I'm considering the purchase of this 1675 from a friend who is also a watchmaker. We are trying to figure out what we have. Also, the value and the condition. What do y'all think? Any help would be appreciated. I have checked chrono24 and other websites. They were not much help. The original owner is deceased and it was brought to the watchmaker by his 60 year old daughter. She remembers when her father bought this watch new. The serial number dates this as 3 RD quarter of 72. Ref 1675 Serial 324xxx------checks right with 3rd quarter inside case back hallmark including the original 1570 Cal 1570 Aprox. First year 26 jewels. It Has hack, 2 maker marks. The Rotor bearing is solid...no play. screws look real good. Hairspring excellent. Low amp around 170 DID not wind too much 19,800 BPH .07ms beat error. Crystal original 1 small chip can be saved and restored easily. Bezel Insert...no fade super nice Bezel----no bangs in the outer flutes Hands dial look minty/matching lume---- no glow on anything. Indicates that these were not service hands or dial. The Case is untouched Bezel does not turn...probably due to the build up of at crud. It will. Probably a simple soak for the case in warm water. It has not been cleaned except to read serial and ref numbers. This is the Real deal and un molested It has Non quickset date. The watch Has instant date change and it works GMT hand is indexed correctly. This 1675 has 3 Rolex Bracelets that come with it including an early 1954 rivet flex. Not sure where her father got it as he had a few other Rolex's. Definatly first 3 year Bracet #1 The bracelet that was on the watch was a 9315 Sub or Sea dweller bracelet that dates to 1969 I dont think it was new for the watch/ flip lock there all there in good condition. Bracelet #2 Thus is a Rivet non flex that dates to what looks like Jan/1970. It is missing one link and has very little wear. These Usually are ragged out. I dont think this was the OE bracelet either but its in the correct time frame/dates Bracelet #3 This is a Jubilee and early flex rivet. From what I see here it looks like the Jubilee is the original for the watch. The end link number "50" dates correct. It has flex but not totally work out. It has no bent links. The buckle and end links are nice. The early flex rivet. Has end links/plated gold? stainless underneath. It needs work and has potential to be worth a lot. Need more information?
Hi, It looks like you have a nice 1675 that is mostly in need of a 'bath' to remove the gunk. You could then try polywatch on the crystal to retain the history, or just to change the crystal, but keep the old one. I believe 1971 was the first year of the Black bezel. I'm not a Rolex experts, so others can chime in on dial type etc., but I think it looks all correct. Attached is my II:71 for comparison. Cheers, Buster
Quite an interesting find. Congrats.. You have a Mk-4 version dial, which could have been replaced but since it is from the original owner, hard to tell without documentation. If you notice the 1675 posted by RCAFBuster, it has a Mk-2 dial and would be appropriate for the serial range. The bezel is not unique to this watch, it was replaced at some point. It may even be aftermarket but a knowledgeable watchmaker should be able to tell first hand.. Do a great overhaul on it, do not polish the case. Buy a very nice pepsi insert, over $1k... You have a $8.5-$12k+ watch.. I am sure the daughter sold it for nothing and should be compensated for not having the knowledge.. Good Luck!
Hello - looks like a later MK4 dial which is appropriate for 5mil serial. Your watch should have an MK2. There is also quite a bit of pitting around the gasket as well as on the lip of the caseback. The case is nice and honest however, insert is nothing special. It could clean up nicely, but the dial miss match is a deterrent and impacts valuation. Good luck.
The daughter has not sold it. The watchmaker is a friend and we are trying to figure a fair price before I make an offer. Do the extra bands add much to the value?
Yes indeed they do. The C&I bracelets could each add $600--$2,000 on their own, depending on completeness and condition.
My thoughts as well. Having said that, is it common to swap out bezels for Pepsi ones from the original black?
Hard to find in this condition. Bezel is,later as,is,dial. Both can be,purchased. All depends,on price...
Here is the watch for sale in a different forum, in case anyone was interested. http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/1972-rolex-gmt-watch-lot-original-owner-4634899.html
I was about to post an update The owner decided they wanted 18,500.00. Also listed on https://texaswatchtalk.com/index.php?threads/193/
I bought my wife a nice Mk1 with a fuchsia bezel for her birthday in 2014...at the time I thought the 6k I paid was too much, but since I waited till the last minute I bought it anyway. I was surprised to see these selling for 14k recently, so this year I bought her a Apple Watch in the hopes she would stop wearing it and I could take over So far my plan isn't working.