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One of the great things about a Rolex watch is that they are robust enough to wear every day if you want to.  If you don’t wear it every day and it stops, it’s a good idea to wind it manually before you set the time and wear it again.

Should I wear my Rolex every day?

It’s not possible to overwind an automatic Rolex although you should always exercise care if anything feels unusual while you’re winding it.

Can you overwind a Rolex?

Most Rolex watches have an automatic movement that winds the mainspring from the motion of your wrist while you wear it.

Why doesn&#8217;t a Rolex need a battery?

Most automatic Rolex watches will run for between 2-3 days without winding. If you haven’t worn your Rolex watch for a few days and it has stopped, it’s a good idea to wind it manually before you set the time and wear it again.

How long does a Rolex keep time without wearing it?

There are literally hundreds of Rolex watches to choose from. The most popular and the ones that appear most on our website tend to be sports references. However, the dressier Datejust and Oyster Perpetual models are also very popular, and they regularly feature in our stock.

For more information on choosing the right Rolex, read our <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/5-step-guide-to-buying-a-pre-owned-rolex-watch/">5 Step Guide to Pre owned Rolex Watches.</a>

Choosing the right Rolex

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Buying a Rolex is a one of the best decisions you could make in the watch world because most certified pre owned Rolex watches increase in value over time.

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This means that when you buy a fully tested, warrantied Rolex certified pre owned watch from Oakleigh Watches, you will be buying an appreciating asset. All you need to do is take care of it and enjoy it for a few years and it will literally repay you.

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Below are 5 key things to consider when buying a pre owned Rolex.

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1. Investment, Pleasure or Both?

If you’re buying purely for investment, then you don’t need to worry about the style of watch. Rather, you need to focus on whether a model is desirable now and whether it is likely to be so for the foreseeable future. So, my top three tips …

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• Always go for a watch with the widest appeal and the most limited supply.
• If it’s purely for investment purposes, buy the very best example you can find. After all you don’t have to worry about damaging it if it’s only going to sit in your safe.
• Make sure you buy a Full Set – box, papers, service records and accessories.
If buying for pleasure and or both pleasure and investment – keep reading.

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2. Style

There are literally hundreds of Rolex watches to choose from. The most popular and the ones that appear most in our collections tend to be sports references of which there are several. However, the dressier Day Date and Datejust models are also very popular, and they regularly feature in our collection too.

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Rolex Submariner and GMT Master

As far as the sports references are concerned, the two most popular ones are:

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• The Rolex Submariner – This comes in Submariner and Submariner Date versions. They were both largely unchanged from 1969 until 2010/2012 when the current ceramic bezel styling was introduced. This was the first and only major change ever to affect the model. The Stainless-Steel Submariner watches have quite understated styling.

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• The Rolex GMT Master – depending upon age, this is available in both GMT Master and GMT Master II versions. The GMT Master was the original, and when they were available simultaneously, was the cheaper of the two versions. These days prices are much more affected by condition, originality, and completeness than they are by which movement is in the watch. Again, depending on age, the steel versions are available with black, black and red (Coke), blue and red (Pepsi), blue and black (Batman), and green and black (Sprite) versions. Because of the coloured bezel, they tend to stand out more than some of the other Rolex sports watches.

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Rolex Day Date and Datejust
• The Rolex Day Date or ‘Rolex President’ has been a mainstay of the brand since the 1950’s and has traditionally been presented to every US President around the time of their inauguration. Incidentally, ‘President’ is also the name of the bracelet which is only ever used on this model. The Rolex Day Date is only available in precious metals; yellow gold, white gold, or platinum, and consequently has always been one of the more highly priced Rolex models. Traditionally a 36mm watch – although strangely it wears much bigger – the Rolex Day Date is now also available in 41 mm.

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• The Rolex Datejust has been an important part of Rolex history since the 1960’s. This is the classic dress Rolex seen on so many wrists and is available in stainless steel or stainless steel and gold versions. The key differentiating feature on the different Rolex Datejust models is the bezel. Over the years they have been available in machined steel, smooth steel, and fluted white gold. It’s important to know which you are looking at because the difference affects the price quite significantly. The other main difference between the versions is the bracelet which is available in either an Oyster or Jubilee. The Oyster bringing a more purposeful look while the Jubilee is more decorative and dressier. Also, traditionally a 36mm watch the Rolex Datejust is now also available in 41 mm.

