Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches for a while now, and I recently got my hands on this Rolex Submariner, the two-tone black one. It’s supposed to be a high imitation, “original order” they called it. Let me tell you, it’s been quite the ride figuring this thing out.
First off, I grabbed the watch and checked its weight. Real Subs are hefty, you know? About 1.57 inches in case diameter. I don’t have the exact tools to measure, but this one felt pretty close in my hand. It wasn’t some cheap, lightweight knockoff, that’s for sure.
Then, I went straight for that little cyclops lens over the date. That’s a big tell. They say the real deal magnifies by 2.5 times. I compared it with some pictures of authentic ones online, and honestly, it looked pretty darn similar. The magnification seemed right, and it didn’t distort the numbers underneath.
- Next up, the hands. This is where it gets tricky. I read somewhere that the minute hand on a real Submariner is short and doesn’t overlap the minute markers. I took a good look at mine, and it seemed to match. It was short enough, no overlapping. But you never really know, right?
- I also looked at that little luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position. It’s supposed to be perfectly centered. Mine was a bit off, just a tiny bit. And the color was a bit suspect, not as bright as I expected. That could be a sign, but it’s not definitive.
Now, about the numbers on the dial, they say on fakes they’re often just painted on. On this one, they looked pretty good, not just painted. But again, who knows? You’d need a microscope to be sure.
They always say the devil is in the details, right? I spent hours comparing the finish on this thing to pictures of real Submariners. The case, the bracelet, everything. This imitation is pretty well done, I gotta say. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough to fool most people, I think.
My conclusion?
Look, I’m no expert, but from what I’ve seen, this “original order” Submariner is a pretty decent imitation. It’s got the weight, the cyclops lens seems right, and the overall finish is impressive. But there are small things, like the pip and maybe the numbers, that make me wonder. It’s definitely not a cheap fake, but it’s probably not 100% perfect either. It’s good enough for me, though. I mean, who’s gonna walk around with a magnifying glass checking my watch, right? It’s a fun piece to wear, and for the price I paid, I’m pretty happy with it. I still wear it everyday.
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