Greetings From Hong Kong - Can You Recommend Good Vintage Rolex Dealers?

[speedolex]

Just arrived in Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong on business and I have a rare full day off during the trip.

Can anyone recommend good and reputable vintage Rolex dealers in the area so I can use my day off to go and do some vintage Rolex shopping?

Thanks!

[sea-dweller]

There are a few right near the Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hotel. Near the front entrance, in that arcade mall.

[bondtoys]

I've had very good experiences with Pak Lee, Middle Road

[Old Expat Beast]

Take the MTR two stops north to Yau Ma Tei. Walk up Dundas Street as far as Kwong Wah St. Around there, about a dozen dealers.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Take the MTR two stops north to Yau Ma Tei. Walk up Dundas Street as far as Kwong Wah St. Around there, about a dozen dealers.

Thank you!

Would you mind giving me the name and address of the one you think might be best strictly for vintage pieces? Much easier to put it into Google maps to get a taxi driver to bring me over.

[koshiru]

http://watch-fever.blogspot.sg/ Check this HK-based guy out. His blog recommended quite a number of reputable Rolex dealers

[ADINVA]

Echoing Adam's suggestion for the dozen of dealers in Kwong Wah Street, there are at least 2 dealers who have a number of vintage rolex in their shops. The 2 dealers are The Vintage Concept and London Watch Collection. Pricey but they do have a number of very interesting pieces. Worth visiting to view their collections. Google them and you can get the address.

Enjoy Hong Kong.

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Take the MTR two stops north to Yau Ma Tei. Walk up Dundas Street as far as Kwong Wah St. Around there, about a dozen dealers.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by ADINVA

Echoing Adam's suggestion for the dozen of dealers in Kwong Wah Street, there are at least 2 dealers who have a number of vintage rolex in their shops. The 2 dealers are The Vintage Concept and London Watch Collection. Pricey but they do have a number of very interesting pieces. Worth visiting to view their collections. Google them and you can get the address.

Enjoy Hong Kong.

Excellent. Thanks!

[Vincent65]

The Vintage Concept has some good stuff!

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by speedolex

Thank you!

Would you mind giving me the name and address of the one you think might be best strictly for vintage pieces? Much easier to put it into Google maps to get a taxi driver to bring me over.

Kwong Wah St is so small, more of a pedestrian arcade really, that you just need to get to it. Go to the end that meets Dundas Street. Vintage Concept and London are two of the biggest, but the smaller ones often have better prices.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Kwong Wah St is so small, more of a pedestrian arcade really, that you just need to get to it. Go to the end that meets Dundas Street. Vintage Concept and London are two of the biggest, but the smaller ones often have better prices.

Thank you to Adam and all, I am clear now. Hopefully I can find the watch I am looking for and can come home happy.

I am assuming that if I am looking for Rolex buckles and good vintage-style leather and/or horween straps these same shops are the place? Or are there other spots to focus on?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by speedolex

Thank you to Adam and all, I am clear now. Hopefully I can find the watch I am looking for and can come home happy.

I am assuming that if I am looking for Rolex buckles and good vintage-style leather and/or horween straps these same shops are the place? Or are there other spots to focus on?

Try also Champagne Court, a street level arcade next to the Mira hotel on Kimberly Road, TST, for straps, etc and a few more watch shops.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Try also Champagne Court, a street level arcade next to the Mira hotel on Kimberly Road, TST, for straps, etc and a few more watch shops.

Technical problems here in China.....my hotel doesn't load the RF for some reason, only able to do it on mobile over a local China carrier.

So here's my '67 DJ crossing the China border and the mission is to adopt him a brother in yellow gold once I get back to Hong Kong in a few days. Your shopping advice has been most appreciative (let me know if you're around Thursday....I'll buy you a drink!)

[offrdmania]

Isnt Dickson Tai also in HK? He deals strictly in vintage

[speedolex]

Today's the day.....going vintage shopping at the recommended areas in TST and Mong Kok.

Wish me luck!

[themaninblack]

Good luck mate. Know your price and stick with it. Vintage starting prices are pretty elevated in Hong Kong at the moment, you need to hang tough, the dealers expect negotiation but if you find that really special piece and they won't come to you, well it's only money!

[God2send]

TST opp Mir Hotel champagne court level 1

[Dries]

Also try Alex Pig at Quarry Bay. I've had very good experiences with them.

http://alexpig.com/collections/watches

[speedolex]

Had a great (yet exhausting) day in Hong Kong, hit all the places recommended, found another astonishing location no one mentioned, here's the quick recap for those who stumble across this thread in the future:

Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok

Great little plaza, London Watch Co. and Vintage Concept are the larger dominant players here and as I was told they have some fantastic rarities in stock. Vintage Concept, in particular, might be the largest vintage watch shop in the world and the sales staff were very accommodating. I didn't see dozens of other shops though, those two really were the only ones in a good stock position on vintage Rolexes, the rest sold factory fresh models.