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3. Size

Does matter when it comes to watches?

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It all comes down to confidence and perspective.

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Just because you’re small in stature, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t carry off a larger timepiece. In fact, it’s very much the fashion for women to wear oversized men’s watches.

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For a man, it’s all about confidence. If you feel comfortable going big and will wear a 43mm + proudly, then it will look good. If you’re going to be self-conscious, then pick something classic like a Rolex Oyster Perpetual.

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Most Rolex sports models ever made are 40 mm but recently a few have crept up to 41 mm and 42 mm versions.

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As we mentioned before, the Rolex Day Date and Rolex Datejust are traditionally 36 mm, but the modern ones are 41 mm – if you’re looking for something smaller, older could be better for you.

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4. Vintage or Modern

The choice between a vintage or modern watch is partly one of personal taste and partly one of robustness. We mentioned above about the fact that vintage watches tend to be smaller with the Rolex Day Date and Datejust models growing 5 mm over the years. So, if you like a slightly smaller vintage look, then something older might be for you.

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On the other hand, if you want to wear your Rolex every day, then you should probably go for a newer one as the movements from the 1960’s is more fragile and expensive to repair than later versions.

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Bracelets have also changed over the years and newer ones are more hard wearing and comfortable so may be more suited to regular as opposed to occasional wear. Original bracelets for vintage Rolex can also be very valuable, often running into thousands of pounds, so that combined with their relatively fragile nature doesn’t make for a daily wearer.

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Servicing costs for a vintage watch can be higher and parts hard to come by – two important considerations when choosing between modern and vintage pre owned Rolex watches.

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5. Fashion or Function

What do you want your pre owned Rolex for? Assuming of course you’re not heading to the Mariana Trench, is it simply to tell the time or do you need it to dive in?

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If you do want a sports watch for diving say, the Rolex Submariner models are the best place to start.

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If you’re simply looking for a fantastic watch made to the highest of standards, then you can have some fun choosing.

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5 Step Guide to Buying Pre owned Rolex Watches

Availability

Brand

Model

What's Included

Condition

Reference

Years

Papers

Movement Type

Movement

Diameter

Dial Colour

Case material

Bracelet/Strap

Gender

Matching Model

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This Rolex GMT Master II 16760 'Sophia Loren' is a lovely example of a rare sports reference.
This watch has fat sharp lugs and hasn't been overpolished at any time in its life.  The bezel is crisp with a lightly faded original Coke insert and the sapphire crystal is perfect.
Many 16760 dials have crazed or spotted over the years which means that a lot of them are either damaged or have been replaced with non-original service dials.  This is an original tritium dial and handset and shows no signs of damage.
It comes with the original papers as well as the boxes, books and tags.  The 16760 was originally available with either an Oyster or a Jubilee bracelet but this example comes with both
Just serviced by certified watchmakers <a href="https://www.michlmayr.com/">Michlmayr &amp; Co </a> this Rolex GMT Master II is running within COSC spec.
Produced between 1983 and 1988, the 16760 was the first GMT Master II and the first of any GMTs with white gold borders to the hour markers and a sapphire crystal.  It was also the first 'Coke' bezelled GMT Master, the only option for the 16760.
For more Rolex Watches visit our <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/brand/pre-owned-rolex">Rolex </a>Brand page.
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Rolex Crown

Rolex GMT Master II 16760 'Sophia Loren'

This Rolex GMT Master II 16760 'Sophia Loren' is a lovely example of a rare sports reference. It's a Full Set with both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets.

Rolex GMT Master 16760 | 1984 | Full Set

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Rolex GMT Master II 16760 &#8216;Sophia Loren&#8217;

Rolex is one of the most coveted luxury brands on the planet, known for quality, durability, style, and prestige. Such an aspirational timepiece comes with a hefty price tag and therefore it’s of no surprise that the business of fake Rolex’ has become very lucrative. Therefore, knowing how to Spot a Fake Rolex is crucial when making such a high value purchase.

These days, some fake Rolex’ are so good that they must be partially disassembled before they can be identified as counterfeit and can even fool the experts!

And trust us they’re good!

