A couple Yachtmaster questions

[Masteryacht]

I have a YM SS/PL that I purchased from an AD in 2006. It is a lovely watch and my nicest. While it has seen wear in the past ten years, it has also been babied. It is in wonderful condition for it's age. I have all boxes, papers, etc.

Question #1.....I'm flirting with the idea of trading only (I do not want to sell) and the AD I bought it from said they would only give me 4k towards another Rolex. That sounds too low to me. Does this seem fair to you?

Question #2 (maybe a question for YM owners)....Last night as I was cleaning it I noticed that where the bezel insert meets the crystal, the platinum is rough and not finished smoothly. It's like this intermittently all the way around the bezel. I first noticed it with the naked eye, but it's really most visible with a loupe. I don't have the capability to post a photo showing it. Has anyone else ever noticed this??

Last question I promise. In the process of turning the bezel through it's clicks, the 12 o'clock arrow never lines up precisely with the 12 o'clock on the dial. It can be manipulated slightly so that it does line up, but when just doing it quickly by using the clicks, it is always off slightly. I noticed this years ago and was just curious if this is normal.

Sorry for the questions, but you never know till you ask. Thanks in advance for any answers. Have a good day!

[m j b]

#1 - I sold my YM a couple of years ago, just like yours, and I was stunned at the lousy resale. You are looking at a wholesale price, which they naturally have to mark up to retail to make some money. I think 4K is probably fair, in that case. You could easily sell it for $5K yourself. But you don't want to sell, so that's the price that you'll get. Or you could send it to me, I'll sell it for you, and we'll split the proceeds.
#2 - Yes, that's normal.
#3 - That's not typical, but it's also not unusual.

[Masteryacht]

Thank you for the quick and thorough reply! I really appreciate it.
Any idea on the rough platinum finish? Is platinum harder to work with or was this something present on the older watches and not the new ones today?

With the bezel not lining up and the rough platinum, does Rolex not put as much effort in the perfecting the fine details as maybe I thought they did?

Thanks!!!

[ming the merciless]

Keep it. That's a great watch.

[Rolex addict]

Originally Posted by m j b

#1 - I sold my YM a couple of years ago, just like yours, and I was stunned at the lousy resale. You are looking at a wholesale price, which they naturally have to mark up to retail to make some money. I think 4K is probably fair, in that case. You could easily sell it for $5K yourself. But you don't want to sell, so that's the price that you'll get. Or you could send it to me, I'll sell it for you, and we'll split the proceeds.
#2 - Yes, that's normal.
#3 - That's not typical, but it's also not unusual.

Sums it up right there. Keep the YM. It's an incredible watch and one of my favorites.

[Baco Noir]

Originally Posted by Masteryacht

Thank you for the quick and thorough reply! I really appreciate it.
Any idea on the rough platinum finish? Is platinum harder to work with or was this something present on the older watches and not the new ones today?

With the bezel not lining up and the rough platinum, does Rolex not put as much effort in the perfecting the fine details as maybe I thought they did?

Thanks!!!

Look at the bezel in this FS thread.

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=491155

The raised numbers are polished and the rest of the unraised surfaces on the bezel are rough finish - it's the way they were made to provide contrast for the number to be read easily.

As far as the 12 not lining up perfectly, it can be fixed easily by removing the bezel "insert" and replacing it in proper alignment.

BTW - selling it yourself, you should get closer to $5400 to $6000. If you want to make it easier to sell, send it in to RSC for service and polish so it's 1) in pristine condition, 2) comes with Rolex warranty and 3) give the buyer some confidence in authenticity since the RSC paperwork will have the matching serial number. If you do that, you can probably get closer to $6500 - $6700 if you are patient and find the right buyer.

[TimeRookie]

You may get a better deal through one of the trusted sellers on this forum. You would be buying and selling at wholesale value. The AD is selling at retail.
Good luck and the YM is an awesome watch. I hope you're replacing it with a new one!

[watchwatcher]

Do you have something in mind that you want to trade it for? If no, I would hang on to it.

Or, if you're tired of it, sell it privately.

[Masteryacht]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

Do you have something in mind that you want to trade it for? If no, I would hang on to it.

Or, if you're tired of it, sell it privately.

Yeah, I really love the BLNR and have access to one, but also still working on something for a Daytona C black dial. The latter is an iffy proposition obviously.

Thank you for the help. It is much appreciated. I really mean that because for someone like me that doesn't know all these things, I might have even thought my watch wasn't genuine, save for the fact that I got it new from an AD.
I love this forum.

[rebel_1]

OP, something to consider for trade-in values. AD pays Retail x 0.6 and sells somewhere between Retail x 0.95 and 0.75 depending on discount avail. Some only sell at retail.

So, if they offer you 60% of the retail value, then they could get a brand new piece at that price and its BNIB. So, they can't sell your watch as new so figure a used one goes for between 50% - 70% (and that's probably conservative). And they buy new at 60%. So trade-in usually hurts. Especially at an AD. Best thing is to sell to someone that is the end user if you can.

[breitlings]

Bob's Watches gave me 20% more than that offer. And it was a painless and enjoyable transaction, they even provided shipping and insurance.

[Onikage]

I'd keep it. People are going crazier for the YM by the minute. Rolex have released a RG one on a rubber strap and now people are copying the look with the older models on Rubber B straps. Some new dial options have just come out. I see great things for the old Yachty.

[sensui]

I think all the actual owners appreciate what great watches the Yachtmasters are.....the way they wear on the wrist is far more comfortable than the typical sports references (sub, gmt etc). It is a far closer feel to a Daytona in the way it wears.....all that's left is to find the one that sings to you. I'd certainly keep it and save up and add to your collection.

[Masteryacht]

Thanks again. Here are some photos.

[Masteryacht]

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[Masteryacht]

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[joli160]

Yours is the one with the imho best dial which shimmers beautiful in the sun. The later 16622 have a more finer structured dial which gives less bling. Bezel looks great as well.
I would not part with it for 4K, just wear and start enjoying it again,

Love mine

[elkaholic]

I really have grown to like that platinum/SS Yachtmaster. I'd keep it if I had one. I even favor it over the BLNR, by a lot, which is probably not a popular position here...just my own personal tastes.

[masyv6]

Keep it!!

[Professorfingers]

And another question. How does the bezel hold up? Doe it resist scratches fairly well? Yours still looks great after 10 years.

Thanks for any replies. I still can't get that blue dial YM out of my mind!!

TW

[Masteryacht]

I find the bezel to hold up really well. The steel scratches easier than the platinum. With that said, I take super good care of it and it's not a daily wear for me.
My photos are just taken with an iPad and they are up close and terrible quality. The watch looks better in person and has a lot of finger print smudges in the photos.