Getting in to watches is confusing as heck`

[Luxe Time]

Buy a nice used Datejust from the 1980's- maybe a one owner watch, in nice, clean condition. Choose a classic dial color like black or white for the ultimate in versatility. Good luck!

[dosman]

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=152931

Nice air king with alligator strap, recently serviced. I gotta say, the more watches I look at the more I prefer the alligator/leather straps.

[BarkMaster]

I've seen DJ's with metal bracelets for that price.

[dosman]

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=153398

Some sexy white gold

Why is it that none of the watches I like are good deals?

[BarkMaster]

That's always my problem too.

[dosman]

Hey guys I'm in the club!!!! 720 - 7% ebay rebate + $10 shipping !!!
The seller's description adn lack of feedback seem kinda sketchy, but I couldnt resist. worst case I figure ebay buyer protection will save me

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...torefresh=true

[dosman]

Thoughts? :)

[Trev]

Wow, some shocking spelling/grammar in the item description.

Let us know how it turns out.

[dosman]

for sure. well they seem to have good communication so far. i checked their other listings and they all tend to seem more legit. they also hve a lot of listings up which makes me think they are more legit. I'll let you guys know.

[dosman]

Well I've got a tracking number. I am a bit upset after reading that the watch is gold-filled, but if it keeps good time I will be very happy with my purchase.

[Michael M.]

Welcome to TRF! With a budget of 2k max. I'd look a Dates, or Datejusts.

[Perdu]

If you pick a mechanical watch you need to factor in servicing every five years or so. Rolex charge over $500, Omega is a little better but it's not spare change.

[dosman]

okay folks, the watch came today. It came in a green box with a gold-colored "o" on it. is this an omega case?

anyway, I'm relieved it wasn't a scam.

The band is nice and the watch is pretty, but it is smaller than I expected. I think it is probably a woman's watch.

Its only been a few minutes, but it seems to keep time fine. When I wind it, should I go clockwise or counterclockwise?

anyhow, it's a nice watch, but it's not the watch for me. edit: I figured out the winding goes clockwise because after 20-30 turns there was lots of resistance. pretty cool

[dosman]

ever since I won the ebay auction nobody will touch this thread with a10 foot pole

come on folks, dont make me wear a woman's watch around town! get your wife or girlfriend somethin nice for christmas. is nobody interested in this watch at all? I shouldnt have bought on impulse like that. Now i want to buy a rolex thats nicer than I originally expected to

[uracowman]

I hate to be a debbie downer or anything but after reading this thread and your responses, things just don't add up. If you have a 2000 dollar "budget", I would reconsider my priorities in life. I would hate to say this, but it looks like you are just trying to buy something as cheap as possible to purchase the brand.

Don't be a victim of the system. Save your money and buy something you actually want.

[dosman]

Hey friend, read the whole thread. I didn't know 2k was so little in the world of watches. I realize that many of my posts come off the wrong way, but I am buying a watch for myself, not to impress people

[Trev]

I think everyone is silent because they're still scratching their heads wondering what just happened here.

Here's why I would have avoided this auction/sale. Unfortunately you had already purchased the watch.

• The auction listing was extremely sparse on details. No model numbers, no real dates, nothing.
• No paperwork, boxes, etc.
• The listing itself could've been written by an 8 year old.
• They've taken the watch apart in photos. Why? They appear to just be fumbling around with the movement outside.
• Poor quality photos.
• Appears to be in somewhat rough shape and very old. I wouldn't buy a watch from 1936 unless there was a very specific reason to do so. If I did purchase something of this vintage, it probably wouldn't be a watch for wearing every day (or ever)

.

The seller did list it as a "mens" watch, so you could lodge a complaint if you can prove otherwise. Start by contacting the seller.

What happened to your 4k or 10k budget? IMO, you should stick to that, and one of the proven sellers from this forum.

Good luck.

[dosman]

Yeah, trev, I'm scratching my head as well. It was just impulsive and stupid. I saw a rolex for 720 and thought it had to be a good deal

That's a good point about him listing it as a men's watch. Is there any definitive way to tell if it's a man's or woman's watch?

[Yazo]

Originally Posted by dosman

Yeah, trev, I'm scratching my head as well. It was just impulsive and stupid. I saw a rolex for 720 and thought it had to be a good deal

That's a good point about him listing it as a men's watch. Is there any definitive way to tell if it's a man's or woman's watch?

Wristwatches back then were worn small (comparatively speaking to todays watches).

[Speed]

Originally Posted by dosman

Hey friend, read the whole thread. I didn't know 2k was so little in the world of watches. I realize that many of my posts come off the wrong way, but I am buying a watch for myself, not to impress people

Wear it in good health!

[dosman]

how can I verify if this is real or not? anyone know someone in NoVa who can do so?

[dosman]

apparently I could have 3 days to return it by paypal policy if it's not authentic

[dosman]

the ebay listing says a 7 day return window. if no one here wants this watch im going to return it tomorrow

[dieseldragon]

I certainly would not have bought that. If you want an entry level Rolex 2k is enough, no matter what people tell you here.

