Sticker removal or not...that is the question

[envuks]

Peel those stickers off and take those puppies skateboarding! They’re meant to be enjoyed


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[tuffness9999]

Originally Posted by VonSomething

Which watch can you go out and buy today and sell for 20-30% profit?

Is this a serious question? Not agreeing with the question you're replying to, just curious if you're really asking what rolex models can be sold at above MSRP?

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[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by Rochester585

im new to the forum and this may have been discussed before but what if the moderators made a new sub forum section for collectors and investors.

i knew immediately that the OP was going to get flamed and i felt mostly the same way about what he posted until reading some of the comments and reminding myself that even though i just love watches and want to wear any cool watch i can, that there are MANY people who could care less about watches and see rolex as an investment strategy and a very effective one to boot

i would be interested in just about anything that i could buy brand new for 10K and sell the same day probably within hours for minimum 20-30% profit, most likely a lot more than that

News for you, there is a forum for collectors, it's called TRF. As for investors, not here. Feel free to start your own watch forum for investors.

[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by tuffness9999

Is this a serious question? Not agreeing with the question you're replying to, just curious if you're really asking what rolex models can be sold at above MSRP?

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I think the point is which watch can you actually BUY? Anyone can flip a watch but can you actually land one?

[alphasports]

Originally Posted by Highlatitude

Wow, a 2019 blue dial Datejust still with stickers on? That is a are piece, maybe even one of a kind. I think I will be echoing the thoughts of everyone who reads this, by saying that you might want to avoid touching it unless you are wearing Rolex branded anti scratch gloves. And also avoid taking it into direct sunlight or all but the dimmest indoor lighting as these can all take their toll in swiftly degrading the materials that make up these beautiful and rare relics.

My thoughts exactly :)

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by daysky1

So my question is, does anybody else feel the same...?

No

[Uggi]

Originally Posted by daysky1

So my question is, does anybody else feel the same...?

Originally Posted by beshannon

No

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by daysky1

So my question is, does anybody else feel the same...? Do you have enough to wear, so that a fully sticker ed Rolex would be a collectors item, enough so that you would just keep it that way? Are you a collector that finds it is ok to just have a rare piece that you don't wear and just enjoy having and perhaps checking on every once in a while.?

OP, if you're not going to wear the watch because you have enough other watches to wear, I don't see where the problem is in keeping it fully stickered. It’s your collection, you do as you please, you’re not harming anyone.

I know I’m going to be flamed for this, but I’ll tell it like it is. I myself own a watch I never worn other than when I tried it on at the AD back in May 2017. It’s also fully stickered and the bracelet is not even sized. I managed to get away with it despite the insistence from the SA to peel it off and size it. My reason was I really wanted to swap the bracelet. I was wearing my YM40 on a red Hirsch tiger strap that day, which the SA found amusing. Leaving the stickers on and not sizing the bracelet would be impossible these days of course.

The watch in question is the Sea-Dweller 126600 50th anniversary a.k.a. SD43 which after one year became the mk1. I didn’t buy it as an investment, it was my absolute favourite sports steel watch and my original intention was to wear it. I decided to wait for RubberB to make a band for it which they did after a year, but they didn’t offer a tang and buckle option at the beginning. Two years later they came up with the band I wanted. Problem is two years is a long time and the watch had been stored away. During this period I never really felt the need to wear it because I had several other similar watches (extreme divers). Also, in time the watch became too “valuable” to me, being an anniversary edition and even more so with the mk1 dial being a short production run. This strange sensation never happened with any other watch. When I got my YM40 in 2015 for example I instantly removed the stickers and worn the heck out of it, same thing this year with my TT Bluesy (AD removed some stickers, I did the rest).

Call me weirdo if you like, but truth be told I’ve realized I get an uncanny satisfaction from having a new and fully stickered piece in my collection. It’s like keeping something great in the back burner for a rainy day. At some point I did consider trading it in for a gold Sub. However, as it turns out this watch happens to be my 7 years old son’s favourite watch. I remember the day I mentioned I might sell it as I wasn’t wearing it, he held his hands together as if he was praying, got very emotional, almost sobbing, raised his voice and said : “Nooo daddy! Do not ever sell the sea-dweller with the red letters, please daddy please not the sea-dweller, I love it I love it. You can give it to me when I’m grown up, daddy. You can sell any other watch, but not this one”. What can I do, hey? I’m kind of screwed now.

I might start wearing it someday, put some memories into it. If there’s something I’ve learnt in this hobby, it’s that everything is subject to change. If anyone has a better idea, feel free to let me know.

