Common Error with Submariner Two Tone Black Face Replicas

[Michael Dennis 0]

At a motorsport function in Melbourne last Friday night, a rather obnoxious fellow visiting our table went to extraordinary lengths to impress everyone with his new $13,000 Rolex Submariner Date, Steel & Gold Black Face Rolex. Unfortunately for him, our car club president asked for a closer look and then replied: "I hope you really didn't spend all that - it's a fake." When the showoff insisted his watch was the real deal, our president rolled back his sleeve to reveal a genuine Rolex Model No.116613 LN and stated: "Only the Two-Tone Blue Face Submariner has the gold lettering and crown on the face, as you can see, all genuine Submariner Black Face watches have white lettering!" The obnoxious one was rendered speechless and tended to avoid our table for the rest of the evening (a good outcome as far as we were concerned). It turns out that our President is an avid Rolex collector and told me later: "It was a very good replica actually, but the gold lettering & crown, plus the fact that the background for the date was cream in colour, rather than pure white, were dead giveaways."

 

The next day I grabbed my 2011 Rolex catalogue and verified that our President knows his stuff. Only the Blue Face Two-Tone Submariner (Model No.116613 LB) has the gold lettering on the face, all the Black Face Submariners (and even the White Gold Blue Face model) have white lettering.

 

I then searched some replica sites and sure enough, quite a few of them are making this critical error (check out the Two-Tone Black Face Submariner on offer at ------------for example).

 

Now maybe Rolex did make the Black Face Sub with gold lettering at one time, or maybe you can place a special order for gold lettering (I invite expert comments on this), but if you are ordering this model from a replica supplier, I would suggest you insist on making sure they match what's in the current catelogue to ensure your replica doesn't fail this sort of scrutiny. Also, make sure they get the date background colour correct while they are at it.

 

If you do end up with a decent Black Face Sub replica with gold details, I guess you can take some comfort in the fact that most people won't know the difference. I do suggest however that you don't flash it around at events where you are likely to get caught out by someone wearing the genuine article.

 

Let the buyer beware!

 

Regards

Michael

Edited October 7, 2012 by Cyril_Clunge
Don't think we need an active link to a non-trusted dealer thank you.

[gtwc 1]

Nice story.

There are a lot of Rolex addicts who will know how to respond.......

[trailboss99 997]

Heh heh, sounds like the guy got what he deserved.

Good pickup by the prez. I've never noticed it before but he's right.

Welcome BTW.

 

Tell me, is Kerry "Ballbag" Bailey still racing a Porsche?

[Focal 0]

That's funny as hell. The poor guy probably could have never imagined that someone know that much about a watch.

[onionbag 1]

A great story Michael. It seems that your President is a man of many parts, and the bawbag?............I'm glad he got his comeuppance.

[YoungGPS 0]

 

 

and

 

 

 

 

for sharing!

[Higs 73]

I do suggest however that you don't flash it around ......

Don't flash it around at all.

Wear it and enjoy it.

 

My view is that if someone 'makes' one of my watches when I'm just wearing it, they're unlikely to say anything. If I'm flashing it about, they're much more likely to call me on it.

 

@OP - do you think the 'obnoxious fellow' knew it was a fake and was trying to front it? Od did it come as a horrible surprise to him?

[Electron17 0]

Welcome to RWG, thanks for a great story. Hope you enjoy your time here.

[dalboy 2]

Nice !!

 

I bet that guy felt like a complete prick....would loved to have seen the look on his face .a picture i bet.

 

Dal....

[jeffw69 0]

probably is a member here.

[onionbag 1]

probably is a member here.

 

Nah, there's nae obnoxious Aussies here................

[jeffw69 0]

probably is a member here.

 

Nah, there's nae obnoxious Aussies here................

 

 

 

just made me spit out my drink! funny!!!!!!

[Luthier 1]

Interesting...

How about this? Replica for $7,500?

http://www.steindiam...CFWdxQgod-HsAWg

 

Or this one, for $5,800? Damn good replicas, I'm sure, it's Cartel's goods.

http://www.goldwatch...CFad7Qgodhn0AfQ

 

$10,556, WOW!!! Also replica???

http://www.icedtime.com/Rolex-Watches/10166-Rolex-Oyster-Perpetual-Submariner-Date-Two-Tone-Steel-Mens-Watch-BKSO.html

[1littlegreen 1]

Hope he's not a driver trying to get through tech with "inferior" parts. What a tool!

