We Bought a $500 Counterfeit Rolex So Good, Even Rolex Didn’t Spot It

The replica watch industry is in its “super clone” era. Following tips from murky internet forums, we bought three budget fakes that were good enough to pass as real—but ultimately disposable.

Related

Other articles with overlapping topics.

Wired

Free quota

NASA’s New Space Telescope Is Poised to Discover Hidden Facets of the Universe

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to discover as many as 200,000 new planets and reveal details about the elusive nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Jay Bennett·Aug 24, 2026·7 min read

Wired

Free quota

They Dedicated Their Lives to Teaching. Then the Deepfakes Started

The deepfake epidemic in schools is affecting more than students. Four teachers tell WIRED about becoming targets of sexualized, AI-generated content—and how difficult it was to find accountability.

Caroline Haskins·Aug 24, 2026·9 min read

Wired

Free quota

The Best Multiuse Air Purifiers Do More Than Just Clean the Room

These WIRED-tested dual-purpose air purifiers also function as heaters, fans, art pieces, and more, offering the best of both worlds.

Molly Higgins·Aug 24, 2026·14 min read

Wired

Free quota

These Home Theater Projectors Give the Cinema Some Tough Competition

I tested the latest models from XGIMI, Hisense, Leica, and BenQ to find the best of the best.

John Brandon·Aug 24, 2026·8 min read

Wired

Free quota

How Teen ‘After-Prom’ Kings in LA Monetized the High School Rager

The West Coast house-party scene has long been iconic. For these young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, it was also inspiration for MyPlots, a party-promotion empire.

Manisha Krishnan·Aug 20, 2026·16 min read

Wired

Free quota

China Is Strapping ‘Digital Bombs’ to Civilian Infrastructure—Is the US Ready?

This week on “Uncanny Valley,” Andy Greenberg discusses sitting in on a war game simulating a cyberattack from the Chinese hacking group Volt Typhoon

Brian Barrett·Aug 20, 2026·16 min read