Which One Should I Buy?

lenny

Ask John Mayer*. He also liked buying daytonas that had a questionable/controversial history. Now he's suing the dealer after Rolex found issue with the watches. No matter how much money you may have, no one likes flushing it down the toilet. Do not rely on Rolex. At these prices, YOU need to know these watches inside and out. Go to the VRF and get advice there. I remember John didn't like the advice given to him on that forum...

*https://omegaforums.net/threads/som...-filed-by-john-mayer-against-bob-maron.11471/

djmusicman

I prefer the 6263 with the black dial! I did see a really perfect red sea dweller in the shop window of a vintage watch shop in paris, i didn't dare ask the price. When you are talking about spending 30k you don't want to make a mistake!

calalum

If you can afford to spend that kind of money without adequate research or knowledge, then don't worry. Otherwise, the thought of just jumping in on any of these watches seems scary to me. I would be a lot more patient and build up some expertise, and if you are not going that route than maybe pay a little bit of a premium and buy from a dealer with a good reputation that will stand behind the watch. As to verification at the RSC, I tried that once (ironically with a 6239) and they were not willing to commit in any way. Not sure what their present policy is. And on a totally separate note, those watches are so different that you may want to give some serious thought as to what you are looking for before opening your wallet.

U ulackfocus

I wouldn't buy either. For that kind of money I'd be in the JLC boutique.

ikeo1

I like the DRSD.

Lenny sounds like he's giving you a hard time. If you can't talk to the guys that actually service authentic watches with the actual watch in hand, I doubt guys on a forum will be able to authenticate with pics. ABC Watchwerks is who most in the VRF and on the RolexForums recommend for servicing vintage Rolex's if they want to keep it in original condition. If you get it validated by the RSC or the ABC, I think you're covered. You probably wouldn't want to service at the RSC though, they might change a few things. With that being said, I do think Lenny's point is clear, trust NO ONE without documents! better to be safe than sorry with that amount of money. With Vintage, the story behind it is and pictures with the original owner goes a long way, but that's pretty hard to find..

Nobel Prize

Daytona for me...but not like this man. If you can afford that purchase then you can afford reversing the process...hell, at half those prices it's what I do. Buy the seller, not the watch si often repeated here.so:

1- Find a reputable seller like HQ in San Francisco or one of many well known ones...or a Rolex house that deals with second hand, or Torneau although half of the time they don't know what they have but at least are very legitimate...or if you want reach out to ALL of them and tell them what you're looking for. i.e "I want a vintage Daytona or extremely valuable Sub, Rolex. My budget is about 25G but will consider items within range that are "don't miss" opportunities. They will ask you a couple of questions: Paul Newman? Color Dial etc etc and then you forget about it and go have a drink and go on with your life and let them do their work for you. Then you consider what they are offering you knowing they are already vetoed, without worries, rather than finding something that looks shinny and asking anonymous people online if you should shell 25G on a specific watch based on pictures.

On that note, to verify the provenance and 100% authenticity of these vintage pieces it is not enough to go to Rolex...it requires an expert even within Rolex. I'd be surprised if they will give you a guarantee on a 25g purchase on a day visit, I would think they will need to keep the watch and make sure the right person is looking at it. This may take time, and I doubt your seller will accept the cost, or risk.

lenny

You guys do realize that "anonymous" people give the same type of buying advice here, right? You don't go to Omega or Tourneau to verify a vintage SM300, Ploprof or Constellation. You seek out knowledgable people who are trustworthy. That usually starts on specialist forums. I don't understand why that is so hard to accept.

Nobel Prize

This weekend I was there and loved the selection, what I didn't like is the rep that said they just sold a submariner 6538 which was Paul Newman model until I asked if he meant Sean Connery as Bond. Then they listed an IWC Yatch Master Laureus as " somewhere between 2002 and 2006 when there's no laureus prior to 2009 and the Yatch master laureus is 2013, not that it takes an expert to clearly see that is not a 2002 design. They didn't even know it was. Limited edition or a laureus until I told them at that point yiu just give up and ask if you can just look around for a bit.

Traveler

If you are desperate to pull the trigger right away I'd just go to http://www.sheartime.com or http://10pastten.com

Both of these guys are specialised in high quality Rolexes. You will pay a premium for the convenience but be assured of a quick and easy transaction, and a quality watch. I'm not affiliated with these guys but if I were in your position and impatient, that's what I'd do.

But it would be nicer to study, learn, and seek out what you want on your own. And I think if you do that you won't need to ask 'Daytona' or DRSD ?' - if I were plonking down 30k on a 40 year old watch I'd make sure I felt strongly in my own mind about what I wanted....