Rolex repair economics

[w1bbles]

Idle musings.

There's a Kermit on eBay now that is absolutely trashed and looks like it's been through a mangle and then subjected to a tumble in a motorbike accident. The bidding is currently at £1,950 with a couple of days left to go.



What's happening here? Is someone going to use the serial number to build a recreation? How do the economics even work, or is this like a VIN ringing exercise?

Just wow!

[gregs656]

Looks like a weird mix of damage, the case looks alright.

I guess someone thinks there is value in the case and bezel, even if the insert is trashed. The dial looks quite cool.

I suppose people collect parts over time and build things up.

[Tabs]

Agreed, strange damage. The lug edges seem rather crisp. The insert seems that it has tried to be levered of with a screwdriver. And the inner bezel between dial and glass is also badly marked.

[MattsCar]

Wondering what Rolex would do if you sent it for a "service" and the cost.

[w1bbles]

I'm no watchmaker (no, really!) but I can't see a single bit of this that's serviceable. The case looks scored and battered, the bezel looks deeply scored and the outer rings are compressed. The case back is beyond saving (there's another photo of the other side of it that's even worse) so I just can't work out why people are bidding. Perhaps I'm being naive?

[Pflanzgarten]

MattsCar said:

Wondering what Rolex would do if you sent it for a "service" and the cost.

Would Rolex charge you more in spares than the value of an existing watch?

What’s the cheapest you can pick up a Kermit for these days, £12-13k?

[CharlieCrocodile]

There's also no guarantee that it's a genuine Rolex either.

[Riff Raff]

MattsCar said:

Wondering what Rolex would do if you sent it for a "service" and the cost.

I’m not sure that it could be serviced. The auction is just for the case: it doesn’t have a movement. There isn’t anything to service.

[the-norseman]

CharlieCrocodile said:

There's also no guarantee that it's a genuine Rolex either.

Chances are its not, take a fake watch, beat it up and stick it on eBay and make £££ on it.

[jonamv8]

Thats not worth £2k !

[gregs656]

Well the case back is toast.

It all looks a bit too convenient.

[Timer]

If I were a betting man, which I am, I’d have a punt that the winning bidder already has a Kermit and a good insurance policy….

[w1bbles]

Timer said:

If I were a betting man, which I am, I’d have a punt that the winning bidder already has a Kermit and a good insurance policy….

Smart thinking. I can't think of any better plausible reason.

[darreni]

Handy that anything that identifies it as a genuine Rolex has been damaged or obscured.

[Fallingup]

Money laundering.

[Pflanzgarten]

w1bbles said:

Timer said:

If I were a betting man, which I am, I’d have a punt that the winning bidder already has a Kermit and a good insurance policy….

Smart thinking. I can't think of any better plausible reason.

The insurance policies on my watches have you list the serial number, which is shown on the case in the advert. It would be a pretty poor loss adjuster who missed that.

[w1bbles]

Fallingup said:

Money laundering.

In that I offer tat on eBay that no sane person would want to buy. My mate comes along and buys it. Good theory but not really scaleable perhaps?

[Fallingup]

Well it was just a thought. You never know.

[MattsCar]

Pflanzgarten said:

Would Rolex charge you more in spares than the value of an existing watch?

What’s the cheapest you can pick up a Kermit for these days, £12-13k?

This was my thinking. Would spares work out cheaper than a new watch, however, on second thoughts, they would surely just swap it for a new watch as opposed to rebuilding the thing from ground up.

One other thought...the "worn/weathered" Rolex look, has its followers. Maybe someone will create some sort of weird hybrid/ frankenwatch using a different movement and an old, weathered leather strap.

Anyway, it sold for the bargain price of £3,100.

[Barchettaman]

MattsCar said:

One other thought...the "worn/weathered" Rolex look, has its followers. Maybe someone will create some sort of weird hybrid/ frankenwatch using a different movement.
Anyway, it sold for the bargain price of £3,100.

There’s that English chap who lives in NY and has an unbelievable collection of military submariners. One was found on a south coast beach after decades of ‘living in the wild’, it’s completely mullered but he doesn’t want to touch it.

::edit:: found the article, interesting read:

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-thirteen-mil...