A fake Rolex is easy to spot if you know what to look for. You can pretty much tell in a matter of minutes if it’s real or fake by looking for features that Replica Rolex watches cannot duplicate well. Here are 5 ways to instantly spot a fake:

1. Movement – Simply looking at the movement of the watch is enough to blow the cover on most fakes. Rolex watches (with the exception of the Oysterquartz) appear to have a silky smooth “sweeping” movement – The “sweeping” movement comes from the busy Rolex movement ticking five to eight times per second.

Many high end fakes will almost duplicate this effect but the keyword is ALMOST – even most of the high end fake watches tick around three to four times a second. This still generates a similar “sweeping” illusion but it is immediately apparent that it is not as smooth as a genuine Rolex movement.

2. Clear Case Back – Of course, if dealing with a (supposed) Rolex that is ticking very obviously, stay away! This leads to another apparent counterfeit giveaway – the clear case back. Perhaps it is the fact that many Rolex counterfeits used to employ a battery powered quartz movement, but many replica manufactures (and possibly owners) must be very proud of the fact that their unit is powered by a perpetual movement.

Many replicas will try to show this fact off by sporting a clear case backing. While this is certainly an interesting feature that is employed by various other high end luxury watches, Rolex has never created a watch model with a clear case backing.

3. Weight – Should the watch pass these two initial visual tests, the weight of the watch can be a telltale sign to a fake watch. A genuine Rolex watch is extremely heavy for the size (due to high quality materials used) and most replicas will not come close to matching the weight of a real Rolex. While the weight of a watch should not be the end-all to the authenticity of a watch, a suspiciously light weight “Rolex” should be an invitation to take a closer look.

4. Cyclops Lens – Rolex is the inventor of the Cyclops lens over the date window. This is a raised piece of glass in the 3′ o clock position that magnifies the date about 2.5 times . Many counterfeiters try and replicate this unsuccessfully.

A replica Rolex will often use a lower magnification about 1.5x. An easy way to tell is to see if the date display is magnified enough to almost fill the whole window while looking directly at it.

5. Bezel and Date Display – The alignment of the date opening and number display should be perfectly straight. Look closely at the printing of the date number (with a loupe if possible) and look for any signs of low quality printing such as uneven ink or artifacts on the background.

If you have the chance, rotate the bezel and count the number of clicks it makes in one complete rotation – authentic Rolex watches will have a bezel that clicks 120 times when rotated, fakes usually only click around 60 times. The quality of the clicks from an authentic Rolex will be very subtle and feel well very solid whereas the clicks from a fake will be a lot louder and feel a lot more “mechanical”.

Jaye Cadlah owns Time and Gems, the online leader in used Rolex since’97. Browse their hundreds of Mens and Ladies Rolex watches at www.timeandgems.com or stop by their Los Angeles showroom. TimeandGems.com also has a number of guides on buying a preowned Rolex, as well as a frequently updated blog talking about all things Rolex.