The Fake Watches of Movies and Television - From Rolex to Patek Philippe
I previously wrote about the fake watch industry and the celebrities that have gotten mixed up in it. In that article I discussed the many reasons the problem of fake watches is getting worse and why you shouldn’t participate. I stand firm on that stance, even if the idea of a realistic looking Rolex at 1/30th of the retail price seems appealing.
For this article, however, I wanted to have a more nuanced discussion. Fake watches (or prop watches as I’m sure film industry insiders would want you to call them) have been used in movies and television for decades. Film producers are always looking for ways to cut costs (even in big budget films) and sometimes that comes at the expense of high-end timepieces. Of course, sometimes the actor might have something nice from his own collection to wear during filming, but that is not always the case (and he or she may not want to subject a nice timepiece to the rigors of shooting). So what does the production team do when they want a high-end looking timepiece to grace the wrist of their star when there might be very little, if any, close-ups of the watch? Well, the get a counterfeit.
I am definitely not endorsing this use of counterfeits, but I understand it (if only on an intellectual level). Most moviegoers are not watch fanatics like us and won’t notice whether a Rolex is real or fake when they see it on screen. However, with the luxury watch market growing rapidly, and the rise of social media and professional watch spotters (i.e. me), maybe the time has come for the movies to get real and ditch the fakes.
This article is not meant to only be a critique on Hollywood’s use of counterfeit watches (though it is that). I also wanted to have some fun and actually do some fake watch spotting. The rest of this article will focus on some high-profile instances of fake watches appearing in movies. Just remember, it is definitely not an exhaustive list.
Fake Rolex Daytona in Kill Bill Vol. II
One of the most blatant uses of a fake watches comes in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2. The Bride, played by Uman Thurman, at one point looks down at her watch, which she uses to check her predictor stick. What at first glance looks like a Rolex Daytona turns out to be a fake. And this fake isn’t all too impressive either. The three o’clock subdial is a date indictor, the six o’clock subdial is a 24 hour indicator and the nine o’clock subdial has the day of the week. Obviously this is all wrong because on a typical Daytona 116520 there is no day or date and the subdials work as the second hand and chronograph. Let’s just say that the prop department could have gone with some a little more realistic.
Fake Rolex Daytona in THe Wolf Of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese, follows the rise and fall of stock trader Jordan Belfort, and all the drugs and partying that went along with it. There are a few watches that are feature in the movie, not all of which are fake. Many thought that Leonardo DiCaprio was wearing a gold Rolex (at one point he claims its worth $40,000 USD). It turns out DiCaprio was a Tag Heuer ambassador at the time and so wore a much less expensive (and real) Tag Heuer.
The other watch that features, heavily, in The Wolf of Wall Street is a gold Rolex Daytona worn by Jonah Hill’s character Donnie Azoff, Belfort’s right-hand man (Azoff is loosely based on Danny Porush). Hill is wearing what most closely resemblers a Rolex Daytona Ref. 16528 with black dial (the genuine version of this piece would have a Zenith movement if it was period appropriate for the film). Hill’s watch, however, is clearly counterfeit. The casing is way too thick for a genuine Daytona.
Fake Richard Mille Skull In Don’t Look Up
The Wolf of Wall Street wasn’t the only film in which Jonah Hill was accessorized with a fake watch. I’m not trying to pile on HIll, as he actually is a watch collector and I previously featured Jonah’s pretty impressive collection. Initially, upon seeing the trailer of the Netflix film apocalyptic comedy Don’t Look Up, watch social media excitedly pointed out that Hill, who played the U.S. President’s (Meryl Streep) son and advisor, was wearing what appeared to be a Richard Mille RM052 Skull Tourbillon. However, eagle-eyed watch experts quickly realized this watch was fake. It makes some sense knowing the real timepiece is extremely limited (only 21 pieces) and extremely expensive ($660,000 USD). Spending more than half a million dollars on a watch for a film is likely a nonstarter. It is also unlikely that Richard Mille had any extra laying around for use in the film. Finally, I think that it is a good bet that Richard Mille would not want to be officially associated with the film, which was a satire with some political commentary.
Fake Rolex Daytona In LOST
I have already featured two fake Daytonas used in films and I still have a couple more to go through. As the most visible watch brand in the world, it makes sense that Rolexes would feature prominently in movies and television. And among the Rolexes featured on the screen, the Daytona reigns supreme (well fake Daytonas reign supreme).
One of my favorite TV shows of all time is LOST. Though I still cannot forgive the writer’s for season 6, the first 5 seasons were some of the best television of all time. Many people think LOST revolutionized serialized television storytelling and kicked off Peak TV.
There are a few instances of a counterfeit Rolex appearing in the series (though it is obviously not meant to be counterfeit in the story). Jin-Soo Kwon, portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim, is given two Rolexes to deliver by his father-in-law in Season 1. Before he can deliver the second watch, Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on the mysterious island. In the sixth episode of season 1 we get a good close-up of the two-tone Daytona. The watch is clearly fake as the subdials do not function and the rehaut is way too thick. Interestingly, this fake Daytona would make multiple appearances in the series, including in the final season (season 6).
Fake Rolex Daytona in Molly’s Game
I’m going to feature one final time a fake Daytona was featured in a film or TV show. Molly’s Game (2017) is a biographical crime drama that follows Molly Bloom (played by recent Oscar winner Jessica Chastain). Bloom runs an underground poker empire, and subsequently becomes the target of an FBI investigation after the game she runs for celebrities, athletes, powerful businessmen, and the Russian mob is exposed.