Pictures of the culprit or it didn't happen.

[Mendota]

This reminds me of an old boss I had, who suffered from undiagnosed OCD. He owned the business so we were in his little fiefdom. He walked around the office obsessing over things like the garbage bags showing through the tops of the stainless steel garbage cans he bought and the edges being wrinkled. He would get so mad at the cleaning people and wanted to set up cameras to watch and catch whoever was creating the wrinkles in the bags.

He would obsess over the stainless steel paper towel holder in the kitchenette and how the paper roll would show wrinkled hand prints after someone removed a sheet with wet hands.

He would walk around with 3 or 4 single ounce gold coins in his pocket, clanking them and fiddling with them like worry beads. His precious. This was in 2003 when gold was only $350/ounce, but still weird to be carrying around $1,400 in coins in your pocket.

I remember one morning he came running in, panicked, and said he lost a coin. We all had to stop what we were doing and help him search the office. Turned out he was driving and it fell out of his pocket and under the seat. His precious was returned! I can still hear him saying how we had to invest in physical gold, silver, guns, and spare food because there was going to be a breakdown someday.

This is a guy who bought a $100k Hummer H1 right after Bush had pushed through a tax code revision for business vehicle expenses, allowing 100% of the purchase price to be deducted in the first year. We heard about this thing for weeks while he was waiting for it to arrive and how it could go through anything. The first day he had it he went driving through the construction site next door and promptly got it stuck. He drove up to the top of a huge dirt mound that the excavators were creating from all of the dirt from digging the foundation for the office building. He got to the top, got stuck, and literally was teetering with all 4 wheels just free spinning. He had to call a tow truck to get him unstuck because none of us had an SUV or tow cables.

I could go on and on with dozens upon dozens more examples, and should probably write a book or screenplay for a movie like Office Space. Between all of the HEPA filters everywhere, the no fragrance rule with penalties, or the collection and sending in of saliva samples from his family every 6 weeks for Bird Flu, it was a busy place just dealing with these endless obsessions.

Stickers on a watch? Trust me, I've seen it all! Try an ultrasonic cleaner in the kitchenette for everyone to use on a weekly basis so our jewelry wouldn't be dirty and introduce germs into the air system. He silicone caulked and sealed all of the air vents in his office and had a hospital grade HEPA filter running 24/7 in there.

What saddens me about your post is the fact that you've taken your dad's watch, that he enjoyed and that you remember so fondly, and you've turned it into your precious. You can do what you want, of course, but I would think your dad would want you to enjoy it from time to time and think of him, rather than keep it cooped up in a safe and just stare at it. It's not a one of a kind Breguet or a piece of art like a Picasso. I want my boys to have my watch collection after I pass and I hope they enjoy them like I have. That's what they are for. They are just things.

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[VonSomething]

Originally Posted by tuffness9999

Is this a serious question? Not agreeing with the question you're replying to, just curious if you're really asking what rolex models can be sold at above MSRP?

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Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

I think the point is which watch can you actually BUY? Anyone can flip a watch but can you actually land one?

As @GoingPlaces said - I was trying to make a point that it's not like you can just walk into an AD anytime you like and walk out with a watch that trades 30% above MSRP

[daysky1]

Just for clarification I have a collection not an investment. I have bought physical ounces of gold and silver etc for investments but my watches are a collection, I also have other collections I enjoy having. Like, knives, even Zippo Lighters, even though I don"t smoke. I am a wildlife photographer and have 8 custom Zippos with my pictures on them signed by me. I have never considered my watches as an investment. I remember when I first started a lot of reviewers I listened to said the same, watches are not an investment.

[daysky1]

ok, time to correct some misunderstandings, I don't consider any of my watches rare nor do I consider them as investments. It is only a collection, that's all. I'm tempted to list what I have but resist the urge. From the least to the most complicated is about all I will say about my Rolex collection and for the informed, you know what I am talking about. From the highest places to the lowest places on earth, I would like Rolex to make a watch for parachutist but I digress and yes I have jumped at 12,500 ft and fell 2 miles before pulling the ripcord, I also have my PADI cert but have jumped more than scuba'd Enjoy life to the most when you can and while you can. from muscle cars to motorcycles and all things inbetween...now I am enjoying some of the best watches on earth....

[daysky1]

awesome

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by Highlatitude

Wow, a 2019 blue dial Datejust still with stickers on? That is a are piece, maybe even one of a kind. I think I will be echoing the thoughts of everyone who reads this, by saying that you might want to avoid touching it unless you are wearing Rolex branded anti scratch gloves. And also avoid taking it into direct sunlight or all but the dimmest indoor lighting as these can all take their toll in swiftly degrading the materials that make up these beautiful and rare relics.

