Short answer
A fake Rolex 116613 is a copy of the two-tone Submariner Date that Rolex built from 2009 to 2020. The genuine watch pairs a 40 mm Oystersteel case with an 18k yellow gold bezel, crown, and center bracelet links, and it runs the calibre 3135. To judge a replica 116613, compare four areas against the real reference: case size and lug width, the ceramic bezel insert, the dial and cyclops, and the movement and total weight. Most fakes fail on weight, gold tone, and date magnification before anything else.
What the genuine 116613 is
- Case: 40 mm Oyster, Oystersteel with an 18k yellow gold bezel and winding crown
- Reference codes: 116613LB for the blue dial, 116613LN for the black dial
- Bezel: black or blue Cerachrom ceramic insert with gold numerals and graduations
- Dial: blue sunburst or black lacquer, gold-rimmed hour markers, Chromalight lume
- Bracelet: Oyster, reference 97203, solid 18k yellow gold center links
- Movement: calibre 3135, automatic, 28,800 vph, about 48 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance: 300 m with a Triplock crown
How to inspect a replica 116613
- Measure the case across the bezel without the crown. A correct copy reads 40 mm, and the lug width is 20 mm.
- Weigh the watch on a kitchen scale. A two-tone 116613 on a full bracelet sits near 155 g. Most fakes land 20 g to 40 g below that because the center links are plated brass or steel.
- Look at the gold. Genuine 18k has a warm, deep tone that does not flake at the edges. Plated fakes show a yellow that turns orange under LED light and wears through at the clasp and crown guards.
- Check the bezel insert. Genuine Cerachrom is a polished ceramic ring with gold numerals set into the surface by PVD. Replicas use printed paint that sits above the ceramic or sits flat and dull.
- Rotate the bezel. It should move in 120 crisp clicks with no back play. Loose or gritty action points to a fake bezel assembly.
- Study the cyclops. Genuine magnification is 2.5x, with an anti-reflective coating under the lens. If the date looks small or washed out, the crystal is wrong.
- Read the dial text. Check the font weight of "ROLEX", the Oyster Perpetual line, and the "SWISS MADE" mark at 6 o'clock. Fakes run the text too thick or too wide.
- Inspect the rehaut. Genuine watches carry a laser-etched "ROLEXROLEX" ring that aligns with the minute track. Poor alignment is a common replica tell.
- Check the engravings between the lugs at 12 and 6 o'clock. Reference and serial numbers should be crisp and deep, not shallow and rounded.
- Feel the winding. Calibre 3135 winds smooth and stops with a firm click at the crown position change. A gritty feel, a ghost date position, or a rotor that rattles shows a lower-grade movement.
- Check the clasp. Genuine clasps close with a firm snap and carry a correct code stamped on the inner blade.
Common tells on a fake 116613
- Hollow center links that flex and rattle
- Bezel insert that fades to purple or grey after sun exposure
- Sharp, unfinished lug edges and a proud case back
- Second hand that stutters instead of sweeping in eight beats per second
- Crown that threads in two turns instead of four
What a strong 1:1 replica gets right
The best 116613 copies use a 904L or 316L steel case, a real ceramic insert with gold PVD, a sapphire crystal with a 2.5x cyclops, and a clone 3135 movement. They match the case profile and the dial layout. They still fall short on solid 18k center links, which is why weight stays the fastest test. Buy from a seller who lists the movement, the case material, and the weight, and ask for photos of the case back and clasp before you pay.