Advice for your first Rolex purchase. Do not impulse buy - please read this post 1st

[Bling72]

Hello welcome.

I spent a lot of time in AD's and other jewellers in many countries before finding the Rolex that really grabbed my attention.

I would recommend that you do the same.

Here is a list of what would help you make a decision that you can be happy with :

1. Keep checking back on here on these forums, including reference posts, photos, close-ups of the models that you're interested in.

2. Feedback on nearby AD's or other stores, especially if they are negative. If the reason is reasonable enough, then that's a huge warning sign. I read an article where a jeweller modified a Rolex by adding additional gems, despite that it was brand new. The user from here, who purchased it, took it to a authorised official Rolex repair centre who rejected touching the piece. Their reason was that they will only touch an unmodified genuine Rolex.

3. Buy yourself an accurate powerful triplet loupe (magnifying glass). I have a 20x triplet, which is double the standard sized loups that they use in jewellers. It is small, and easy to carry in a pocket. You want to pick up every Rolex they will let you, and zoom that loups right in and scan carefully every detail. You will be surprised which details will intoxicate you. It's amazing. If you use the loupe to examine pre-loved watches, you seriously need to see the flaws, wear, or damage. If you can trust them, they will answer your questions if you have any. If they deny it or have a problem, then they are not worth parting your money for. Keep in mind that pre-loved will not be the same as brand new, what you don't want to do is buy something with problems you do not see, then after a week or month, you look at it deeply and see something that will would now need to pay to rectify. It is not easy to weight up cost saved, vs acceptable flaws/wear. However many resellers and shops will sell you the Rolex in the exact condition that they previously purchased it with. Ask them what they charge to polish or repair it, weight it up vs cost to get it serviced at the Rolex repair centre. To ask costs nothing.

4. Examine and put on various Rolex models, to find out which one is the right weight and right diameter to fit on your wrist. It is NOT worth buying a Rolex that is far too small for your wrist. If it does not feel right, your enjoyment experience in the long term will wear off once the novelty wears off. Too heavy, and you cannot modify it to make it lighter. Even if it looks light, too heavy will constantly remind you it was not the right choice.

5. Be mindful of additional complications, such as a Skydweller, a service
cost of a Rolex is proportion of the number of and nature of complications of the watch, not the cost. I.e. solid gold, platinum, or 904L steel doesn't scale much towards the final cost of the service. If the watch has a date (day-date), that adds cost over one which does not (such as a Milgauss). If you intend to pay all the extra for something that you really want, make sure you are able to save money aside for the services.

6. Any Rolex purchased 2015 and 2016 come with a 5 year international warranty (2013 and 2014 they extend the warranty by 1 additional year), before 2013, all new Rolexes had only a 3 year warranty. Pre 2015/2016 Rolexes were build to be services every 5 years. The new 2015 and 2016 models need to be services every 7 years. This information was directly from an experienced staff member at a AD.

7. If the model you want is out of your price range, and perhaps not considered as an 'entry-level', then it is more worth to save up to get that piece, especially it makes you so overly obsessed, you have gained an emotional attachment to that particular model. It is worth saving up for that one, than to impulsively buy something cheaper for the sake of getting it now. It is like buying a car. Some people buy something that they actually want, not just the cheapest one they can find.

8. Contact the most reputable, longest serving insurance company you can find to get quotes to insure your Rolex to cover the entire country you live in. Get 2-3 quotes minimum if you can. If it can be incorporated into your home-contents insurance policy, then that's an added bonus. Do not buy the Rolex, until you have that insurance policy paid for and activated before you walk out of the shop with it. No exceptions. Where I come from, the terms and conditions of a finance institution of loaning you the money to buy a new car is that the car has full insurance cover before you drive the car out of the shop. So with this kind of large investment, peace of mind, don't mess about with parting with that kind of money without insuring such an important piece.

