How To Authenticate Rolex GMT-Master II Watches

Ch Alex
rolex gmt real vs fake
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To put it shortly, the fastest way to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master 2 watches is to verify the stack of the hands. The authentic Rolex GMT watches must have their hands positioned in the following order: Hour, GMT, Minutes, and Seconds. On the other hand, the hand stack for most replica watches has the following order: GMT, Hour, Minutes, Seconds.

If you are looking to learn how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches, then you are in the right place to do so. Covered by this guide is the Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 reference number. The Rolex GMT-Master II 126710 has a different bracelet (the jubilee), but the below tells apply to this reference number too.

In our fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master 2 authentication guide, we are going to teach you how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master 2 watches in just a few simple steps to follow.

With every step of our guide, we are going to link reference real vs replica Rolex GMT-Master II pictures so that each piece of information will be clear and easily understandable.

We would like to inform you that several reference numbers of the GMT-Master II have the same tells, so you need to keep an eye out for the same defects. Famous Rolex GMT Master II watches have been nicknamed Batman (116710BLNR ref. no.), Pepsi (116710BLRO and 126710BLRO with a jubilee bracelet) and Root Beer (126711CHNR ref. no.).

Closely inspect your Rolex Batman, Pepsi, or Root Beer, using the tells listed in the detail below!

how to tell fake rolex watches
Check out the written Rolex guides and video Rolex tutorials, where we deeply explain how to spot fakes.

We recommend that you refer to our reference fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master 2 pictures whenever you have to authenticate Rolex GMT-Master II watches and find some spots harder to verify so as to make the authentication work easier.

How to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches

Step 1: Authentic vs replica Rolex GMT-Master II watch hand stack

For the first step of the Rolex GMT-Master II authenticity check process, we will have to verify the fake vs real Rolex GMT watches for the order in which the hands are stacked.

As mentioned at the top of the article, the authentic Rolex GMT II watches always have a pattern to follow.

Also, the replica watches commonly mix the way that their hands are stacked, therefore giving us a flaw to differentiate between the fake and real Rolex GMTs.

The reasons why the hands are not stacked in the same order for replica watches have to do exclusively with the mechanism.

Now, let’s have a quick look at the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II image below in order to spot the differences between the two watches.

how to verify my rolex gmt master 2

In the image with the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II watches above, we have pointed out at each hand, showing you how the fake watch doesn’t have its hands properly attached.

The legitimate Rolex GMT-Master II watches must always have:

1. Their hour hand positioned first (so closest to the “ground”, or the dial of the watch)

2. Then the GMT hand stacked above

3. Followed by the minutes hand and

4. Lastly, the seconds hand.

Most of the time, the counterfeit-produced Rolex GMT-Master II watches have their hands mixed up and do not follow the right pattern.

The most common combination on the fake watches is having the hour GMT’s hand first, then the hour’s hand, followed by the minutes’ hand, and lastly, the seconds’ hand.

Keep in mind that such little details as the manner in which the hands were stacked above each other matter in the Rolex GMT-Master II authentication process, and we always recommend that you check this spot.

However, we have to point out that a watch with the correct hand stack is not automatically classified as an authentic watch. Some fake Rolex GMT Masters do get the hands correctly placed and get other tells wrong. We’ve placed this tell at the top of the list as it’ll instantly weed out most replica Rolex GMT Masters that are not from the best batches. Regardless, we suggest reading further to make sure every tell on this list checks out before declaring your GMT Master authentic.

Now, let’s move on to the second step of the guide on how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches in order to find the next way how to authenticate the Rolex GMT watch.

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Step 2: Fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II movement

Proceeding to the next step of the guide on how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have a look at the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II for its movement.

fake check rolex gmt master 2

Whenever you will pull out the crown, in order to change the hour, the authentic watch’s hour hand will “jump” when the hour changes from one hour to the next one, without the minute’s hand moving too.

On the other hand, the replica Rolex GMT-Master II watches commonly have their hour hand changing in the traditional way, moving both with the minutes’ hand as well.

Once again, this is something you’ll never notice on an authentic watch since the authentic Rolex GMT-Master II always have its hour hand jumping to the next hour without having its other hands moving too.

Have a look at this Rolex authentication guide that applies to the most popular models of Rolex watches!

Step 3: Try rotating the bezel on your GMT-Master II

Going to the third method on how to authenticate Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have to inspect the real vs fake Rolex GMT watches for the moving of the bezel.

The authentic Rolex GMT-Master II watch’s bezel is supposed to move in a smooth manner, without being hard to rotate.

rolex gmt master 2 authentication guide

Then, speaking about the replica Rolex GMT-Master II watches, in most cases, the bezel rotation situation changes a little.

That’s because the replica GMT-Master II commonly has its bezel rotating in a harder manner than the authentic watch, therefore the fake watches have their bezel being less smooth than supposed to.

Step 4: Check the solid end links on your Rolex GMT-Master II

As for the fourth step on how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master 2 watches, we will have to verify the real vs fake GMT-Master II watches for the solid end links.

