Authenticating a Daytona

[jor17]

I just bought a brand new, stainless steel Rolex Daytona.

I bought it from a legitimate watch dealer on 47th Street in Manhattan's Diamond District.

The dealer buys/sells all brands, including Audemars Piguet, Cartier, IWC, Hublot, etc etc.

I will be receiving the watch tomorrow with all paperwork/cases/etc. I saw the watch, tried it on, compared weight to my friends Daytona and looked good to me.

Obviously I am not an expert on spotting fakes, and while I do not believe this watch to be a fake, I am obviously playing the 'devils advocate' card here and want to have it authenticated.

I called Rolex to inquire, and they told me they charge $150 to have it evaluated for re-sale purposes (ie not an authentication, not an appraisal). They suggested bringing it to a Tourneau or other official dealer for authentication purposes.

I was just wondering what I can look for specifically on my watch to ensure that it is legitimate as soon as I receive it (paperwork, engravements inside the bezel, etc).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

[kareemthedream33]

Post pictures on here of it so we can help. The only 100% way is to open it up and see the movement. I'm sure if this store is legitimate they wouldn't be selling you a fake watch.

[jor17]

As I said, I do not believe it would be fake but I just want to rest assured that I made a good investment.

I will post pictures as soon as I receive it. Any pics in particular, from certain angles, showing different views that would help?

Also, anything in particular on the paperwork to show legitimate watermarks, etc that I can look for?

[Noonan]

There are no good quality fakes of the current Daytona because of where the seconds sub-dial is located. There's a market for fakes of the Zenith powered version because the sub-dials match up with standard 7750 movements.

[jor17]

Originally Posted by Noonan

There are no good quality fakes of the current Daytona because of where the seconds sub-dial is located. There's a market for fakes of the Zenith powered version because the sub-dials match up with standard 7750 movements.

Thanks so much. What does that mean exactly? My Daytona was supposed to be this years model, so can I rest assured? I will certainly post pics when I get it

[Noonan]

When Rolex switched to an in-house movement for the Daytona, they switched the position of the sub-dial that has the running seconds from the 9 o'clock position to 6 o'clock. Base 7750 chronograph movements which many watches use (including fakes) have the seconds at 9 so it's very hard to replicate the current Daytona.

[jor17]

Thanks so much, I will post pics once I receive it

[drtooth73]

interesting. paying 8-10K and not sure if its real.

[jor17]

Originally Posted by drtooth73

interesting. paying 8-10K and not sure if its real.

if you read my original post you would have read that i said i don't think that it's fake, but unfortunately unless you buy directly from rolex or an authorized retailer, you have every right to be skeptical.

not like i bought it on ebay with no paperwork. it has all the bells and whistles, just wanted to get feedback from the community.

stick to teeth if you're going to provide useless posts

[drtooth73]

Originally Posted by jor17

if you read my original post you would have read that i said i don't think that it's fake, but unfortunately unless you buy directly from rolex or an authorized retailer, you have every right to be skeptical.

not like i bought it on ebay with no paperwork. it has all the bells and whistles, just wanted to get feedback from the community.

stick to teeth if you're going to provide useless posts

yeah, you are going to make a lot of friends on this forum

[jor17]

Originally Posted by drtooth73

yeah, you are going to make a lot of friends on this forum

not looking for friends, looking for advice and help, neither of which you have provided.

thanks to the rest of the useful replies

[bewithabob]

post some photos, you will get fair minded opinions about authenticity here.

another way to approach this is to walk the piece into your local RSC and ask them to have a look. but if the watch is stolen, you will not get it back.

paper work and packaging can be easily forged, but not the new movement

[jor17]

thanks a lot for all the helpful responses thus far.

i will absolutely post pics when I receive it at the end of the week.

i read somewhere about a raised imprint on the paperwork or with a specific hologram to look for as well?

i was going to also bring it into tourneau to see what they thought as well, just to be safe.

when i called rolex, they said they would charge me $150 which i feel is unnecessary after just spending so much on the actual timepiece. would an authorized retailer be able to look it up via serial number?

[Rikki]

No one except Rolex has lists of seial numbers. If you are that paranoid about it's authenticity why not by from an Ad and spend the money for piece of mind. JMO

[jor17]

Originally Posted by Rikki

No one except Rolex has lists of seial numbers. If you are that paranoid about it's authenticity why not by from an Ad and spend the money for piece of mind. JMO

the jeweler I bought from (motion in time) has received outstanding reviews and was personally recommended. i'm just a natural pessimist so i'd like it authenticated...that's all.

understand what you're saying though

[onryo]

I went into their store a few weeks ago while I was in New York and nothing looked amiss to me. You should be extra vigilant any time you buy from anyone other than an AD. I think you are doing the right thing here. Did you ask them if they would pop the case back prior to you finalizing the purchase?

[gqllc]

motion in time is fine...been there MANY times. Simple check for your new Daytona...Go to set the time and turn the crown clockwise after unscrewing the crown of course...if the hands move clockwise you are good to go...the replicas have not done this yet...they have however lately gotten the sub dial seconds in the proper place so that is no longer an accurate check. To clarify the replicas hands turn counter clockwise when you turn the crown clockwise when setting the time

[jor17]

Originally Posted by gqllc

motion in time is fine...been there MANY times. Simple check for your new Daytona...Go to set the time and turn the crown clockwise after unscrewing the crown of course...if the hands move clockwise you are good to go...the replicas have not done this yet...they have however lately gotten the sub dial seconds in the proper place so that is no longer an accurate check. To clarify the replicas hands turn counter clockwise when you turn the crown clockwise when setting the time

great call. thanks again everyone