Rolex CPO Experience (U.S. AD)

[Bimmer263]

Hello - obviously first-time poster and have been reading these boards since earlier this year. Wish I would have found this forum a long time ago. I have a few "nice" watches including Omega, Breitling, and Rolex that started in the early 2000's along with a few old beater Seiko and Citizens from my teenage/college years (I've never sold a watch I've purchased although my wife said if I want to purchase another watch I need to offload one). However, this thread is about a watch I've been hunting for my wife.

A little background: About a decade ago I bought her a preowned lady datejust 26mm pink roman fluted bezel on oyster (I don't recall the reference number and the original docs are buried in a safe but do recall it was manufactured in 2004) for a major professional achievement. We have a great family owned jeweler that sourced it for me. She wears it daily and a few years ago it started loosing about five minutes a day. I had it serviced through our local AD and it has kept great time thereafter. Since then she's hinted she wanted a white dial with index markers. Should be easy to source, right? For the record, my wife usually buys whatever she wants, whenever she wants, but I've purchased all but a few pieces of jewelry she has since we've been together (15+ years).

Her wrists are fairly small and the current 31mm datejust in the Rolex catalog she says are too large on her wrist (and I'm not going to argue on that specific fact). The other issue is she wants a datejust white dial, index markers on a jubilee bracelet, fluted bezel; something not in the current catalog. From my research Rolex stopped making that configuration quite a few years ago. We both stay pretty busy with our careers and our son so I don't have time on a regular basis to hunt for something like this. We travel here and there throughout the U.S. and abroad and are always on the lookout for one, but that exact configuration has been elusive. I won't purchase a preowned without papers as we've found a few in person and online but usually without papers.

So now for point of this thread. I've gleaned quite a bit of information from the members and am not one to throw out my opinions on someone else, so I read and don't reply. I've searched and haven't found many CPO experience threads here in the U.S. Thought I could provide commentary about my experience sourcing her watch through my local AD.

My SA has been on the lookout for my wife's request for about a year to no avail. Last week I received an unexpected text from my SA saying to call her as she found my wife's watch. I was in an all-day meeting and was not able to respond until later that evening, but sure enough, my SA found one a day after the AD started their CPO program. SA sent me a link to the watch on their website and it's a match. SA indicated they needed a small refundable deposit and could have it shipped to the AD in a few days. Should be in later this week. I hope it will be here early as we are leaving for a long weekend out of town mid-week for an annual trip with close friends and our/their kids. Side note, the price is under a new model, but price is not the determining factor here (although I wouldn't pay an unreasonable price).

Wife has no clue; hope to surprise her before we leave for our trip. I'll let you know how things go. Any questions in the interim let me know.

[carwash66]

Congratulations on finding the watch!
Should be a great surprise for the wife!

[996marty]

Congratulations on sourcing the watch hope your wife likes her surprise

[joli160]

Good that you were able to find one, should not be too difficult anyway since ladies size watches are not really that popular.

My better half wears all sizes and regularly confiscates one of mine. I prefer the old school look of the 26 DJ on a woman’s wrist

[KatGirl]

Congrats. I can’t imagine wearing a watch that small, myself, but if that’s what she wants, I’m glad you found it for her. Please let us see pics, after you give it to her.

Kat


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Little machines]

Great! Congratulations!

[SkyJuice]

Congrats! Good on you for checking with her on the dial size she wants. I have known mate returning watch back to store because wife actually prefer smaller size than 31mm.

[1William]

Congratulations. Good story and I hope the watch works out.

[Bimmer263]

Originally Posted by carwash66

Congratulations on finding the watch!
Should be a great surprise for the wife!

Thank you...anxiously waiting for the word it's ready.

Originally Posted by 996marty

Congratulations on sourcing the watch hope your wife likes her surprise

Now let's see if I can keep that a secret...trying to figure out how to get her to the AD w/o giving it away.

Originally Posted by KatGirl

Congrats. I can’t imagine wearing a watch that small, myself, but if that’s what she wants, I’m glad you found it for her. Please let us see pics, after you give it to her.

Kat

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Happy wife, happy life, so 26mm it is! Of course pics forthcoming!

Originally Posted by Little machines

Great! Congratulations!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by SkyJuice

Congrats! Good on you for checking with her on the dial size she wants. I have known mate returning watch back to store because wife actually prefer smaller size than 31mm.

Yes, not spending that kind of $$$ w/o expectation setting up front.

Originally Posted by 1William

Congratulations. Good story and I hope the watch works out.

A few more days...

[Bimmer263]

Originally Posted by joli160

Good that you were able to find one, should not be too difficult anyway since ladies size watches are not really that popular.

My better half wears all sizes and regularly confiscates one of mine. I prefer the old school look of the 26 DJ on a woman’s wrist

Wife will never wear one of mine, all of which are at least 38mm or larger. Love the pics, those look great! Although I could never pull off full YG with my skin tone.

[Bimmer263]

Quick update…success…almost. Went by the AD & the watch looks great! Unfortunately the bracelet was too small. Good news, AD can order the needed extra links at no cost. Was initially told the extra links would be a few days. It’s been a week & update today said the links were still on order. Wife figured out the surprise at the last minute but she loves it. Other than the wait on the links have been happy with the experience so far.

[alphadweller]

Sounds like a great buying experience. Congratulations to you and your wife.

[Bimmer263]

Originally Posted by alphadweller

Sounds like a great buying experience. Congratulations to you and your wife.

Thanks! Pics forthcoming once it's properly on her wrist.

[MrMercedes]

Originally Posted by joli160

Good that you were able to find one, should not be too difficult anyway since ladies size watches are not really that popular.

My better half wears all sizes and regularly confiscates one of mine. I prefer the old school look of the 26 DJ on a woman’s wrist

Great pic!

[JDA0779]

Great reading, best wishes and well done !!

[Carguy87]

Congrats!! Wrist shots once she gets it please!!

[Bimmer263]

Originally Posted by JDA0779

Great reading, best wishes and well done !!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Carguy87

Congrats!! Wrist shots once she gets it please!!

Absolutely! Still waiting on the links.

[7enderbender]

Great read. Nice to hear that there are still ladies not going for the larger sizes or men’s watches. My wife is petite and would never go anywhere near one of those.

[Bimmer263]

Originally Posted by 7enderbender

Great read. Nice to hear that there are still ladies not going for the larger sizes or men’s watches. My wife is petite and would never go anywhere near one of those.

Thanks. If the current catalog had a 31mm white face w/ markers she might think about it, but I’d give that a 5% chance at best. Tried to see if she’d bite on the silver dial w/ markers, but that was a no-go. It’s her watch and she’s the one wearing it, so 26mm it is!