Most of the fake watches that we come across are pretty easy to spot with a trained eye but there are some – that could fool most experts under normal scrutiny.  And I’m not talking about across a room or even across a desk, I mean in your hand and with a loupe. Plus some very clever fakers have adopted a ‘two from one’ practice…

Imagine you have one real watch and one ‘super fake’.  The real one is worth say, £10,000 and the super fake is worth nothing.  They swap the movements so they now have two watches; A real case and bracelet that pass all tests and a movement that won’t be discovered until the back is removed, and a very good fake that might prompt you to open the caseback just to be sure… when you do, the movement is real so it must all be ok…

(Papers can be faked more easily than watches so they’re both ‘Full Sets’.)  They sell them both at ‘bargain prices’, say £8,000 each for a quick sale and they’ve turned £10K into £16K.

‘Caveat Emptor” as they say in Rome.

Here are our 10 tips on how to spot a fake Rolex:

1) Unauthorised Sellers
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Buying a Rolex is a serious investment, whether for pleasure or business, it’s a lot of money to part with. Therefore, our most important piece of advice is – only buy a luxury watch from a trusted seller or dealer.

Trust is very important when buying a pre-owned Rolex and here my friend, Google is your best friend.

ALWAYS choose a trusted, legitimate/authorised seller over a random individual you find on the internet. There might be a slight increase in cost but that’s the price of reassurance.

Look at the dealer’s selling history and reviews – especially trusted review affiliations such as Trustpilot.

Buying via international watch selling platforms such as Chrono 24 and Watchfinder, are a good place to start as the due diligence has already been done on the sellers.

eBay has recently launched a luxury goods arm and we sell via this platform. However, we are vetted as a Trusted Seller and any watch over £2000 will be sent for eBay authentication. Note – you do not have this security with individual sellers and sites like eBay and Craigslist can be rife with fake Rolex from’ bob666@gmail.com’.

Buying online can be a minefield, especially if not from a reputable seller. Therefore, if you decide to go down this route, you absolutely need to see the watch before you part with any cash. Below are some more physical clues on how to spot fake Rolex watches.

2. Movement

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Carefully open the back of the watch – a fake simply cannot match the craftsmanship and precision of a true Rolex calibre. Plus, each genuine movement will have “Rolex” engraved on it.

However, thanks to modern technology it is much harder to tell the difference, refer to our previous example of the “Super Fake”.

Another clue – if it’s a quartz movement, alarm bells should start ringing as all Rolex watches other than the Oysterquartz of the 1970’s to 1990’s have mechanical movements.

3. Seconds Hand

On a genuine Rolex, the ticks of the seconds hand are so smooth, it looks like it’s gliding. If there is any stutter – it could be a fake.  You can also try listening, a real Rolex will be silent.

Rolex has made a small number of battery-powered watches in the past. These were called ‘Oysterquartz’. Rolex has never made quartz versions of the Submariner, GMT-Master or other popular models.

4. Weight

Since 1989, Rolex has used the best steel on earth called “Oystersteel” (904L stainless steel), which is rust and corrosion-resistant and importantly – it’s heavy! If the watch you’re holding feels light, it was likely built with cheaper metal and is a fake.  The difference is subtle, but you can definitely feel it.

However, it gets a little tricky with older watches with Oyster bracelets from the 1980’s and earlier as these have hollow links made by stamping. These hollow bracelets are much lighter than the current range.  However, the ‘head’ of the watch should still be heavy and feel sturdy. Also, the bracelet end links on a pre-2000 sports Rolex are hollow and can feel a bit rattly after a few years wear so that’s not necessarily an indication of a low-quality replica.

5. The Crown

Even the crown on a Rolex will be identifiable by the craftmanship. Only the high-quality steel used by Rolex can hold the intricate details you find on a genuine Rolex watch. Therefore, a smooth, plain, or brushed over crown will be a sign it could be a fake Rolex.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7983" src="https://cms.oakleighwatches.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Picture1-300x180.jpg" alt="" width="381" height="229" />

6. Dial, Hands &amp; Clasp

The most obvious tell is misspellings, however as we’ve already mentioned, these days fakes can be excellent.

A genuine Rolex will be perfect when made, and fake Rolexes will be much less refined. So, get the magnifying glass out and check the hands, hour markers, dial and clasp for uneven fonts, inconsistent spaces between the lettering/numbers and smudges.

