Warranty Card Authenticity Check

[Swiss Mad!]

Apologies if everyone knows this or if it’s been covered before, but I personally wasn’t previously aware, so just thought I’d share for any other members who might appreciate the info.

A couple of simple checks to test the authenticity of your Rolex guarantee card or the card of a watch you were thinking of buying used from someone you didn’t know.

For this example I’m using the card from my GMT 126711 CHNR purchased from my local AD in early 2019.




On the left hand side of the card, at the top of the wide green strip, is a secret hologram that can only be viewed under UV light.





Simply shine a UV light source over this area to reveal it.








The next thing is relating to the thin green lines that separate the reference & model numbers printed on the front of the card.





These aren’t actually lines at all, but when viewed under magnification reveal themselves to be the words ‘Internationale Rolex Garantie’ printed continually over & over to give the illusion of a line.











The font the black text is printed in is also quite specific and needs to be viewed under strong magnification to fully appreciate & see properly.

I don’t know the correct name or terminology for this font (or even if there is one)

It appears to be based on a grid formation with each part of the letter or number made up of little squares all connected either horizontally, diagonally of vertically.

For example, look at the diagonal part of the number 7 to see how it is made up of interconnecting squares and appears almost pixilated.

This is highlighted further when viewed alongside the vertical & horizontal parts of the number 1 next to it which are smooth & straight in comparison.





This is also true of the letters as well as the numbers.

As can be seen in the vertical & horizontal parts of the F & L which are smooth compared to the diagonal parts of the A which appear pixilated.





This is the case for ALL the black printed font on your card, including the very small day/month/year text on the rear section the AD fills in on the date you purchase your watch.





The only other thing I can think to mention is the gold print on the front edge of the card should have a metallic effect when viewed under magnification, as should the magnetic swipe strip on the rear & the gold coronet printed next to the white box where the AD’s name goes.










Hope the above info proves useful to someone & helps prevent a member from getting duped by an unscrupulous seller on eBay or any other selling platform.

Apologies if all the above is common knowledge & has been covered before, but also please feel free to add any info you think I’ve missed for the benefit of all members.

Comments welcome & expected as always lol....

Regards







































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[Doood]

Thanks for sharing.

I just had to crawl under the bed to check my cards even though purchased from AD.

[42itus]

That’s good stuff!


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[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by Doood

Thanks for sharing.

I just had to crawl under the bed to check my cards even though purchased from AD.

Haha! I did exactly the same thing when I first learned about it... lol

[WatchLurv]

Very useful info!

Wish this could be pinned in here. Thank you very much for sharing. Knowledge gained.

[Zakalwe]

Good post Max. Glad to see you’re having fun with your loupe

[SydR]

Originally Posted by Swiss Mad!

Haha! I did exactly the same thing when I first learned about it... lol

My cards are at home and I’m not Roll on home time so I can check

[skkali168]

That is amazing. I feel smarter already!! Thanks for sharing


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[joli160]

Some people like yourself cover the serial number to avoid copy cats from using it and yet you give away all the security measures from the card.
At least fraudsters now can step up their game and make perfect fake cards.
I appreciate the effort, good info and all, but it's a real pity that you made this post for the same reason we don't discuss fakes.

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by WatchLurv

Very useful info!

Wish this could be pinned in here. Thank you very much for sharing. Knowledge gained.

No worries - thought it might be useful and make a change from the usual "My AD said..." or "How much will my Daytona be worth in 200 years...??? type threads.

thanks for your kind words.

[PepsiBezel]

Wow! Thank you — very interesting details.

[crowncollection]

good post

[JSolution]

Helpful thanks

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by joli160

Some people like yourself cover the serial number to avoid copy cats from using it and yet you give away all the security measures from the card.
At least fraudsters now can step up their game and make perfect fake cards.
I appreciate the effort, good info and all, but it's a real pity that you made this post for the same reason we don't discuss fakes.

