How to Shop for Genuine Rolex Dials

Welcome to my guide, please rate me if you like this guide.

After a long time dealing with Rolex items, I realize how easily people are being cheated over and over again especially with dials.

Dials are the most important part of a Rolex because dials wear faster then cases and dials affect the value of the watch more then any other part.

Movements: Rolex movements are almost impossible to fake, why? Because the workmanship is so high, it will cost about the same to make a copy, you will need a lot of tools and skills to make the same or similar movement.

Cases: Cases, can be easily copied, but a Rolex movement will not fit in a fake case. The measurements have to be perfect or the movement will not sit right in the case. If you have a fake case, putting a Rolex movement in it is a risky thing. It's best to put the extra money into a real case and re-polish it.

Dials: There are tons of fakes in the market, basically I consider any "redone" or "aftermarket" dial to be fake.
These dials have no value and do not add to the value of your Rolex watch.
You are better off with a worn original dial then a crisp copy...As an example, a ref 5508 aftermarket dial is worth about $40 and a real ref 5508 used dial with wear is worth between $6000 to $8000 depending on the wear.

HOW TO BUY A ROLEX DIAL:

• First read the description, too many sellers make their auctions look like the real thing.
• TERMS TO LOOK FOR AND AVOID: so as you look through the description look for words such as "custom made", "professionally done", Repainted", "aftermarket", "original aftermarket", "redone", "touched up" etc... these are all attempts to make you think the dial is original.
• ANY INTERACTION WITH THE DIAL OTHER THEN WHAT ROLEX DID TO IT IS NOT RIGHT AND SHOULD NOT BE DONE OR PRESENTED AS A ROLEX ORIGINAL!
• For a dial to be original it has to be Rolex Factory Original with no alterations.
• Sometimes, Rolex services dials, "re-looming" and touching up the dials. This takes away from the value of the dials, but not a lot.
• Make sure that the seller indicates that the dial is ALL ORIGINAL ROLEX FACTORY.

Indicators of foul play:

• NEW DIALS are FAKE, there are no new dials sold to the market, dials come from Rolex watches, they could be mint condition or with wear, but NO ORIGINAL ROLEX DIALS ARE NEW.
• The more pictures the better, so if a seller has one terrible picture of the dial, there must be a reason for it. Just about anyone can take a good picture and put at least 2 (front and back) on eBay.
• Look for weird writing on the dial, mistakes, misalignments, wrong fonts or sizes.
• Look for writing that looks too new for the dial, faded dial with crisp writing.
• Look for indication of proper wear, luminous numbers and indicators wear as if they are slowly disintegrating, no one can duplicate that.
• Look at the seller feedback and location; I would hesitate to buy a dial from China, Thailand or some 3rd world country. I'll also worry about buying a dial from Flushing or China town in NY as well.
• Ask as many questions as you can and make sure you get a good money back guarantee.

AFTER I WROTE THIS GUIDE, I NOTICED HOW MANY FAKE DIALS ARE ON EBAY, JUST LOOK AT WHAT COMES UP WITH THIS GUIDE....

That's about it for now; I hope this guide helped you a lot. Please contact me with any questions you have, I hope to learn from your experience as well and that we can all protect each other from scammers and crooks.

Cheers,

Kevin