Agree with all of this. Just to add a great way to prevent dial and hand degradation is to wrap in clingfilm followed by a sock secured with insulation tape to prevent light penetration and then store in the fridge compartment above the milk.

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by daysky1

ok, time to correct some misunderstandings, I don't consider any of my watches rare nor do I consider them as investments. It is only a collection, that's all. I'm tempted to list what I have but resist the urge. From the least to the most complicated is about all I will say about my Rolex collection and for the informed, you know what I am talking about. From the highest places to the lowest places on earth, I would like Rolex to make a watch for parachutist but I digress and yes I have jumped at 12,500 ft and fell 2 miles before pulling the ripcord, I also have my PADI cert but have jumped more than scuba'd Enjoy life to the most when you can and while you can. from muscle cars to motorcycles and all things inbetween...now I am enjoying some of the best watches on earth....

ok, now I really want to see your collection!!!

[daysky1]

My dads watch is so old and out of service it is off at least 10 minutes per day. My wrist is larger than his and it is on a flex bracelet that could break if I try and force it onto my wrist. I do have it on my side table and occasionally wind and set it. Even putting it up to my ear and hear it ticking away, all the while knowing that is the same watch and sound he heard when he did the same, as I remember him doing. I have a lot of watches, but this is the only one from him, so I think I will just enjoy it as I am doing, and wear my newer ones...no need to degrade the memories it brings...kind of like the pictures of the family from of old that I have. Wonderful, these things called memories are..

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by daysky1

My dads watch is so old and out of service it is off at least 10 minutes per day. My wrist is larger than his and it is on a flex bracelet that could break if I try and force it onto my wrist. I do have it on my side table and occasionally wind and set it. Even putting it up to my ear and hear it ticking away, all the while knowing that is the same watch and sound he heard when he did the same, as I remember him doing. I have a lot of watches, but this is the only one from him, so I think I will just enjoy it as I am doing, and wear my newer ones...no need to degrade the memories it brings...kind of like the pictures of the family from of old that I have. Wonderful, these things called memories are..

I agree. I was just giving you a hard time. I am sorry for your loss. While I haven't lost a parent yet, my wife lost her stepmom 8 years ago (who was more of a mother than her biological mom and she had known her since she was 4) and she still has moments where it was just like yesterday that she got the call about her sudden passing. I know what it is like to have an empty seat at the dinner table for holidays. I am glad that you are able to wind it and recall fond memories of your dad. That's priceless!

[Nikrnic]

If your not going to wear them you might as well leave the stickers on. I have one safe queen, a 14060M that I bought to replace a sold one before prices got too high. I just find myself always wearing my 114060. I didn't buy it as an investment to sell, it just kind of happened. I do plan on wearing it eventually. Anyway, it's your collection so do as you please.

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[Cassidy776]

Originally Posted by daysky1

I currently have a nice Rolex collection of several "choice" watches. At least that is what I am told by AD sales persons when I call to see what they have in stock...I repeat this is a collection...I currently have a Date Just 2019 Blue dial with stickers on it..I'm not sure if it is fully sticker ed..but I decided not to take them off and just keep it as a collectors item, in that condition. Not to wear. I already had several when I bought that one. A nice variety. Now I regret taking the stickers off the first fully sticker ed one when I did. I just didn't appreciate how rare that was. It was a Black dial Milgaus, I repeat fully sticker ed. Wow, they are put everywhere, even places you find days later after you think you've removed them all...I just hope to someday get one like that again...for me I have plenty to wear and the uniqueness of a fully sticker ed one in my collection is like a rare mint never worn or used anything a person would want who has a collection of anything. So my question is, does anybody else feel the same...? Do you have enough to wear, so that a fully sticker ed Rolex would be a collectors item, enough so that you would just keep it that way? Are you a collector that finds it is ok to just have a rare piece that you don't wear and just enjoy having and perhaps checking on every once in a while.? With that said, I have another watch that I will never wear, it was my dads, a Bulova bought @ 1955, still works, he's gone now but the memories of him wearing this watch make it very special...the most rare watch in my collection by far.

I would think one of the great ways to honor your father and his memory would be to wear his watch, not keep it tucked away so no one ever sees it and asks about it. Different strokes for different folks as they use to say.....

[slopes213]

Maybe there's a worldwide shortage of SS pieces because this guy is stashing them all in his closet as "collector's items."

[daysky1]

if only, the stashing them all part...

