Watch Authentication and Authenticity Guarantee

Bizak & Co. is an independent dealer. Our website is a sourcing catalogue, not a representation of watches held in our office. Catalogue watches are sourced to order. We confirm the specific watch and arrange inspection before dispatch.

Our checks cover the reference, case and movement, dial and hands, bracelet or strap, condition and available documentation. We explain any disclosed service replacements or modifications and confirm the included box, papers and accessories before you approve the sourced watch.

Browse the Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and pre-owned watches collections, or request a specific reference through find your watch.

Each check asks whether this is the watch described and whether anything on it is not original.

1. Reference and serial. The watch must be the reference described, and the engraved numbers are read against any papers supplied.
2. Movement. The calibre should be the one the reference uses and consistent with the watch's age and any service history.
3. Case. Shape, finishing, engravings, crown and bezel, and how far polishing has softened the edges.
4. Dial and hands. Printing, markers, lume and hands should suit the reference and agree with each other. Disclosed service replacements, such as a service dial, are explained to you.
5. Bracelet or strap. End links, clasp and fit, checked against the reference and for wear.
6. Papers, box and accessories. Available documentation is reviewed and the included items are confirmed before you approve the watch.
7. Condition. Confirmed for the specific sourced watch, not taken from catalogue images.

A Rolex authenticity check at home can rule out obvious fakes, but it cannot prove a watch is right. You need good light, a loupe and photographs of a verified example to compare against; for current models, use the official images on rolex.com.

1. Match the numbers. The reference is engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock. Older watches carry the serial between the lugs at 6 o'clock; modern ones carry it on the rehaut, the inner ring between dial and crystal. Engraving should be crisp, and both numbers should match the warranty card exactly.
2. Read the rehaut and crystal. On modern references, ROLEX is engraved repeatedly around the rehaut and lines up with the minute markers, and a tiny coronet is laser-etched into the crystal near 6 o'clock, visible only at an angle.
3. Check the date and Cyclops. On date models, the Cyclops lens magnifies the date about 2.5 times, with the numeral centered in the window. A small, weakly magnified date is a common sign of a fake.
4. Watch the seconds hand. A Rolex mechanical movement sweeps the seconds hand in several small steps each second. A hand that jumps once a second means quartz; apart from discontinued quartz models such as the Oysterquartz, Rolex watches are mechanical.
5. Turn it over. Most Rolex Oyster watches have a screw-down caseback without a window. A few recent references do have a display back, so check whether yours should.
6. Feel the crown and bracelet. The crown carries the coronet and screws down smoothly. Modern bracelets have solid links and end links that sit tight against the case.
7. Study the dial. Printing should be sharp and even, markers cleanly applied and evenly lumed. Fuzzy text or crooked markers suggest a fake or a refinished dial.
8. Question the papers. A warranty card supports a watch only when its serial and reference match the case. Papers can be forged or moved between watches.

A home check cannot reach the movement: confirming the calibre needs a qualified watchmaker to open the caseback. Rolex describes its servicing on its watch care and service pages. For older watches, see our vintage Rolex Submariner authentication guide and vintage Rolex authentication and condition guide.

Any one of these is a reason to stop before money moves.

• A price well below comparable examples of the same reference and condition, with no explanation.
• A seller who will not send photographs or video of the specific watch, only stock images.
• Serial or reference numbers that are faint, polished away, poorly engraved or different from the papers.
• A ticking seconds hand, a weak Cyclops, misaligned rehaut engraving or a display back the reference should not have.
• Aftermarket diamonds, a refinished dial or a replaced bezel that the seller does not mention.
• Pressure to pay quickly, or payment instructions that change after you agree a deal.
• No written return terms and no willingness to let a watchmaker inspect the watch.

Other brands have their own tells: see our Audemars Piguet Royal Oak authentication and collecting guide and how Patek Philippe vintage specialists authenticate a watch. For who else can authenticate a watch, what it costs and how long it takes, see our guide to watch authentication: what dealers check and what it costs. Before paying anyone, including us, read our buyer safety advisory.

Catalogue images may be reference images. They do not establish the condition or contents of the watch offered to you. Ask your specialist for available photographs or video of the specific sourced watch before approving it. Any AI-generated illustration must be identified as illustrative and cannot replace condition photographs.

Our authentication is provided by Bizak & Co. It does not imply that a watch is part of a manufacturer's certified pre-owned program or that we are an authorized retailer. Any manufacturer documentation supplied with a specific watch will be identified separately.

Before dispatch. Inspection happens before the watch is sent, and the decision to approve the specific sourced watch stays with you.

After delivery. If your watch arrives with an authenticity or description concern, contact sales@bizakandco.com or (774) 339-9716 promptly with your invoice and photographs so we can investigate. Wait for authorization and shipping instructions before sending a watch back.

Warranty and returns. See our five-year warranty terms and 90-day store-credit return policy for eligible watches. Brand-new watches and other excluded categories are final sale. See also buyer protection.

How do I check if a Rolex is authentic?

Check that the reference and serial are crisply engraved and match the papers, then look for the rehaut engraving and crystal coronet on modern references, a sweeping seconds hand and, on date models, a Cyclops that magnifies the date about 2.5 times. Only a watchmaker opening the case can confirm the movement.

Can a serial number prove a Rolex is real?

No. A serial number helps date a watch and should match its papers, but numbers can be copied onto fakes and papers can be forged or moved between watches. Treat a matching serial as one piece of evidence, not proof.

What does Bizak & Co. check before dispatch?

The reference and serial, movement, case, dial and hands, bracelet or strap, papers and accessories, and the condition of the specific sourced watch.

Is Bizak & Co. an authorized dealer?

No. Bizak & Co. is an independent dealer, not an authorized retailer, and our authentication is provided by Bizak & Co.

What if my watch arrives with an authenticity concern?

Contact our team promptly with your invoice and photographs so we can investigate, and wait for authorization before sending the watch back.

Where can I get a watch I already own authenticated?

Through our watch authentication and appraisal service. Share the reference, known history and any concerns, and our team confirms the inspection required.