random numbers fair ?

[gqllc]

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

Of course Panerai is another brand where serial number and thus age play a role, and are a known quantity. And, all else being equal, with Panerai, a current M series, is a little more valuable than an older L or K, just as a V series DeepSea is always a little more than an M. Mostly because when people spend a boatload of cash on something they hope to last a lifetime, they want to make sure it's newer and thus less chance of there being some sort of damage, ageing or unseemly story behind it, right or wrong.

Take cars for example. If you are paying $50,000 for a new car, you'd like to know it's a current production vehicle, wouldn't you? You could in theory have 2 of the same model car, one made in 2009, that has 10 miles on it, sitting at a dealership for 2 years, and one made last week, with the same 10 miles, I know which one I'd want. Sure, the 2 year old one that was sitting at the dealer is probably just fine, but I'd rather KNOW it is, knowing it's new and fresh, not something that was sitting around, expsosed to the elements, careless prospective buyers (like for example non watch people trying to turn the bezel on a Sub sitting in an AD's case the wrong direction) and some slight ageing. But that's just me...

The fact that a watch shop can take a used, beat up Rolex and make it look virtually BNIB makes it even more important for watches to be dated than cars.

I understand Rolex's desire to do it, one, this helps dealers sell watches that have been sitting around for a while, but, it also will affect the secondary market. It's no secret Rolex seems to prefer people to buy new from ADs, at pretty much full list, by adding an element of uncertainty about age, some people will decide to pay more and buy from an AD, as opposed to a forum or similar secondary market venue, thinking that at least a watch from an AD should be newer than one that has changed hands a few times, and ended up in the secondary market. It's a smart move for Rolex, except for the watch enthusiasts it'll turn off.

I agree...the random numbers are for the AD's. This way there will be no new old stock at the dealers. The secondary market will be valued based upon the papers and the dates on them now. If there are 2 watches for sale used and both are random numbers in the same condition and they both have papers then the most recent dated one will potentially have the greater value. Even if one is being sold bnib with out papers then the watch could be 3,4,5 or even 10 years old. So you spend hard earned money on a bnib watch that may potentially need servicing. Our society has grown up with putting values on items based both upon their condition and their age. Rolex is not going to be able to change that way of thinking.

[Megalobyte]

Originally Posted by padi56

And no matter if any watch that was bought new from a AD,even if it had been twiddled by everyone in this world today it would still get the same 2 year warranty.

Well, no disrespect intended, but frankly, if I'm buying an expensive watch, I'd just as soon have one that was played around with by fewer people. I have been at ADs when a non watch person was trying to force the diver's bezel the wrong direction, or being rough with the crown and stem, sure, it's great to have a 2 year warranty, but I'd greatly prefer to not have to send in my new watch, if at all possible.

It just seems to me, all else being equal, a watch that just shipped from Rolex has less chance of there being anything amiss, than one that was made and shipped 2-5 years ago, and has been who knows where and played around with by who knows who. But that's just my personal feeling of course.

Now this all being said, I was talking to my friend Rob S the other day, and was surprised to hear him tell me that he believes that it's entirely possible, because of different watches being produced on different production lines and runs, to have an older, let's say D serial watch, that is actually a watch that just left Rolex, and is not a few years old, despite the D prefix seeming to indicate an older production year, and that notion opens up a whole can of worms, and I don't fully get it, but at least generally speaking, a V series Deepsea should be newer than an M, and a G Rolex newer than an M or V etc.

I just think people, when spending a lot of cash prefer new, to, sitting around. Of course there are exceptions, an older watch could very well be superior to a newer one, the newer one could have been mistreated, the older one not, but in general, I'd rather have a watch that just shipped from Rolex, than one that was sitting around for a few years unsold, or one that changed hands. Watches, even Rolex, are still a fairly fragile item that can be damaged with less than careful handling. It just seems logical to me that the newer the watch, the less chance something happened to it.

[chicfarmer1]

If the issue is handling and not its age per se, one can ask the AD if there's one fresh to the dealership/not played with in the safe, and buy that puppy versus something in the case. Probably many here do this, routinely.

[Megalobyte]

So, I guess the G serials will be the very last of the known age serials, in which case, my new G serial Sub C just became ultra rare and collectable! :)

[CashGap]

Originally Posted by TopNotchChach

LOL. That about sums it up. "There outta be a law".

This is a non-issue to 99% of buyers, maybe more.

[Tools]

It sounds like most of you are young and have grown up in the computer age where each years release renders the last generation obsolete.. The "must have the latest and greatest" is a recent cultural phenomena driven by this technology boom..

Rolex does not, and has never made, watches by a "model year". Collectors have always been able to determine a watches era by subtle changes to the dials, fonts, and movements..

It will be no different in the future.. You just need to learn more about your watch than "What series do I have"... Paper is very easy to counterfeit and should never be relied on to date or authenticate a watch..

We can whine and whine all we want... It is what it is, and so it's time to move forward...



The car analogies are senseless.. An automobile manufacture changes their lines each model year intentionally to get buyers to buy the newest model - but it's only the sheet metal and dashboard that are different; the chassis and engine parts are years old and pulled from stock for assembly. When you need to buy a new starter, or tires for that same car, they could have been in stock at the warehouse for decades....

[The GMT Master]

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

If the issue is handling and not its age per se, one can ask the AD if there's one fresh to the dealership/not played with in the safe, and buy that puppy versus something in the case. Probably many here do this, routinely.

Agreed. Just don't expect to get such a great deal on it. As with anything in life, buy the seller - go with the AD that treats you right