Bansenshukai Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 I have a friend who sports a really nice TT Rolex Submariner, blue dial, that he acquired in 2002 from an uncle as a gift. I took a good look at it today (he let me see it) and noticed that the second hand was ticking a bit more than, say, the second hand of my gen Omega SMP Automatic. Also, the bezel pearl is not "inset", that is, it's not flush with the surface of the bezel. Rather than some of the bezel pearls from reps I've seen, the pearl looks more rounded, as if you took a tiny spherical pearl, cut it in half and put that half on the bezel surrounded by a thin metal ring. It does not look very large, or out of place, but it is certainly not flush with the bezel. It's more like a little bump on the bezel. The gold parts of the watch look like genuine gold as they have not faded one bit and he wears it everyday (it's like his "beater" watch). Another friend of mine, who is into gen and rep Rolexes (but not an expert, per se) believes that it is a rep because of the bezel pearl. Thing is that the owner of the TT Rolex Submariner plans to take it to an official Rolex dealer/repairer for servicing. But, it might be a fake, I don't know and I certainly have not told him so because, Rolex may have manufactured something like that and I might not be aware of it. So, any of you out there have an idea if Rolex did have a model like that. If I can get a pic of it tommorow, I will. But, we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsons Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 (edited) One way to find out for certain is to remove the case back and take a peek. If you find an ETA or some other movement that looks different from this, it's not the genuine article. Edited April 18, 2006 by Jetsons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eunomians Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Nice movement shot, Jetsons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Yep, that 3135 movement is the big thing. It could have an aftermarket bezel insert, which Rolex would want to replace. If the guy's not sure about it being authentic, it would be a good idea to take it to a lolcal watchsmith and have him take off the caseback to make sure the movement is the 3135. If you took a rep to Rolex, that could be the end of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Hmmmm... Did the pearl happen to look like this? (^^ Genuine insert and pearl for a 16610) The most puzzling thing is the beat rate that you mentioned... Your gen SMP Auto is a 28.800bph movement- The Rolex 3135 beats at the same frequency. So, if you noticed that the beat was actually faster... I'd say something is amiss. Exactly what... Who knows. But I definitely find it a bit odd... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bansenshukai Posted April 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Hmmmm... Did the pearl happen to look like this? (^^ Genuine insert and pearl for a 16610) The most puzzling thing is the beat rate that you mentioned... Your gen SMP Auto is a 28.800bph movement- The Rolex 3135 beats at the same frequency. So, if you noticed that the beat was actually faster... I'd say something is amiss. Exactly what... Who knows. But I definitely find it a bit odd... Yes. As a matter of fact, the bezel pearl did look like what you have in the picture. So, then it's genuine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Yes. As a matter of fact, the bezel pearl did look like what you have in the picture. So, then it's genuine? Well, the basis of the watch being genuine based on the pearl and insert alone is not something I'd want to wager on. One could always have a genuine insert modified and installed on a rep. When dealing with a potential genuine, it's always best to pop the case back off and have a peek under the hood, so to speak Just to make sure. But, if you have some pics that you can post, that may help too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bansenshukai Posted April 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Well, the basis of the watch being genuine based on the pearl and insert alone is not something I'd want to wager on. One could always have a genuine insert modified and installed on a rep. When dealing with a potential genuine, it's always best to pop the case back off and have a peek under the hood, so to speak Just to make sure. But, if you have some pics that you can post, that may help too. I'll get my buddy's permission and take some photos tomorrow. Thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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