Champagne Court, Tsim Sha Tsui

This place is the motherlode, if you can only hit one of these spots this is the one to visit. Shop after shop of vintage Rolexes, some massive in size, some tiny, but there are tons to choose from. Importantly, this is also the motherlode of watch strap shops, two of them in particular have an encyclopedic assortment of every strap imaginable, I picked up a few Rolex buckles and a Rolex deployant clasp, this is the place for that. Should mention a freestanding shop called TSE's Collection right up the street, really nice assortment of vintage Rolex Dress models.

Holiday Inn Golden Mile Basement Level, TST

There are two shops here that are interesting, and one of them, name escapes me but it's a hard left after you come down the escalator had a guy who I asked about vintage Rolexes and he went into the back room, comes out with a plastic storage container the size of a shoebox, and inside in neat plastic cases are about 50 of the nicest watches you've seen from Daytona's to a military Sub, was crazy. Prices very high though. You need to knock on doors in this basement mall, the windows don't tell the story.

CKE Mall, 44 Nathan Road, TST

Okay, this is the one that no one mentioned that was astonishing to me. Sandwiched between the awful Star Wars Episode 4 Cantina Scene Chunking Mansions and a Bonjour jeans shop is this little opening in a building with two escalators that from all appearances looks like a brightly lit cosmetics store. Nope. You go up the escalators and it's a very nice and upscale indoor "HK mall" with about 100 tiny shops and storefronts packed in. Think of a very clean and save Chunking Mansion. Inside are 3 of the nicest vintage Rolex shops in all of Hong Kong named Vintage Element, Good Watches Shop, and Day Date Moon. While neither of the 3 shops is bigger than your bathroom they all have amazing inventory, Rolex store relics, and some very rare models and very affordable models. While not as massive as Champagne Court and not as ritzy as Kwong Wa, these 3 shops give both a run for their money, a must-see, was shocked to find that the highlight of the day was in such an innocuous locale.

Far East Mansion + Pak Lee, Middle Road, TST

Pak Lee's shop is great if you like Sport models, he has a ton to choose from. Right next door is the Far East Mansion and there are a few Rolex shops inside but I was there too early in the day, they open towards evening, might go back there on a different night. Little hard to find, walk on Nathan Road away from all the hubub, it's a street but only one real way to get to it, Google Maps wasn't friendly with the walking directions.

All in all, a big day, I really feel like I've seen every vintage Rolex in Hong Kong at this point, even stopped by Michael Young's Classic Watch Repair to check out a dome crystal for my 1016, he had a few vintage pieces as well.

It's really a hit-or-miss treasure hunt, none of these shops has a website, and if they do they're terribly out of date so you need to hoof the pavement to get find what you're looking for. My quest for a YG Datejust with the right dial went somewhat unaddressed though Alex Pig and I might get together tomorrow when I'm on the other side of the city.

Thanks again to all for their assistance, hope this TLDR pays it forward to others a bit.

[Old Expat Beast]

Sounds like you had a great time. Isn't London Watch the bigger store, with friendlier staff on Kwong Wah, though? I'll have to check out CKE next time I'm in Chungking Mansions for a curry.

[themaninblack]

Sounds like you had a fascinating day. Hong Kong is simply a great city especially if you love watches!

[ADINVA]

Yes, I did miss mentioning CKE. There are 2 or 3 shops that do carry vintage rolex. Great to know you had a full day exploring. Weather was awesome too!

[Willygallardo]

Looks like fun now let's see what you got :)!

[speedolex]

EDITED VERSION OF MY EARLIER WALKING POST WITH CORRECTIONS AND UPDATED INFORMATION:

Had a great (yet exhausting) day in Hong Kong, hit all the places recommended, found another astonishing location no one mentioned, here's the quick recap for those who stumble across this thread in the future:

Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok

Great little plaza, London Watch Co. and Vintage Concept are the larger dominant players here and as I was told they have some fantastic rarities in stock. London Watch Co., in particular, might be the largest vintage watch shop in the world and the sales staff were very accommodating. I didn't see dozens of other shops though, those two really were the only ones in a good stock position on vintage Rolexes, the rest sold factory fresh models.

Champagne Court, Tsim Sha Tsui

This place is the motherlode, if you can only hit one of these spots this is the one to visit. Shop after shop of vintage Rolexes, some massive in size, some tiny, but there are tons to choose from. Importantly, this is also the motherlode of watch strap shops, two of them in particular have an encyclopedic assortment of every strap imaginable, I picked up a few Rolex buckles and a Rolex deployant clasp, this is the place for that. Should mention a freestanding shop called TSE's Collection right up the street, really nice assortment of vintage Rolex Dress models.

