Rolex (2nd hand) for Wifey 50th Birthday help!!!

[dickymint]

I know bugger all about online dealers and have literally days to try and sort one. She'll not have a clue about it therefore no choice in the matter max budget of 4K and fancy something like in this link..........

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-lady-dateju...

I can't spend hours and hours researching and looking unless I hold back and give her one (watch that is ) after her birthday.

So is this supplier any good? What should I offer or indeed are they likely to go for 4K? other suppliers? Any help or suggestions much appreciated

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-lady-dateju...

[NDA]

I bought mine something like this for her 50th:

https://www.hackettwatches.com/watch/2006-datejust...

Dominic is the man to use - and where I bought mine.

[Riff Raff]

My Mrs. has one like that, of roughly the same vintage, or maybe a couple of years older. Hers is on an Oyster bracelet rather than the Jubilee though. Hers has had two bracelet swaps in its life, at well over a thousand quid a pop. The Jubilees wear more than the Oysters, so it's worth checking for bracelet stretch. She does wear it 24/7 though, and loose, so she's hard on her watch.

It also doesn't say whether it's been serviced recently, which on a watch that age is a must, for me anyway.

FWIW, like the poster above, I'd recommend a chat with Dom Hackett. No-one on PH has a bad word to say about him.

[Mont Blanc]

Also have a browse of Watchfinder. I've bought a couple of Rolex off them previously and been very happy.

They have a good selection of lady Datejust models, and have reduced the price of quite a few.

https://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Rolex/watches/all?fi...

[vixen1700]

No help, but this is what I got for my mrs. around a year ago.



1973 Datejust.

[SpanishTony]

It's a minefield. I got my wife a tudor which I thought she'd like however as much as she appreciated the thought she got it changed for one which I'd have never have guessed.

Also check that she's ok with second-hand.

At the end of the day, it's about dropping a wad so that she knows that she's appreciated, she might prefer a bucherer bracelet than a watch.

[Mont Blanc]

SpanishTony said:

It's a minefield. I got my wife a tudor which I thought she'd like however as much as she appreciated the thought she got it changed for one which I'd have never have guessed.

Also check that she's ok with second-hand.

At the end of the day, it's about dropping a wad so that she knows that she's appreciated, she might prefer a bucherer bracelet than a watch.

This.

Watches are an incredibly personal choice, and buying one as a gift is highly risky. I wouldn't do it without checking with the receiver on their preferences.

I bought my wife a Datejust, and I consulted her on which one she liked the look of before I bought it, as there is so much choice. Silver, Gold, Bi-metal, different colour dials, diamonds, no diamonds, and so on.

[PRO5T]

These threads always attract the "don't do it! let them choose what they like crowd". I've bought the wife two Rolex and she adores them both.

If you don't understand a woman well enough to know her tastes, how the hell did you end up marrying her!

Actually I bought her three when I think about it but one was an investment to cash in on which paid for her maternity leave for a year.

One womens watches I've found that most are really keen to do some great deals, for our tenth anniversary last year I got a stunning factory diamond bezel, dial and case solid yellow gold for a fraction of what I sold a GMT for.

[Mont Blanc]

PRO5T said:

These threads always attract the "don't do it! let them choose what they like crowd". I've bought the wife two Rolex and she adores them both.

If you don't understand a woman well enough to know her tastes, how the hell did you end up marrying her!

Actually I bought her three when I think about it but one was an investment to cash in on which paid for her maternity leave for a year.

One womens watches I've found that most are really keen to do some great deals, for our tenth anniversary last year I got a stunning factory diamond bezel, dial and case solid yellow gold for a fraction of what I sold a GMT for.

We don't all sit there discussing jewellery preferences before we get married. It is really quite an obscure topic, and very much a personal choice to the wearer.

Some people are extremely picky/discerning/choosy when it comes to what they wear or what they like, and rightly so to be fair.

As a small example, my wife will adore one or two items from the Tiffany 'Return to' range, and wear them day in day out for years, but she would rather be shot by firing squad than have me randomly buy another item from the "Return to' range as she probably won't like it, and it will be a tiny detail such as she doesn't like the thickness of the chain, or she doesn't like the shape of the chain rings, or she doesn't like the clasp, and so on... She has to pick it herself.

If I bought her a piece of jewellery or a watch that she didn't like, she wouldn't wear it, no matter how expensive it was. It would sit in a drawer. I once bought her a £350 Hermes scarf on a whim whilst passing the shop and genuinely thought she would like it. She hasn't worn it once as she doesn't like the feel of the material. It has remained in the box.

This isn't her being ungrateful, but quite the opposite. Her view has also always been "It's a lot of money, so I need to be absolutely 100% happy with every single aspect of it, otherwise it is just a waste". Despite having a high-flying career now, she came from absolutely nothing with not a penny to her name, and she hasn't forgotten.

On the flip side, it makes my life easier as I always treat her by taking her somewhere as a surprise and asking her to choose something for herself, which she enjoys. I don't have to worry about exactly what to get her. Gifts are always lower key stuff that she may find useful rather than some bling.

No doubt this has coloured my view, but many people can be similar. Before I was married, a fairly long term girlfriend bought me a nice Seiko watch as she knew I loved watches and was always looking at them. I almost never wore it as I didn't like it. I am massively picky with watches and one tiny detail that I don't like will cause me not to buy or wear it!

