Short answer
A fake Rolex white gold watch copies a Rolex model whose case and bracelet Rolex makes in 18k white gold. Almost all replicas use 316L or 904L stainless steel with a gold plating layer. A small number use solid 18k white gold. The two builds differ in weight, price and how the metal reads under a loupe.
discount fake rolex white gold
What white gold means at Rolex
Rolex white gold is 18k, or 750 parts gold per 1,000. The rest is a mix of palladium, nickel, copper and zinc. The raw alloy has a faint yellow-grey tone, so Rolex applies a rhodium finish to give the metal its bright white color. Rolex casts the alloy in its own foundry in Geneva. The 750 mark sits on the case and on the clasp.
Models that come in white gold
- Day-Date 36 and Day-Date 40
- Datejust 41 and Datejust 36
- Sky-Dweller
- GMT-Master II, ref. 126719BLRO
- Submariner Date 126619LB, blue dial and blue bezel
- Cosmograph Daytona 126509
- Yacht-Master 42
White gold is the least common Rolex case metal. Steel and yellow gold models outnumber it in most dealer stock.
How replicas copy white gold
Three builds show up on the market.
- Steel with gold plating. Plating runs from 0.5 microns on low-end units to 5 microns on top-tier units. The color matches at first. Wear at the clasp and crown shows the steel under the layer.
- Steel with a rhodium or PVD coating. The finish looks white. It holds no gold.
- Solid 18k white gold. A case and bracelet built from real 750 gold. Price runs into the thousands of dollars, not hundreds. Weight and assay marks match the genuine part.
Numbers that separate steel from gold
Density: 18k white gold sits near 15.5 g/cm³. 904L steel sits near 8.0 g/cm³. A gold case weighs close to twice what a steel case of the same size weighs. A Day-Date 36 with a full bracelet in 18k gold lands near 180 grams. A steel copy of the same watch lands near 120 grams.
Heat: gold moves heat faster than steel. A gold case warms to skin in seconds. A steel case holds a cool feel for a longer time.
Magnetism: this test fails. Both 18k gold and 904L steel are non-magnetic in normal use.
Marks and tests
X-ray fluorescence reads the surface. A plated watch shows gold on the top layer and steel below. A specific gravity test weighs the watch in air and in water and returns the average density of the whole piece. That test finds plated steel. An acid test on an unplated spot, such as inside the case back, also works. Hallmark sharpness is a secondary signal. Laser-etched crowns and rehaut engraving do not separate real from fake, since replicas copy both.
What to ask a seller
- Case metal and plating thickness in microns
- Weight in grams with the bracelet
- Presence of a 750 mark and where it sits
- Whether the gold is solid or a layer