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A replica Rolex Daytona watch bought on the streets in New York City.

Rolex counterfeits are illegally manufactured replicas of Rolex watches. Like many high-priced, luxury brand-name accessories, Rolex watches are often counterfeited and illegally sold on the street and the internet. These fakes are mainly produced in Asian countries such as India, Taiwan and mainland China (EU figures show that 54% of fakes seized in 2004 originated in China),^[1] and retail anywhere from $5 upwards to $1000 – for high end replicas fabricated in solid gold. By some accounts, over 75% of all replica watches produced annually are copies of Rolex Oyster Perpetual designs. These watches have been nicknamed "Foolex," "Folex" or "Fauxlex".^{[citation needed]}

One good test to spot if the watch is a fake or not can be performed simply by looking at it. Most Rolex models have a self-winding mechanical movement, which makes the second hand move smoothly around the watch face, while a majority of all cheaply made fakes have a simple battery powered quartz movement which "ticks" (that is, will move quickly, pause momentarily then repeat the action) from one second indicator to the next. Another common giveaway is a transparent case back which allows the movement to be seen; Rolex has never produced such a watch, with the exception of some extremely rare models from the 1930s. Also, genuine Rolexes possess a hefty, weighty feel when held in the palm of the hand, which most fakes do not.

Not all Rolex fakes are cheap imitations. Some higher-end replicas use quality materials such as reliable ETA automatic movement with a smoothly moving second hand like a genuine Rolex, and CNC-cut accurate watch cases. These replicas require a bit more knowledge to detect because they lack the common flaws found in the low-end watches. However their numbers are small in comparison to their cheaper cousins.

Rolex watches never have a manufacturer engraving of a logo, hallmark, design or Rolex name on the outside of the caseback, except for the Sea-Dweller, which says (on the back, in black) Rolex Oyster Original Gas Escape Valve, along with two Rolex logos. Genuine Rolex models have a smooth caseback free of engravings. Recent Rolex models are shipped new from the factory with a Hologram-encoded (3 dimensional) sticker on the caseback with a floating Rolex crown positioned above the watch's case reference number, which is now printed in black. Most counterfeit stickers are a solid green color or are actually a repetitious "Rolex" pattern, not a hologram. Before 2002, the reference number was printed in gold and the hologram did not possess the crown logo. Some counterfeiters are attempting to match the actual hologram sticker more closely. Also inside the crystal of a genuine Rolex is an almost invisible etched Crown Logo located at the 6:00 position. Some replicas have this etching, but it is often smaller and less distinct than that found on a genuine Rolex.

The date magnification of a Rolex is 2.5 the normal size. The date should fill up the the glass bubble. Some fake watches have a larger font wheel to imitate this effect, but do not come close to the real appearance of the date. It is always best to examine a suspected Rolex replica next to a genuine watch. A side-by side comparison will often reveal subtle differences in the laser printing on the face, color differences on the dial and band, and other defects which can help identify a Rolex as authentic or a replica. Also all edges on a Rolex and its band are smoothed off and not at all sharp or scratchy.^[2]

• Counterfeit