Vintage DateJust pricing help!

[deckstore]

Hi Fella’s

I am a total Noob here and need advice/help.

I made a few investments which gave me some better than expected returns. I want to take the earnings and put it towards a Vintage DJ. I don’t know much about the history of the DJ. I would certainly not be able to distinguish between an authentic and a good replica.

So where should I go to purchase a VDJ? EBay? TRF? Theo and Harris (are they overpriced)? Second - how much should a basic 1601, 1603, 16000 16013 or 16233 cost? I have a budget of about 22-2600. Will that be enough?

Thanks in advance,

[circles]

Originally Posted by deckstore

I have a budget of about 22-2600. Will that be enough?
,

No.

[Dan S]

$3k is the approximate entry point for a half-decent example.

[Blueline226]

I’m sure people with much more experience will be along shortly. However, I would recommend finding a trusted seller on the forum. If you were patient and shopped around, you might be able to find one here in your budget. 3k and above is a little more realistic for a nice example in a bracelet.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by circles

No.

And I will say ''yes''.

I've been following 1601 and 1603s for a while now and depending on condition (obviously) they start at 2.5k USD and should go max 3.5k usd all depending on condition, bracelet stretch, kind of dial (normal/regular dial, tapestry, linen, ...).

[circles]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

And I will say ''yes''.

I've been following 1601 and 1603s for a while now and depending on condition (obviously) they start at 2.5k USD and should go max 3.5k usd all depending on condition, bracelet stretch, kind of dial (normal/regular dial, tapestry, linen, ...).

A Tapestry dial for a 1601 or 1603? Where?

[Toronto Soup King]

You can find DJs in your price range - just look at eBay - but I wouldn't do that if I were you. Buy one from one of the members here, or HQ Milton. You'll get a better watch, peace of mind, no worry about a fake or franken, and the price premium isn't much for the added value.

As a regular guy who likes old Rolex and buys watches to wear (this is local code for, "Barely tolerated dilettante") I would take that route. It is worth the extra $500, or even an extra $1000, to get something that is already in good condition, serviced, from someone with a good reputation, a member of the collecting community. You'll wear this watch a LOT, and every time you look at it, you'll appreciate it. Worth spending a little more to get a nice example. Anyway good luck eh!

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by circles

A Tapestry dial for a 1601 or 1603? Where?

5 digit then

[statsman]

Advice- take some time and explore the full range of possibilities- dial colors, dial textures, hour markers (batons or Roman numerals- I don’t think Datejust used Arabic numerals, but I also won’t be surprised to be corrected), smooth bezels, fluted bezels, steel, gold, two-tone, Oyster bracelets, Jubilee bracelets, leather bands. My advice is to do that and figure out which one you like best (and maybe you have, already).

Take your time. They made enough that if you miss the perfect (for you) DJ, another will come around.

[zapokee]

Toronto Soup King is spot on. If your budget won't get you a good example of the watch you want, it's not time to buy. Save up more pennies and get something awesome - superb condition, nice bracelet, from a respected dealer, possibly box and papers.

DJs aren't rare watches, and there are still many spectacular examples in circulation. Don't buy a POS.

[ChetterBear]

my first Rolex was a datejust, and I'd like to echo what others are saying:

1. do some research and find out what you really want. stainless steel or two tone? do you want one with quickset? fluted or smooth bezel? jubilee bracelet? gold or engine turned bezel? acrylic or sapphire dome? what color dial?

the datejust was a model made with so many different specifications, the choices can be a bit overwhelming, especially for a first purchase. so definitely take some time, see what options are there and what you're drawn to, then start your hunt.

2. you probably can find one for $2,500, but in my opinion you don't want that one, and you probably don't want the $3,000 one either. vintage can be tricky; you don't want to end up with a watch that's over polished or that has franken parts, or hasn't been serviced properly. in my opinion, I think you'll want to budget $3,500-$4,000.

as for where to look to buy one, I would surf the classifieds here to start. there are tons of sellers with good reputations and the testimonials to back it up. there are also vintage watch dealers, such as HQ Milton which someone already mentioned.

where do you live? I made my first purchase, and some of my subsequent purchases through a vintage dealer in New York for a few reasons: I wanted to buy a watch someone more experienced had inspected and gave their stamp of approval, and because they backed my watch with a warranty in case anything happened with it. you may not be able to meet with anyone in person bc of quar, but that could be another resource for you.

[WowDad]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Toronto Soup King is spot on. If your budget won't get you a good example of the watch you want, it's not time to buy. Save up more pennies and get something awesome - superb condition, nice bracelet, from a respected dealer, possibly box and papers.

DJs aren't rare watches, and there are still many spectacular examples in circulation. Don't buy a POS.

I got this one a few days ago for $3,100

[circles]

Originally Posted by WowDad

I got this one a few days ago for $3,100

Congrats. Be careful though, that lower right lug is really thin.

[WowDad]

Originally Posted by circles

Congrats. Be careful though, that lower right lug is really thin.

Not sure what you mean. Where? This is only my second vintage rolex

[circles]

Originally Posted by WowDad

Not sure what you mean. Where? This is only my second vintage rolex

.

[WowDad]

Originally Posted by circles

.

OK what precautions do I take. I have no idea what it means to have a thin lug, why I need to be careful, etc. No idea why this is important.

nevermind. just found this:

https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-bl...look-like.html

"For anyone interested in vintage watches, a topic that invariably comes up when evaluating a potential purchase is overpolishing, the leading cause of thin lugs. This is definitely a major topic when discussing vintage Rolex, however, it will affect most watches which have been polished over the years.

On the first inspection, watch lugs aren’t usually the first thing a buyer will notice. That prize will go to the hands and dial, maybe the crystal as well. But the lugs hold a lot of forensic evidence to figure out what has happened to a watch over the years, and is the most critical part of both watch comfort and watch stability."