The cheap fake Rolex Precision 6426 that entered my collection actually stems from a long-seated desire to add a hand-wound Rolex. That started back in 2012 when I first saw the perfect replica Rolex Precision 6694 Oyster Date model in a secondhand shop in London. Since that time, I’ve focused on other watches, but when I saw the non-date variant at Eric’s, I decided to make a move. The 6426 was quietly made from the ’50s into the ’80s and was offered as an entry-level model. The major tell that this super clone watch was not a fancy piece is its lack of a chronometer rating.
Still, the luxury fake Rolex Precision 6426 is a quality piece with so much of the goodness that people love about the brand. It has a strong Oyster case, a screw-down crown, and a screw-in case back. Inside, a 17-jewel caliber 1210 kicks along at 18,000vph and is known to be incredibly robust and accurate. Plus, it has an extremely long power reserve of 58 hours! For modern-day collectors, one challenge is the 34mm case diameter, but the 42mm lug-to-lug, lack of a date, slim 10mm thickness, and 19mm lug spacing make this watch wear more like a 36mm 1:1 super clone Rolex.
Now, what I can tell you after nearly a month of ownership is that AAA quality replica Rolex Precision 6426 is such a cool, under-the-radar watch. It’s definitely a Rolex, but there’s something so unique about the need to wind it every two days or so. In fact, it’s easy to forget because one sees an Oyster case and thinks “automatic!” It’s light yet strong and has all the looks of a traditional Swiss movement fake Rolex, but with a price of roughly €3,000 these days, is it worthwhile despite its lack of complexity?