Do service dials matter?

Morning ladies and gents,

Still sniffing around the idea of an EXII, and think I'll dip my toe with a 16570.

Having looked at a lot of these, I think I prefer the case with the spring bar holes through the lugs... Something a little more utilitarian about it.

There seems to be a real mix of tritium, and service dialed watches out there.

So my question: does a service dial and hand set on a watch from the 1990s "matter"?

Value or otherwise.

Or are Rolex buyers ok with this sort of thing as long as it's been done with legit parts, preferably by Rolex.

£3500 seems to be the ask, irespective of year, whether it's a full set or not, or if it's been serviced.

Have seen them go for £2000-£2500 so trying that end of the market...

I'm in the same boat!

Also looking at getting an Explorer II 16570 in the near future, and likewise, I have a reputable second hand dealer in my city that has a 1995 model, with a 2015 Rolex Service Centre service... which includes a redial. This also includes an update of the movement too, so all up it cost over $800 USD for the service.

I'm also a bit torn about whether or not to pay a little bit more for a genuine un-redialed example, or go with this piece.... I think in the end, as others have mentioned, if the price is right, go for it! I wouldn't worry too much about re-sell value, in the end there are so many of these watches in circulation in the world, the chances that they'll end up being worth 10's of 1000's of dollars is low. I think more importantly, do you like the look of the vintage faded lume?

Personally I prefer the fresher white lume, so if it's between a 1995 Rolex Service Centre redial for ~$4200 USD, or $5200 for a 2005-2009 edition of the exact same watch (both full set with box and papers), then I'd say go with the cheaper redial option! As long as it was done by Rolex, it's not much of a difference tbh.

!

Definitely. The older the Rolex, the more valuable the original dial compare to the other parts.


I blame it on the autoconnect.

May be worth investing in watches with their original dials. You will find them easier to flip in the future if you desire.

As above - if you think you'll ever flip it then go for Tritium dialled - after that it's pure personal preference.

I've been looking for a really nice full set tritium Polar for a while now simply because I prefer the aged look against the white dial.