Bob's Watches

[wesdaniel]

Originally Posted by GGGMT

Based on my experience, this is factually erroneous. I purchased a 216570 from WatchBox, and it had all of the factory links with it. It also had about six months of Rolex warranty on it, so, when there was an issue, I sent it back to WatchBox, who sent it back to Rolex, RSC, who fixed it, provided for paperwork, and sent it back to me. An expensive, but an honest seller, in my opinion and experience.


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I've never had a bad experience with WB and wasn't trying to imply that I had. I've found them to be, as you stated, expensive, but honest sellers.

I do know that, at one point, one of their reps told me that they sell their watches sized to 7.25", so I presumed that meant they sized up or down in order to get that. I've only purchased two bracelet watches from them and, in both of those, they were sized to 7.25".

If I'm wrong, I apologize for the error.

[D!ngo]

Well, that was a lot to digest. I know the last reply was over a year ago, but I'm NOT here to bump this thread or revive the bad rap about this business.

I was looking to buy a watch for my wife for our 25th anniversary and Bob's Watches (AKA Pual) has the one I'm looking for. I did a little review check on their business and found this thread. Yes, I've read through the entire 14 pages.

Granted, most complaints were from people selling watches to them...and I agree that their buying practice is touching the bait-and-switch tactic. But, I do see some who were happy with their purchases.

Since I'm on the buying side, to those who have bought their watch from Bob's; are their descriptions and photos accurate?

Most of their watches are described as "Excellent" condition, even for 15-20 year old watches. And their photos are against a white background so that kinda washes out any imperfections being shown clearly. I wonder if they were polished just to get it to the "Excellent" condition so they can sell higher.

I know I can buy the watch and return it if I don't like it, but I want to avoid this if possible. I have about 2 weeks to get a watch and don't want to have to deal with returning and searching for another.

Please chime in if you've bought a watch from them. Would you say your watch has been polished and any imperfections, that couldn't be seen from their photos, become apparent once you have the watch in hand?

The watch I'm interested in says "Excellent" but when I zoomed in, I could see a tiny dent on the bezel. If anyone has better eyes and can scrutinize the watch in question, it would be very much appreciated.

*If mods think this is not the right section, please feel free to move it accordingly., Thanks.

[joli160]

Lots of sellers describe all their watches as excellent, dented bezel or not .
Purely subjective and meaningless.

Washed out pictures are terrible. Makes it very hard to properly judge the condition of a i.e. case. I always skip sellers who use these.

Polished you ask, rhetorical question, how else can second hand watches look brand new ?

You already made up your mind and don’t want to look for another so congrats are in order.
From what I have read in this thread you may want to ask them for the timer results and to provide you with a complete set of links. Good luck

[J!m]

Temper your expectations. A ding in a bezel may well be excellent. It sounds as if you want “mint” or “new” condition and that generally Carrie’s a premium over pre-owned.

I suggest you keep looking for new/mint or accept what you get from Bob.

[Maleg]

I've had good experience buying from Bob's. The watches are authentic and you get what they advertise. Pricing is upfront. You have all you need in their ads to know whether it's a good deal.

Their offers to buy OTOH were horrible. I wouldn't try to sell a watch to them.

[fozzyf18]

I purchased a watch from Bob's about 6 years ago. No real issue, watch was as described, but certainly on the higher cost end of similar watches for sale across the major sellers. Watch was about 13 years old when I purchased it, so it had obviously been polished but I had no issue with the job that had been done.

One of the biggest complaints is that Bob's specifically states the size wrist that the watch will fit in the listing. They do not provide additional links for free, they will charge you.

Also, depending on the age of the watch, do not assume that it has been recently serviced unless the listing specifically states it. My watch worked fine for about a year and then felt gritty when winding. Sent it for service and the tech reported that it was pretty much bone dry- it probably had never been serviced in the 13 years prior to my ownership.

Recommend calling them and asking very specific questions if you have concerns, or send an email to get their answer on record.

Lastly, while I am satisfied with my purchase, I do not plan to purchase from Bob's again due to other's experiences that I have read about (and not just here). I'm more informed now than when I made my purchase, and I would bias towards the trusted sellers on this forum and recommend the same to anyone I know who isn't very knowledgeable about watches but looking to purchase.

[D!ngo]

Originally Posted by joli160

Lots of sellers describe all their watches as excellent, dented bezel or not .
Purely subjective and meaningless.

Washed out pictures are terrible. Makes it very hard to properly judge the condition of a i.e. case. I always skip sellers who use these.

Polished you ask, rhetorical question, how else can second hand watches look brand new ?

You already made up your mind and don’t want to look for another so congrats are in order.
From what I have read in this thread you may want to ask them for the timer results and to provide you with a complete set of links. Good luck

Originally Posted by J!m

Temper your expectations. A ding in a bezel may well be excellent. It sounds as if you want “mint” or “new” condition and that generally Carrie’s a premium over pre-owned.

I suggest you keep looking for new/mint or accept what you get from Bob.

Thanks for the replies, gents. I really thought "excellent" meant little superficial scratches, but I didn't think that would include dents. I guess I'm giving them more credit and assuming they set a higher standard in the luxury watch industry. This is only my second purchase in twenty years.

