Okay, so I’ve been wanting a Rolex Submariner for a while now, you know, the two-tone black one. It’s just so classy. I finally decided to pull the trigger and get a high imitation one, ’cause, let’s be real, the real deal is way out of my budget right now. Here’s how it all went down.
First, I started looking around. I did some research about what to check to see if it’s a good fake or not. The weight, the materials. They say a real Rolex Submariner is pretty heavy because it uses this fancy 904L stainless steel and 18K gold. These high imitation ones, they try to get close to that.
After digging around for a decent one, I finally found a seller. It was a bit of a gamble, I won’t lie. This was no official store or something, but the guy had good reviews, so I thought, why not? We met up, and the first thing I did was to hold the watch. It did feel heavy, which was a good start. I tried to remember what I read about the real ones – they weigh around 130 grams, and not much of it is gold, just some parts like the middle links, the crown, and the bezel.
Then I started to check the details. I looked at the case diameter, which should be around 40 millimeters, like the real one. I measured it with a caliper that I brought. The size was right. I also inspected the date window – apparently, there are subtle differences between a fake and a real one. I had seen some comparison photos online before. This one looked pretty convincing, but I’m no expert, so I couldn’t be 100% sure.
I also checked the crown guard. I read somewhere that the newer Submariners have a more streamlined crown guard compared to the older models. The watch I was looking at had the newer design, which was a good sign. Then I asked the seller about the movement inside. He said it was a Caliber 3235, which is what the newer real Submariners have. I mean, I couldn’t really open up the watch to check, but the seller seemed honest.
- Weighing the watch: It felt substantial, around the expected 130g mark.
- Measuring the case: It was spot on, 40mm just like the genuine thing.
- Inspecting the date window: It looked good to my untrained eye.
- Checking the crown guard: Matched the more modern, streamlined design.
- Movement: Seller claimed it was a Caliber 3235, had to take his word for it.
Wrapping it up
After going through my checklist, I decided to buy it. It wasn’t perfect, but for a high imitation, it was pretty darn good. I mean, it’s not going to fool a Rolex expert or anything, but to the average person, it looks like the real deal. Plus, it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. I wore it out a few times, and honestly, it felt good on my wrist. It had that nice weight and look to it. Overall, I’m pretty happy with my purchase. It scratched that Submariner itch without breaking the bank. Maybe one day I’ll get a real one, but for now, this will do just fine.
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