Hi Guys,

Just want to share with you a strange story that happened yesterday. I found an announcement for a vintage rolex watch yesterday at 6 pm in the french version of 'craig list'.

' For sale, vintage rolex submariner watch certainly from 70. The watch has been authenticated by a watchmaker. Face to face deal in a watch shop in Paris only. The watch has no metal band but Nato.'
Price is 5500 euros.

Ok ...nothing very special...face to face avoid any scam... and price looks in agreement with 5513 or 168° from this area...even a bit expensive without the oyster band...


But the last line of the announcement made my heart beating....

'Rolex reference : 5517'....

I had the same conclusion that most of you have reading... a fake certainly... So i tried to contact the seller through by e-mail and as usual didn"t expect any answer like most of the time with this 'fake bargain'....

Few hours later, i received a very polite and nice e-mail from the seller ;

'Good evening,

Thanks for your message. The watch is on hold until tomorrow nun. I will meet the first person at the watch maker shop. You are the third person [I sent the e-mail 10 min after the ad showed up] on the list so if the 2 other people refused, i will contact you then...

Thanks'



What's the f? Is it real??? ....i can't believe this deal can happen with Google and picture / price everywhere...we are talking about a 70K euros watch....I was sure that this watch was a fake or even a 5517 with a replacement dial or something like that.
I tried to have more informations, but the guy (very polite by the way) continued to explain me that he will be back to me if previous deal failed. At one moment he said, 'The watchmaker who expertized the watch at 5500 euros was interested to buy it ' ...

really???????

After several e-mail , the only informations i optained were :

' There is a T in a circle on the dial, and a broad arrow with number on the back....'
Holly crap...

This afternoon i was waiting for an e-mail from him...(very polite and trustful guy by the way) ..

2 pm..

'The watch has been sold to the first person who contact be

Sorry...'

And now i am wondering if this was still real or if all of them didn't catch that this watch was a fake...
I am very happy for the buyer if the watch is genuine...i think it is the bargain of the century if true...
Anyway , that's remind me the story on the 5€ Deep sea alarm ...

Or maybe a 5500 euros lost for the buyer we will never know

PS: i am still asking the seller for a picture


...

 

It's still possible even in these times... A few weeks back an early 2998 with base 1000 bezel went up on an auction site, seller refused to close it early despite many offers and let it run. Starting price was ten bucks, eventually went for just under usd 10k. Untouched, all original, chocolate dial, leaf and alpha hands. I wept because some technical restrictions prevented me from participating.

 

Crazy. Scary and maybe sad if true.

 

Link to that auction? I'd love to see it.

 

You didn't fight. Should have offered something close to its true value instead of being blinded by the good deal... Your fault.

 

Auction abruptly closed 30 minutes early with no bid history remained. Someone may have made a deal behind the door.
http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e157322696

 

I still have the link saved in my bookmarks. I open it occasionally to re-experience the sinking feeling of wanting to win it but not being able to bid.

 

You will not believed me if i say that i offered more..not the real value beacause i can't but at leat twice the asking price..seller answered taht the price stated by the watchmaker was 5500 euros so he will stay at 5500 euros ....crazy..

 

Offer to buy everything else he has. And go see that watchmaker...

 

why couldn't you bid? technical reasons with the auction site? not allowed to by geography?

 

That 2998 - wow!

 

Pretty difficult to bid into Japanese auctions, especially at higher prices. All sorts of limitations imposed by the websites and/or buying services. Not insurmountable but it takes time, and time is seldom on your side when an auction is closing in 24 hours...

 

I also got a mini bargain before for a pre-moon Speedmaster cal 321 that was posted in our local classified ad for $1,600 and I was lucky to be the first to contact the seller. We met the same day and closed the deal immediately. The owner inherited the watch from his late stepdad and would rather sell the watch to buy a car.

 

Maybe within all these comunication you could have warned him....