I would like to give you some buying tips when buying any high end watch on eBay. Rolex & Panerai in particular. For around $250 to as high as $1500 you can purchase a FAKE Rolex or Panerai watch that looks & runs 95%+ perfect. As of late Panerai in particular. People can even buy a fake or real Rolex boxes and books on eBay. Put all the parts together and it looks like a real complete watch set. For around $350 you will get a watch that would fool many authorized dealers looking from less than a foot away. Why you ask? Because for example Panerai watches are in such short supply many of the dealers never even get a good look at them closely before they are sold. Therefore It is very hard to remember the many tiny differences to tell a fake from authentic. Rolex dealers on the other hand almost always have most models available for detailed inspections but sometimes reps with little knowledge.

Therefore when buying a Rolex or Panerai on eBay here are some tell tale signs of a potential fakes (replicas).

1-REAL Rolex's come with certificates (that can also be replicated but not perfectly). Usually the fake paper certificates will lie flat with no folds and have no dealer or owner names on them. A REAL Rolex certificate will have folds or be the 2007 or newer are a credit card style. The serial number on the watch case should match the certificate and the green "swim proofs" tags. If the watch is within 1 to 5 years old there should be no reason why someone should not have a Rolex certificate for the watch. Yes I now people lose them but 99% of Rolex buyers know the papers are important and keep track of them very well. The certificate is also required to get warranty service under the original 2 year warranty. If they purchased the Rolex from a AUTHORIZED dealer (AD) the dealers will tell them to hang on to the papers (or the new plastic cards) for service work. A real Rolex without papers can be worth thousand of dollars less than one with proof.

2-If it says "was given to me as a gift" or "purchased from a estate sale"; This should be a red flag. Think hard. Do you know anyone who has received a $5,000 plus watch as a gift lately? Yes, I know there are a few but come on. Another example is people saying "purchased at a estate sale and don't know of the authenticity" this is red flag number two. Again have you or anyone you know been to estate sale and picked up $5,000 plus watch for $500 or less? OK maybe someone lucked out and went to a sale where some rich guy died with no family or friends and found a vintage Rolex Daytona. That happens everyday right? NOT! First off MOST well to do people have wills , family members, friends or charities to donate their personal belongings to upon their death.

3-Notice the little things. As an example... A new AUTHENTIC Rolex comes in a green leather box with cream swede lining. Not felt and pleather. That box comes in a cream or algae printed cardboard box with the Rolex crown stamped on the top in gold. That cream or green algae colored box (sometimes) comes wrapped in a plain white thin cardboard liner to protect that box. The watch will come covered with small clear protective plastic on the case, back, and bracelet. The watch will have a clear plastic snap on bezel protector attached. There will be a red round plastic (wax looking) tag with the a Rolex hologram and CSOC stamped on it. There will be a green Rolex rectangle plastic tag (important) that has the Rolex model on it and the serial number as well. There is a high quality certificate of authenticity that also has serial number, model, dealer and owner name on it. That paper is also embossed with gold looking triangles (not beige like the copies). As of the latest "Z" 2007or newer serial numbers the paper was replaced with (the yet to be counterfeited) plastic credit card size certificate. There will also be a small rectangle piece of swede with W cut edges. There will be at least three small manuals. "Your Oyster" manual. " Rolex "your model here" manual and a "Care of Your Rolex" Manual. There will be either a green leather, green paper or green thin cardboard document holder stamped Rolex. There should be (except Z + Serial) small white card stock card with nothing on it in the paper document holder. And last but very important ( to many Rolex people) a green (now clear) Rolex hologram sticker on the back of the watch. Please keep in mind MANY Rolex dealers remove the sticker when purchased but the good ones stick it to the certificate or wax paper. Just so you know there are even counterfeited green stickers.

4-New (Z serial or higher) Rolex's have a clear model sticker on the case back now instead of the green hologram style of old. Many of the newest models have the serial number etched on the INSIDE rim of the watch case under the crystal. It is located at the 6 O'clock area. The previous version had the serial number UNDER the bracelet on the watch case. The newer Rolex's also have the word ROLEX and the crown logo on the inside rim of the case also under the crystal.

5-Rolex laser etches a almost invisible Rolex crown located at the 6:00 position on the crystal. FAKES HAVE THIS TOO. The difference is that the REAL one is perfect and is a series on tiny dots and again barley visible to the human eye. The fakes you can see 1 foot away from the watch.

6-Things that you can check when you receive the watch and have it in hand... When winding a REAL Rolex you should be able to hear distinct clicks (not a scuffing sound). A good ear can even hear the movement ticking. It should have a light and fast ticking sound. Much faster than tick-tok. Every fake Rolex I've seen makes a scuffing noise when winding generally louder that the clicking sound.

7-Check out the seller... If the seller was selling mostly PokeMon cards or video games last week and has not sold or purchased other expensive items; They could be crooks. If their previous items sold or purchased are not expensive or don't match the patten of a watch dealer or affluent person ; Watch out. If the guy has a very short history but their ads look like they were done by a pro; This could be a red flag. Are the photos all shot in the same light or do they look like stock photos? Is the time set on the watch come close in all the photos? The time should be close in all photos. Have you seen the same photos before in someone else ad? All are good signs of a crook. Are they registered with a USA eBay account but their item location is China or somewhere else ? Are they afraid of Pay Pal? Some legit dealer don't accept Pay Pal but this is usually due to their service fees not because they have problems with Pay Pal. Do they always seem to start their auctions after 5pm Fridays and end them Sunday eve? My guess is that weekend listings are not watched as much via eBay or the Vero system on the weekends. The bogus sellers are in and out before they can get noticed or reported. Look at their previous auctions to see if the photos are set in the similar settings. Most experienced sellers take their photos in the same area because of good lighting or surroundings. Oh yea I almost forgot. That guy that takes out of focus photos of his $10,000 watch because he has a bad camera. Maybe he does but you have to think; If he can afford a $10,000 watch he probably owns a decent digital camera?

8-The most important of all. This is what makes a Rolex a Rolex. Upon visual inspection with the naked eye; EVERYTHING SHOULD LOOK PERFECT. Letters on the dial are perfectly straight. The finish is flawless. The polished areas look like a perfect mirror. The brushed areas are perfectly parallel with each other. The luminous markings have a strong light green glow. The bracelet snaps tight but not stiff. The time is very accurate. Usually +/- 3 seconds a day. Now grab a jewelers loupe and even under magnification it still looks perfect. THAT IS A ROLEX. © Troy V. Mediaplays on eBay