NEED HELP NOW: Gold Rolex

[silverdollarbill]

Hey Everyone,

I need help now.....I can buy this watch now for $1800. Saw the woman sold a few other things super cheap.

My only concerns:
- movement seems to tick and not be smooth

- where the medal pieces go into the watch, on the one side, the holes go all the way through.

Does this look legit? Worth it?

bill

 

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[chub]

I thought they all had sweeping second hands? (even good fakes )

chub

 

[diggummup]

I'm no expert but it looks like a legit Rolex from the 1950's or so to me. Are they making knockoffs of the old ones? The strap, I'm no so sure of, need better pics. Check the clasp for marks.You need to get the back off of it too.
If it were me and I didn't have the knowledge to discern whether it was authentic or not, I would ask her to meet at a jeweler together and have it authenticated. You are spending $1800 after all. It's not a crazy request. Just don't discuss value in front of the jeweler when it turns out to be real cause if it is, $1800 is a steal!

It definitely needs a good servicing and cleaning.

 

[silverdollarbill]

Thanks Digg.

So, I bought a couple others things from her at great prices, was well ahead, and decided to take a chance. I just got the back off using rolled up duct tape.

The case is gold and I assume fakes of this model are few and far between, but the serial numbers are not really making sense.

Back of case: 6084

Movement: F 49660 & 19507

Going to do some more research. If anyone has any tips, let me know. Lady said I could take it back if something turned out bad.

 

[silverdollarbill]

So, found a few that look similar. Looks like this is early 1950s. Feeling pretty good about this being legit.

Rare 1952 ROLEX 6085-6084 Oyster Perpetual Red-Officially Semi-Bubbleback 14k SS | eBay

Second Time Around Watch Company : Photo

 

[Beachkid23]

I'd say it's legit. Looks like one i sold for parts. Not gold though. Nice find!!

 

[JimDon]

Totally legit reference 6084 although it is clearly a redial. Still a good buy at $1800. I suspect she was offered $800 to $1200 for it by a dealer and is trying to get more. Will need a service which can be as much as $800. I paid $1200 for my 1954 reference 6085 in stainless and it also was a redial but a much better executed one.

 

[tamrock]

That's one for the record books. Excellent score. Mr. Bill I'd hang on to it. I quit selling off old watches as I believe the value of many is only going to increase.. Heck even some of the early 70's 80's LCD watches are bringing good prices from collectors these days.

 

[silverdollarbill]

Thanks Jim and Tamrock. Still trying to decide what to do with the watch. Wife is not happy about me spending so much.

What do you think the value is as-is? Need to decide to service or not.

@Jim....I'm new to watches. Why do you think it is a redial and what makes it a bad one? The hands look different than other models I've seen, but they look old. Also, to my untrained eye, the face also looks original and not touched up.

I don't think this lady took the watch to any dealer. She said it was her ex-husbands and she sounded resentful to him. She also said she was selling the house and moving to Arizona to retire. She was 52. She may have been retiring on the ex-husbands money.

Overall, this may have been the strangest sale I have ever been to. When I first got there, only a few things were out and I picked out about 6 small sterling pieces two of which were cufflinks. She told me she wanted $125.....crazy. I bought two small things for $8 to be nice. Then she told me she had some really nice pieces, but wanted real money for them. I waited around and she brought out a 200g sterling necklace that she wanted $300 for. She said she paid $800 for it. At this point another regular shows up. Then the owner brings out a Towle sterling silverware set and some other small pieces of jewelry. The set was large (2600+ grams) and I offered $250. She took $300. At this point I am really confused?! While I am buying the silverware set, I see another one of the regulars holding two gold bracelets, one of which was the largest gold bracelet I've ever seen at a yard sale. There must have been at least $2000 worth of gold, maybe much more and the owner sold them both for $350?! (After the lady who bought them left, the owner tells me she is pretty sure the lady she sold them to stole from her during her yard sale last year) At this point she brings out the Rolex and I am really confused.