9. Find the prices for new and pre-loved. There is an element of risk of pre-loved and warranty issues as authentic as the reseller claims. Anything that is not brand new is to the risk of the buyer, so you need to weigh up that risk verses the price of brand new. Do you want to pay the 20-35% extra for the brand new? So many will argue you have to be silly to buy anything brand new. Well everybody is different. However if you want to be 100% certain you are going to an official authorised dealer, go to www.rolex.com and search your country for all authorised dealers. If there are more than 1 in your country, do your best to visit as many as possible. Some may not have the model that you want, some will have models you didn't know they had. I will guarantee you 100% that the actual look of a Rolex when you pick it up and hold it with your own hands is different from what you see in the books. It looks similar, but don't buy anything you have not picked up with your own hands. You need to feel and really look at it. If you don't feel right about it, you will end up selling it later if you do buy it.

In London across the road from Harrods, I found an AD which sold pre-loved Rolex's. I found a 1974 dial that looked more brand new than the 2015 models. Wow... I was rather tempted. So this may end up being the case in other AD's that will be selling pre-loved.

I personally applaud and support the wonderful resellers on this forum who have made the purchasing experience of the buyer the most pleasurable, and made them the most happy.

10. Ask/post your questions on here, as many other users have done so in the past, you want to make the most informed decision as possible.

11. "Try" to get one that has box, papers and other parts that is supplied with the original watch, than one which has nothing. If you get one with the original box, papers, keep them in a safe place away from moisture, put in a sealed box, or decent bag, and never touch it. Keep them in as pristine condition as possible. If you need to part with your watch, you will get more with the box and papers that if you threw them away. I do understand that in pre-loved box and papers are impossible sometimes, but you will definitely get those with a brand new Rolex.

12. If you buy a pre-loved and intend to get it serviced, ensure you keep the service card, papers, receipt/invoice, in case there ends up being an issue. Again a personal choice if you intend to never use an official Rolex service centre. However if you buy brand new from an AD, most would argue to get your new Rolex serviced by an official service centre. Once it is serviced there, it has a 2 year international warranty. Meaning if you end up travelling to another country and find an issue, you can go to that countries service centre to sort it out. They will open the watch and tell straight away which service centre you got it done. You shouldn't need to tell them where you had it serviced, if they do their job properly. They mark the inside of the Rolex so that they know, which there you will not be able to find out.



Good luck, and I am always available if you have any questions yourself

[japenney]

I like all your points except suggesting that a first time Rolex buyer should buy a loupe and become anal about minor flaws on a dial. That's a real quick way to turn someone off watches, lol. Good post tho.

[Sublovin]

Wow..lot of info. I think people can pull many fine tips from what you have here....I would add one thought from my decades of collecting watches.

Keep it simple, meaning buy what you really like. Don't allow the flavor of the day in the forums, or the collectibility of a particular watch pull you in....buy what you like and what makes you happy.
Simple as that...

[Bling72]

Well it's eye of the beholder if they look for the best in a watch, or the flaws. You will see none in a brand new watch.

If ever saw diamonds from a 20x triplet loupe, you need to see why a jeweller justifies the expensive prices they demand. Rolex is not likely using the best diamonds that money can buy, otherwise you would be paying a hell lot more. Diamonds are a personal thing. If you can afford to have them and you really want them, then great.

The trend point I understand and agree, but at the same time. I think everyone should be made aware which ones are the most sellable and popular. Not that I want to start discussing resale, but some one may want to one day trade it in for their new love, which does happen with many watch lovers. They even switch brands. However Rolex's have an excellent resale value, provided they are NOT modified, have a service history, AND that if they can be services by an official Rolex repair centre, any trading shop will be willing to part with more of their money for it.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Bling72

Do not buy the Rolex, until you have that insurance policy paid for and activated before you walk out of the shop with it. No exceptions.

Without an appraisal, purchasing insurance will likely not be possible.

[m j b]

Although I applaud the intent of the OP, I'm not sure that I agree with all of the advice contained herein. Still, it's worthy of consideration for any buyer, but take any advice from the Internet* with a grain of salt. And remember too that conditions are different in other countries.


