Rolex Datejust: $10k Authentic vs $1k FAKE (2024)

Last Updated on April 13, 2024 by Ch David

In this guide, we’ll talk about the Rolex Datejust — a prestigious Rolex going for over $9.500^[1], which is a true collector’s piece.

You can authenticate any Datejust with this guide.

How to know if Rolex Datejust is real (or fake)

To know if your Rolex Datejust is real or fake, check the wheel showing you the date. Fake Rolexes have the number misaligned.

1. Date wheel

• The counterfeit Rolex watch has its text improperly positioned in the date window.
• On the fake, the number “3” is misaligned, as it isn’t centred in the middle of the window.
• The fake Rolex has thicker inscriptions.

Want the expert's opinion? Let our Rolex authenticators check your watch:

2. Cyclops lens

The cyclops lens is the loop on the crystal, above the date window of your Datejust watch. This lens magnifies the number which shows the date.

• The replica window doesn’t reflect as much light as the real one.
• The numbers are misaligned on the fake watch’s lens.
• The “28” is too thick and too big on the fake Rolex Datejust.

Always look out for light issues on the window and font-weight problems on the text.

3. Rehaut

The rehault is the inner part between the dial and the crystal glass on the Datejust.

• Fake Datejust models usually have their “ROLEX” inscription very thick.
  • On the other hand, the authentic Rolex Datejust watch has its letters at the same depth and font weight.
• The distance between each word and letter is not the same between all of the letters on the fake watch.
• The engravings on the fake watch’s rehaut are misplaced with each second marker.
  • Real ones are supposed to be centred.
• Fake Rolex Datejusts commonly have their letters improperly spaced between if they do have them at all.

4. Date changing

On the genuine Rolex Datejust watches, the date flip should be instant at midnight, including when manually changing/winding the hour.

Though this isn’t really a tell that we can highlight with the help of the fake vs real Rolex Datejust images, we have pointed out at the datelines.

• Some replica Rolex Datejust watches take time and slowly flip the date in the date window.
• An authentic watch should finish flipping the date number art 00:00 (12 AM).

Authentic Rolex quality always stands out from fakes^[2]. No matter what!

5. Dial color

• The black and white are standard colours, easy to replicate.
• However, blue or silver are much harder to perfectly replicate by the counterfeit Rolex manufacturers.
• The fake watch presents a significantly darker blue — and calling the fake Datejust’s dial blue wouldn’t do justice. It’s more of indigo.
  • On the other hand, the authentic watch has a blue-coloured lighter than the fake watch’s dial.

6. Lume (glowing)

You can reveal the lume effect on a Rolex Datejust by charging it in the light and then turning the lights off, or going into a dark place.

For instance, you can charge your watch through a phone’s flashlight or having sun rays land on top of the dial.

• Fake watches do not shine properly in the dark.
• Sometimes, fake Rolex Datejusts have wrong colours or blue shades — fakes are usually green instead of blue.

7. Sunburst dial

When light lands on an authentic Rolex Datejust watch, the sunburst effect can be visible. This means that when light lands on the dial of the watch, you can see a powerful reflection on the watch’s dials.

• This is hard to replicate, so most of the counterfeit Rolex Datejust watches will not have this effect at all, because of the materials used.
• Even if the fake watches will have the sunburst dial effect, they will not be as strong and powerful as the authentic watches’ effect.

8. Solid end links

• Fake Rolex Datejust watches can have the solid end links attached to the watch’s lugs, where you can often find manufacturing mistakes.
• The fake watch has the solid end links improperly attached to the watch’s lugs, as they have gaps between and light can pass through those.

The real ones are properly attached.

9. Bezel

• The fluted bezel is a uniquely designed bezel available on the Rolex Datejust watch.
• The fluted bezel is a watch part that is almost impossible to replicate by fake manufacturers.
• It simply has to be perfectly spotless and reflects light in a very elegant way.

10. Bracelet

• The material used to craft the bracelets of the authentic Rolex Datejust watches is supposed to be either their famous oyster steel or the jubilee models.
• The watch on the right side of the image is the most notorious one when it comes to Rolex Datejust, as it was the first one used on this watch model.

In case you are looking for a used Rolex Datejust watch, and want to have it as close to its initial state, keep in mind that the two bracelet models above are the ones that come with authentic Datejust watches.

Shortlist: Tell if a Rolex Datejust is fake (in 30 seconds)

1. First of all, check the date wheel. Fake models commonly have their dial’s text looking too thick and improperly positioned
2. Look at the cyclops of your Rolex Datejust. The fake Rolex watches commonly have their crystal misaligned with the date window below
3. Check the rehaut’s engravings of your Rolex Datejust. The counterfeit Rolex Datejust watches are most common to have their metal area looking less sharp and too smooth compared to the one on the genuine Datejusts
4. Verify the date flip. The authentic watches should instantly flip at 00:00, and the fake watches are commonly flipping too slow
5. Look at the colour of the dial. The fake watches never really manage to fix some of the colours, as they often look too dark
6. Inspect the lume (the glow-in-the-dark feature). The authentic watches must have their lume coloured as a light blue/turquoise, and the fake watches don’t manage to get the correct colour (it is often green)
7. Verify the Datejust for the sunburst dial effect. In the light, the genuine watches reflect more light compared to the replica Rolex Datejust watches
8. Examine your Rolex Datejust watch for the solid end links. Fake watches commonly have curvature defects and gaps between the solid end links and the lugs
9. Verify the bezel of the Rolex Datejust. Sometimes, the replica manufacturers of the Rolex Datejust watches do not perfectly replicate the fluted bezel of the authentic watch or do not use the same quality materials
10. Analyze the quality of the bracelet. Most of the time, the fake Rolex Datejust use the wrong materials for the bracelet. The genuine watches only come with the oyster steel bracelet or the jubilee bracelet.

The 10 detailed real vs fake Rolex Datejust steps outlined above might not be so practical when you are in a hurry or when you want to buy the item online.

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to legit check your Rolex Datejust.

Expert Rolex Datejust authentication

If you need help with the authentication of your Rolex Datejust watch, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your Rolex Datejust watch and we will get back to you with the results within 24 to 48 hours. The results will also come with a report on why we believe your Rolex watch is fake or authentic.

That brings us to the end of our guide on how to spot fake vs real Rolex Datejust watches. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.

References

1. “Rolex buyers are willing to pay an extra $9,950 over the price of the Timex because the affect of a Rolex—consisting of prestige and, perhaps, beauty” | Affect in a Behavioral Asset-Pricing Model – Taylor & Francis Online, Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.
   Access online: tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2469/faj.v64.n2.8
2. “Pick up a genuine Rolex and a fake Rolex, there is no doubt which is which” | McDonald, Gael, and Christopher Roberts. “Product piracy: The problem that will not go away.” Journal of Product & Brand Management 3.4 (1994): 55-65.
   Access online: emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/10610429410073129/full/html

Need our opinion in regards to the authenticity of your watch? It’s a service we provide.

Alternatively, we have free authentication resources for watches: written guides and video tutorials.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Alex