Its a forum for sharing knowledge about all aspects of the brand.

If that knowledge saves one single member from getting duped by an unscrupulous seller then it will have been well worth it.

I am fully aware of the forum rules as to what can/cant be discussed and do not feel my post breeches any of them - if the moderators think differently then fair enough, delete the thread, no issues.

The fact you think 'its a real pity' I made this post surprises me as it was made purely with the best intention to educate forum members, not give away state secrets.

regards

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by SydR

My cards are at home and I’m not Roll on home time so I can check

You will be fine, I'm sure

[jrox]

I was not aware until I watched David Khalil's youtube video about these checks few days ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv6nYIHtziI

[SydR]

Originally Posted by Swiss Mad!

You will be fine, I'm sure

No doubt I will be (doubt from ADs) it’s simply got me curious to see it up close

[joli160]

Originally Posted by Swiss Mad!

Its a forum for sharing knowledge about all aspects of the brand.
The fact you think 'its a real pity' I made this post surprises me as it was made purely with the best intention to educate forum members, not give away state secrets.
regards

I don't doubt that for a second and it's really a good quality post

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by joli160

I don't doubt that for a second and it's really a good quality post

Appreciate your comments - I’m not here to fall out or upset anyone.

Apologies if my initial reply seemed a little curt - honestly, the last thing I want to do is give any kind of help or assistance to the counterfeiting scum that plague our hobby.

Unfortunately this is a public forum, so unless I send the info out as a PM to every single member individually, unfortunately I/we have no control over whoever else reads it.

Realistically though (fingers crossed) it won’t go any further than the genuine TRF members it was originally intended for.

Thanks




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[Kawirider]

Very cool information. Enjoyed reading this post. Thanks!


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[TswaneNguni]

Thanks Max ! Great info

Used ,box and papers or no deal .Simple

[exador]

Originally Posted by Swiss Mad!

I don’t know the correct name or terminology for this font (or even if there is one)

It’s a bitmap font. What you’re seeing are “jaggies”.

[ibang1]

Thanks for sharing and very helpful to me. I just bought my first Rolex for my wife. Anyway you can check online?

[VintageVagabound]

Originally Posted by joli160

Some people like yourself cover the serial number to avoid copy cats from using it and yet you give away all the security measures from the card.
At least fraudsters now can step up their game and make perfect fake cards.
I appreciate the effort, good info and all, but it's a real pity that you made this post for the same reason we don't discuss fakes.

I think the fraudsters start with the same real card that everybody else has and copied it. Just like copying real currency though, they have trouble making fake holograms and special fonts. It just gets to too technical and cost too much to replicate to make it worth their while. This post allows users to identify fake cards. I don’t think this helped fake card manufacturers anymore than pointing out holograms on US currency or Euros allows counterfeiters to make fake money.

[Batmannr1]

Great post, thanks. Good markers for checking warranty card of a Rolex
I was told last year by a reputable grey seller that especially the very fine printed "internationalerolexgarantie" green lines on the front of the warranty cards are very difficult to counterfeit. Always bring/use a loupe when buying a pre-owned watch.

[topcat30093]

Thanks Max for an excellent and very informative thread
I was total oblivious to all the points you mentioned, apart from the first one.
What magnification did you use to bring up the wording on the lines and the black letters/numbers?

I believe that scammers, unless maybe, on a large scale, will not have the technology to copy it.

Unfortunately, many buyers will still get duped!
But at least members on here, who treat their purchases seriously, will now know what to look for

[Rags]

Great info.. Thanks for sharing.

[BigBoy17]

Great info. These super fakes and matching warranty cards are getting better and better. Scary

[77T]

The security features of the card have been discussed on all the replica forums for years - there is no reason to jump on the OP for collecting the various features into a single thread.

For example, the UV hologram was mentioned on TRF almost 3 years ago.
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=535402

Good work to help people spot an authentic card.

[Dybala]

Thanks for sharing.