Is my "new" watch really 13 years old?

[tomchicago]

i don't think it's genuine

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[mannyv11]

You said he would pay for the full service from RSC, I would just have him do that and the watch will be 100 percent factory fresh and original. You will lose the diamond dial because it is an aftermarket, but hey at least you will have a 100 percent factory fresh rolex with a 2 year warranty. Plus it will look brand new which is way better than the first day you bought it =). Hope it all works out

[handsfull]

Originally Posted by msjenbowen

I love this forum and have learned so much, but at this point, I don't understand why people keep beating me up for not putting my big girl boots on and demanding a resolution right this second.

Not trying to beat you up. We all HATE/LOATH to see someone with good intentions get taken advantage of. This transaction could have EASILY been any one of us, so the reactions here on this forum are going to sway towards the hostile side (towards the seller) and I think we 'adopt' the fight/stick up for one other.

Someone who sells high end watches as part of their living has no excuse (and no business) selling them if they are ignorant to the details of what they are selling, especially to "friends"....bad move. A car dealer can't advertise and sell a Mustang Cobra GT just because it has the words "Cobra" and "GT" on it....it has to be vetted/verified. Let's assume the best case scenario at this point....RSC judges the dial to be correct.....the watch is still a FAR cry from the word "new".

Regardless of how it looks/feels - 99% of the community is behind you. My .02.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by handsfull

Not trying to beat you up. We all HATE/LOATH to see someone with good intentions get taken advantage of. This transaction could have EASILY been any one of us, so the reactions here on this forum are going to sway towards the hostile side (towards the seller) and I think we 'adopt' the fight/stick up for one other.

Someone who sells high end watches as part of their living has no excuse (and no business) selling them if they are ignorant to the details of what they are selling, especially to "friends"....bad move. A car dealer can't advertise and sell a Mustang Cobra GT just because it has the words "Cobra" and "GT" on it....it has to be vetted/verified. Let's assume the best case scenario at this point....RSC judges the dial to be correct.....the watch is still a FAR cry from the word "new".

Regardless of how it looks/feels - 99% of the community is behind you. My .02.

Well said, sorry that you interpret some of what has been said as anger towards YOU, it's really (from the way I say it) as a protection kind of anger, we don't want you to screwed in this deal. Hopefully it will all work out very soon, but as was very well stated above, that "New" is just not right IMHO.

Again, hope it all works itself out for you very soon.

[honeybear]

Let's get this story straight, did you believe you were getting a new, totally genuine Rolex Datejust with no aftermarket parts? Your post seems contradictory about this point, in particular, whether you were informed from the onset that the diamonds were not set by Rolex.

[Brushpup]

RSC, Please resolve this for us.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by gregdolley

As others have said, the dial is definitely after-market. Here's how you can tell:

1) The tick marks are too short and too far away from the edge of the dial.
2) I might be wrong about this, but I don't think Rolex ever made a dial where the tick marks weren't surrounded by two concentric circles.
3) The diamonds don't look like the right shape.
4) This is obvious: the surrounding edge "squares" that hold each diamond are not cleanly cut. On a genuine Rolex dial, the edges are crisp and clean, a square-ish shape with diagonal corners. See my close-up pics on one of my old DJ's.

There's one thing in addition to this that makes me believe that the dial is 100% fake and not even an old Rolex dial: the spacing between tick marks for the diamonds.

First of all, I have never seen a Rolex with this; the diamonds tend to sit well within the ring of tick marks.

Second of all, I don't recall ever seeing a tritium dial with diamonds, so why would a tritium dial have spacing for diamonds?

Third of all, this would indicate that the dial originally had diamonds (no other reason for the spacing) and I'd be curious to know what happened to them, since they really aren't big enough to pull off and sell (plus, see #2 above).

Finally, and this could just be the angle of the shot/my eyes, but the Rolex logo crown at 12:00 looks off. Can't quite decide how, but something about it just looks a bit, well, off...

To me this indicates that the dial is completely fake.

[RRsDJ]

WOW that a mess. OP I hope you get it settled out!

[kdub]

It's been a month since OP last posted about the case. I really wonder what the outcome is

[msjenbowen]

Wow... I can't believe it's been a month already. This process has taken much longer than expected. In fact, I just received the watch back from Rolex this morning. As predicted by so many of you, Rolex confirmed the dial and hands are not authentic and gave me an estimate of how much it would cost to get the watch up to Rolex standards. Unfortunately, Rolex does not offer the MOP diamond dial, so we are returning the watch to the jeweler, who admitted that he misinformed us about the dial. Hopefully, we will receive a full refund without too much more trouble and time. Then, the search is on for my dream watch.

By the way, Rolex says there is no damage under the bezel, but just some residue that will come off with an ultrasonic cleaning (maybe hairspray or perfume). I guess the high-powered camera lens made it look worse than it is.

