We occasionally have to break the bad news that a Rolex bracelet we have received for repair is counterfeit. Sometimes it's just a part or two, sometimes it's the entire bracelet and/or watch. A question we often get asked is how can one spot a fake? This is a really difficult question to answer. Familiarity, experience, and knowledge play a big part. I know, not the fun answer and not the answer everyone is looking for.
Since I don't have the fun simple answer, I thought I would use the page to document the fake items we have come across AND the real items that can be mistaken for being fake!
We'll add new photos and comments along the way.
Rolex 62510H Trifold Clasp
This is probably the most common fake Rolex item we come across. This here is a Rolex 62510H clasp for an all steel Rolex Jubilee bracelet. We often find them on two tone bracelets as well. These are easy to spot as they will have a Rolex coronet on the left hand side of last blade of the trifold clasp. I can't think of any genuine Rolex clasps that will have this additional coronet engraved on the last blade. The date code is "A" which dates it to 1976. I'm not aware of a D link made in 1976.
I hear these counterfeit clasps were originally produced out of Taiwan in the 80s. I have seen so many of them over the years, they must have made a ton of them.
There are a lot of details that aren't correct about these clasps, but I thought it would be important to also to include a close up the cornet above the logo. The Rolex coronet has evolved through the year but this is not what it should look like for a clasp produced from the late 1970s through mid 2000s.
Rolex 62523h Trifold Clasp
This one here is a very low quality fake. Unlike the above example that would fool a some dealers and most jewelry stores, again you see the additional coronet on the left hand side. If the font looks strange to you, you're right. There's a lot not to like here.
"65253H.18 D12" signifies this to belong to a Steel and 18KY D link Jubilee made in 1979. However in 1979 Rolex would have produced a Steel and 14KY version of this Jubilee not an 18KY version. It should actually read 62523H14 if it were from 1979.
This coronet is funky!
I guess I should post a phot of a last blade from genuine Rolex clasp.
Insert for 167xx models
I've quite a few of these. There's not much commentary to be added about these GMT inserts but if it has one of these funky looking 2s.... No good. Not genuine.
Two Tone Jubilee Bracelets 62523
Spotting a fake Rolex Two Tone D link Jubilee doesn't take an expert. You just need to know what to look for! Look at the 3 rows of gold loops at the middle of the bracelet. Focus on the middle gold loop as these will have less wear than the ones on the opposing sides. A genuine Rolex gold loop will be thicker on the corners. The center of the gold loops were likely milled using a small radius end mill. Likely intentional, the extra thickness at the corners not only give this loop additional strength, but also is longer lasting as this is the exact area that gets worn down over time from the steel assembly pins rubbing on the inside corners as it is being worn. The fake loop was made using a gold tube and a press tool of some type leaving the corners the same thickness as the rest of the surfaces.
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