Vintage Rolex

[seankonners]

Hi Guys

I'm looking to buy a nice vintage Rolex Submariner watch that is 100% authentic and from a company that stands behind the watch in case it isn't. A good friend of mine recommended that i check out this site at https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-1.html

The Old Submariner i am thinking about is here.

[Sky21]

Is this a question or a statement? If it's a question about the watch, then you're right you're buying from a great seller. Dial and hands and insert look great together. Only things are a newer bracelet not original to the watch, some corrosion on the hands, and some corrosion on the case. Nothing that is too concerning.

[thomaspp]

too much corrosion everywhere...

[swish77]

Lovely matching patina. The slight corrosion on the hands is very common on these 1680s. Wouldn't really bother me. These are old watches!

Also, keep in mind that these photos magnify everything (as they should, of course), but the impression to the naked eye is usually not nearly as bad. The case, which appears to have been polished a couple of times, could be clean-up/detailed to look better. The discoloration/rust around the rehaut, also very common, is easily cleaned off.

This daylight photo, a better indication of overall appearance, shows a very nice, honest white 1680, IMHO. That beautiful dial/hands/bezel pearl patina match is harder and harder to come by nowadays. Good luck either way.

[Johny]

it looks good in the other pics on the site. I would enquire about case corrosion etc.

[Vincent65]

Originally Posted by thomaspp

too much corrosion everywhere...

? There's very minor, very common, corrosion on the hands, and that' all. I looked at all the pics on the listing, too. Tons of DNA/scum - don't see any case corrosion.

[lee fowler]

Very nice go for it if you like it. As previously mention these are common for slightly corroded hands and I don't see any corrosion on the case. All in all a nice piece!

[Wesley Crusher]

The dial, hands and insert are very nice. The case has seen a bit of polishing and the crown has been replaced. Overall a pretty nice 1680, but I would personally hold out for an example with a bit nicer case.

[seattleal]

The dial is chipped at the 10 index and elsewhere - it's not that hard to find better examples of white 1680's from trusted sellers.

[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

I would personally hold out for an example with a bit nicer case.

Not to hijack the thread, but I always read the evaluation of watches so I may learn, since being afflicted with vintage fever.



I constantly read about "bad case", "over polished case", "bad edges" etc.....

For the non-enlightened, can someone give some details concerning the above case ?

[swish77]

Originally Posted by seattleal

The dial is chipped at the 10 index and elsewhere - it's not that hard to find better examples of white 1680's from trusted sellers.

Really? Where are the chips?

[Michael M.]

I don't see any chips? Looks like a nice example. Not overpolished.

[seattleal]

Originally Posted by swish77

Really? Where are the chips?

Originally Posted by Michael M.

I don't see any chips? Looks like a nice example. Not overpolished.

Here. Isn't this a chipped index? Look closely - the 19,20,24 and 25 indices are also slightly chipped.

[taxico]

something wrong with the crown. actually, i don't think the crown was actually properly fitted to the watch when that photo was taken.

[swish77]

I wouldn't call that a chipped dial. That looks like slight paint loss in the index at that one marker. The other spots you mention look more like reflections in the rehaut.

The watch is about 40 years old. Not many perfect examples out there. Overall I think this looks like a nice example with great patina, which is a way under-rated feature, IMHO.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by DLRIDES

Not to hijack the thread, but I always read the evaluation of watches so I may learn, since being afflicted with vintage fever.



I constantly read about "bad case", "over polished case", "bad edges" etc.....

For the non-enlightened, can someone give some details concerning the above case ?

Sure. There are a couple of things that I always look for when trying to determine the quality of a case.

Keep in mind, these watches were finished by hand so they all didn't look the same when leaving the factory. Also, my opinion of a case that has been over polished may not be the same as yours or the next guy. This is all a bit subjective.

Anyway...

The first thing that I look at are the crown guards. When new, the crown guards of these watches were pretty thick and many has a sharp, brushed edge on the top. After a few polishings, the crown guard become thin and the brushed edge is lost (as seen on this watch). Lugs are often refinished and chamfers are recut, but I've never seen somebody restore the crown guards.

I also look at the sharpness of teeth on the bezel and the sharpness of the lug holes. When a case has been polished over and over, the lug holes no longer sit flat and start to develop indentations. I look at all of these components together when evaluating the condition of a watch and trying to determine if it has been polished in the past and what the current condition is.

Bob's describes the watch as possibly unpolished, but I'd say that it has definitely been polished in the past. It's a nice watch, but I think the OP could hold out for a slightly nicer example. The 1680 white hasn't seen the same popularity as other Subs so nice examples are still somewhat easier to come by.

[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

Sure. There are a couple of things that I always look for when trying to determine the quality of a case.

Keep in mind, these watches were finished by hand so they all didn't look the same when leaving the factory. Also, my opinion of a case that has been over polished may not be the same as yours or the next guy. This is all a bit subjective.

Anyway...

