A lot of people – even seasoned collectors – can find themselves confused when trying to distinguish between original and authentic watches. The trick? Stop thinking of the words as synonymous. In this guide, you’ll learn about the big differences between these two categories of luxury watches and how it can help you be a more educated shopper and collector.An authentic watch is undisputed in origin, and not a replica or copy. This means that in order for something to be authentic, it has to be 100% real. Authentic watches are genuine pieces from brands – think of the big players like Rolex, Tudor, Omega, Patek Philippe and more.We use the word authentic in the industry to distinguish between genuine timepieces and fakes that are widely copied and sold. When a dealer gets their hands on a watch, the first thing they are going to do is check the authenticity of the watch; and as a buyer, you should be doing the same. As a buyer, the first step in guaranteeing you get an authentic watch is by always buying directly from the brand or a trusted and reputable dealer who can ensure that the watch is authentic.But how can you tell whether a watch is authentic? Well, we’ve created some great guides to help educate buyers and collectors – both on what’s real, and how to spot inauthentic details. Head over here to check out our official guide on the Top Ways To Spot A Fake Rolex.To be an original watch, the timepiece has to be an authentic watch. Because when you see a watch listed as original, it means that it is both a genuine timepiece from that brand, and one that has not had any later-era updates or alterations since it was manufactured and originally sold.Original watches are:Authentic Have not had parts replaced with later-era equivalents or been modified/altered in any way Sometimes in the industry, we also refer to original watches as ‘honest’ watches. And when we look at pre-owned timepieces – especially vintage watches, we often look for originality. This means we look for things like correct factory-installed parts, whether they’re scratched, chipped or faded.We also look for things like custom details that were added after purchasing, like diamonds or enhanced bezels which were later-era additions and unoriginal to the piece. There are even many buyers and collectors who will favor watches that have never had a polishing or servicing that could have hindered the natural aging process of the timepiece.
So, a lot of people who were Noob watch fans have turned to be clients of ARF. Today, I want to introduce two important Rolex watches AR factory just published several days ago, both are Datejust II models in 41mm, which is a trendy size in current watch industry. Two Datejust 2 watches have some common features, like genuine watches, the replicas are made of 904L stainless steel, and both feature a fluted bezel. The difference is that one is with a grey dial, the other is with a blue dial. I saw both watches and took these photos below, compared two of them, I like the Datejust II with grey dial more.About case, both are made of the latest genuine watch material 904L stainless steel, case is brushed, while the lugs are polished. The case finish is very good, which is the same quality level of Rolex made by JF factory. While I find one subtle flaw on the case, that is the back of lugs does not have engravings, while the replica Rolex made by Noob has. Compared replica Rolex watches between Noob and ARF, the quality of case finish of ARF is better than Noob, but if you do care about some detailed engravings, I suggest you buy from Noob. The fluted bezel is also made of 904L stainless steel, the tooth design on the bezel has the same size as that of genuine watch, the amount of bezel tooth is the same as original. The bezel fits the case body perfectly, so there is no gap for water penetration.About dial, the Rolex Datejust II 126334 replica has two options, grey and blue, I prefer the grey one, which looks more low-key, while the blue one looks more elegant. The grey dial matches the white stainless steel appearance better, the unique sunray polishing on the grey dial looks more obvious, I like such sunray polishing on the dial, it looks high quality. The inner bezel has Rolex’s famous rehaut engravings, which look exactly the same as genuine Rolex.
The dial is in dark grey and got its design idea from the dashboard on Spitfire. So is the replica. Case diameter is 43mm, so the dial looks big. With a sloping inner bezel and sunk subdials, the whole dial looks very three-dimensional. 60-second small dial positioned at 6:00 is for small seconds display, top subdial at 12:00 is for minute chronograph. Small second hand is in striking red. There is a fan-shaped window at 3:00 with a triangle mark that is pointing at current date. White lume is applied on hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, so are on hands.Like case, the bracelet is also made of solid 316L stainless steel, it contains five sections of links. The clasp is so special because it has unique fish-scale patterns, we call them Geneva Stripes that were only found on movement plates before. Deployant buckle has a polished square metal part that has engraving “IWC”. Inside the case, it is a Valjoux 7750 movement, well it is a cloned one, not real Swiss ETA 7750. But the factory used a Shanghai chronograph movement to clone this 7750 movement, if you know something about Shanghai Watch Factory, you will learn that Shanghai 7750 is the most stable chronograph movement used in replica watches. At last, let’s check the watch specification of this replica.
The replica is a real chronograph watch because its basic movement is a valjoux 7750 chronograph movement. The factory modified its movement plates and auto rotor to make it look closer to genuine IWC 79350 Caliber, and they did it. When you open the case back, you can not even tell the movement difference between the replica and genuine. So you can relax and do not worry to be spotted when wearing it among your friends.Black leather strap, plus black hand stitching, perfectly match the leisure style of the replica watch. The band is made of genuine alligator leather, it will be very durable. The leather band is fitted a deployant clasp, which is brushed and features “IWC” engraving. This IWC Portuguese is very necessary for men who need a watch to fit their business suits.
