have been defeated within six months from the time that they were released.

We wrote earlier about how those guides as to how to identify a fake watch are often useless.

It has "Rolex Rolex Rolex" engraved around the dial...

...and there is a serial number and micro etched Rolex crown at the 6 o'clcock...

...screws instead of pins...

...and even small details seem correct...so I guess it must be genuine
(see the Hologram Sticker... Rolex does not use them anymore).

Despite all the efforts made to defeat Rolex's anti-counterfeiting measures, there is a rather large glaring one staring you in the face. The white outlines on the orange markers, give this $60 copy away as a fake. Seems like a large oversight, given how painstaking efforts were made to duplicate the appearance of the real watch. Surprisingly, small errors in the dial or hands seem to be the best way to distinguish a fake Rolex.

Genuine Rolex Milgauss

All those guides which give you clear pointers in identifying a fake may actually mislead you. Best bet is simply to compare a good quality picture of the original with the product being shown to you.

In the end, all of Rolex's anti-counterfeiting efforts really are not all that useful.

When counterfeiters can produce something like this and retail it for US$50, it does not seem like any level of etching or engraving will be of much use.

Even the ceramic bezel on the Rolex GMT Master II, was copied. It took about a year to do so (fake pictured above).