A Movement in Time With Breitling and Rolex by Mark A. Cooper (2007, Paperback)

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With cheaper knock-offs, it is simple to tell as the second hand on a "real" rolex will sweep smoothly, rather than "ticking" from second to second. This is not the only way to tell, though, as many knock-off's have sweeping hands. Look at the backing; many fakes have clear backings to see the mechanisms working; real rolex watches never have clear backings. Also, true rolex watches have no markings on the case backing; most knock-offs have engravings of the rolex logo, or other hallmarks to make you think it is real. The rare exceptions to this are ladies' models (prior to the mid 1990's) which had "Original Rolex Design" or a similar variation thereof, engraved on the caseback in an arc fashion. Another exception is on the Sea-Dweller case backs which will have "ROLEX OYSTER ORIGINAL GAS ESCAPE VALVE" engraved around the outside of the caseback in an arc fashion. Genuine Rolex models are shipped new from the factory with a Hologram-encoded (3-dimensional) sticker on the caseback. This sticker features the trademarked Rolex "crown" positioned above the watch's case reference number. The hologram can be easily identified by viewing it from different angles, thus causing the background pattern to change. However, "most" counterfeit stickers are not holograms at all, but rather simply a repetitious "Rolex" pattern which does not change in appearance when viewed from different angles. It is worth mentioning that the genuine Rolex hologram stickers did not feature the "crown logo" as a part of the hologram until (around) 2002, when the sticker was redesigned. At that time, the Reference number was also changed from gold lettering to black, as it is currently. For authentic Rolexes, the crystal (on all current date models--excluding the Sea-Dweller) will have a glass bubble, or "cyclops" attached to the crystal, positioned over the date. Its purpose is to magnify the tiny aperture and does so at 2.5 times magnification. However, on MOST counterfiet models the date magnification is more like 1.5 times, at best. This may not sound like much of a difference, but when looking at the dates side-by-side it's obvious. The date window should practically "fill up" the cyclops--the fakes don't even come close. It is worth mentioning that some counterfeits are now featuring a new larger font date wheel to give the "illusion" of being magnified at a full 2.5 times. Rolex models featuring the Triplock crown (i.e. Submariner, Sea-Dweller and Daytona) utilize an extra seal within the threads of the winding crown's tube. This gasket resembles a black o-ring and can be visible when the winding crown is unscrewed fully. As shown in the example above, (most) counterfeit models will not feature this o-ring seal, but rather will have basic screw-down threads. It is worth mentioning that some new counterfeits will feature a "similar" looking rubber seal, but upon closer examination you will see that it is merely cosmetic, and is not functional. Genuine Rolex Yacht-Master models feature a "minute" hand which is considerably thicker than those on other Rolex sports models. However, to save money, counterfeiters will often use the same hands found on the Submariner. Genuine Rolex Daytona models feature mini-registers on the dial which perform Chronograph "stop watch" functions (i.e. elapsed hours and minutes). It is also worth mentioning that the large "sweep" hand on the dial is also part of the Watch.