Holiday Inn Golden Mile Basement Level, TST

There are two shops here that are interesting, and one of them, name escapes me but it's a hard left after you come down the escalator had a guy who I asked about vintage Rolexes and he went into the back room, comes out with a plastic storage container the size of a shoebox, and inside in neat plastic cases are about 50 of the nicest watches you've seen from Daytona's to a military Sub, was crazy. Prices very high though. You need to knock on doors in this basement mall, the windows don't tell the story.

CKE Mall, 44 Nathan Road, TST

Okay, this is the one that no one mentioned that was astonishing to me. Sandwiched between the awful Star Wars Episode 4 Cantina Scene Chunking Mansions and a Bonjour jeans shop is this little opening in a building with two escalators that from all appearances looks like a brightly lit cosmetics store. Nope. You go up the escalators and it's a very nice and upscale indoor "HK mall" with about 100 tiny shops and storefronts packed in. Think of a very clean and save Chunking Mansion. Inside are 3 of the nicest vintage Rolex shops in all of Hong Kong named Vintage Element, Good Watches Shop, and Day Date Moon. While neither of the 3 shops is bigger than your bathroom they all have amazing inventory, Rolex store relics, and some very rare models and very affordable models. While not as massive as Champagne Court and not as ritzy as Kwong Wa, these 3 shops give both a run for their money, a must-see, was shocked to find that the highlight of the day was in such an innocuous locale.

Pak Lee, Middle Road, TST

Pak Lee's shop is great if you like Sport models, they have a ton to choose from. Name a sport model, they have it.

Far East Mansion, Middle Road, TST

Right next door is the Far East Mansion and there are a few Rolex shops inside but I was there too early in the day, they open towards evening, might go back there on a different night. Little hard to find, walk on Nathan Road away from all the hubub, it's a street but only one real way to get to it, Google Maps wasn't friendly with the walking directions.

** Decided to walk back out last evening to check out the Far East Mansion shops that were closed at 2PM and it's a good thing I did! **

OMG House Watch featuring Mr. John Lee House

Stop everything, you must must must go visit House Watch and talk to Mr. John Lee House. He opens late in the day, like 4PM, but will stay open very late and thoroughly enjoys company and talking vintage Rolexes. You cannot believe the amount of examples he sells, but the thing that will jump out at you here is quality. Without question, if you are looking to spend a little more to get an absolute mint example of a vintage Rolex, this is the place to go. After an hour of talking horology, he starts to show me some of his special pieces. Like a vintage 60's Sub without any Sub printing and a red Arabic saying. Like a 1954 Submariner mint in the box, I believe its new old stock. And he's just throwing these at me, I've got about a million dollars worth of Subs in my hand and I'm some guy off the street. What a wealth of knowledge. One of his minor pieces is exactly what I've been looking for, a vintage 1970 Datejust 1601. Paid a premium, but I'm pretty sure it's the nicest example alive.

All in all, a big day, I really feel like I've seen every vintage Rolex in Hong Kong at this point, even stopped by Michael Young's Classic Watch Repair to check out a dome crystal for my 1016, he had a few vintage pieces as well.

It's really a hit-or-miss treasure hunt, none of these shops has a website, and if they do they're terribly out of date so you need to hoof the pavement to get find what you're looking for. My quest for a YG Datejust with the right dial went somewhat unaddressed though Alex Pig and I might get together tomorrow when I'm on the other side of the city.

Thanks again to all for their assistance, hope this TLDR pays it forward to others a bit.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Willygallardo

Looks like fun now let's see what you got :)!

See above for my encounter with John Lee House and the fantastic House Watch Co. in the Far East Mansions on Middle Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Speechless. The place is a museum more than a vintage watch shop.

As you can see from the photos, it's a great store, some fantastic one-of-a kind Submariners and GMT's, and this guy is all about quality and condition.

He had 3 Datejust YG 1601's for me to choose from and it was the first time I could see a Champagne dial, a Silver dial, and the rare Grey dial side-by-side. Was blown away by the Grey dial which has hints of Champagne and Silver in the right light, very unique, and now he's mine, going to look fantastic on my vintage President bracelet when I get home next week.

Thanks again to all who helped. Great day in Hong Kong for a watch freak.

[Old Expat Beast]

That's great, I'm glad your efforts paid off. John is always closed whenever I pass by. I should make the effort to go later.

[PanosI]

Excellent report ! Thanks for sharing

[Star Ferry]

Thank you for all the information.. and the sweet pictures too

[dkmursalim]

thx for the report.....

[Willygallardo]

what a minty beauty enjoy it!