For the 2k you could easily get a DateJust from the 80's, which would be automatic, waterproof (if tested) and will easily outlast you.

You should be able to get a sapphire glassed 14000 series Air King for that, they are great watches for every day wear. Or you could get a 5500, 1002 type of Air King or Oyster Perpetual, again great for every day wear.

Always try to buy with the correct bracelet, if you prefer leather bands, these can be bought quite cheaply and swapped, then put the bracelet back when you sell it.

If you buy careful, you will be able to recover most of your money and out it and put it towards the next watch. If you are short on funds, stay away from TAG, nice watches but resale is awful, but an automatic Rolex Oyster of any type will always have a value. Omega Seamasters (automatic, full size) and Speedmasters (full size, not reduced) are good bets and are reasonably easy to sell on.

Also nothing wrong with ebay, as long as you know what you are looking for, but do your due diligence and do not buy on impulse, read the listing 10 times, then read it again. I have been there and done that.

As for people commenting on your watch, there are more people than you think notice what watch you are wearing. Just because they haven't commented doesn't mean they haven't noticed. Would you comment if you saw someone wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt? No, of course you wouldn't, but you noticed it.

[dosman]

"Hello tyrone,

Unfortunately, the watch is not what I am looking for. I thought it would be bigger, and I think it keeps time poorly (too fast). as per your return policy, I would like to return it. for your troubles, I would like to reimburse you for the cost to ship it to me. please let me know if you are prepared to accept this offer so that I can mail it back to you."

"we just got your message after we recieved your positive feedback we released the funds to the owner as a done deal if you would of responded as soon as you recieved it with your concerns we would of not released funds to our customer i will try to get ahold of him to get your money back i cant make any promises at this point i will try my best we posted many pix of the watch we believe the pix were very discripitive and the watch was checked out by the watch doc in lubbock tx to make sure it is in fine working order thanks ty iwill get back with you"

"by my observation the watch runs several minutes fast per day. your post advertises a 7 day return window. if I dont hear back by 2 pm EST tomorrow I will have to contact paypal and ebay because of their 3 day policy"

"i think this is a case of buyers remorse i have already spoke with ebay they advised me on what to do i will foward reciept to ebay from licensed watch specialist who serviced the rolex his response is that is the best 1936 rolex he has ever serviced we will do what ebay tells us to do as you can see we have a perfect track record with ebay and will continue when we purchase items if they are not what we expected we return the item using the buyers protection program we dont leave positive feed back and then try and return the item the item was not mis leading in any way at all we dont mislead any one in any way ever again we feel you have buyers remorse or maybee you had a deal fall through on your end we feel that it was a smooth transaction just as you personally described in you own feed back please feel free to take the watch to a lisenced rolex shop and we are certain they will tell you what our documents from them say the movement is perfect for a antique vintage rolex we will do whatever ebay instructs us to do "


...this guy can't even type english. Should I go straight to ebay?

[dosman]

Ok, I opened a case.

[dosman]

I should add: I'm not sure if this is normal in the vintage rolexes, but the second hand does not make perfectly smooth movements. it doesnt glide, it just makes several ticks per second. is this a telltale of a replica?

[Trev]

What specifically has the seller done wrong here? Buyers remorse is not a very ethical or valid reason to open an Ebay or Paypal claim against someone. You even said:

The seller's description adn lack of feedback seem kinda sketchy, but I couldnt resist.

If the watch is legit, and a mens Rolex model from 1936, I can't see what they've done wrong. A poor quality listing for a beat up old watch is not against Ebay or Paypal rules. The 7 day return policy is mentioned in their listing, but there's no conditions mentioned. I'm not sure what the default Ebay terms are, you may want to check.

Modern Rolex watches tick at 8 beats per second. I recall hearing somewhere that very old models were 5 beats per second (I haven't verified this, and know very little of vintage watches).

[mike]

Originally Posted by xjeeunitx

For the two grand, I would spend my money on a used Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50.00 or the Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean.

I wouldn't settle for a used AirKing or a really old DateJust.

That's my thought. The Speedmaster has a ton of history and as someone getting into the hobby represents a solid foundation upon which to build.

It represents tremendous value for the money spent.

[1proscoe]

Originally Posted by Trev

What specifically has the seller done wrong here? Buyers remorse is not a very ethical or valid reason to open an Ebay or Paypal claim against someone. You even said:


If the watch is legit, and a mens Rolex model from 1936, I can't see what they've done wrong. A poor quality listing for a beat up old watch is not against Ebay or Paypal rules. The 7 day return policy is mentioned in their listing, but there's no conditions mentioned. I'm not sure what the default Ebay terms are, you may want to check.

Modern Rolex watches tick at 8 beats per second. I recall hearing somewhere that very old models were 5 beats per second (I haven't verified this, and know very little of vintage watches).

Agreed....

FYI - These come up more often than you may realize... http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=155285

For $2k I'd go with the Omega PO orange numbers, black dial in 42mm. :)