The first thing that I look at are the crown guards. When new, the crown guards of these watches were pretty thick and many has a sharp, brushed edge on the top. After a few polishings, the crown guard become thin and the brushed edge is lost (as seen on this watch). Lugs are often refinished and chamfers are recut, but I've never seen somebody restore the crown guards.

I also look at the sharpness of teeth on the bezel and the sharpness of the lug holes. When a case has been polished over and over, the lug holes no longer sit flat and start to develop indentations. I look at all of these components together when evaluating the condition of a watch and trying to determine if it has been polished in the past and what the current condition is.

Bob's describes the watch as possibly unpolished, but I'd say that it has definitely been polished in the past. It's a nice watch, but I think the OP could hold out for a slightly nicer example. The 1680 white hasn't seen the same popularity as other Subs so nice examples are still somewhat easier to come by.

.

Thank you very much ! Especially concerning the small brushed edge (or lack thereof)on crown guards.

[brandrea]

OP, welcome to the world of vintage. Ask a question and you'll get many different answers

Looks good to me, go for it

[lee fowler]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

Sure. There are a couple of things that I always look for when trying to determine the quality of a case.

Keep in mind, these watches were finished by hand so they all didn't look the same when leaving the factory. Also, my opinion of a case that has been over polished may not be the same as yours or the next guy. This is all a bit subjective.

Anyway...

The first thing that I look at are the crown guards. When new, the crown guards of these watches were pretty thick and many has a sharp, brushed edge on the top. After a few polishings, the crown guard become thin and the brushed edge is lost (as seen on this watch). Lugs are often refinished and chamfers are recut, but I've never seen somebody restore the crown guards.

I also look at the sharpness of teeth on the bezel and the sharpness of the lug holes. When a case has been polished over and over, the lug holes no longer sit flat and start to develop indentations. I look at all of these components together when evaluating the condition of a watch and trying to determine if it has been polished in the past and what the current condition is.

Bob's describes the watch as possibly unpolished, but I'd say that it has definitely been polished in the past. It's a nice watch, but I think the OP could hold out for a slightly nicer example. The 1680 white hasn't seen the same popularity as other Subs so nice examples are still somewhat easier to come by.

I mostly agree with the above but crown guards etc can loose the matt finish and square edges just by being worn and as also has been said they would have been finished by hand and so not always square and even as can be seen in many early brochures. I have three or four unpolished examples with straight edged spring bar lug holes but worn crown guard edges probably from shirt cuffs etc. Welcome to the World of Vintage!!

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by lee fowler

I mostly agree with the above but crown guards etc can loose the matt finish and square edges just by being worn and as also has been said they would have been finished by hand and so not always square and even as can be seen in many early brochures. I have three or four unpolished examples with straight edged spring bar lug holes but worn crown guard edges probably from shirt cuffs etc. Welcome to the World of Vintage!!

If the crown guards lose their sharpness from normal wear, I'd expect to see the same wear on the lugs. Again, you have to look at the entire watch.

Nothing I said is set in stone, though. Those are just my general guidelines. There are always exceptions.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

Sure. There are a couple of things that I always look for when trying to determine the quality of a case.

Keep in mind, these watches were finished by hand so they all didn't look the same when leaving the factory. Also, my opinion of a case that has been over polished may not be the same as yours or the next guy. This is all a bit subjective.

Anyway...

The first thing that I look at are the crown guards. When new, the crown guards of these watches were pretty thick and many has a sharp, brushed edge on the top. After a few polishings, the crown guard become thin and the brushed edge is lost (as seen on this watch). Lugs are often refinished and chamfers are recut, but I've never seen somebody restore the crown guards.

I also look at the sharpness of teeth on the bezel and the sharpness of the lug holes. When a case has been polished over and over, the lug holes no longer sit flat and start to develop indentations. I look at all of these components together when evaluating the condition of a watch and trying to determine if it has been polished in the past and what the current condition is.

Bob's describes the watch as possibly unpolished, but I'd say that it has definitely been polished in the past. It's a nice watch, but I think the OP could hold out for a slightly nicer example. The 1680 white hasn't seen the same popularity as other Subs so nice examples are still somewhat easier to come by.

Great advice above. A couple things I'll add ... Sub crown guards often have a ridge when unpolished that shows up only at certain angles. It's the first thing I look at on a case. It's a great clue to whether the case has been polished or not, but is still not definitive. Below is the ridge on my U-serial 14060 Sub that I believe has never been polished.

Also, in terms of white 1680s ... I often read, "There are better examples available," but I really don't see a lot out there. Yes, you can hunt and and hunt and probably maybe possibly find one better than the last one, and then wait another couple of months and then maybe there will be an even better one, and on and on. But like all good examples of vintage Rolexes, they are drying up. Mediocre examples can be found, but the nice ones are getting tougher to locate (and more expensive) every day.

Keep in mind that the red and white 1680s were made for roughly the same time period, each only about 6-7 years, and I see a lot more red 1680s for sale.