The legitimate Rolex GMT-Master II watches must always have their parts properly linked and attached next to each other, without leaking any empty spots.

rolex gmt master 2 authenticity check

As you may see in the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II image above, we have pointed out how the fake watch has its bracelet improperly attached to the watch.

In fact, the fake watch has a lot of blank spaces between the bracelet and the actual watch, and that’s something never to be seen on authentic pieces.

Talking about the legitimate Rolex GMT-Master 2, you can see how it doesn’t present any empty space, unlike the fake Rolex watch.

The steps we’ve written so far are the best ways to authenticate this item.

The next few steps are still reliable signs of authenticity but are for non-top-versions of replicas available for this item. We recommend sticking to the steps we’ve explained above to make sure you’re not drawing the wrong conclusions.

Step 5: Inspect the engravings on the bezel of your Rolex GMT watch

Moving on to the next step of the guide on how to check the authenticity of a Rolex GMT-Master II watch, we will have a look at the fake vs real GMT-Master II pieces for the engravings on the bezel.

The engraving which we are going to talk about is crafted by the inscriptions that indicate the numbers placed on the exterior side of the bezel.

Now, let’s have a look at the usual real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II reference image below.

how to tell a fake rolex gmt master 2

In the image containing the fake vs real GMT-Master II pieces above, we have pointed out how the fake watch has its text improperly curved.

The authentic Rolex GMT-Master II watches must always have their numbers curving and arching along with the shape of the bezel, which is, of course, a circle.

The replica watch has its numbers placed on a straight line, not curving along with the watch, and in order to make this easier to notice, we drew two lines for both the real vs fake GMT-Master II Rolex watches in the image above.

As the lines follow, the authentic watch has its numbers indeed curving along with the shape of the bezel, while the fake watch has its numbers straightly positioned, without curving with the shape of the bezel.

This is an issue that’s often met on the fake Rolex Submariner watches. Always look out for the little details!

Step 6: Verify the colour of the GMT hand and the text on the dial

For the next step of the guide on how to authenticate Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have a look at the real vs fake GMT-Master II pictures below in order to check the colour of the two watches.

First of all, we’d like to mention that the authentic watches must have a bright and nuanced shade of green.

how to spot a fake rolex gmt master 2

In the image with the real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches above, we have pointed out how the fake watch has its colour looks too dark when compared to the authentic watch.

The legitimate Rolex GMT-Master II watch has a more powerful and saturated nuance of green, while the replica watch has its green on the GMT hand and the text on the dial shaded too dark.

Regarding the font present on the dial, keep in mind that there are 3 different options that come with the Rolex GMT-Master II watches and those can be easily differenced by the roman number “2” in the name printed on the dial.

The 3 options are known as: 1) roman numeral “2”, 2) rectangular roman numeral “2” and 3) stick numeral “2”. Please take a look at the picture below, which clarifies all 3 options that present the dial on the genuine watch.

how to authenticate my rolex gmt master 2

Step 7: Analyze the cyclops lens of your Rolex GMT-Master II

Proceeding to the seventh method on how to spot fake Rolex GMT II watches, we will have a look at the cyclops sense of the real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches.

In fact, we are going to analyse the quality of the anti-reflective coating applied on the cyclops lens of the real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches.

gmt master ii fake vs real guide

In the image with the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II watches above, we have pointed out how the replica GMT-Master II Rolex watch has a lot of light being reflected from the cyclops lens.

Speaking of the legit Rolex GMT-Master II watch, you can notice how it has its cyclops lens coated with high-quality AR, as it doesn’t reflect any light.

To make this all clear, the difference between the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II watches is that the authentic watch shall never have light reflected and covering the date number, and in most cases, the replica watches don’t have the anti-reflective coating on their cyclops lens.

Step 8: Inspect the shape of the bezel’s teeth on your Rolex GMT watch

Moving forward to the eighth method on how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have a look at the real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II pieces for the shape of the bezel.

fake vs real rolex gmt master 2

In the image with the real vs fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches above, we have pointed out how the fake GMT Rolex has its teeth on the bezel differently shaded.

By that, we mean that the fake watch has its bezel’s teeth less shiny than the authentic ones, and at the same time, the fake watch’s bezel’s teeth are more matte than the authentic watch’s bezel’s teeth.

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Step 9: Genuine vs replica Rolex GMT-Master II date wheel font

Going to the next step on how to authenticate Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have a look at the fake vs real Rolex GMT watches for the quality of the printed numbers that indicate the day.

The genuine Rolex GMT-master II watches must have every number properly printed on the watch, having the same font weight and alignment for each character.

Most of the time, the replica GMT-Master II watches have their date wheels printed with different flaws such as the font weight and the placement of the numbers.

So as to properly visualise the flaws on the fake Rolex GMT watch, let’s have a quick look at the reference fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master 2 image below.

how to spot fake rolex gmt master 2

In the image with the fake vs real Rolex GMT watches above, we have pointed out how the fake GMT, first of all, has its numbers improperly font-weighted.

