How does someone even become an "Independent Expert" on watch authenticity? Specifically Rolex

I've always admired the Rolex Submariner and Seadweller and priced new ones back in 2004. I believe the SD was $3,800+ and the Submariner was $3,600+. Looking at the current prices for both of these, I wish I had bought one back then.

As much as I like both of these, I just can't get myself to pay the new prices these command.
Me either ...I want a sub...even at those prices try and find one new is impossible ....even used the prices are to high
 
Ive been getting lots of pop ups from Wal-Mart of all places selling Rolex watches....its says all watches are cert yada yada yada...
for some reason i would have a very hard time buying sight unseen a GMT Coke made in 93....no serial date is given for 11,374 dollars.
There might be a fool born every min but this fool would not touch it.
It says limited manufacture warranty....hmmm.... Rolex's would have expired in 94.....then says some 3rd party will cover it.
no no and nope.....dont trust it.
I would be curious has anybody bought a watch from Wally world?
 
The trouble with fakes, good fakes..is when you try to sell a REAL used Rolex.....the chance that it could be a fake lowers the price anyone would pay. If you sell to a dealer who knows it is real? Well then you get a price less than ”retail“ by a good margin.
 
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The trouble with fakes, good fakes..is when you try to sell a REAL Rolex.....the chance that it could be a fake lowers the price anyone would pay. If you sell to a dealer who knows it is real? Well then you get less than ”retail“ by a good margin.

Pay an authorized dealer to cert the watch. It helps if you have the box and matching papers.
 
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+1 Box and papers are very important. I bought this one through an authorized dealer, all numbers match the certificates as well as the movt number on the COSC cert.
The band numbers match the 18K cert. There are other numbers that cant be seen here. This is one of the few I would be afraid of being mugged for.

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Nice Breitling, always liked them & other brand's chronographs more than the Daytona.

Here are my tool watches by the way - all bought from ADs.

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Getting a 28,800 bph movement is not a problem, this will give the same smoothness of ticking on the dial as Rolex submariner. You can use a ETA, Sellita, or some of the Chinese clones of the ETA that have the same occilation frequency.

You need to have the following characteristics to mimic a Rolex Submariner movement:
28,800 beats per hour - 8hz
hacking - means the sweep second hand stops when the crown is pulled out to the fullest extent
hand winding with some smoothness - can't feel or sound like a cheap toy car.
Rotor that winds the mainspring from the movement of the rotor in either CCW or CW direction

An ETA or Sellita will be $120 to $200 and the Chinese clones are about 40% of the ETA or Sellita movements. Miyota (Citizen) make their 9xxx series movements with same frequency as Rolex, but these are easy to identify because the automatic rotor only winds in one direction, the rotor free wheels in the opposite.

I have seen very high calibre copies of the Rolex movement, the Chinese have copied EVERYTHING in a Rolex 3135 movement, down to the perlage on the movement plates. When you open up one of these expensive replicas most watchmakers would feel confident to say they are looking at a real Rolex. For this reason, the sourcing of a used genuine Rolex is very risky. You must do your homework, and buy the SELLER, not the watch.
One thing the Chinese have not copied, yet, the genuine Rolex has a free-sprung balance wheel with timing screws on the balance and no regulator pin. the Chinese have not copied that.
 
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