Six checks. Every reference.
Modern counterfeit watches have closed the visual gap to genuine pieces. Photographs no longer reveal them. In-hand examination is now mandatory — and these are the six points where it begins.
The six checks
Every reference guide on Catch Fakes is structured around the same six diagnostic checks. Each is examinable in under a minute, individually meaningful, and collectively conclusive. If three or more flag, the watch is almost certainly counterfeit.
1 — Dial
Printing crispness, applied indices, lacquer depth, and the alignment of small text. A counterfeit dial almost always reveals itself under a 10× loupe — feathering, off-centre placement, or wrong typography for the reference.
2 — Crown
The crown action, the engraving sharpness on the logo, and the gasket fit. Genuine crowns engage with a precise click sequence. Counterfeit crowns are usually slightly larger or smaller than spec and screw down with a different feel.
3 — Rehaut
The inner ring between the dial and crystal. On modern Rolex it carries laser-etched engraving — depth, font, and angle of the engraving are all diagnostic.
4 — Caseback
For most modern luxury watches, the caseback is solid and unengraved. Any logo, model name, or text on a Rolex caseback (post-1990) is an immediate fail.
5 — Movement
When accessible, the movement is conclusive. Genuine Geneva striping, perlage, and rotor finishing cannot be replicated by counterfeit movements at any price point. Caliber numbers should match the reference.
6 — Bracelet
End-link fit (no daylight against the case), clasp action, micro-adjustment clicks, and the bracelet code engraved between lugs. Counterfeit bracelets are the most common tell — the tolerances are wrong.
Why six
Six is the minimum number of diagnostic points where modern counterfeits still fail consistently. Fewer, and a single ambiguous result swings the verdict. More, and most casual buyers will skip checks they can't easily perform.
The app
Watch Authenticator runs the same six checks on a photograph using GPT-4o vision. Sixty seconds, a confidence score, and a flagged list of any check that came back inconclusive.