No papers

[ozzyp]

Hi!
I'm about to become a member of the Rolex family by buying a Sea Dweller, I've seen that in some cases well renowned dealers do not have the papers of the watch. As a newbie i would like to know how this affects me, if the price is fair is it ok to buy the watch?

Thanks for your answers!

Oscar

[globalmedia33]

I can not speak for anybody but for me paper is not that important, as long as the watch is authentic and the price is reasonable then that's fine with me.

[bobdog377]

When this question is asked there are normally many "it makes no difference" replies,but if they were asked to destroy the paperwork they had for their own watches how many do you think actually would?

[moviefreak]

if the price is fair to you without the papers it is ok then... some members prefer a complete full set... others prefer to buy cheaper and not have papers... some will never buy an incomplete set...
It all depends on how good is the offer you got for the SD...

[Gerardus]

Not for me: no papers no deal.
Only complete for me, just my 2 cents...

[ozzyp]

I have a deal on a brand new unused SD 16600 no holes M ser. for 5500 dollars in original packaging (box) and with the original tags attached but with no papers. For me it sounds quite fair, but as i'm new to this i would be very thankful for some advise.

[travisb]

To me it makes a difference. Also, if you ever decide to sell down the road, typically a watch without papers will go for slightly less.

[HL65]

It will lower the price by 200-300 dollars or so and you can save some money. As long as you are buying from a good seller all is fine. If you ever decide to sell it--will you have a smaller market of buyers--yes but you are not buying it to sell it--so save the money and enjoy it.

[Sose]

Isnt there any way to get replacement papers from Rolex?

Let's just assume I'm the original owner and lost everything to a fire. I then try to sell my watch and one of you guys buy it. Couldn't you legitimately get a new set?

[HL65]

No--but you can certainly get service card when you have it serviced from a RSC.

[Sose]

Interesting. Thanks.

[EchoBlueUK]

Personally without papers is a no deal for me.

[NCD1979]

I certainly prefer a complete set.

[denicio7]

i love this topic because everyone has such strong, differing opinions...me, i don't really care about papers if the watch is in great condition and is priced right. when my wife purchased my GMT, she had the choice between two watches - one with papers and one without. she chose the one without papers because it was in better condition. since it was purchased through an AD, there were no authenticity concerns. and because it was a gift from my wife, i am never selling it, so the papers have no meaning to me. but to each his own!

[Gottog]

Originally Posted by ozzyp

I have a deal on a brand new unused SD 16600 no holes M ser. for 5500 dollars in original packaging (box) and with the original tags attached but with no papers. For me it sounds quite fair, but as i'm new to this i would be very thankful for some advise.

Original string tags or STICKERS attached? Anyone can tie a string tag back onto the watch. If the STICKERS are attached on the watch,, that's a whole 'nother story.

5500 USD? for M serial Sea-Dweller with no papers is a bit high. It's certainly not a "steal" of a price.

If you ever intend to sell the watch a few years down the road those papers are extremely important. You will take a big hit in the selling price if you (an unknown seller) tries to sell that SD with no papers. It's a dealbreaker for many when not buying from a reputable seller.

To me, the tags, box, and booklets are worthless and have no bearing on the price. The original warranty paper on the other hand is a dealbreaker.

[mountainrivera]

Originally Posted by Gottog

Original string tags or STICKERS attached? Anyone can tie a string tag back onto the watch. If the STICKERS are attached on the watch,, that's a whole 'nother story.

5500 USD? for M serial Sea-Dweller with no papers is a bit high. It's certainly not a "steal" of a price.

If you ever intend to sell the watch a few years down the road those papers are extremely important. You will take a big hit in the selling price if you (an unknown seller) tries to sell that SD with no papers. It's a dealbreaker for many when not buying from a reputable seller.

To me, the tags, box, and booklets are worthless and have no bearing on the price. The original warranty paper on the other hand is a dealbreaker.

Right on.

[p_mcgee]

If you aren't 100% sure about the watch and think there is some likelihood that you might sell it, you should try to get papers. As someone mentioned above, having papers is a big selling point.

In this case the papers may be missing because it was originally a gray market watch. I don't follow the sub market that closely but $5500 doesn't seem like a great price.

[Sub'erman]

The prive should reflect that it has no papers.
If you should want to flip it the price you can get will also depend on paper among other things.
If it is a keeper, just make sure to get it at the right price.
That said; I always go for watches with box and papers.
Vintage watches another story...

[SoCal C4S]

Papers aren't a big concern to me. Obviously, I will take them with a watch if I can get them, but it is not a deal breaker. Do what makes you feel right about it; it is after all, your money on the line.

[ozzyp]

But if i buy the watch without papers i can always go to an AD and get a cetrificate which says that it's authentic, isn't this possible? and if the watch is served every year or two years by an AD it shouldn't be that hard to get a good price for it if i decide to sell?

[HL65]

First off==if you service your watch every year--you will be wasting good money--for me maybe every 10 years. When you do--you will get RSC papers with it which will authenticate it.

[ozzyp]

ok, so if i service the watch after some years it proves of course that it is authentic, the selling price shouldn´t differ that much from watches with original papers (i understand that the price will be somewhat lower though)

i'm really learning a lot thanks to all good answers, newbie as i am =)

[moviefreak]

Yup.. RSC only services original watches.. if it has some aftermarket stuff they will ask you to replace it with original parts, or send you the watch back....
At that time you will get a warranty paper or plastic card stating that you have 2 years of warranty since the service date... that will serve as a warranty and validation for the watch being Rolex....
But... in sales a full complete set will have all original papers (even if they are not used at all).. and better if it has service history with papers to prove that too...

[Montexn]

No box, papers, or manuals is normally a no buy for me as well. For the life of me I can't figure out why people actually throw this stuff away...kind of like throwing away the owners manual and registration for your car.