I found a watch store, who sells Rolex, close to his house. I send him the address and instructed him to take his watch there to get it looked at and appraised
The truth is that eventually his bubble will be bursted, so why let him go to a stranger to tell him the truth? Makes no sense.
There is a difference between being honest and being an asshole.
Is it possible that the gentleman has lost a step cognitively and is misremembering how the watch came into his possession? There was a time, late in my father's life, when he came up with all sorts of incorrect assertions. Just wondering.
I get the whole “truth hurts” thing, but this is not a close friend, but a social acquaintance. There is a difference between being honest and being an asshole. Letting him know you aren’t interested in the watch, but thanks for your time is not a “political” way (although I have worked in Washington for 22 years so yes, I have mastered the art of telling people to go fυck themselves and still leave with a smile) of avoiding being the bearer of bad news, but a tactful one. If the OP feels the need to be “honest” with the fellow, he can simply say that he isn’t an expert, but showed the pictures to people who are and it raised some questions that he may want to investigate on his own- like at an AD.
I've been in the position of having to give this sort of "bad news" many more times than I wanted to. Doing it with sensitivity towards the person's feelings is paramount. Being able to back up the news with expertise is important, so honestly your advice is absolutely best where the OP isn't 100% sure of what's going on, and the person offering the watch isn't a close friend.