* - including this comment

:)

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Bling72

Well it's eye of the beholder if they look for the best in a watch, or the flaws. You will see none in a brand new watch.

If ever saw diamonds from a 20x triplet loupe, you need to see why a jeweller justifies the expensive prices they demand. Rolex is not likely using the best diamonds that money can buy, otherwise you would be paying a hell lot more. Diamonds are a personal thing. If you can afford to have them and you really want them, then great.

The trend point I understand and agree, but at the same time. I think everyone should be made aware which ones are the most sellable and popular. Not that I want to start discussing resale, but some one may want to one day trade it in for their new love, which does happen with many watch lovers. They even switch brands. However Rolex's have an excellent resale value, provided they are NOT modified, have a service history, AND that if they can be services by an official Rolex repair centre, any trading shop will be willing to part with more of their money for it.

You will see flaws in a brand new watch with a 20X loupe. The watch is not intended to be that perfect. A new Rolex enthusiast should be allowed to be enthusiastic about the watches he sees, without injecting manned space flight level quality examinations into his thought process.

Rolex has fine diamonds. There is nothing special about diamonds, other than the massive markup at the jewelry store. Rolex isn't paying that and can put high quality stones on their watches without breaking the bank.

[Moggo]

Point 6 is a bit different from what I had heard.

Thought 5 years was from July 2015 on, not the whole year, also before 2013 was 2 years wasn't it? An additional year added from 2013 to before July 2015??

May be wrong though but that's what I thought.

Some good tips though.


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[jmolsberg]

A lot of good points. Or simplify and ...
Find a reputable AD and buy a Rolex
Find a reputable seller on TRF and buy a Rolex.
Enjoy your watch!

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Moggo

Point 6 is a bit different from what I had heard.

Thought 5 years was from July 2015 on, not the whole year, also before 2013 was 2 years wasn't it? An additional year added from 2013 to before July 2015??

Correct, 5 years beginning on July 1, 2015.

[mapalfa]

I'm not totally against the loupe suggestion.

I looked at a DD40 at Heathrow and thought there was a smudge on the crystal. I wiped it and it didn't go away, so I looked closely and thought it might be a small hair or dust inside the crystal. I had a 10x loupe with me, as I was planning on some used watch shopping while away, and when viewed through this I found a slight chip on the inside of the crystal.

Brand new £25k watch and the crystal was flawed!

[watchwatcher]

Wow. A lot of information there.

There is something to be said to finding what you like and just buying it.

[SWISSAHOLICS]

Point No. 3 should not be taken as too much importance or else no one will ever be happy buying a watch. It's not perfect and never will be perfect.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by SWISSAHOLICS

Point No. 3 should not be taken as too much importance or else no one will ever be happy buying a watch. It's not perfect and never will be perfect.

Agreed and telling a first time buyer to do this is reckless.

[dabbotjordan]

Wow! Headache!
If I did all that I think I would never buy another watch!

[SWISSAHOLICS]

When I first joined TRF, one mistake I was making as a newbie was buying watches that were the hype or very popular here on TRF. For example, just because the BLNR or Daytona-C is popular on TRF or elsewhere does not really mean that you will also love it or enjoy wearing it. So I was constantly flipping watches because I would buy one just because everyone else was praising it but when I finally wore it, it did not make me happy. Just my two cents.

[masyv6]

Originally Posted by japenney

I like all your points except suggesting that a first time Rolex buyer should buy a loupe and become anal about minor flaws on a dial. That's a real quick way to turn someone off watches, lol. Good post tho.

If you look for flaws, you'll always find them.

Great post overall

[texex91]

Got to second paragraph and quit.

Buy what you like and enjoy.

[MonBK]

x2 ^ except I quit after "Hello Welcome".

[dysondiver]

decide what you like / want

try it on to be sure

buy off a trusted seller here ,,, and enjoy.


lifes too short to worry about the rest , its only a watch after all said and done
and wear sun screen. last tip is Baz Lurman , not mine.

