Launched on the 14th of April 2026… Faked less than 2 weeks later.

The Chinese counterfeit production line is quick - 12 days from authentic launch images of the fake versions appear on Social Media.

The real thing won’t arrive in stores for weeks, or on the secondary market for possibly a few months, so your chance of having the genuine article to compare it to is minute.

So how do you spot the fake?

It all comes down to the quality of manufacture.

These both have the clone calibre 3235 movement, but to quotePeter Elliot Glombat Wristcheck, ‘Visual similarity is not the same as quality’.

If you know what you are looking for, every aspect of the watches, from the dial print to the bracelet engraving and the movement details, can be compared to Rolex’s level of extreme precision and found lacking.

There are ironies here…
If you bought the fake and wore it now, everyone would know it is a fake, not because of the poor workmanship, but simply because you have it too early.

Wear it in a few months' time, and unless you have genuine connections with retailers, people will still assume it is fake.

The ultimate irony…
The watch on the right is badged ‘Clean’ – the name of a factory renowned for its high levels of accuracy. Clean was raided last year and closed down for good, meaning that these are ‘fake’ fake watches!