Identifying fake Rolex owner's manuals and papers
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:25 pm
Below are several examples of fake and genuine excerpts from pages found in a fake Rolex Submariner manual and a genuine GMT manual. There are also several examples of both fake and genuine excerpts from the one page owner's manuals used throughout the 1960s.
While reviewing the photos below, notice that the genuine fonts and photos are sharp and free of defects or wavy lines outlining the letters. The photos that contain the genuine printing are much clearer and sharper when compared to fake manuals/papers.
When examining a booklet that you suspect is fake, check it first and determine if it passes the "smell test." Old Rolex papers, and manuals, like old books and documents found in a library or your home, have a very distinct, musty smell. I have yet to find any old Rolex manuals that did not have a musty smell - like an old book. Next, feel the pages - do they feel too thick or too thin when compared to a genuine manual. Spend time examining the staples, do the staples in the suspect book appear like those in a genuine manual? Examine the printing in the suspect manual/paper with at least a 10X loupe. Have a genuine booklet handy and compare the two. Even without a genuine booklet for comparison, the printing in a fake manual/paper will not appear sharp and crisp which is dead give-a-way that the manual is fake.
(To enlarge the photos and bypass the scrolling bars, click on each photo once. To reduce the size, click the photo again.)
While reviewing the photos below, notice that the genuine fonts and photos are sharp and free of defects or wavy lines outlining the letters. The photos that contain the genuine printing are much clearer and sharper when compared to fake manuals/papers.
When examining a booklet that you suspect is fake, check it first and determine if it passes the "smell test." Old Rolex papers, and manuals, like old books and documents found in a library or your home, have a very distinct, musty smell. I have yet to find any old Rolex manuals that did not have a musty smell - like an old book. Next, feel the pages - do they feel too thick or too thin when compared to a genuine manual. Spend time examining the staples, do the staples in the suspect book appear like those in a genuine manual? Examine the printing in the suspect manual/paper with at least a 10X loupe. Have a genuine booklet handy and compare the two. Even without a genuine booklet for comparison, the printing in a fake manual/paper will not appear sharp and crisp which is dead give-a-way that the manual is fake.
(To enlarge the photos and bypass the scrolling bars, click on each photo once. To reduce the size, click the photo again.)
