How to buy genuine in the s/h market.

[swisstoni]

I want to buy a Rolex for my son. He has set his sights on a particular mainstream model which retails around the £10k mark.
Naively I thought one could simply bowl into a Rolex dealer and buy one. Ah, what a silly.

Instead we have been 6 months on a waiting list. From talking to people who know about these things, it's more like a sometime never list.

So now we are looking at the s/h market. Which fills me with concern due to fakes. He's done some research and wants to use a retailer beginning with W. They are well known and well established, because even I have heard of them.

So, any tips on how to buy a s/h Rolex without it being Bolex?

[Lefty]

Use a trusted dealer - Hackett Watches for example. If they don’t have what you want give them a call and tell them exactly what you want.

[Speed Badger]

Out of interest, what happened when you went into Rolex and tried to buy your desired watch? I've often been tempted to go in like a normal person and try and exchange money for a product like you do in most other normal shops!!

[Jamescrs]

Is the retailer you are looking at Watchfinder? If so you won’t have any issues, I’ve used them twice and the watches I’ve bought there have been exactly as described.

They do have some physical stores so you can go into one if you prefer.

[Panamax]

swisstoni said:

I want to buy a Rolex for my son.

Does he want a £10k Rolex?
Where is he going to keep it?
When is he going to wear it?
Is it going to be insured "all risks"?

[swisstoni]

Speed Badger said:

Out of interest, what happened when you went into Rolex and tried to buy your desired watch? I've often been tempted to go in like a normal person and try and exchange money for a product like you do in most other normal shops!!

No dice.

[RotorRambler]

I’d use Ebay
Was great when I sold my Tudor that I didn’t like..
Authenticated free of charge, for protection both ways:-
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/authenticity-guarantee-wa...

[swisstoni]

Panamax said:

swisstoni said:

I want to buy a Rolex for my son.

Does he want a £10k Rolex?
Where is he going to keep it?
When is he going to wear it?
Is it going to be insured "all risks"?

It's his choice. It's a for working incredibly hard for his degree and also a 21st birthday present.
As for all the security stuff, I'll have to trust him on that. We'll put it on the insurance obviously.

[BlackTails]

swisstoni said:

So, any tips on how to buy a s/h Rolex without it being Bolex?

Buy the seller rather than the seller’s watch.

I’m eyeing a Rolex. Watchfinder has six of the current model with the dial I want. All are over current retail pricing, some by a hefty margin. Chrono24 and even eBay has better priced examples. Some are private sellers (establish a dialogue, ask for sales receipts etc) and some a dealers (ditto).

There are some well known s/h (Mark Worthington springs to mind) who I’d trust not to sell a fake/Frankenwatch, and who I’d trust to sort things out if they unwittingly let one through the net. In the end if you buy s/h and are worried, take it straight to a Rolex AD for an inspection.

Personally I’d hunt out a s/h example that was originally retailed in the U.K., simply because I wouldn’t care for the risk of being pinged for import duties and VAT wearing it on the way back from a holiday. But that’s just a pet thing for me.

[swisstoni]

So lets assume we go and buy one from a well regarded seller (probably beginning with W) and then a Rolex dealer gives us some bad news the next day.

Do these well regarded s/h sellers guarantee authenticity or is it going to be a problem?

[BlackTails]

Have you read this?

https://www.watchfinder.co.uk/the-fight-against-fa...

Not surprisingly (because their model is based on not seeking fakes) they are circumspect about saying what happens if they accidentally let a fake through the net. But I’d be comfortable that they’d refund you NQA, provided you had good evidence you’d been sold the fake and hadn’t turned a genuine watch into a fake. Perhaps ask them to have a Rolex AD look at it pre-purchase if you’re really concerned.

[swisstoni]

That looks pretty reassuring. They have a 14 day returns policy.

Pretty galling to see plenty nearly new ones listed at well over RRP. No wonder nobody ever seems to make it to the front of the 'waiting list'.

[Portofino]

Jeez WF aren’t a dodgy back street Croydon jewellers. They are owned by the Richemont Group.

You’ll be absolutely fine with them.

[okgo]

swisstoni said:

That looks pretty reassuring. They have a 14 day returns policy.

Pretty galling to see plenty nearly new ones listed at well over RRP. No wonder nobody ever seems to make it to the front of the 'waiting list'.

Which model is it?

Of course Rolex do sell thousands of watches a week, but like many premium brands (Porsche do this, Ferrari do this, Hermes do this) they can pick who they sell the rarer stuff to.

[swisstoni]

okgo said:

swisstoni said:

That looks pretty reassuring. They have a 14 day returns policy.

Pretty galling to see plenty nearly new ones listed at well over RRP. No wonder nobody ever seems to make it to the front of the 'waiting list'.

Which model is it?

Of course Rolex do sell thousands of watches a week, but like many premium brands (Porsche do this, Ferrari do this, Hermes do this) they can pick who they sell the rarer stuff to.

It's a mainstream model. Nothing rare.

[okgo]

swisstoni said:

It's a mainstream model. Nothing rare.

A Daytona is mainstream but very difficult to get. Which model is it? That way we who have bought them new may be able to guide on how long you may wait etc

[Watchthis]

Whilst you'd visually never be able to differentiate a clone from a genuine watch you will be able to tell from the movement. Winding the watch, adjusting the date and time...none of them gets the smooth precise feel that the genuine watch has. Appreciate that's not easy if you've not had a genuine one before.

Oh and shameless plug, I'm currently selling a 2024 rolex OP41 with Green dial for well under your budget if interested

Edited by Watchthis on Sunday 1st February 22:45

Edited by Watchthis on Sunday 1st February 22:46

[Regbuser]

Lefty said:

Use a trusted dealer - Hackett Watches for example. If they don t have what you want give them a call and tell them exactly what you want.

+1 DomH (on here) will find what you want at best price, also has a place in Hatton Garden > https://www.hackettwatches.com/

[swisstoni]

okgo said:

swisstoni said:

It's a mainstream model. Nothing rare.

A Daytona is mainstream but very difficult to get. Which model is it? That way we who have bought them new may be able to guide on how long you may wait etc

GMT Master II

[okgo]

Regbuser said:

+1 DomH (on here) will find what you want at best price, also has a place in Hatton Garden > https://www.hackettwatches.com/

He will still be charging overs on any GMT.

OP - there are levels of rarity there, you may have a hope of a Blue/Black but unlikely with the grey/black or red/blue.