I have called three Rolex AD and all three said they are not authorized to open my case back and that it has to be sent in to Rolex for that. I then called five jewelers who said due to liability issues, they will not open the case back. Is this the standard practice?
Is the watch under warranty? If not, I don't understand the issue. There are several watchmakers in my small town who will open a Rolex for me. If you are confident in your own abilities, you can also purchase the appropriate tool and die-set to open Rolex cases yourself.
Before I buy the timepiece, I was going to have it checked out. The AD said they will look at the serial number, model number, and closely look at the dial / hands / diamonds / bracelet, but cannot open case back.
So this is a pre-purchase inspection? Used? Why not ask the owner to open before purchase? Can't say that I blame the AD. You aren't buying the watch from them. Not paying them for service and they run the risk of dinging the case / messing up the gaskets, etc. What's the upside?
What are your specific concerns? If the seller is willing to guarantee that it is authentic, you can always have it opened after the purchase to double-check. The odds are good that it is fine. It seems like a dealer photo, so I imagine that the seller will stand behind the watch. As you probably realize, the dial has been modified from the original, so I don't think Rolex will touch it.
The seller is private and VERBALLY says watch is authentic. I have no WRITTEN guarantee. There is no written correspondence; all verbal. The piece comes with box and papers. The watch is 100% original; the picture above closely resembles the piece.