Timepieces

[Matthew Strongin]

I bought this when travelling in Rome in 2000 at a jewelry store (non-Rolex dealer) used for $2,000. When I got home a jeweler told me that it was fake, but a really good fake. It say in a drawer for about 10 years but then I decided to wear it just to have a nice looking watch. A couple of years ago it stopped working and I was going to throw it away, but my dad wanted to take it apart and see if it really was fake. Turns out that it was real this whole time. ~$800 to the Rolex watchmaker to do a full rebuild and replace the glass and bezel and it's just like new again!

I am so glad that I didn't just throw it in the trash.

I'm really curious...why did they think it was a fake?

And, yes...good thing you kept it!!!

[NYCfixie]

Because sometimes people do not know any better and/or they are just being rude.

In the mid-90s I was living in NYC and asked my father for the Rolex Air King (not pictured) my mother gave him when they were married (late 60s) and both just finished medical school. The bracelet had broken, was lost, and replaced with something not original. The crystal was cracked. The watch did not work. My parents were no longer married. I told him I would take it to the Rolex Corporate Service Center on 5th Avenue. Of course, the service people looked at me, in my mid-20s, and assumed the battered watch was fake and/or stolen. I told them not to be rude, look at the engraving on the back (my parent's wedding date), and to call my father at the hospital and ask him or call my retired mother in NJ and ask her about the story/provenance. They told me to wait and then came back about 20 minutes later. They apologized and said it was real, and they would make sure it was restored as-if new, and would call me in 5-6 weeks.

I'm really curious...why did they think it was a fake?

And, yes...good thing you kept it!!!

I bought this when travelling in Rome in 2000 at a jewelry store (non-Rolex dealer) used for $2,000. When I got home a jeweler told me that it was fake, but a really good fake. It say in a drawer for about 10 years but then I decided to wear it just to have a nice looking watch. A couple of years ago it stopped working and I was going to throw it away, but my dad wanted to take it apart and see if it really was fake. Turns out that it was real this whole time. ~$800 to the Rolex watchmaker to do a full rebuild and replace the glass and bezel and it's just like new again!

I am so glad that I didn't just throw it in the trash.

[Daverino]

Or the jeweler offered to take this fake off his hands for a small amount of $$...

[pritchet74]

The jeweler said it was a fake because the second hand didn't move as smoothly as a Rolex should. He said that he could take the back off the watch to make sure but he wanted $500 to do that and that just seemed crazy to me.

[houston]

That is criminal. $500 to take the caseback off? Hopefully you don't frequent that jeweler?

[bking]

That is criminal. $500 to take the caseback off? Hopefully you don't frequent that jeweler?

High end watches it's very easy to spend 800 plus, just general service.

[xjoex]

I was looking at watches while wearing my Air King which had some scratches on the face. I took it off to try on a Breitling Heritage and the staff mentioned they could do a quick clean up.

Well they fucked it up big time. That ended up costing them some money as they sent it to Rolex for repair.

I can see why they might have a charge just to take the back off.

Cheers,
-Joe

[ldamelio]

High end watches it's very easy to spend 800 plus, just general service.

This is true, but caseback removal to verify authenticity takes is literally like opening and closing a jar with the correct tool. Some Rolex dealers that cater to enthusiasts will do it for free. Others may charge a nominal fee.

[NCC1701]

Warning....

If they remove the caseback on a Rolex it must be pressure tested to insure its waterproof and up to standards as per defined parameters set forth by Rolex

Hope this helps,

KJ

[AngryScientist]

Warning....

If they remove the caseback on a Rolex it must be pressure tested to insure its waterproof and up to standards as per defined parameters set forth by Rolex

Hope this helps,

KJ

precisely. not just rolex, but any pressure rated dive watch. you pop the seal and you really need to pressure test before you can know it is good for rated depth anymore.

additionally, the appeal of a mechanical dive watch is that it rarely needs to be opened. mechanical movements contain thousands of moving parts with clean lube and tight tolerances. you dont want your typical mall pagoda jewler to open the back, introduce some dust, moisture and close it back in there. you do the watch no favors to not operate on it in a clean, controlled environment.