[HogwldFLTR]

I'm of the opinion that stickers create a bio hazard as a place for bacteria and grunge to accumulate. If I'm going to wear a watch then it won't have stickers. If not then leave them on and count your days until it resold for a profit.

[Harry-57]

It's your collection. Do what you like. I bin the watch and keep the stickers. Each to our own.

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by Harry-57

It's your collection. Do what you like. I bin the watch and keep the stickers. Each to our own.

As long as you don't eat the stickers I don't see a problem.

[2nastie]

There is two takes on this and I think both are reasonable but serves two purposes:

1. Can you keep a watch fully stickered and put into a safe, ever to be worn and solely for the purpose of collecting? Yes. People have done that throughout history. Anything can be collected and anything that is collected would depend on its condition. In most cases the more pristine something is the greater its value. If you want to do that with a watch... go for it!

2. You bought cause its a nice watch. Wear the damn thing.

Recommendation: Only you can determine what brings you joy. I'm more along the lines of who cares what it is worth in the future. There is always intrinsic value greater than dollar and cents.

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by Rochester585

im new to the forum and this may have been discussed before but what if the moderators made a new sub forum section for collectors and investors.

i would be interested in just about anything that i could buy brand new for 10K and sell the same day probably within hours for minimum 20-30% profit, most likely a lot more than that

As you said you are 'new' to the forum - you have 2 options - to get 'old' on the forum and get knowledgeable or 'die young' on the forum!

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by daysky1

I currently have a nice Rolex collection of several "choice" watches. At least that is what I am told by AD sales persons when I call to see what they have in stock...I repeat this is a collection...I currently have a Date Just 2019 Blue dial with stickers on it..I'm not sure if it is fully sticker ed..but I decided not to take them off and just keep it as a collectors item, in that condition. Not to wear. I already had several when I bought that one. A nice variety. Now I regret taking the stickers off the first fully sticker ed one when I did. I just didn't appreciate how rare that was. It was a Black dial Milgaus, I repeat fully sticker ed. Wow, they are put everywhere, even places you find days later after you think you've removed them all...I just hope to someday get one like that again...for me I have plenty to wear and the uniqueness of a fully sticker ed one in my collection is like a rare mint never worn or used anything a person would want who has a collection of anything. So my question is, does anybody else feel the same...? Do you have enough to wear, so that a fully sticker ed Rolex would be a collectors item, enough so that you would just keep it that way? Are you a collector that finds it is ok to just have a rare piece that you don't wear and just enjoy having and perhaps checking on every once in a while.? With that said, I have another watch that I will never wear, it was my dads, a Bulova bought @ 1955, still works, he's gone now but the memories of him wearing this watch make it very special...the most rare watch in my collection by far.

Lemme get straight to the point. Datejust is the most common watch available from Rolex. Even with stickers, it'll be around for decades. So, don't fret of keeping it untouched and just wear the heck out of it!

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by Bladeshot

I wear them. Nothing in my collection sits around as a collectible. You may enjoy keeping some NOS with stickers. That’s fine. Several collectors do. But it will be many decades, if ever, that a 2019 DJ is collectible. These are mass produced watches. Enjoy yours!

This!


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[173rdabn]

Why buy what you don't wear?

[jimcarver]

Originally Posted by daysky1

ok, time to correct some misunderstandings, I don't consider any of my watches rare nor do I consider them as investments. It is only a collection, that's all. I'm tempted to list what I have but resist the urge. From the least to the most complicated is about all I will say about my Rolex collection and for the informed, you know what I am talking about. From the highest places to the lowest places on earth, I would like Rolex to make a watch for parachutist but I digress and yes I have jumped at 12,500 ft and fell 2 miles before pulling the ripcord, I also have my PADI cert but have jumped more than scuba'd Enjoy life to the most when you can and while you can. from muscle cars to motorcycles and all things inbetween...now I am enjoying some of the best watches on earth....

Err cool story. In all seriousness you just seem to contradict yourself.

If it’s a collection, not investment, presumably a collection is purely for you enjoyment, ie removing the stickers and possibly reducing the value shouldn’t matter. Put simply the watch looks nicer with the stickers removed so you would probably enjoy it more.

“Enjoy life to the most when you can and while you can. from muscle cars to motorcycles and all things inbetween...now I am enjoying some of the best watches on earth...” I would suggest you are not enjoying them (well obviously some of the others in your collection but not these particular ones). Imagine seeing a collection of muscle cars and someone telling you he is enjoying life to the most….by never driving his cars and keeping them covered in plastic.