Prisoner of War Rolex??

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Evening friends!

Just happened upon this ebay listing and wondered if anyone here knows more about the story.

https://www.ebay.com/i/143143948480...stUoBZeWKjThK96OSUsfUsxd718KpcS4aAlUfEALw_wcB

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to Rolex and this is just a really neat piece if the story checks out.

Disclaimer: no FRICKIN way I could afford it. Just thought it would be neat to see a discussion about it here.

My best to you all!
 
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Evening friends!

Just happened upon this ebay listing and wondered if anyone here knows more about the story.

https://www.ebay.com/i/143143948480...stUoBZeWKjThK96OSUsfUsxd718KpcS4aAlUfEALw_wcB

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to Rolex and this is just a really neat piece if the story checks out.

Disclaimer: no FRICKIN way I could afford it. Just thought it would be neat to see a discussion about it here.

My best to you all!

250k for a redialled Rolex.
 
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The story is apparently legit, in that there were a certain number of these given to POWs. However, as mentioned by @oinkitt, this one has been tampered with and the asking price is ridiculous. It has been listed for a while.
 
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RE asking price: I felt it was ludicrous as well which is why I didn't directly mention it.

But I didn't know about these being given to POWs. Any more on that? Who made the motion to do this? Who bought them? How were they not confiscated if they were sent to an encampment?
 
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RE asking price: I felt it was ludicrous as well which is why I didn't directly mention it.

But I didn't know about these being given to POWs. Any more on that? Who made the motion to do this? Who bought them? How were they not confiscated if they were sent to an encampment?



Basically Rolex sold watches to Officer POWs that didn’t have to pay until after the war.


https://therake.com/stories/icons/rolex-the-spoils-of-war/
 
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Looks like the cal 59, i just got a Tudor with same movement
 
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Interesting watch; first time I have seen one of these.

Legitimately curious - why do folks feel this one has been tampered with? Surely, if can't be the NATO strap? The ad says it's all legit, and at that price most folks would expect it to be.

Not that I am in the market to get one of these in this lifetime; just learning and admiring as I go.
 
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Tampered is a big word but the dial is redone. And most of the value of a watch is in the dial. Real value of the watch will be a fraction of the asking price.
 
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The 3525, the first Rolex waterproof chronograph. Early Valjoux 23. Legendary reference that can go for 6 figures but with a refinished dial this example is at least $200K overpriced. The black dial variants are some of the most lovely and valuable watches from the 1940s. An even rarer but not necessarily more valuable reference from the same period is the 4048 with an early Valjoux 72. I had forgotten the reference number and had a hard time even finding a photo of it using other search terms.

220_001.jpg
 
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Yes, a very amazing story. And I liked the act of Wilsdorf. As for the price of ebay, I also smiled. But he shot with great interest.