FALSE: Rolex gives away watches to celebrate 100th anniversary

At a glance

• Claim: Rolex is giving away gifts, including its luxury watches, in celebration of its 100th anniversary in May 2021.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: The website where the offer came from is fake. Rolex was founded in 1905 and is celebrating its 116th anniversary in 2021.
• Why we fact-checked this: The website link containing the claim has been shared at least 277 times on Facebook. It also has over 55,349 interactions, as of writing, according to data from CrowdTangle.

Complete details

Website freegifts.6dspace.net.com is offering a giveaway in celebration of the 100th anniversary of luxury watch brand Rolex. The dubious website claims everyone can participate and supposedly get a chance to win a Rolex watch by simply answering a survey.

The link has been circulating on messaging apps and Facebook groups since May 2021. It has accumulated over 55,349 total interactions, as of writing, according to data from social media monitoring tool CrowdTangle.

This is false.

Website freegifts.6dspace.net.com is a fake Rolex website link. The luxury watch maker’s official website is rolex.com, as listed in the “About” section of its verified Facebook account.

The official website of Rolex says Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law founded the watch company Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905. They registered the brand name Rolex in 1908. The company is celebrating its 116th anniversary in 2021.

There is also no announcement from the verified channels of Rolex, nor any official report from legitimate news organizations, about an online giveaway for the brand’s supposed 100th anniversary. 

As of writing, the fake website freegifts.6dspace.net.com is still accessible but Facebook has flagged the link for containing potentially malicious content. Facebook also urges users to keep their accounts and devices secure.

For information on Rolex’s ongoing promotions, refer to its official website and Facebook page. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.