Help! I need an opinion on a vintage Rolex!
- Thread starter astronette
- Start date
Really?! I think so too!
I love it's clean lines. But still, I think that the Rolex is a better investment... And there's something enchanting about a watch that old 
I'm currently trying to hunt down a president bracelet, with the right bracelet it would be just perfect! 
AntiqueShopper, thanks for sharing your opinion
I know that Rolex is much more popular, and the brand is very strong. I think my problem with watches is that I don't have enough of "brand knowledge". ... I guess I should just do research...
Yes.
It's too soon to spend a lot of money if you don't yet understand basic things about a watch. For example, with the vintage Rolex you'll probably be getting an acrylic (plastic) crystal, vs. the sapphire crystal, which is harder and more scratch resistant. With a vintage piece it might be manual wind, not automatic, and that means you have to wind it daily to keep time, vs. the automatic motion movement that has a power reserve (ability to stay wound for many hours). Details like this affect your wearing experience.
Further, the vintage Rolex might not have ever come with the option of a President bracelet. You'd want to know that before changing how it is now (and find out how original the watch is, meaning if that bracelet is original to it). If you choose to "piece together" a Rolex, it loses its integrity and its value.
Also, the size of these watches is small. You're looking at a range of 24-26 mm, which is dress watch size primarily. That's what you have in mind?
There's a lot to know, and the learning is fun. Good luck.
Thank you for your opinions
I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm learning quickly!
The plastic glass was one thing I was conserned about with the particular Rolex, aside from the bracelet and the authenticity issue. I called my local AD and they told me the bracelet could probably be changed, but it would cost 10000, which is almost half the price of a brand new oyster...
Then I also called a local small goldsmith shop, that sepecialises in vintage high quality watches, and he has an oyster perpetual lady date in gold with champagne dial from 1989, with the president bracelet!!!
It's 6900, so double the price of the one on chrono24, but it has the bracelet I want, plus it's a lot more safe to buy at a local shop than on the internet... It has the diamond markers, which I'm not fond of, but he said it's easy to change and that he has a matching Rolex dial in champagne with index markers! Humm... I wonder how big a discount should I ask for... I've understood that with new watches, the discounts can be big (more than 10%) but with vintage...? Well he is a pro and he is used to customers asking for discount so he has decided the price that in mind, non?
Ok I better calm down I haven't even seen the watch yet....
Oh and the size 24-26 is exactly what I'm looking for. First I thought I wanted a bigger one, but after comparing photos of different sizes, and bearing in mind I have tiny wrists (15cm), 33mm is the absolute limit for me, and for a classic timepiece that won't look outdated in 5 years, 25mm is perfect! Although I must say, I love the look of a chunky J12 on a tiny wrist.
I can't thank everyone helping me with their opinions enough
:tpfrox:
Thank you for your opinions
I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm learning quickly!
The plastic glass was one thing I was conserned about with the particular Rolex, aside from the bracelet and the authenticity issue. I called my local AD and they told me the bracelet could probably be changed, but it would cost 10000, which is almost half the price of a brand new oyster...
Then I also called a local small goldsmith shop, that sepecialises in vintage high quality watches, and he has an oyster perpetual lady date in gold with champagne dial from 1989, with the president bracelet!!!
Humm... I wonder how big a discount should I ask for... I've understood that with new watches, the discounts can be big (more than 10%) but with vintage...? Well he is a pro and he is used to customers asking for discount so he has decided the price that in mind, non?
Ok I better calm down I haven't even seen the watch yet....
Oh and the size 24-26 is exactly what I'm looking for. First I thought I wanted a bigger one, but after comparing photos of different sizes, and bearing in mind I have tiny wrists (15cm), 33mm is the absolute limit for me, and for a classic timepiece that won't look outdated in 5 years, 25mm is perfect! Although I must say, I love the look of a chunky J12 on a tiny wrist.
I can't thank everyone helping me with their opinions enough
:tpfrox:
I wanna see pix. I dont think diamonds on the dial is even that noticeable. I wouldnt bother changing original parts unless you need to. Your best bet is to browse online and see what watches similar to that one are selling for.
Well it seems he has made quite a mark up... Similar watches online are selling for 3300-5500... depending on the condition of course. He sent me pics but I don't know if it would be approppriate to post them here :wondering The photos he sent were pretty crappy, in terms of lighting, so I really can't say anything about it before I see it. I actually realized that this watch seems to be pretty easy to find pre-owned, so finding the exact bracelet-case-dial-combo should be easy any time, so I'm not feeling panicky anymore
And I'm not in a hurry with getting the watch, so I'm going to have a look at the watch, but if it's not perfect or he doesn't give me a good price, I won't bother. I'm going to wait for the perfect one For me the diamond thing is a big deal, I am a minimalist 
But what is great, is that ladies watches don't hold their value as well as men's watches do, and this is true particularly with golden watches. I read somewhere that it's because the demand is not very high, but don't know if it's true. Maybe it's also because gold bends/stretches and gets marks and scratches more easily than steel..?
The vintage rolex you posted has a hollow bracelet, so it does not have as much gold as you would think. Modern rolexes have solid gold bracelets, but during the 60's they did not have solid bracelets. I am not sure when they switched to solid but that bracelet is definitely hollow. A downside of the hollow bracelets is that the bracelet can stretch, which can be really hard to repair.
In general, i find that ladies' watches are not as..."serious" as men's in terms of investment/value/selection. Even the high end watch makers make alot of the ladies equivalents in quartz while men have the automatic version. I guess they figure we dont care and just want something "pretty" :/Well it seems he has made quite a mark up... Similar watches online are selling for 3300-5500... depending on the condition of course. He sent me pics but I don't know if it would be approppriate to post them here :wondering The photos he sent were pretty crappy, in terms of lighting, so I really can't say anything about it before I see it. I actually realized that this watch seems to be pretty easy to find pre-owned, so finding the exact bracelet-case-dial-combo should be easy any time, so I'm not feeling panicky anymore
But what is great, is that ladies watches don't hold their value as well as men's watches do, and this is true particularly with golden watches. I read somewhere that it's because the demand is not very high, but don't know if it's true. Maybe it's also because gold bends/stretches and gets marks and scratches more easily than steel..?
MBeech: Yes, it's looks a little stretched indeed. Actually I think the problem with that watch is the proportion - the case is too heavy with the bracelet.
ShopAddikt: True! Well, it is more of a men's world, but also, it's a fact that all men's clothes often are higher in quality. The difference is the biggest with cheap/mid priced brands. For example, at H&M, it is nearly impossible to find a ladies cardigan in 100% wool or cotton (let alone in a simple, classic style), but at the men's department, they have dozens of styles in every colour, and the quality is not bad. Even with brands like Prada, if you want a sweater that'll last 20 years, go for mens. There's a difference in the materials.
ShopAddikt: True! Well, it is more of a men's world, but also, it's a fact that all men's clothes often are higher in quality. The difference is the biggest with cheap/mid priced brands. For example, at H&M, it is nearly impossible to find a ladies cardigan in 100% wool or cotton (let alone in a simple, classic style), but at the men's department, they have dozens of styles in every colour, and the quality is not bad. Even with brands like Prada, if you want a sweater that'll last 20 years, go for mens. There's a difference in the materials.