She said the watch was real, it belonged to her x-husband, she thinks it is worth at least $3K, but will sell for $1,500. It was Sunday and I went to a couple local ATMs but could only get $1,200. I went back hoping to get it for $1,200 and she tells me $1,500 is too cheap and she wants $1,800. I went home, scrounged up some more cash, and frantically did more research. Given how up I was on the silver, I decided to take a risk. I text her and tell her I am on my way back. She texts me back and tell me to hurry because someone else wanted it, she said it was sold for $1800, and the guy offered her $2,200 and was going to get the cash. As I write this I know it sounds like I was getting hustled, but I'm pretty street smart and good at reading people. I think this was just an eccentric rich lady who was starting a new chapter in life and having fun at a yard sale.

After I bought the watch, my dad and I hung out with her and her daughter and ate pizza. I was nervous about the purchase and said so. She said something to the affect that she was confident that I would be happy with the watch and that I already did real well with the silver.

In the end, I spent:
- $8 for some misc sterling
- $300 for 2600 grams of sterlings
- $1900 for the watch
- $130 for these Tiffany earrings

 

[Spartcom5]

It's a redial because the font is really messy looking. Even for being how old it is Rolex font was really good even then. Looks like an amateur redid it with a pen...... I'd keep it only because of the dial, I'd probably get it redialed again. Vintage Rolex collectors are very very picky with redials. Someone may look to redial it again so it looks better. Still a good price at $1,800 though

Here is a thread with some real Rolex dials, no redials. You can see a major difference in font. https://omegaforums.net/threads/real-dial-or-a-redial-of-this-1950s-rolex.22676/

 

[tamrock]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing a redial on it. That old spotting also leads me to believe that dial has never been messed with.

 

[Spartcom5]

It's just an old redial. I have a longines watch that had been re dialed a long time ago and looks original with patina but ultimately it's still a re dial. They were very common, some better than others. But still they really hurt the collector value a substantial amount.

 

[tamrock]

Well I guess if your one Longines is enough for you to make that assumption, then I guess you should know.

 

[JimDon]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing a redial on it. That old spotting also leads me to believe that dial has never been messed with.

It may be the original dial but the printing might have been updated and done poorly. The spacing is all wrong. It does look like it was written in with a fine pen. Don't be discouraged. The value is in the case and movement. IMO. If it runs I'd value it around $2300-$2500.

 

[Spartcom5]

Well I guess if your one Longines is enough for you to make that assumption, then I guess you should know.

Yea the whole idea i was getting at is that just because the dial has spotting/patina never rules out a redial. Same goes for my Longines. Not saying i can tell because of the font on my Longines. The dial itself is probably original but the font was replaced sometime. They strip the font off and redo it for any number of reasons. I agree with Jimdons valuation as well expect something in the two thousand range. More towards $2500 end. This would be a great Rolex for an entry level collector.

 

[JimDon]

Here is mine and it's a redial. It looks original but I can assure you it is a redial. The give away is the E in Rolex and how Oyster Perpetual dips down from left to right. Great job but still off slightly.

 

[Drmad7]

What kind of band is that JimDon? Nice watch by the way!

 

[tamrock]

IDK I've had only 3 wristwatch's redailed...I'm just not seeing fonts altered, things done with a pen, but I don't know everything. I see true age in the hands, spotted dial, coloration of the hour chapters and darkening of the radium. Guess I've never seen a redial look that aged before. Overall it's a great find in its current condition and thank you for bringing your observations to my attention.

 

[silverdollarbill]

Thanks Jim and Spartcom5 for the info! I'd be lying if I were to say I wasn't a bit disappointed. However, it has been a great learning experience, which will continue as I figure out what to do with it. It runs....so that is promising.

I'm going to bring it to a couple local watch shops and see what they say. I like the watch, but don't love it. Not sure it's worth dropping the cash to get it redialed/ serviced. If I were to get it serviced / redial would you recommend a reputable/skilled shop or Rolex?

 

[JimDon]

Thanks Jim and Spartcom5 for the info! I'd be lying if I were to say I wasn't a bit disappointed. However, it has been a great learning experience, which will continue as I figure out what to do with it. It runs....so that is promising.

I'm going to bring it to a couple local watch shops and see what they say. I like the watch, but don't love it. Not sure it's worth dropping the cash to get it redialed/ serviced. If I were to get it serviced / redial would you recommend a reputable/skilled shop or Rolex?

Not Rolex!! A good local watchmaker should be able to service it under $600. I've seen it go as low as $285 to service a working watch. I believe the Rolex dealer service rate starts at $600. Parts are extra if needed.