[D!ngo]

Originally Posted by Maleg

I've had good experience buying from Bob's. The watches are authentic and you get what they advertise. Pricing is upfront. You have all you need in their ads to know whether it's a good deal.

Their offers to buy OTOH were horrible. I wouldn't try to sell a watch to them.

Thanks. I totally agreed on selling to them.

[D!ngo]

Originally Posted by fozzyf18

I purchased a watch from Bob's about 6 years ago. No real issue, watch was as described, but certainly on the higher cost end of similar watches for sale across the major sellers. Watch was about 13 years old when I purchased it, so it had obviously been polished but I had no issue with the job that had been done.

One of the biggest complaints is that Bob's specifically states the size wrist that the watch will fit in the listing. They do not provide additional links for free, they will charge you.

Also, depending on the age of the watch, do not assume that it has been recently serviced unless the listing specifically states it. My watch worked fine for about a year and then felt gritty when winding. Sent it for service and the tech reported that it was pretty much bone dry- it probably had never been serviced in the 13 years prior to my ownership.

Recommend calling them and asking very specific questions if you have concerns, or send an email to get their answer on record.

Lastly, while I am satisfied with my purchase, I do not plan to purchase from Bob's again due to other's experiences that I have read about (and not just here). I'm more informed now than when I made my purchase, and I would bias towards the trusted sellers on this forum and recommend the same to anyone I know who isn't very knowledgeable about watches but looking to purchase.

Thanks for the heads-up. I plan to have the service done after I buy the watch anyway, regardless of what they say about the last service. After all, it could be them that did the "service" and it's nothing more than just inspecting and cleaning. I also take snapshots of the photos online of any watch I am interested in. Especially with precious metals and diamond-encrusted links, every missing link is more than a grand.

[digitalcrocodile]

I bought a watch from Bob's Watches in 2016. My only issue is that the initials of the original owner are engraved on the caseback and I was never told this nor was it visible in the pictures posted with the ad. Not a huge deal and I was, and still am, happy with the watch. But I'll never buy from them again. If they pull something like this there is the real risk of something worse happening.

[dmhines]

I just cancelled my trade deal with Bobs .. Milgauss and Sub ..they said both needed servicing at $500 each since they failed time test .. I said well they are not new watches and I never advertised them to you as new so why should I pay to make them as new so you can sell them and make even more money ? Crazy.

[Gruesome]

A few things I was told when visiting Bob's Watches in Newport Beach a few days ago:
[LIST]

• Not all watches they sell have been serviced; they open each watch and service as needed (in their judgment, obviously).
• They confirmed that 'service' has the usual meaning, i.e. complete disassembly, cleaning including cleaning of all jewels and pivots, replacement of parts as needed, lubrication and reassembly, by a Rolex trained/certified/qualified watchmaker they contract with. They are not an authorized Rolex dealer.
• All watches they sell will have been polished, but to varying degrees.
• They will not buy a watch that in their judgment can't be brought to 'excellent' status.
• The watches I saw and handled did not even have the slightest hints of swirls or scratches on the clasp or any bracelet links. There were contact marks inside the bracelet clasp, and where the end links touch the watch case, but otherwise the watches looked new and unworn to me. I assume the clasps were rebrushed (the sales agent did not know the details of the polishing for each watch, but described one as polished and the other as spot polished).
• When buying they will discount $400 (as of November 2024) if a watch needs a service; hence they recommend against servicing before selling to them.
• 90% or 95% (one number I was told, the other I overheard from a different sales agent) of their business is online; they do not have a watch display area, but will bring up to two watches at a time out from their storage area.
• Depending on how many customer are present at the same time, their front area can get a bit noisy.
• They will not place a hold on a watch, nor take a down payment.
• They do honor the $100 online first time buyer discount when buying in store (the transaction still goes through their web site anyway).

All in all, I am happy with my visit and decision to purchase from them. I know I paid a premium over a potentially equivalent watch on e.g. chrono24 (where I have bought before), but being able to see and handle the watch, and ask questions in person was/is worth it to me. Obviously, not everybody is in driving distance from Newport Beach.

[dmhines]

Follow-up ...

They called me back ... They offered to "eat" the service charge on the 2014 Milgauss but said they still need to deduct $500 for the 2006 Submariner Service. I decided to move forward after thinking about it .. They had a 2024 Root Beer on hold for me that I didn't want to pass up .. and like a car .. I saved some money on sales tax by trading in ..

Originally Posted by dmhines

I just cancelled my trade deal with Bobs .. Milgauss and Sub ..they said both needed servicing at $500 each since they failed time test .. I said well they are not new watches and I never advertised them to you as new so why should I pay to make them as new so you can sell them and make even more money ? Crazy.

[1William]

Originally Posted by dmhines

Follow-up ...

They called me back ... They offered to "eat" the service charge on the 2014 Milgauss but said they still need to deduct $500 for the 2006 Submariner Service. I decided to move forward after thinking about it .. They had a 2024 Root Beer on hold for me that I didn't want to pass up .. and like a car .. I saved some money on sales tax by trading in ..

Good for you. Congratulations.

[Gruesome]

Just an update on watch verification and impact on pressure testing at Bob's Watches:
I was just told that after opening the case back for verification, their watchmaker tests for 100m water resistance. They do not have equipment for higher pressure.

So it's good enough for most of the Baltic, but stay out of the Mariana Trench until the next proper service.