"Googling" this random serial number thing . . .

[El Cascarrabias]

Just not impressed. (I'm sure Rolex is concerned)

For me, being able to date a watch adds to the historicity of the brand. It gives the brand's reputation weight. Why would Rolex care if some consider a watch from one year better than another year. They've already sold the watch.

Say a dealer has a random numbered watch that for some reason does not sell for 5 years or he puts one in the safe for himself for several years, falls out of love with it and puts it out for sell looking exactly like the one next to it that came in yesterday.

Is it possible this "new/old" watch now has lubricants that are several years old and the customer may need to service it much sooner. Don't know diddly about lubricants but it seems that if its not being used, just sitting, oozing into another position due to gravity that maybe that's not a good thing when it finally gets running.

And the argument that randomizing discourages fakes. A faker can't randomize a serial number? Really?

As someone who is giving very serious consideration to purchasing, how does this benefit Rolex or the Rolex brand?