Any Rolex Watch Experts?

[morssdn]

The engraved coronet is on the inside of the crystal, you can see one at the bottom of the face here. I'm told they started doing this in about year 2000.
also, fwiw, the bezel on the posted pic of the datejust looks ok to me compared with the loads of pics that you can see on the Blowers website for example.
As someone said before, the 'cyclops' date magnifier is a Rolex feature; it's only glued on.

 

[roofman]

apparently theres a big market in high end fakes now with the top quality ones being just that,top quality

 

[cumbriasteve]

If genuine I think the taxman is going to be pleased with your/their windfall.

I hope they are superhuman at holding their breath

 

[cumbriasteve]

Rolexes, like all automatic watches, do tick (they have to, otherwise it's an electric motor ) but they will tend to be between 5 and 10 oscillations a second and it's very faint.

A couple of things to look for are as described around the glass and whether there is a serial number on the shoulders. The glass should be sapphire crystal so you should not be able to scratch it with anything metal. Given that you're taking it to a dealer anyway, I wouldn't bother trying to get the strap off to check the shoulders - some of them can be very fiddly and the last thing you want to do is damage them.

Well it may have a faint tick that I can't hear, but I doubt my hearing is the best nowadays after a lifetime of steel bashing so that could make sense.

The glass is totally unmarked where as the watch has certainly been worn a fair bit, the strap although not marked (to the naked eye) has dirt evident in the joints, a possibility it is sapphire crystal to have survived unscathed.

All good fun and next week all should be revealed and with luck what's revealed won't say 'made in China'

 

[Robotstar5]

Mine has a very faint tick and the second hand moves in a series of tiny steps, which used to be a way of telling the fakes as the second hand would move in a smooth sweep.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Mine has a very faint tick and the second hand moves in a series of tiny steps, which used to be a way of telling the fakes as the second hand would move in a smooth sweep.

It's hard to tell on this one, initially you would guess it was totally smooth sweep movement but under a big magnifier it may suggest 4 or 5 movements for each second in time.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

They phoned me again yesterday asking when I was fetching it in because apparently they have a customer for that exact model.

Is it only me who thinks....."There's a massive coincidence...." #suspiciousoldgit

 

[skotl]

Is it only me who thinks....."There's a massive coincidence...." #suspiciousoldgit

Not necessarily. Official Rolex dealers operate wait lists for new models, and many of them do the same for used ones. It's like a car dealership - they want you to trade in your "old" watch and buy a new one.
Also, it is extremely frowned upon for a Rolex dealer to offer a discount (other than on some of the sky high models to regular customers) on new watches so they may make a better markup on used watches.
If /when they confirm the model and year, ask for an offer but don't accept until you have a chance to check prices from other sources.
rolexforums.com and tz-uk.com are good places to ask about valuations.

I hope I'm not jinxing Steve, but I'm optimistic - most fakes tend to be for the (no offense) more sought after models, especially deepseas and daytonas, rather than oysters.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Is it only me who thinks....."There's a massive coincidence...." #suspiciousoldgit

I can guarantee there was more than you thinking the same, I have been round the block too many times for silly sales talk, if they start that game next week it will be walk time.

 

[Robotstar5]

Assuming it turn's out to be a good one and you have it serviced, ask for an insurance valuation letter to see if it exceeds the single item limit on your contents insurance. I think I paid about £1k for mine, but the last valuation was £5k!.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I have to be realistic and assume it is one of the very best of the fakes but stranger things happen I suppose.

If it turns out genuine, how much is a service and clean? I am sitting down

 

[skotl]

I have to be realistic and assume it is one of the very best of the fakes but stranger things happen I suppose.

If it turns out genuine, how much is a service and clean? I am sitting down

Ahem... Mine was £420, which was £150 more than my pickup truck's service. And the guy at the garage apologised for the cost!

Very few dealers are certified to do the service themselves, so they need to either go to London or Switzerland.
Oh - and it can take eight weeks...

 

[cumbriasteve]

Ahem... Mine was £420, .

Don't answer threads if you have downed a bottle of best whisky, you obviously have typed wrong

 

[skotl]

Don't answer threads if you have downed a bottle of best whisky, you obviously have typed wrong

Did you notice I edited it? Price is the same, but you also have the delay to contend with.
The upside is that it comes back literally looking like a new watch. A dealer will factor the date of its last service into the price so to get top dollar, it may well be worth spending the £400 odd. By the way, the figure does differ depending on model - the deepsea and seadweller will be a lot more expensive to service, and yours might be a little less, but I'd be astonished if it was less than £3xx...

 

[cumbriasteve]

Yeah I was trying to make a joke of it instead of bursting into tears

I expected somewhere near to be honest, acne Joe on the market say's he will do it for £5 and a greggs bacon sarnie, I may consider that option

 

[skotl]

Yeah I was trying to make a joke of it instead of bursting into tears

I expected somewhere near to be honest, acne Joe on the market say's he will do it for £5 and a greggs bacon sarnie, I may consider that option

To be honest, some WD40 and wire wool will do exactly the same job.
There are special tools to open the case, but a couple old screwdrivers and a pair of pliers work just as well.

 

[morssdn]

There are some well regarded alternative servicers of Rolex, who may be a bit cheaper and v likely quicker to return. One advantage of having a Rolex service is the paperwork attached will prove its genuine origin.

 

[addjunkie]

i recently had my bi metal submariner serviced and rewaterproofed with new seals, at the watch repair center in newcastle. Like i said i came back like a new watch. Strap refurbished too, bargin at 600 quid.

And yes I often do wear it welding. I wear it all the time. Its a watch thats what its for. I have dived with it, skydived, worked on cars, bikes and all sorts of other things, worn it every day for the last 20 years. Felt naked with out it when it was away.

They are an appreciating asset, and nice things to own. Mine is quite sentimental to me, but thats a very long storey!

 

[Parm]

I think the serial number was inside the rear case on mine. A service should be £250-300.

Yeah tell me about it, new battery, calibration a test to stated water depth and certificate is nearly £400 on my brietling, it is made of titanium and they don't make them any more

 

[Robotstar5]

...If it turns out genuine, how much is a service and clean? I am sitting down

Mine was £280 a couple of years ago and took about 6 weeks, but it did come back looking like new.