[okgo]

Lady datejusts are a fairly simple thing to buy - is she someone who wears gold or silver?

The typical one which every 3rd woman seems to own (including my wife) is a white/champagne dial 26 or 28mm bi metal on jubilee. It’s pretty timeless and goes with most things.

https://www.ramsdensjewellery.co.uk/product/rolex-...




(the one you’ve posted is VERY marmite so I’d avoid that).

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 9th April 21:13

[dickymint]

Mont Blanc said:

SpanishTony said:

It's a minefield. I got my wife a tudor which I thought she'd like however as much as she appreciated the thought she got it changed for one which I'd have never have guessed.

Also check that she's ok with second-hand.

At the end of the day, it's about dropping a wad so that she knows that she's appreciated, she might prefer a bucherer bracelet than a watch.

This.

Watches are an incredibly personal choice, and buying one as a gift is highly risky. I wouldn't do it without checking with the receiver on their preferences.

I bought my wife a Datejust, and I consulted her on which one she liked the look of before I bought it, as there is so much choice. Silver, Gold, Bi-metal, different colour dials, diamonds, no diamonds, and so on.

All I do know is She is so not looking forward to being 50 She likes mine and has previously said (not hinted I would add) she'd like one and come to the conclusion even second hand is too much money! She won't be expecting much if anything other than usual flowers and our two best mates for a takeaway and good drink or a night out. I know she'd love it and I know her well enough if she would prefer to flip it she'd tell me the day after

To be honest 'we' could afford brand new but she'd frown at the extravagance of it. Not sure why I'm dilly dallying and not going with my gut feeling but I don't know the current market and prefer the best possible deal.

Thanks for taking the time to help out guys

[1690cc]

This one looks good and is from a solid seller plus I would bet they'd be interested in an offer around £4,000.

Appreciate all the don't do it comments but all depends on how you and your wife appreciate gifts vs owing exactly the one they would pick themselves. My wife buys me gifts and I appreciate that she spent time choosing and she thought an item was perfect for me. This enormously outweighs the fact that on occasion I might have chosen a differing colour etc etc and I take more pleasure from that and treasure the gifts more than if I had just picked one out myself.

We and our relationships all differ so you'll know which way to do this for your wife.

https://www.hackettwatches.com/watch/datejust-mop-...

[Regbuser]

Mother of pearl dial for a touch under budget

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/rolex-datejust-26...

[dickymint]

okgo said:

Lady datejusts are a fairly simple thing to buy - is she someone who wears gold or silver?

The typical one which every 3 woman seems to own (including my wife) is a white/champagne dial 26 or 28mm bi metal on jubilee. It’s pretty timeless and goes with most things.

https://www.ramsdensjewellery.co.uk/product/rolex-...




(the one you’ve posted is VERY marmite so I’d avoid that).

I get the "marmite" bit, I liked it as it was one I fancied for myself many years ago when I ended up buying mine which she does like.............





PS you updated your post and that does look really good and

[HocusPocus]

PRO5T said:

These threads always attract the "don't do it! let them choose what they like crowd". I've bought the wife two Rolex and she adores them both.

If you don't understand a woman well enough to know her tastes, how the hell did you end up marrying her.

I have done both. So all down to OP choice.

Shopping together in Asprey for heart shaped diamond earstuds with free champers once we agreed to buy (hmm healthy profit margin). She still wears them every day, so great value imbued with happy memories of that shared fun event.

I bought her the first automatic ladies complication watch made by PP for her 40th present. That took meticulous advance planning, and tenacity as it took me over 6 months to hunt one down across Europe...plus the watch cost 3 times the earstuds. She liked it, but the watch now lives in the safe.

Edited by HocusPocus on Tuesday 9th April 21:40

[PRO5T]

Mont Blanc said:

We don't all sit there discussing jewellery preferences before we get married. It is really quite an obscure topic, and very much a personal choice to the wearer.

Some people are extremely picky/discerning/choosy when it comes to what they wear or what they like, and rightly so to be fair.

Great, and those people who have fallen in love and married such a picky/discerning choosy person wouldn't be on the bloody internet asking for which rolex to buy as they'd know they'd married one and she'd be an arse about whatever they bought without her prior knowledge and approval!

So I still don't understand the posts saying "don't do it!"

[hilly10]

Nice ones are about but it’s time you need to get a good deal. I picked this up off a dealer three years ago who had took it part exc I give £2700 box and papers

[SpanishTony]

PRO5T said:

Great, and those people who have fallen in love and married such a picky/discerning choosy person wouldn't be on the bloody internet asking for which rolex to buy as they'd know they'd married one and she'd be an arse about whatever they bought without her prior knowledge and approval!

So I still don't understand the posts saying "don't do it!"

Not all of us married doormats, well done to you!

[Cupid-stunt]

there is a person in this very parish who can help find you a watch.
I've bought a couple from him and he's been extremely fair.

No doubt he'll have a look at the thread in good time.

[Fckitdriveon]

We haven’t got much by the way of vintage Datejust in stock currently .

But we may have just the thing . Drop me an email . Happy to steer .

Regards

Edited by Fckitdriveon on Wednesday 10th April 18:51