In fact, the fake Rolex watch has its number “2” looking a bit too thin when compared to the number “8” near it, while on the authentic watch, you can see both the “1” and the “0” have the same font-weight.

Then, the second flaw visible on the replica Rolex watch’s date wheel is that the “2” is a bit too big, and it is placed a bit too low next to the “8”.

The authentic Rolex GMT-Master II watch has both its “1” and “0” at the same size and level, therefore not having any number improperly positioned. Furthermore, the numbers are perfectly centred on the date wheel.

Step 10: Look at the Rolex crown logo on the clasp of your watch

As for the tenth step of the guide on how to spot fake Rolex GMT-Master II watches, we will have a look at the real vs fake GMT-Master II watches for the classic Rolex crown logo on the clasp.

real vs fake rolex gmt master 2

You can notice in the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II image above how the fake watch has its crown looking a bit too thick, as it is also too textured.

On the other hand, speaking of the legitimate Rolex GMT-Master II, you can see how it has its classic crown logo looking thinner and less textured both on and around the crown, unlike the fake watch’s crown which is too thick and textured.

Step 11: Examine the engravings on the clasp of your Rolex GMT-Master II

Since at the previous step of the fake vs real Rolex GMT guide we were talking about the crown on the clasp of the watches, now we are going to talk about the engravings on the clasp.

As you may be used to already, we will first give a quick look at the reference fake vs real Rolex GMT image below.

rolex gmt authenticity check

In the fake vs real Rolex GMT-Master II image above, we have pointed out how the fake watch has its inscriptions looking too thin.

Starting with the “ROLEX” text and logo, we have noticed how the replica GMT-Master II watch has its text, the lines and the crown logo around the “ROLEX” text looking too thin, while the authentic watch has its details thicker.

Then, the same flaw on the fake watch applies to the “GENEVA” and the “SWISS MADE” text as well, where the three words are also too thin, and on the authentic watch, these three words are also thicker.

At the same time, another flaw visible in the text on the right side of the bracelet is that the fake watch has its “GENEVA” and the “SWISS MADE” words improperly kerned between the letters.

By that, we mean that the fake watch has these three words with too much space between the letters, as well as they are too big when compared to the authentic watch’s letters.

How can I tell a fake Rolex GMT-Master 2 in 60 seconds?

The 11 detailed real vs fake Rolex GMT 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 GMT-Master 2 watch. Below are the top 11 indicators that can help you determine if you have a fake or real Rolex GMT watch.

  1. Check the hand stack on your Rolex GMT-Master II watch. The authentic order in which the hands are supposed to be positioned starts with the hour, the GMT, then the hand, and lastly, the second hand
  2. Look at the movement of the GMT on your watch. The legitimate movement of the GMT is supposed to have its hand jumping from each hour, without moving along with the minutes, unlike the fake watches
  3. Verify the rotation of the bezel on your Rolex watch. In most cases, the counterfeit-produced Rolex GMTs have their bezel rotating too hard and not smooth, while the authentic watches must have their bezel rotating smoothly
  4. Inspect your Rolex GMT-Master II watch for the solid end links. Usually, the fake Rolex GMT watches have gaps in the connection between the watch and the bracelet
  5. Check the engravings on the bezel of your Rolex GMT-Master II watch. Most of the time, the replica GMTs have their numbers on the bezel placed straight, while the authentic watches have their numbers curving along with the bezel
  6. Analyze the shade of the green colour on the GMT hand and the text on the dial of your watch. Mostly, the fake watches have their shade of green being too dark upon the comparison with the genuine watch
  7. Examine your watch for the anti-reflective coating on the cyclops lens. Usually, the replica GMT-Master II watches don’t have their anti-reflective coat linked on top of the cyclops lens, therefore being harder to notice the current day
  8. Authenticate the bezel’s teeth on your GMT-Master II. Usually, the fake GMTs have their teeth too little shiny and also too matte
  9. Look at the font of the date wheel. Most commonly, the fake GMT-Master II have its date number improperly font-weighted and positioned
  10. Verify the Rolex crown classic logo on the clasp of your watch. Mostly, the replica GMT-Master II have their crown looking too thick and textured
  11. Inspect the text and the details on the clasp of your Rolex GMT-Master II. In most cases, the replica GMTs have their text and details looking too thin. Also, the fake watches’ text on the clasp is usually too big and with too much space between the letters

Where can I get my Rolex GMT authenticated? The Rolex GMT-Master 2 authenticating service

If you need help with the authentication of your Rolex GMT-Master 2 watch, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your Rolex GMT-Master 2 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 GMT-Master 2 watches. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.


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Thank you for reading this,

Ch Alex

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About the Author

Ch Alex is the co-founder and COO of Legit Check By Ch. Ch Alex is in charge of the "Watch Guides" section of our Legit Check By Ch Library. Alex is also the main host of our YouTube channel where our guides have helped people save millions of dollars in scams. Make sure you subscribe to our channel and check out the videos hosted by Alex!
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