Buyers guide for fake Rolex, Ray Ban sunglasses and Gucci purses

The Rolex watch has always been a status symbol for the executive.

The fake Rolex was first introduced to America in the hit TV show “All in the Family” back in the 1970’s when Archie Bunker got a great deal on what he thought was a "hot" Rolex, Upon closer examination by Meathead, he noted that it was actually a “Romex”.

Since the 1970’s, fake Rolexes have become a favorite tourist souvenir, along with fake Ray-Ban, Gucci, and other designer items, sold in Chinatowns across the USA and widely overseas.

Companies on the web such as "Global Replicas" sell fake Rolexes in every possible style and price:

Most fake Rolexes are produced in China, (an enemy of copyright law), there are over a thousand makes and models of fake Rolexes, ranging from shabby quartz watches for five dollars, all the way up to con-artist quality automatics, replete with fake Rolex boxes and wax emblems that can cost up to $200.

Today, a $150 high-quality stainless steel phony Rolex is externally indistinguishable from a real $3,000 Rolex.

The easiest way to spot a “poser” executive is to look for blemishes on the face crystal of the Rolex. A real Rolex has a face crystal made from rock-hard sapphire, and they will not scratch, even after years of hard use.

Buying a fake Rolex appeals to the adventurous in many travelers, but you must be careful that it is legal to buy and possess reproductions in the country that you are visiting.

The cheapest fake Rolexes are immediately identifiable because of the click-click of the second-hand (due to the quartz movement), while “automatic” Rolexes are self-winding and the second hand sweeps smoothly.

Is it legal to own a fake Rolex?

In the USA it is perfectly legal to own “novelty” items, even fake drivers licenses, so owning a fake Rolex is unlikely to get you arrested. In fact, many people have extensive collections of fake Rolexes as souvenirs of their travels. However, it is illegal to sell any unauthorized reproductions of high-end designer goods. It should be noted that many designer companies do not rigorously enforce their trademarks because:

The people who buy fake Rolexes are not likely to have purchased a real Rolex instead.
Many companies find that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and find the fakes to be a free promotion for the real thing.

Within the more expansive automatic phony Rolexes, there are three grades of movements.

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