Celebrities just can’t get enough of their luxury watches. Why? Luxury watches exude style, quality and function and they scream power and success – they’re a status symbol. Famous singers, actors, musicians and sportspeople can be seen casually wearing Rolex, Omega, Christian Dior, Jaeger LeCoultre and other watches that cost thousands of dollars.

Actor John Travola of “Grease” fame wears a Breitling Navitimer watch, one of the world’s greatest cellists Yo-Yo Ma wears a Rolex Datejust watch, and the eternally young-looking Leonardo DiCaprio wears a Jaeger LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater watch that will set you back over one hundred thousand dollars.

Tennis pro Roger Federer, who has won more grand slam titles than any other male tennis player in history, is one of the faces of Rolex. Check out Roger playing tennis in a suave suit and pricey timepiece in the Rolex advertisement which aired during Wimbledon 2010:

While most watch buyers won’t come out and admit it, many people actually buy fakes on purpose. Fakes allow you to wear something that looks like the watch you want for a fraction of the cost. Of course, the authenticity, quality, craftsmanship, and in some cases even the design are generally as decreased as the price.

I can understand why this option might appeal to certain watch shoppers, but I’ve never wanted to buy a fake. I take quality and craftsmanship very seriously when buying a watch. If one watch costs $500 with a $50 fake available, that price difference is obviously there for a reason. Which watch do you think is going to last longer? Money money is on the real one, because it’s made from quality pieces.

But regardless of what they want to buy, many people don’t know how to tell a fake watch from the real thing. Or in this case, the real Rolex.

If you buy a watch online, the website is supposed to tell you whether its products are real or fake, but even if you find this information, you also have to make sure you can trust that what you’re reading is the truth. You can also look on the website’s “About Us” page for general product info, in addition to checking the watch’s description for a Certificate of Authentication—if it doesn’t have one, it’s probably a fake.

Another way to spot a fake is by comparing images on the store’s website to the ones on Rolex.com. If the colors or materials don’t exactly match, then you’re looking at a fake.

If you’re buying a watch in person, you can sometimes also tell by weighing it in your hand, since the quality materials in real watches are generally heavier than their cheaper counterparts.

Next time you’re shopping for watches, keep a couple of these tips in mind. When you’re shelling out the big bucks, you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.