Wish has become an $11-billion e-commerce platform famous for crazily low prices. It’s also got bad press as a site that sells rip-offs of big-name products like Rolex watches. With this in mind, it’s time to put the authenticity of watches bought from Wish to the test.
Watches on Wish are often fake or replicas. This is despite a zero-tolerance policy against merchants selling illegitimate goods. So, no matter how much that Rolex watch on Wish looks like the real deal, don’t part with your cash unless you want to wear what’s likely to be an illegal counterfeit.
In this article, we’ll discover why much of what you find on Wish is fake and cheap. We’ll also guide you on tell-tale signs that let you know if a watch is counterfeit and talk about whether these replica watches are actually any good. This way, you can make a wise decision when you’re thinking about buying a watch on Wish.

Are Products on Wish Legit or Too Good to Be True?
In September this year, US Borders and Custom Protection agency seized a haul of counterfeit Rolex watches. The watches were coming into the US from China. If the haul of watches were genuine, the watches would have had a retail value of $2.54 million. But they were fake.
Sadly, China is renowned for producing knock-offs. And China is where the majority of goods on Wish are produced. This is why the products on Wish are so cheap. The factories these goods come from are located in countries where labor costs are pitifully low. Remember that China’s Human Rights record is abysmal.
The other aspect that makes these products so cheap is no middle-man or costs connected to running a retail business. With no overheads and buying straight from the factory outlet and cheap production value, of course, products are bargain-basement prices.
Essentially, Wish.com has created the perfect platform for unscrupulous merchants looking to make a few extra dollars by hawking their illegitimate wares, unaffected by US copyright laws, and looking to make a tidy profit.
All of this begs the question:
Are the Rolex Watches on Wish Real?
As much as we can wish that Rolex watches for sale on Wish are both genuine and affordable, the fact is the watches are fake. Think about it: Rolex retail upwards from a few thousand dollars. They’re Swiss-made, hand-finished, and world-renowned for the quality of performance, materials, and design. They are the epitome of perfection, unlike the Rolex replica watches that are available on Wish.
The Rolex you find on Wish is good to mediocre copies of the original, and that’s one of the problems facing the watch industry. Technology has advanced so far that it takes an expert to tell the difference between a replica and a genuine Rolex.

How Can You Tell the Difference Between What’s Fake and Legit?
The big detail you need to know is that a Rolex is hand-finished, yet they start life in the same way as any other watch. That is, the components like cases, movement, and bracelets are first shaped in a milling machine. It’s the last step that makes the difference. The problem is modern machines now deliver finer precision finishing – just not as good a finish as one by a trained and human professional.
The frustrating part about buying a watch from Wish is that it’s not until you have the product in your hand and can take the back off the watch to look inside that you can start to identify it as a fake. But here are some things to look out for:
- The luster and quality of the finish. It takes handling a Rolex to understand whether it’s legit or fake. When you look close up at components, you’ll see they’ve not got the degree of polish you get on an authentic Rolex. They look dull and lifeless compared to the real deal, which has a luster the fakes can’t achieve.
- Edges on a genuine Rolex are smoother. Fakes have harder, sharper edges. With a hand-finished genuine Rolex, the curve and polish are of superior quality.
- The color and quality of the print. A rip-off watch such as the Rolex Daytona will likely not have matched the color of the print exactly. It’ll be a couple of shades out and also look slightly fuzzy compared to the sharp, crisp print of a genuine Rolex.
- How well the parts connect. Again, you’re going to need to be as close as possible to the watch to notice how well the parts connect. A fake Rolex simply doesn’t have the quality of joins that a genuine Rolex has. The gaps are a bit bigger. But again, you have to look closely and know what you’re looking at to see these differences.
Modern technology enables counterfeiters to deliver replica watches at a high standard. Some counterfeiters go so far as to use the same kind of steel Rolex uses, and once was the time when you could lift the back off a Rolex to tell quickly fake from legit. These days, it seems counterfeiters have realized the value in creating decent knock-offs. This goes so far as paying attention to watch mechanisms and the materials.
Are Watches From Wish Any Good?
When you buy an authentic Rolex, you’re doing so for the quality of the watch, its finish, and its luster. You’re also guaranteed certain things. But considering the level of attention that counterfeiters go to create an accurate replica, you’ve got to wonder how good are watches from Wish. Let’s tackle this first of all by asking, “How do you define good?”
If you look at reports by journalists who have purchased items from Wish in order to test their authenticity, you’ll be easily dissuaded. UK consumer watchdog Which? identified products that were not only fake but also dangerous, while a journalist over at The Atlantic detailed how off her Smart Watch was. Her knock-off item had a camera that took images upside down and a pedometer that wouldn’t read her steps.
Despite how bad a fake can be, good fakes can be made up of decent mechanisms. Remember that most watches start life in the same place, and that’s inside a milling machine. It’s very likely that your watch will contain mechanisms of a quality akin to a cheap watch by a high street brand. And, let’s remember until you have the watch in your hands, the quality of the product is an unknown quantity.
Which brings us to the question of whether to spend your money on timepieces from Wish.
Should You Buy a Watch From Wish?
For many Wish consumers, preference is for goods that look the business and are affordable. A common theme on forums is that people report the product does the job, even though its quality is off.
Despite being of low-grade and low-cost, you can expect products from Wish to turn up once you’ve ordered them. Wish is a legitimate business, after all, yet you’re going to have to wait to unwrap the goods before you know if your purchase is genuine. For some, it’s not a matter of getting the genuine article. It’s a matter of a sham that’s cheap, looks the part, and performs.
Final Thoughts
Wish is built on the concept of helping consumers to save a few bucks. Some customers know they’re risking a few dollars in the slim hope of getting a great deal. If you’re committed to only buying legitimate goods, the odds are better stacked in your favor for getting a genuine product if you buy from a recognized retail merchant—or at least a retailer who has a decent returns policy and isn’t propping up the black market.
Sources
- Which: What is Wish.com and is it safe to buy from?
- Which: Fake, illegal and dangerous products sold on Wish.com
- Similar Web: Traffic Overview, Wish
- Wish: What constitutes as a fake or a counterfeit item?
- Wish: How to tag authentic branded products with brand names from the Brand Directory?
- Wish: Refund Policy
- Wish for Merchants: Counterfeit and/or IP Violation
- Tough Nickel: Is the Wish App Legit or a Scam: The Real Reasons Why It’s so Cheap
- The Atlantic: Wish.com and the Rise of Shipping from China
- Forbes: Wish Built An $11 Billion Business on Insanely Cheap Shipping—Can It Survive Without It?
- US Customs and Border Protection: Fake Goods, Real Dangers
- US Customs and Border Protection: CBP Seizes $2.54 Million in Fake Rolex Watches
- YouTube: Watchfinder Co. This Fake Rolex Is The Most Accurate Yet
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