Even the tiniest imperfection on a new Rolex dial is incredibly rare so if it isn’t absolutely perfect, it’s very probably dodgy.

It’s a good idea to have an official photo of the exact model you’re buying to compare.

7. Case Back

Most genuine Rolex case backs are smooth and rarely factory engraved or transparent.

Some exceptions are.

-Rolex Sea Dwellers that are engraved.
-Milgauss’ are engraved.
-Comex Submariners and Sea Dwellers are often engraved.
-Vintage lady Datejust models 6917, 69173, 69174 – engraved with ‘Stainless Steel’
-‘Registered Design’ Military watches …. but if you’re shopping for a 5514 then hopefully you know what you’re doing.
-Since 2023, some models such as the Daytona have had sapphire case backs

Of course, some people do have their watches personally engraved (we advise you not to, if you’re thinking of buying for investment), but this should be obvious by the engraved content.

8. Laser Etched Crystal

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Time to get your magnifying glass out again!

Some Rolex watches produced from the early 2000’s onwards will have a tiny laser etched crown at the 6 o’clock position on the crystal. The precision of this detail has made it difficult for counterfeiters to replicate – so it can be a good sign of authenticity (or not).

But beware, while the presence of the etched crown should mean that the crystal is real, it doesn’t mean that everything is.  Also, not even Rolex can tell you which references from which years should have the etched crystal (I’ve asked several people on several occasions), so don’t rely on this particular element.

9. The Big Date

The cyclops (bump) over the date on many Rolex watches is part of the brand signature. Its purpose is to magnify the date by 2.5 times.

If the glass over the date is flat and/or doesn’t seem to magnify very well then, it’s highly likely be a fake Rolex.

As always there are exceptions and the 40mm Rolex Sea Dweller and Deepsea Sea Dweller do not have a cyclops lens, despite having a date function. (They couldn’t make a glue strong enough to stand the pressure until 2019)

10. Model &amp; Serial Numbers

This is perhaps the best way to authenticate a Rolex watch. Briefly – every Rolex has a serial and model number which are deeply engraved and symmetrical, clear to read and even shine in the light at certain angles.

On the contrary, fake Rolex watches will have a stamp that appears a little messier. It will either look like several tiny dots or etchings and if acid etched it will have a sandy/grainy appearance.

For more information on checking serial numbers and Rolex serial number tables, read our comprehensive <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/watch-serial-numbers/">Guide to Understanding Watch Model and Serial numbers</a>.

In Conclusion

You really need to know your stuff. Knowing how to spot a fake Rolex is a crucial part of the buying process. If in doubt, refer to point 1 – always buy through a trusted/authenticated pre-owned watch seller.

Oakleigh Watches’ office is based within<a href="https://www.michlmayr.com"> S.Michlmayr &amp; Co</a> who have a Rolex certified watchmaker on the premises available to check all of our watches for authenticity.

We’d be happy to help and guide you through the process. Visit our collection pages for current stock and sign up to receive our regular newsletters and stock drops.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, we also offer a <a href="https://www.oakleighwatches.co.uk/sourcing-your-watch/">Sourcing Service </a>and are experts at finding your dream ‘genuine’ watch.

10 Tips on How to Spot a Fake Rolex

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This Rolex 116610LV was sold by an AD in 2012 so it's one of the first made and was carefully worn until April 2025 when it was serviced by Rolex UK at a cost of £700.  It has not been worn since and all elements of the case are perfect.
The case is sharp and fat and shows no sign of ever having been damaged or poorly polished and the bracelet has no wear.  It still has the Rolex stickers attached.
This is a Full Set, coming as it does with all the boxes, papers, books and tags as well as the bezel protector.  It also has the documentation and receipt from the Rolex service.
The Rolex 116610LV Submariner Date 'Hulk'  is the most famous of the green accented Rolex Submariners that were inspired by the Anniversary 'Kermit' of 2003.  Launched in 2012 and made until 2020, it has a green ceramic bezel and matching dial bringing it the nickname 'Hulk'.
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Rolex 116610LV Submariner Date 'Hulk'

Rolex 116610LV Submariner Date 'Hulk' - Oakleigh Watches

Rolex 116610LV Submariner Date &#8216;Hulk&#8217;