Sea Dweller, box but no papers.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Just come back from a little trip to to the shops and happened upon one of these. I've been mulling over a few different watches but the complete lack of interest from any rolex dealer as soon as you mention a sports model has been a little off putting.

Anyway, we passed a "we buy gold etc" type place and low and behold they had two sea dwellers in the window. One a 2000 model with full box and papers and the other a more modern version dated "unknown".

The unknown one interested me more as the condition was better. I'm guessing it was the ceramic bezel as it didn't have the pins in the lugs where the bracelet meets the case. They didn't know which year it was, even when I asked them why they hadn't removed the bracelet to see the serial number, the ladies answer being "oh they won't get that involved in stuff like that"!

Price was £4750 with a one year guarantee.

Now I should imagine a minimum 10% to be achieved off their asking price but disregarding buying a watch form a high street pawnbrokers who can't even be bothered to look at a serial number I wondered what people thought?

[Porsche911R]

prob a fake or stolen, fakes are so good they end up in crap shops with clueless staff.

I would only buy from a good watch dealer myself, and these days with box and papers only, what you pay upfront now you get back 10 fold when you sell.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Porsche911R said:

prob a fake, fakes are so good they end up in crap shops with clueless staff.

I am not a jeweller but I'm pretty certain it was not a fake. Stolen I would be very much more concerned about but not fake.

[ecain63]

I have one for sale if you are interested. I'm a jeweller but the watch is my own and comes with fresh service, box and papers.

Message me if your interested.

Eddie

[ecain63]

Porsche911R said:

prob a fake or stolen, fakes are so good they end up in crap shops with clueless staff.

Quite a post that

[don logan]

Hi LOH

Not all pre ceramic Seadwellers had pinhole lugs

I think anything that's a bit cheap needs to be bought by an absolute expert or someone really brave!

[LaurasOtherHalf]

don logan said:

Hi LOH

Not all pre ceramic Seadwellers had pinhole lugs

I think anything that's a bit cheap needs to be bought by an absolute expert or someone really brave!

Bravery (or stupidity) is not an issue! (said the man who bought his last unseen from italy).

Eddy I'll send you a PM

[LaurasOtherHalf]

ecain63 said:

Porsche911R said:

prob a fake or stolen, fakes are so good they end up in crap shops with clueless staff.

Quite a post that

Especially as he's edited it since I quoted him, he originally just said it was fake! David does like to throw the cat amongst the pigeons

[SirSquidalot]

I have an F series 16600 sea dweller and this has solid lugs. I purchased mine 12 months ago for £4100 with box and papers. They have risen abit this year so potentially not a dodgy one!

[Porsche911R]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Especially as he's edited it since I quoted him, he originally just said it was fake! David does like to throw the cat amongst the pigeons

it was a very fast edit other wise my post would show it was edited a the bottom ;-)

[Porsche911R]

ecain63 said:

Quite a post that

would you buy a £5k watch with no details what so ever, no se.no. available, no papers, and seemly no checks from the staff from a pawn brokers !

https://youtu.be/PxVIRp6txWA

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Porsche911R said:

ecain63 said:

Quite a post that

would you buy a £5k watch with no details what so ever, no se.no. available, no papers, and seemly no checks from the staff from a pawn brokers !

https://youtu.be/PxVIRp6txWA

From an established high street establishment? Is it really that different from ordering a watch from europe on Chrono24 and just taking it to a local jewellers to check over?

[Porsche911R]

depends if you call a ""we buy gold etc" pop up shop trustworthy to deal in hi end Rolex's

Most of these types of shops vanished In the last 12 months, so not sure how you are going to tell it's a real Rolex with no Se.no.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Pop it into my local jeweller and pop the back off.

[Jez m]

What store was it?

I work with Pre-owned jewellers and Pawnbrokers. You would be surprised at the size of their internal operations, valuations departments and Jewellery centres. Plus the staff training is top notch, you won't find the major chains taking in fakes.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

As discussed it isn't a fake, it might be stolen or be in poor condition inside but I'm 99.9% it isn't a snide.

[Jez m]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

As discussed it isn't a fake, it might be stolen or be in poor condition inside but I'm 99.9% it isn't a snide.

Which chain was it? If it's one i work with i could find out more details on the watch.

[WatchMajor]

Im sure you could find a far nicer and cleaner watch from someone who knows what they are talking about elsewhere

[Porsche911R]

Jez m said:

What store was it?

I work with Pre-owned jewellers and Pawnbrokers. You would be surprised at the size of their internal operations, valuations departments and Jewellery centres. Plus the staff training is top notch, you won't find the major chains taking in fakes.

I think you will find In the news one major chain was selling fakes to non UK buyers !!

sales staff and staff training LOL you have got to be joking !! these people could not spot a fake these days, yes the £25 ones maybe but the £600 ones are so good it's a back off job really.

as said if shops will not take the back off then it could well be a fake, people spend £100's on fakes now using real Rolex faces/parts/hands wit ha ETA movement inside etc.

but even a £1000 top notch fake makes you £2k pawning it in for £3k, the sad thing is the buyer will never know it's not real either !

[Jez m]

Porsche911R said:

I think you will find In the news one major chain was selling fakes to non UK buyers !!

sales staff and staff training LOL you have got to be joking !! these people could not spot a fake these days, yes the £25 ones maybe but the £600 ones are so good it's a back off job really.

as said if shops will not take the back off then it could well be a fake, people spend £100's on fakes now using real Rolex faces/parts/hands wit ha ETA movement inside etc.

but even a £1000 top notch fake makes you £2k pawning it in for £3k, the sad thing is the buyer will never know it's not real either !

I can't speak for all the chains but the main one i work with who are the largest Pawnbroker in the UK has a dedicated Watch centre and training team who travel the country training staff on how to tell real from fakes. They also run an expert eye in-store system which takes macro photos of watches and sends them to a team who examine and respond if necessary. Any doubt means no purchase or no loan.
Also before anything is sold on it goes via the watch centre who inspect, refurbish and authenticate it. Tbh, i was actually very surprised at the size & detail of the operation!