 

Great story, thanks and welcome to the forum

 

Kev

[sardonix 1]

But if you buy a classic (non ceramic) 16613 the gold text is gen like

[Luthier 1]

[Michael Dennis 0]

Wow! Thanks for your feedback everyone. The general consensus appears to be - If a Two-Tone Black Face Submariner replica is meant to represent the latest model (2010 onwards), it should have white lettering on the face. However if it is meant to represent an older model (especially with non-ceramic bezel) it is legit to sport the gold lettering.

 

Particular thanks to -

 

'sardonix' for clarifying this.

'Luthier' for the pics of all those replica sites that are getting it so wrong (not to mention those outrageous prices).

 

In answer to questions from the following members -

 

'Higs' - "He definitely knew it was a fake and was trying to pass it off as the real thing. The look on his face when he was caught out was priceless"

'trailboss 99' - "No - Kerry is racing a fire breathing Aston Martin DBR9 Replica (which he has never tried to pass off as the real thing I might add .. Ha! Ha!) in Sports Sedans these days"

 

As some of you know - I'm getting a cheap rep of this model Submariner for my father to wear in hospital so he won't get his genuine Rolex stolen. That's why I couldn't believe the coincidence that the same watch was the subject of the drama what went down on Friday night (just how common is this model?).

 

I tell you all one thing - if the replica survives the hospital and the Old Man happens to give it back me, I certainly won't be fronting up at to any sports dinners with it on my wrist anytime soon!

 

Regards

Michael

[Luthier 1]

Sub is the most popular Rolex model.

[trailboss99 997]

Heh, good to know the old bugger's still at it. Kerry and I go way back.

Spent many a pleasant day on top his transporter at assorted race tracks.

 

We tried to buy the Skorpian once, that's the sub that's now at the Sydney Maritime museum.

That's how she came to be in OZ in the first place, we were going to use her for ab diving.

Bloody gov made us remove the batteries so that kind stuffed that.

[Flaguyinetown 0]

Interesting...

How about this? Replica for $7,500?

http://www.steindiam...CFWdxQgod-HsAWg

 

Or this one, for $5,800? Damn good replicas, I'm sure, it's Cartel's goods.

http://www.goldwatch...CFad7Qgodhn0AfQ

 

$10,556, WOW!!! Also replica???

http://www.icedtime....Watch-BKSO.html

 

 

Good story. If they guy was obnoxious well played by the pres.

 

Yeah, looking at the links from Luthier, these Rolex watches all have drilled lug holes.

 

By most accounts, Rolex stopped using these h series cases back in 2003-4.

 

But yeah, the ceramic models should have white lettering.

[Luthier 1]

"Only the Two-Tone Blue Face Submariner has the gold lettering and crown on the face, as you can see, all genuine Submariner Black Face watches have white lettering!"

It's from original post. See word "ALL"? Seems, not ALL. So, the Big Boss isn't always right.

[Frankt8242 1]

The "most common error" IMNSFHO concerning ANY 2 tone Rolex rep is BUYING ONE!!!......And sadly....we all seem to do it at least once, early in our "formative" years!!! :giggle:

[Michael Dennis 0]

Hopefully (I'm a bit old school and not too flash with stuff like posting photos) here is a photo of the actual two-tone black face sub in question.

 

I sent a copy to the supplier and as I have insisted on getting an almost perfect match (yes it must have white lettering) it will be interesting to see how close they get or if they give up.

 

Oh Well - time will tell (no pun intended)!

 

PS. If this photo doesn't happen, maybe one of you expert posters can help.

 

Cheers

Michael

 

 

[Michael Dennis 0]

Shit - my adventures with photobucket and posting a pic on the RWG site actually worked, thanks to the excellent 'Photobucket 101' post from Dingle.

 

Being a bit of a computer dinosaur, I just impressed myself (even though I'm making the mistake of buying a rep of this watch in my "formative years" Ha! Ha!)

[Member X 91]

You can insist all you want on getting a perfect match - the Trusted Dealers can only supply what the factories make, so if it is not available to buy in the markets then you are unlikely to get a custom-made version

 

Such is life with replicas - small details not being right are annoying but are usually not an issue as you are unlikely to ever meet someone on the street who grabs your wrist and screams "This is a fake!!!" :P

 

 

If you hang around with people who are into watches, however, I would not recommend a rep unless you have previously sussed them out as to what they think of replicas. Most people who are seriously into Gen watches are very snobby and anti-rep. They also get annoyed when you show them a near-identical watch that cost <5% of what their watch cost