Rolex watches are considered to be the status symbol of the rich. Wearing a Rolex watch gives a sense of class to its owner, and a pride of being one of the few people who can afford a Rolex watch. This brand of watches is considered to be one of the most expensive watches in the world, starting from a basic price of $5,000 going upto $30,000 for Rolex premier models. These watches have been copied most amongst the other brands, and fakes as well as replicas are available freely in the marketplace. Replicas are worn by people who cannot afford a genuine Rolex watch, but feels proud of wearing an exact copy of the watch usually worn by the rich.
Replicas are considered to be legal copy of Rolex watches, and are usually sold as replicas. But at times, these replica Rolex watches are also sold illegally as genuine Rolex watches to people who are not aware of the differences between a replica and a genuine Rolex watch. If you are contemplating buying a brand new Rolex, it is better to purchase it directly from a Rolex dealer. You will be paying the full price of the watch in exchange of a genuine model. Look for a hologram sticker on the case-back, which every genuine brand new Rolex is shipped with. Buying a second hand Rolex could be a problem, if you do not know what to look for in that watch to ascertain that it is a genuine Rolex. You could be buying a replica instead of a genuine watch.
Genuine Rolex watches come with some tell-tale signs which identifies the watch as an original one. These signs are the unique markings in a Rolex watch, which separates Rolex from its Rolex replica peers or fakes. Take for example the hologram sticker. Every brand new Rolex carries a hologram on its case-back when shipped to the different dealers around the world. This sticker has the famous “crown” trademark at the 12 ‘O’ clock position of the watch. Further it has a 3-D feature, and when the hologram is viewed at different angles, you would see the changes in colors. Replicas do not have such holograms stuck on the case-backs. Even if they do, the stickers are not holograms, and do not have the features of a hologram.
Rolex used to use quartz movement in its models way back in the 1980’s. They soon gave up the idea and went into continuous movement. The second hand in a genuine Rolex watch sweeps the dial in a continuous movement. Replicas use quartz movement and the second hand stops and moves every second. This is one way you can tell if what you are buying is a genuine Rolex. In one of its models, Geneve Cellini, which is considered to be the classic brand of Rolex watches, the men’s version uses hand wound mechanism, while the lady’s version uses quartz movement.
If you happen to take off the straps of a Rolex watch, you will find the registered number of the watch engraved beautifully inbetween the lugs at 12 ‘O’ clock position. Like-wise, the serial number of the case is found at the same place at the 6 ‘O’ clock position of the dial. These two engravings are considered to be the most appropriate way to determine if the watch you have is a genuine Rolex. Replicas of Rolex watches do not have such engravings, and if these two engravings are missing, the watch could either be a fake or a replica.
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