500 bucks may be excessive, but you dont want to open and close a mechanical dive watch like you do the refrigerator door. a good jeweler will know this and take appropriate measures, and charge for them.

[NYCfixie]

precisely. not just rolex, but any pressure rated dive watch. you pop the seal and you really need to pressure test before you can know it is good for rated depth anymore.

additionally, the appeal of a mechanical dive watch is that it rarely needs to be opened. mechanical movements contain thousands of moving parts with clean lube and tight tolerances. you dont want your typical mall pagoda jewler to open the back, introduce some dust, moisture and close it back in there. you do the watch no favors to not operate on it in a clean, controlled environment.

500 bucks may be excessive, but you dont want to open and close a mechanical dive watch like you do the refrigerator door. a good jeweler will know this and take appropriate measures, and charge for them.

$500 is excessive especially when you consider that a standard service/cleaning is less than $1000 directly at Rolex or via an "authorized" Rolex dealer.

[Matthew Strongin]

An authorized dealer shouldn’t need to open it to see if it’s real.

[pritchet74]

An authorized dealer shouldn’t need to open it to see if it’s real.

I think that the key here is to use authorized dealers / jewelers for high end watches. I only wish that I would have done that when I got the watch 17 years ago.

[Matthew Strongin]

I think that the key here is to use authorized dealers / jewelers for high end watches. I only wish that I would have done that when I got the watch 17 years ago.

Good strategy...sometimes people overlook that part of being an authorized dealer is a requirement to be able to perform service that maintains warranties and whatnot. ADs know the product, know how to service it and know when something is either fake or altered and not to touch it if so. Watches are complex machines and the proper maintenance will help them retain value in a way that few products will. I know a watch maker who once opened a Rolex that wasn't running well after being serviced by a mall kiosk. After struggling to get the case back open he found the culprit...dabs of silicone caulk to hold the movement down. Yikes.

Anyway, you managed to avoid a big mistake, though, and now you have a great watch that would be a dream for many. Enjoy it!!

[zetroc]

My guess, from my days in retail, is that the $500 case opening quote is a "get the kid with the Rolex we think is fake/stolen to leave as soon as possible" price.

Very cool watch.

[NCC1701]

Happy Monday....

Most mechanical watches have some heft to them in addition and speaking of my sub it has four sweeps between each second! Most if not all FAKE mechanical Rolex's watches simply cannot duplicate the movement or sweep, but again weight in most cases is the give away if it's fake. In addition I have noticed most higher end watches have a more than adequate reserve again something that cannot be duplicated.

By no means do I call myself an expert rather just another educated person with a real serious watch problem.....now can some help me find a 45th anniversary Omega Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy" watch please.

Have a great day,

KJ

[XR2]

Check out something different. Check out RGM watches. They even manufacture a Tourbillon. In Pennsylvania.

[Mabouya]

Check out something different. Check out RGM watches. They even manufacture a Tourbillon. In Pennsylvania.

They have some nice ones, but as far as that one goes, yuck. I wouldn't wear it even if you gave me one - just not my style.

[choke]

Most mechanical watches have some heft to them in addition and speaking of my sub it has four sweeps between each second! Most if not all FAKE mechanical Rolex's watches simply cannot duplicate the movement or sweep

That is probably the easiest thing for the makers of fakes to copy....they only need to use a movement with the same vibrations per hour (VPH) and the second hand will look identical to that of the real watch. For example, the movement in Rolex subs is 28,800 VPH and that's a very commonly used number in mechanical movements, such as the ubiquitous ETA 2824. However, those mechanical movements are more expensive than quartz ones so most fake makers do not go that route.

I agree that the case and bracelet are harder to duplicate....but those who have never held a real watch have nothing to compare to so it's not very easy for them to tell the difference.

[choke]

Check out something different. Check out RGM watches. They even manufacture a Tourbillon. In Pennsylvania.

I like the concept behind RGM.....but the watches themselves just miss the target for me. There is no doubt that they are well made but aesthetically they almost always have something just not quite right to my eye.

That Tourbillon pictured is cool and I actually like the styling....but if I had that kind of money to spend on watch there are many alternatives that appeal to me more.