Hey guys, I am thinking of getting a Rolex but I know bupkis about them. I am thinking of an old Oyster Perpetual or maybe even a manual wind. What do I need to look for, what should I avoid? For reference here is one I have seen on Ebay and thought it might not be bad: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RO...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network Does anything jump out about it? Are their any easy tests for the dial, like the MOY test for Connie, what about the case; should the lugs be sharp or are these rounded ones okay, etc? Thanks in advance guys.
IMHO, for a Rolex beginner, you can't go wrong with an old Datejust (1601 or 1603). You can get one for around $2k to $2500...
I don’t know much about those early 50s references. The later 1002 - 1005 series are a steal at the moment. Typically - at least on the later references - these cases came from the factory with sharp edges but there is an element of softness or slight rounding when looking at the sides giving it a polished appearance. So I think they are harder to judge especially when it’s not in hand.
That watch looks legit to me, but personally I don't find the overall condition very appealing. If you don't mind a non-quickset date, I'll second the suggestion of a 1601/1603. The silver pie-pan dials are attractive and can often be found in excellent condition. I haven't had any trouble having them serviced.
Take your time and get yourself a solid Datejust. Vintage or modern. Relatively "affordable" and plentiful. Absolutely great watches. I have 2 sports models but they've become unaffordable for most. My next Rolex purchase will certainly be in that vein.
That is a bit early for me but I can share what my general thoughts are on Oyster Perpetuals as I have a 1002 from ~ 1966. The 1002 have a low desirability right now so the prices are reasonable. I enjoy my 1002 but it is on the small side at 34 x 40mm w/ 19mm lugs. One cool thing about the Oyster Perpetuals with 1570 or 1575 movements is they share them with a load of other Rolex line watches.
Okay so I am looking at a few 1002s on the bay right now. Is there anything that jumps out about any of these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Oyst...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Oyst...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network https://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLEX-OYST...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network To me they all three look good, but like I said I'm not really sure what I'm looking at yet. Thanks for all the help so far guys.
Thunderbirds are still super affordable and often priced to sell. Granted many of them are not super attractive but if you hunt you can find attractive ones priced like the ugly ones. :Edit: Never mind these have doubled in price in a year... I guess people figured these out.
https://shop.analogshift.com/products/rolex-turn-o-graph Not all, just not what you think a Rolex is.
I'd have to look more closely, but at first glance, I have concerns about the hands on the first one and the dial and hands on the second one. Bracelet is obviously after-market Dial and hands on the third may be ok, but I'm concerned about the condition of the case since all of the other photos are out-of-focus. I would double-check the case size (listed as 36mm) because I think the Air-King is 34mm.
The Bay is a deep shark infested pool for vintage rolex. Strongly suggest you peruse FS section on VRF... and check out some of the 1625s that have appeared lately.
How much you want to spend? I may be able to help out...some buddies have some decent lower end pieces available.
I'm not even 100% sure about that right now, I think that for getting my feet wet I definitely want to stay in the shallow end of the pool. At this point I may just be looking to learn as much as I can so that I know what I am looking at. I kind of like the looks of the third watch I listed above. I wouldn't buy it because of the lack of movement photos but that is the sort of Rolex I would like. Is $2000 reasonable for something like that?
Okay, so what is off with the hands on the first two? I prefer the hands on the third but the hands on the first two looked like just a different style to me. What about the dial on the second? By the way thanks everyone for all the pointers I really appreciate the assistance.
As for the first one, I think the hands are not correct for they watch, since they don't have a place for lume. It looks like someone has dabbed a bit of lume at the end of one of the hands, but I haven't seen that before for this model. It could be some sort of rare variant, but I'm suspicious. I'm less certain about the second one, but at first glance there was something that bothered me about the font (e.g. look at the "Y" and the way the letters are crammed together in "OYSTER PERPETUAL"). I would want to look a lot closer and compare to other watches before I got comfortable with it.
Check out Bobs Watches, HQ Milton and C&C ... good dealers who generally do a good job out authenticating and even if you don’t buy you will learn. Check out the various Rolex sources on the web. E Bay is a nightmare of trips and traps for this brand.
I'll add a vintage Rolex to the menagerie one day. One of the '50s or early '60s models would be just dandy. I'll get "coaching" from some members here before I venture forth on that acquisition.
I see what you mean about the hands in the first one. After comparing the fonts I see how much more crammed together the "Oyster Perpetual" is in the second one compared to the third. What about the minute markers behind the crown on the second one, they seem a bit hinky to me, or am I just looking for things to be wrong now? Thanks again for the all the pointers.