Verifying a 6694....

[LightsOut]

Hello there,

First post - bought my first Rolex (finally), from watchfinder.co.uk - I thought I would negate the risk of anything suspicious by buying from a company with a decent enough reputation for validating all pre-owned watches they stocked.

I eventually plumped for a 6694 Precision with a serial number 3351 887 (dating it to 1971), as per

http://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Rolex/O...696/item/81584

(the actual watch i purchased)

I picked it up this week, and happy with it - showing the watch to a good watch collector friend of mine (whose knowledge is far deeper than mine) picked up on a few things. He felt the dial font / design didn't come from the 70s, which is what the serial number indicates. On first view, he assumed the watch came from the mid to late 90s, but when I told him it was from 1971, he was surprised, to say the least - and he was of the impression that the dial wasn't original to the actual piece, and could potentially be a redial.

He also pointed out that the Precisions he had seen had 'T Swiss Made T' on the dial, unlike the one I have just bought.

I spoke to watchfinder about it, and they maintained that they did nothing to the dial themselves, all they did was carry out a full service. As for its previous history, they bought it from the previous owner without box and papers, so they can't shed any further light.

I would have thought they would have carried out checks to verify the provenance of the dial, once they saw the serial number?

Can anyone here help allay my fears that I have bought not so much a dud, but something that should never have been retailed at the amount I bought it for?

Many thanks

[Old Expat Beast]

Looks like some kind of service dial, but I have never seen it before. The 6694 went out of production in about 1989, and this 'Swiss Made' dial (if it is real) is 21st century.

[LightsOut]

Hi there, thanks @ Old Expat Beast - so the best I can hope for is that Rolex actually serviced it themselves in the early noughties?

The thing is, I actually love the sunburst dial, and it was the mix of batons and arabic dial that drew me in the first place.

Would anyone recommend I return for a refund?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by LightsOut

Hi there, thanks @ Old Expat Beast - so the best I can hope for is that Rolex actually serviced it themselves in the early noughties?

The thing is, I actually love the sunburst dial, and it was the mix of batons and arabic dial that drew me in the first place.

Would anyone recommend I return for a refund?

Yes, that's your best hope. Some would say return it, others would say keep it. You can find Rolex Oyster Perpetuals and Air-Kings from quite recently with much the same dial style. If you like it, keep it and enjoy it. Otherwise you should be within your rights to return it.

[LightsOut]

i will bear that in mind, thank you - i think looking at it makes me smile (even though it isn't 100% original)

[Toronto Soup King]

6694 dials can be found, too, if you ever want to replace that one. It took me a while to source mine - from the other side of the globe! - but my 6694 project is now in good shape, and keeping perfect time! http://imgur.com/a/Y0H3e

[LightsOut]

thanks @ TSK - so I am gathering keeping this particular Precision isn't a lost cause? My issue is that I have absolutely no idea what a 1971 Precision face should actually look like!

[Richard Carver]

It's just a dial on a 6694. If it makes you smile keep and enjoy it. You can always buy an original dial and keep it in a drawer so your vintage street cred stays pristine. Original dial would probably be under 100US.

I would ask for a partial refund for selling as all original.

[Toronto Soup King]

Check eBay for "6694 dial" and then compare those to watches you might see in f'rexample the "34mm wrist shot" thread on this forum. Or post a WTB ad here, that's how I got mine. Best of luck

[LightsOut]

in the end, I ended up returning the 6694, as Watchfinder confirmed it was a service dial. At the same time though, I also traded in a Cartier Pasha, a modern TAG Carrera, a Ball Engineer GMT II and a Gucci (don't laugh), and ended up getting the following

[LightsOut]

...a 1996 Explorer 1 and a 1983 DJ 16030!

[Richard Carver]

Well done!

[Toronto Soup King]

I am a little biased towards Rolex myself but I'd say you made a good trade there, those two will suit any occasion. Now to get yourself some straps

[onthedial]

@LightsOut
You definitely traded up. Bravo
_______
Instagram: @onthedial

[LightsOut]

colareb definitely provide bang for the buck!