Check the model name first
Rolex does not make a 1908 with a center seconds hand. The Perpetual 1908 line launched in 2023 with a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock. The case measures 39 mm. References are 52506 in 950 platinum, 52508 in 18k yellow gold, and 52509 in 18k white gold. Calibre 7140 runs at 4 Hz and holds a 66-hour power reserve.
A listing that reads "1908 central second" describes a watch that does not exist. Sellers use that phrase for a 1908 dial placed on a different base, or for a 1908 case with a center-seconds movement. Ask for photos of the caseback, the crown, and the movement before you pay. If the seconds hand sits in the center, the watch is not a copy of a real 1908. It is a copy of a watch Rolex never sold.
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Legal position in the United States
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. Trademark owners can also sue under the Lanham Act. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit shipments and destroys them. Importing a counterfeit watch for personal use is not a legal workaround. A replica carries no Rolex warranty, no Rolex service, and no resale value. Authenticators reject the watch on sight, and some auction houses keep a record of the submission.
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Parameters to check before payment
- Movement: ask for the beat rate. 28,800 vph equals 4 Hz. Slow beat rates of 21,600 vph mark a cheaper unit.
- Case diameter: compare the listed number against 39 mm. Sellers reuse one case across several models.
- Finish: gold plate, PVD, and solid gold are three different products. Plating wears at the crown, lugs, and caseback edge.
- Water resistance: a 100 m claim needs a tested caseback and new gaskets. Most replicas leave the factory untested.
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating on the inner face.
- Engravings: reference and serial numbers sit between the lugs and on the caseback rim.
- Strap: leather, 20 mm lug width. Confirm the measurement, not the photo.
Payment and shipping
Credit cards give chargeback rights. Wires, crypto, gift cards, and peer-to-peer apps do not. A seller who refuses a card is telling you something about disputes. Shipping carries seizure risk at the border. Tracking numbers that never update past the origin point are a common pattern. Return policies that exclude watches remove your only remedy. Sellers who ask you to declare the parcel as a gift or at a low value put you in the customs record, not themselves.
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Common traps
- One photo set reused across listings priced at $180 and $800.
- Product images copied from the Rolex catalog.
- Review sites registered to the same owner as the store.
- Warranty cards from a seller with no mailing address.
- Stock counts that drop when you ask for a live photo.
Ask for one photo of the watch with a handwritten date next to it. A real stock seller can produce it the same day. If the answer is a catalog image, move on.