What a fake Sea-Dweller Deepsea is
The Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea is a 44 mm dive watch. Rolex rates the case to 3,900 m (12,800 ft) and lists thickness at 17.7 mm. Reference numbers: 116660 in 2008, 126660 in 2018, 136660 in 2022. A fake is a watch built by another factory that copies the case, dial, bezel, and bracelet. Prices run from about $80 to $700. Build quality tracks the price.
Price tiers
- Under $100: 21-jewel automatic or quartz movement, mineral glass, stamped caseback, hollow end links.
- $150 to $300: A2824 or A2836 movement, sapphire glass, solid end links, 316L steel case.
- $400 to $700: clone 3135 or 3235 movement at 28,800 vph, 904L steel on some builds, ceramic bezel insert, Glidelock-style clasp.
Factory names change. Noob, ARF, Clean, and VSF have all sold Deepsea copies. Some of those lines have stopped. The current count of active factories is unknown.
What differs from the genuine watch
- Case thickness. Many fakes measure 15 mm to 16 mm against 17.7 mm on the real watch.
- Weight. A genuine Deepsea on its Oyster bracelet is about 210 g. Copies land 15 g to 40 g lighter.
- Cyclops. Rolex uses 2.5x magnification over the date. Cheap copies use 1.5x or a flat lens.
- Helium escape valve. It works on the genuine watch. On most copies it is a plug with no gas path.
- Movement. Genuine cal. 3135 and cal. 3235 run at 28,800 vph with a free-sprung balance. Entry copies do not.
- Rehaut. The inner ring carries ROLEXROLEX engraving that lines up with the minute markers. Copies often misalign it.
- Bracelet. Lug width is 21 mm. The Glidelock clasp gives 20 mm of extension. Copies cut this to a few mm or leave it out.
Water resistance
No replica factory pressure-tests to 3,900 m. Gaskets on copies are rubber and the caseback is screw-down, so a copy can survive hand washing and rain. Diving and lap swimming are a risk. A local watchmaker can test a copy on a dry pressure tester. Results vary by unit.
Movement options inside copies
- DG2813 or Mingzhu: 21 jewels, about 21,600 vph, no hacking on some versions.
- A2824 or A2836: 25 jewels, 28,800 vph, hacking, quickset date.
- Clone 3135 or 3235: 28,800 vph, decorated rotor and bridges, sold as super clone.
Legal and shipping facts
US law (18 U.S.C. 2320) makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a federal crime. Buying one watch for personal use is a different case, but Customs and Border Protection can seize a shipment. Importing counterfeit goods is prohibited. Sellers that ship from inside the US skip the customs step. Sellers that ship from overseas do not.
Checking a copy before you buy
Ask for case thickness in mm. Ask for weight in grams. Ask for a photo of the caseback threads and the crown tube. Ask which movement is inside and the beat rate. A seller who cannot answer those four questions is reselling stock without inspecting it.