While Chastain is seen at least a few times wearing a watch, it is a watch worn by one of the poker players that drew my interest. One of the poker players is wearing an all gold Rolex Daytona. How do we know it was fake? Well, it was subsequently auctioned off in 2019 by Bradford’s Auction Gallery for just $420 USD. The watch has all the hallmarks of a fake Daytona, too thick rehaut and non-functioning chronographs. Additionally, the caseback has the engravings for the the 1992 winner of the 24 hours of Daytona. Let’s just say it’s improbable that an important watch like that would end up as a prop on an extra in a movie.
Fake Patek Philippe In Drive
Drive is a 2011movie starring Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who spends his nights as a getaway driver. “In the original book by James Sallis, Driver didn't own an awful lot," prop master Will Blount told GQ. "One of the things he did own was this beautiful watch that he had been given by his father. So it was an important for the character that it be something memorable, something iconic."
Blount and the Drive prop team decided to go with a Patek Philippe. However, they didn’t try and use a real watch or even a copy of a real model. Blount told GQ that "with the nature of the movie - Ryan is very active and there's a lot of stunts, a lot of blood. You can't use the real watch or you're going to break it.. "Which would just be a shame. So we used five or six replicas." At the end of filming Gosling asked Blount if he could keep one of the watches as a souvenir. Blount obviously obliged.
Fake Rolex Bubbleback 3130 in Solace
The 2022 Academy Awards were exciting for one particular reason. But watch fans probably also noticed that there was heavy dose of Rolex commercials narrated by legendary actor Sir Anthony Hopkins (probably because Watches & Wonders kicked-off just a few days later). Well, long before becoming the voice of Rolex, Hopkins wore what appeared to be a Rolex in Solace (2015).
The film stars Hopkins as psychic Dr. John Clancy, who is contacted an FBI special agent, who asks for his help in tracking down a serial killer. At one point Hopkins stares down at his watch, which looks like a vintage Rolex Bubbleback 3130. However, Hopkin’s watch looks surprisingly clean and new for a watch that would have been made in the 1930s or 1940s. Additionally, the indices on Hopkin’s watch appear to be plastic, which would indicate that it’s fake. The watch also lacks “Swiss Made” at 6 o’clock.
Fake Rolex Datejust In The Dropout
I recently spent some time watching the new Hulu series The Dropout. Like similar currently streaming shows following Uber founder Travis Kalanick (Super Pumped) and WeWork founder Adam Neumann (WeCrashed), The Dropout follows Elizabeth Holmes (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried) and the rise and fall of healthcare technology company Theranos. Theranos claimed to have developed blood tests that required just a thump-prick of blood. These claims, however, were false and the technology being used gave many customers inaccurate results.
The prop department went all out in making sure Seyfried was dressed in Elizabeth Holmes’ signature reverent Steve Jobs attire. They also made sure to accurately outfit Seyfried with a Rolex Datejust similar to Datejust with black dial that Holmes wore. However, Seyfried’s Datejust is clearly fake. Not only did the producers not take the time to screw the crown in (which seems like a strange oversight), the bracelet on the watch just doesn’t fit fluidly to the case. The Datejust is not a particularly expensive watch, even with current secondary market prices, so one wonders why the prop department didn’t just splurge for the real thing.
Fake Omega Speedmaster in Obsessed
Inspired by the classic Fatal Attraction, Obsessed (2009) tells the story of an office temp (played by Ali Larter) who develops feelings for her boss (Idris Elba) , while his wife (Beyonce Knowles) learns of the temp’s obsessive behavior. Obsessed is the first time I have seen a fake Omega used in a film or TV show, specifically the Speedmaster.
The Speedmaster in Obsessed looks looks like it is trying to mimic the Omega Speedmaster Reduced first introduced in 1988. We can tell that it’s fake because of the fact that the subdials appear to have the day and date, something that would not be present on an actual Speedmaster (and is present in cheaper fakes made in China).
Fake Patek Philippe In Non-Stop
Non-Stop (2014) is your typical post-Taken Liam Neeson faire. The movie follows Neeson as an alcoholic Federal Air Marshal who must find a killer on an international flight after receiving text messages saying someone on board will be executed every 20 minutes until monetary demands are met.
In the film the co-pilot is seen briefly wearing a Patek Philippe. This Patek, however, is one of the worst fakes I have ever seen and makes wonder why they even bothered giving the co-pilot such a lousy watch. This watch is what we call a “fantasy” model meaning that Patek Philippe doesn’t make anything even close to it. It seems unnecessary to outfit a minor character with a fake watch from such a renowned and expensive brand. Maybe the prop department had their reasons.
Fake Rolex Submariner In Uncut Gems
For my last fake watch identification I want to do something different. I want to point out out somewhere where the prop department “got it right” or as right as you can be when dealing in fake watches. Uncut Gems stars Adam Sandler as an unscrupulous New York City diamond dealer up to his neck in gambling debt. In addition to buying and selling diamonds and other gems, it is clear that Sandler’s character deals in watches, both real and fake. Indeed most of the watches featured, including the Breitling Sandler wears, are the real deal. However, there is one point where Sandler gives a fake Rolex to an associate collecting a debt he owes, pretending the watch is real.
The watch is very clearly supposed to be a two-tone Rolex Submariner Ref. 16613. I am not sure it if it was intentional or not, but the director never actually gives us a clear shot of the watch so we can’t really determine whether the watch was real, fake, or some lookalike from another brand (these exist in droves). It is entirely possible that production did not feel comfortable using fake watches at all and opted to use a real Rolex or a lookalike without showing the dial in order to pass it off as fake. At least here a fake watch would be playing the part of a fake watch.