[RKTudor]

One doesn't need to agree with all the advice for a post to be worthwhile. I don't know why people write someone's opinion off so easily.

IMO - anything that results in me taking more time with a purchase is a good thing. It's hard to not let your excitement get in the way of your logic.

[locutus49]

I thought the new service recommendation was every 10 years (in America at least).

[imperio]

Originally Posted by Bling72

6. Any Rolex purchased 2015 and 2016 come with a 5 year international warranty (2013 and 2014 they extend the warranty by 1 additional year), before 2013, all new Rolexes had only a 3 year warranty. Pre 2015/2016 Rolexes were build to be services every 5 years. The new 2015 and 2016 models need to be services every 7 years. This information was directly from an experienced staff member at a AD.

Good luck, and I am always available if you have any questions yourself

Everything before 1 July 2013 had a 2 year warranty, not 3, right? And I thought the difference in service intervals went from 5 years (old) to 10 years (new).

Also I was interested in finding out why there is a difference in service interval between a M-serial Deepsea purchased in 2008 and a AN-serial Deepsea purchased in 2016. Were there any changes to the movement/oil/lubrication used? It baffles me as to why a watch sold on 30 June 2015 had a 5-year service interval and a watch sold on 1 July 2015 had a 10-year service interval. Anybody know for sure (not hearsay from a salesperson, although hearsay from a CW21 would be ok I guess)?

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Bling72

Pre 2015/2016 Rolexes were build to be services every 5 years. The new 2015 and 2016 models need to be services every 7 years. This information was directly from an experienced staff member at a AD.

The worst place to get information about Rolex watches is from "experienced" AD staff.

I know of no substantive data to support that current Rolex watches are built differently from those built a couple of years ago.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by locutus49

I thought the new service recommendation was every 10 years (in America at least).

Rolex has made no recent recommendation regarding service intervals. This has been discussed ad nauseam and for some reason the idea that Rolex recommends 10 year intervals persists.

Here's the letter that Rolex circulated with regard to warranties.

Rolex notes that "the typical time frame between service intervals has grown to approximately10 years," which is not the same as recommending ten year service intervals.

Note the second paragraph.

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by texex91

Got to second paragraph and quit.

Buy what you like and enjoy.

😂

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[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by imperio

Everything before 1 July 2013 had a 2 year warranty, not 3, right? And I thought the difference in service intervals went from 5 years (old) to 10 years (new).

Also I was interested in finding out why there is a difference in service interval between a M-serial Deepsea purchased in 2008 and a AN-serial Deepsea purchased in 2016. Were there any changes to the movement/oil/lubrication used? It baffles me as to why a watch sold on 30 June 2015 had a 5-year service interval and a watch sold on 1 July 2015 had a 10-year service interval. Anybody know for sure (not hearsay from a salesperson, although hearsay from a CW21 would be ok I guess)?

There is no technical difference. Rolex was keeping up with the Jones's - their competitors were advancing warranties and they needed to keep up. They needed to start some time, so they threw some bones and picked 1 July 2015. Watches made before that date aren't any different. Keep in mind the new warranty is for the sale date, not the manufacture date, which means it applies to a watch that has been collecting dust in the showcase for 5 years, the same as one made last week.

As many others have pointed out, the ten year service is more of a statement of fact than a planned interval.

[zama]

I buy what i like, I enjoy them and I flip them, they are a timepiece to be enjoyed.

I bought my wife a Gold Daytona last week, sight unseen, and certainly not the first, I trust the dealers in our market.

We all take different approaches on these things.

[damcv62]

I impulse bought my first three. :(

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by SWISSAHOLICS

When I first joined TRF, one mistake I was making as a newbie was buying watches that were the hype or very popular here on TRF. For example, just because the BLNR or Daytona-C is popular on TRF or elsewhere does not really mean that you will also love it or enjoy wearing it. So I was constantly flipping watches because I would buy one just because everyone else was praising it but when I finally wore it, it did not make me happy. Just my two cents.

I think a lot of our members get caught up in the TRF hype in this way.