Short answer
The Rolex 179171 is a Lady-Datejust 26 mm in Rolesor, a factory mix of steel and 18k Everose gold. Copies of this reference are common. No copy uses the real Rolex caliber 2235. Most run an Asian automatic movement at 21,600 vibrations per hour, which is 6 beats per second. The genuine 2235 runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 8 beats per second. Copy prices run from about $150 to $700. A real 179171 brings several thousand dollars on the used market because the bezel and the center links are solid 18k gold. That gap is the first thing to check.
What the 179171 is
Rolex built the 179171 from about 2006 to 2018 inside the Lady-Datejust 26 line.
- Case: 26 mm, steel, water resistance 100 m
- Bezel: fluted, 18k Everose gold
- Bracelet: Jubilee, five links per row, steel outer links, Everose gold center links
- Crystal: sapphire with a Cyclops lens at 2.5x magnification
- Movement: caliber 2235, automatic, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, power reserve near 48 hours
- Sister refs: 179160 (steel), 179173 (steel and yellow gold), 179174 (steel and white gold)
The reference number carries the case size, the metal, and the bezel type. A seller who reads 179171 as a 36 mm watch has the wrong reference.
Checks you can run in the hand
- Beat rate. Put the watch to your ear or use a timegrapher app. 8 ticks per second points to a 28,800 vph movement. 6 ticks per second points to a cheap clone.
- Clasp edges. Gold plating wears at the corners of the clasp and at the edge of the bezel. Pale metal at those spots means plating, not solid gold.
- Weight. Solid gold center links add mass. A plated copy sits light in the hand.
- Cyclops. The lens magnifies 2.5x. The date sits centered and fills the lens. Copies show a small date, a shadow, or a date that sits off center.
- Crystal coronet. Many Rolex crystals from 2002 onward carry a laser etched coronet at 6 o'clock, inside the sapphire. Tip the watch and use a loupe.
- Rehaut. Later 179171 cases carry an engraved ring between the dial and the crystal. The letters should line up with the minute track.
- Case back. Plain steel, no engraving, no model text. Thick or domed case backs show up on copies.
- Movement. A watchmaker opens the back in minutes. The 2235 shows Rolex engraving, Geneva stripes on the bridges, and a signed rotor.
Gold content and price math
18k gold is 75% gold. Gold spot moved above $3,000 per ounce in 2025, which puts 1 gram of 18k at about $72 in metal value. The 179171 bezel plus the center links of the bracelet hold more than 1 gram of 18k. A copy that sells for $250 cannot hold solid gold at that price, so the rose tone comes from plating or PVD. Plating wears through in months to a few years. A solid bezel keeps its color when scratched.
Used prices for a real 179171
Ask prices for a used 179171 sit in the $4,000 to $7,000 range. Box, papers, and service records push a watch to the top of the band. Diamond markers raise value. Bracelet stretch and a worn bezel pull it down. Gold spot drives the floor, so check a market index on the day you buy or sell.
Service and parts
Rolex will not service a counterfeit watch. A watchmaker who opens a copy cannot source Rolex parts for it. A real 179171 needs service every 5 to 10 years, and that bill runs into the hundreds of dollars. Add that cost to any purchase price.
Legal facts in the US
18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods and sets prison terms for high volume cases. Counterfeit watches are subject to seizure by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the port of entry. The personal use exemption that applies to some goods does not cover counterfeit items. Resale value of a fake is near zero, and selling one as genuine adds fraud charges on top of the trademark count.