Hey everyone, so I'm in need of a new watch and deciding between the reverso and a steel Rolex datejust. Have any of you ever bought on the gray market. If I get the reverso I'm thinking about going gray market because the watch does not seem to hold its value well after purchase and it is much lower in price on the gray market than retail. Also for those of you who have the steel Rolex or the reverso do you find that the bezel scratches easily? I love the look of the smooth bezel on the Rolex but worry that after time it would look very scratched. Would love to see photos of your smooth bezel rolexes and reversos. Also would love to know what percentage discount you can get in the store on steel rolexes with the smooth or 18k bezel. Thanks and sorry for all the questions but I want to be fully informed before making my purchase!
Jaeger revereso or steel Rolex and buying on the gray market
- Thread starter Shelly319
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I bought my first rolex at https://www.bobswatches.com/
Prices are ok, but now I buy, trade and sell my watches through forums (watchuseek.com and rolexforums.com). The forums gives me the best prices, and best resale value. The only catch is you have to do the research on the user since there's occasional SCAMMERS on there.
Some of the trusted sellers are (but mostly men's watches unfortunately)
http://davidsw.com
http://www.takuyawatches.com/
From my experience, most AD's don't like to give discounts but you might luck out better.
Prices are ok, but now I buy, trade and sell my watches through forums (watchuseek.com and rolexforums.com). The forums gives me the best prices, and best resale value. The only catch is you have to do the research on the user since there's occasional SCAMMERS on there.
Some of the trusted sellers are (but mostly men's watches unfortunately)
http://davidsw.com
http://www.takuyawatches.com/
From my experience, most AD's don't like to give discounts but you might luck out better.
For the scratches on the smooth bezel, there's cape cod cloth that works well with minor scratches. For deeper scratches, a professional would be needed to polish it (decreasing it's value).
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=119334
Watches will get scratched but it doesn't bother me.
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=119334
Watches will get scratched but it doesn't bother me.
Purchasing JLC from gray or even second market gives the best bang for the buck. As Rolex retains value well, sometimes the difference with a new one is nominal. I would definitely go for JLC, Chopard, Cartier from the gray/second hand market.
I don't own a smooth bezel Rolex but an Omega Aqua Terra, yes, scratches are obvious on it. Go for Fluted bezel for a Rolex as it camouflages scratches extremely well, unless it's a huge deep scratch.
Thanks for the input! Just wondering how it has held up and how long have you had it?
Thank! Will Jlc and Cartier still service watches bought on the gray market? Will they even know?
I don't see why not as it's their brand. But best to find out from the boutiques just to be sure.
They will service the watch but at your cost since the warranty will be void if bought outside the authorized dealer network. However many don't find this particularly problematic since many times the savings from purchasing grey more than outweigh the cost of a service.
I've had it about a year. I think it's held up great. And I'm not particularly gentle with my jewelry.
I posted a photo of it on TPF when I purchased it. I think it's pretty much in the same condition. There's what I would consider normal wear, but nothing so excessive that I would recommend against buying one.
That's a photo of when I first purchased it. I think it looks pretty similar a year later.