Thanks again to all the TRF members who have given their opinions and advice. I'll still keep you posted when all is said and done!

[kdub]

Thank you for the update! I am glad Rolex was able to definitively confirm everything for you (and without confiscating the watch like someone mentioned they would).

I hope you will get the full refund and begin your search for your genuine dream Rolex. Sometimes it's better to pay more for something you know it's truly genuine and legit. Also look for one with box and papers as that will help preserve the value of the watch better down the road.

Good luck!

[psv]

Glad it is working out for you. Next time: buy the seller first!

[Sam Philip]

Glad it worked out well for you

[Knappo 1307]

Thought this thread was dead......

[Bulldurham08]

'Interesting' thread to say the least...a good read though. Very educational.

[caryyee]

Thank you for the update. Let us know when you get a full refund, and we can then help you in your quest for your dream watch!

[jfisher17]

Originally Posted by Bulldurham08

'Interesting' thread to say the least...a good read though. Very educational.

Second that one! Glad it worked out!

[paltak]

Good luck! You deserve a new watch after this fiasco. Looking forward to seeing a wristshot of your new watch!

[Brushpup]

It isn't over until you are refunded 100%. Good to hear an update, but let us know the refun goes.

[grandmasterP]

I hope you get a full refund and ditch your so called friend

[Hairdude1]

Best of luck in your search of the dream watch!

[Luxe Time]

Good to see TRFers stepping up to offer their advice. One thing is certain- when most share the same opinion on this forum, it is often (of course not always) the truth.

Good luck in your search for your new watch. Buy from a trusted seller and get peace of mind, which is often times invaluable.

[exchange83]

Very educational read. It really is a testament to how helpful the members on this forum are. Thanks for the insight everyone.

[hnt1987]

To the OP: I have a quick suggestion for you...

Go to a watch repair or watchmaker shop, ask them to take out the back casing for inspecting the Rolex's movement. Snap some pictures and post them in this thread; we will tell you whether the watch is authentic or not. Trust me! It's fast and simple without many hassles.

With the dial issue, you can switch dials between datejust models if the watch models are identical to each other like 1601 for 1601, 1603 & 1603, etc...; if u concern, a new dial cost about $400-500 (plain without diamonds), $2000 for diamonds from Rolex (Their price hike up 3x than the real cost of the diamonds).
Or you can go to a local jeweler and check the grade/quality on the dial; real or fake, u will know..


Just pop the case out back and show us your movement; i will tell you whether if it's real or not. I think your watch is little older than 1999; in mid 70s to late 80s.

[cht]

^^^^OP just said getting a refund a few posts up from yours....

[RRsDJ]

Originally Posted by msjenbowen

As predicted by so many of you, Rolex confirmed the dial and hands are not authentic and gave me an estimate of how much it would cost to get the watch up to Rolex standards.

Originally Posted by hnt1987

Just pop the case out back and show us your movement; i will tell you whether if it's real or not.

He sent the watch to Rolex, Im pretty sure they would know if its real or not.

[caryyee]

Originally Posted by RRsDJ

He sent the watch to Rolex, Im pretty sure they would know if its real or not.

*she*

[hnt1987]

im little too late oh well

[Linzjnr]

Originally Posted by msjenbowen

Wow... I can't believe it's been a month already. This process has taken much longer than expected. In fact, I just received the watch back from Rolex this morning. As predicted by so many of you, Rolex confirmed the dial and hands are not authentic and gave me an estimate of how much it would cost to get the watch up to Rolex standards. Unfortunately, Rolex does not offer the MOP diamond dial, so we are returning the watch to the jeweler, who admitted that he misinformed us about the dial. Hopefully, we will receive a full refund without too much more trouble and time. Then, the search is on for my dream watch.

By the way, Rolex says there is no damage under the bezel, but just some residue that will come off with an ultrasonic cleaning (maybe hairspray or perfume). I guess the high-powered camera lens made it look worse than it is.

Thanks again to all the TRF members who have given their opinions and advice. I'll still keep you posted when all is said and done!

GREAT news

I just love a happy ending, it's just a shame the jeweller admitted he had misinformed you regarding the dial AFTER the RSC confirmed it

Best of luck finding your dream watch.....oh yeah just a quick one before I go....check out the for sale section here on TRF, there is some awesome sellers on here who can help you find the right watch for a great price!

Have fun

[msjenbowen]

Final update... the jeweler offered to refund all but $500. I'm not sure why the $500 difference, but my husband was happy with the offer and decided it wasn't worth fighting over that amount of money, especially since they are friends.

Thanks once more to all who posted their opinions and advice. If not for the expert advice you all gave, I would probably still be wearing a Franken-watch without even knowing it. I have already started stalking the TRF sale board and can't wait to have a 100% genuine Rolex on my wrist!