Estate Sale Find - nice vintage watch

Sailsguy · Dec 30, 2012

I'm relatively new to metal detecting but I've enjoyed antique hunting for years going to many antique stores, garage sales and estate sales. I tend to focus on advertising items and coin op but will buy anything I think is cool and priced right. Well about two weeks ago my wife and I were at an estate sale being held by a company. There was a lot of junk and nothing that interested me. I was ready to leave but my wife was no where to be found. So to kill time I started to look at all the small items up front. This something i almost never do. There were some men's watches without watch bands. They looked old but nothing special. I grabbed one and tried to turn the stem and it didn't move. I figured it must be broken. The manufactures name was "Tudor" and it was a "Air Tiger". This meant nothing to me I don't know anything about watches. But when I took a closer look I noticed a crown symbol on the winder. I looked at the back but it was covered by a sticker. I removed it and then I saw the words "Rolex". At this point I'm interested so I ask "How much". She says they were $5 but everything is now half price so they are only $2.50 each. "I'll take it". Turns out the the winder was screwed in and once I was able to unlock and wind the watch works great. I bought a band for it and now I have a vintage 1960 Tudor Air Tiger manufactured by Rolex.

I hope you enjoyed my story and don't forget to look at the small stuff.

Happy New Year!

GibH · Dec 30, 2012

Sweet find. I shall have to look closer at watches, I didn't know Rolex sold under a different brand.

jerseyben · Dec 30, 2012

For $2.50 you did great!

clovis97 · Dec 30, 2012

Nice find!!!!!

stefen · Dec 30, 2012

Radium hands?

austin · Dec 31, 2012

Super find and quite collectible. Also fairly expensive. You did great...

redfish76 · Dec 31, 2012

Sweet watch....

05tbowner · Dec 31, 2012

That is a great find! I collect watched avidly and have yet to find a Tudor (although I have found a few Rolex's). Just so you know, the dial has been refinished. It effects the value drastically with any vintage watches. It also looks like the mid case is non Tudor. Any chance you could post a picture of the back?

Sailsguy · Jan 2, 2013

Not sure they do glow in the dark

Sailsguy · Jan 2, 2013

I'm not a watch guy but it looks all original to me. The face has some discoloration from where the little hand was sitting. I think it was sitting some time on a dresser exposed to the sun. When I have a chance i'll take a picture of the back. It says oster perpetual by Rolex. Any info you can give me is appreciated.

05tbowner · Jan 2, 2013

Its definitely a redial, but after doing some more research on this exact model, the case is good. Here is a picture of what the dial used to look like:
http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/77/6/AAAAAlkqNZgAAAAAAHdkgw.jpg?v=1191939798000
The dial might have wear and tear to it, but thats because it's an older redial. Tudor was never that "sloppy" when it came to printing on their dials, as their quality control was to par with Rolex, as they were a sister brand. Your watch is worth right between $200 and $500 as it is. If you want to have the dial redone again (newer redials are 99% accurate as technology has gotten better), for around $100. I've used internationaldialco.com in the past, as the have scans of thousands of original watch dials to replicate.

If the dial doesn't bother you, that's cool! It's all personal preference. I would also recommend to have the movement serviced ASAP, as the watch is from the 40's, and I'm betting it hasn't been serviced since new. If you need any more info, I would recommend joining Rolexforums.com, just don't take anything they have to say to heart.

randazzo1 · Jan 3, 2013

Awesome Find! That's all I can say -- what an awesome find!

Sailsguy · Jan 3, 2013

Here is a picture of the back. I had previously checked out the serial number (316053) and model number (7957) and I came up with a date of 1960 when searching the Rolex forums. When I bought it, it had a service sticker which totally covered the back. You couldn't even read case by Rolex. Maybe that is why it was still there on the last day of the estate sale. Runs great almost 2-days on a single wind.

austin · Jan 3, 2013

No offense to anyone, but sailsguy, I bet that watch lives longer than you or I do. Great, great find...

Iron Patch · Jan 4, 2013

austin said:
No offense to anyone, but sailsguy, I bet that watch lives longer than you or I do. Great, great find...

That's why I buy automatics! They'll last forever.... at least as far as we're all concerned. That is if you get them serviced every 5 years or so like you should. After that time I'll probably play the love it/service it or list it, with my two.

Reed Lukens · Jan 4, 2013

Take it in and have it appraised, you may just want to put it in a case. If it had the service sticker on it did it have a date? There are lots of good jeweler's & collectors out there that will take a quick look at the inside for free. Keeping your eyes open payed off :occasion14: