First Rolex - questions?

[Sam2710]

Hello all,

I’ve been lurking around these forums for a few years but I have only recently been in a position to be able to purchase my first Rolex. If you don’t mind I just wanted to run some questions past you as this is the most knowledgable Rolex community on the internet. Thank you in advance to all who read or respond to this post - I appreciate your time.

The watch in question is a 2015 Datejust 36 on an oyster bracelet, smooth bezel and silver face. It is pre-owned (obviously) from my local AD, and they have serviced and ‘refurbished’ (polished I assume) it so it looks absolutely amazing. There isn’t a mark on it and it honestly looks brand new. I had some questions about it:

1) is it common to ‘refurbish’ a watch? I assume this just means a polish to bring back the original shine. Is this a bad thing, and does it affect the value negatively?

2) it comes with full box and papers, and the AD has informed me that it is all 100% genuine due to the fact it was serviced and checked during that time. I guess what I am asking, without sounding naive or disrespectful, is whether or not you can fully trust that an AD supplied watch is legitimate? Again, if this is a disrespectful question I apologise.

3) it is priced at £5,000, and they are standing firm on the stance that no discount will be offered. I’m not sure if this breaks forum rules or not, but is that an okay price? I’m aware it will obviously lose value over time, but I don’t want to be thousands out of pocket as soon as I walk out of the showroom.

4) does anyone know what the wait time would be for the same specification watch at retail? I know the DJ is not a professional watch and therefore doesn’t carry the same demand, but if it’s likely to be a couple of months it might be better to wait and (hopefully) get a new one for retail (£5,650).

Thank you all for your help and patience - I’m very excited to be a part of this community so please forgive any stupid questions.

[studioJ]

1. "Serviced", or "polished" - fine. I've not heard of something using the term "Refurbished", without it meaning something broken was replaced as new. I'd want absolutely clarity on what they mean by that. You'll find a million different opinions on polishing, some prefer the dinks as it shows authenticity, others don't. A good way to check for over polishing is to look at the crown on the clasp - it should be well defined.

2. If it's a well respected established store, then I wouldn't worry.

3+4. You won't be able to find that spec at an AD. However, I would find the AD's in your area and go in for a chat with them. Do it in person - you won't get anything over the phone.

Lastly, and probably most importantly; On the "I don't want to be thousands out of pocket" - if you don't want to be out of pocket, don't buy the watch at all. From the minute you buy it, you'll be £5k "out of pocket".

[DESH]

Originally Posted by studioJ

1. "Serviced", or "polished" - fine. I've not heard of something using the term "Refurbished", without it meaning something broken was replaced as new. I'd want absolutely clarity on what they mean by that. You'll find a million different opinions on polishing, some prefer the dinks as it shows authenticity, others don't. A good way to check for over polishing is to look at the crown on the clasp - it should be well defined.

2. If it's a well respected established store, then I wouldn't worry.

3+4. You won't be able to find that spec at an AD. However, I would find the AD's in your area and go in for a chat with them. Do it in person - you won't get anything over the phone.

Lastly, and probably most importantly; On the "I don't want to be thousands out of pocket" - if you don't want to be out of pocket, don't buy the watch at all. From the minute you buy it, you'll be £5k "out of pocket".

well said-

[YTimepiece]

DJ 36 is a wonderful watch! They are quite accessible both new and second wrist. I would shop around a little bit. However, if this piece has you saying to yourself “this is the one” go for it! If you are buying it ask if they serviced it in-house and take the time to make sure its all Rolex parts! Good luck!

[jamesy983]

Hi Sam,

Congrats on having the money saved.

From reading what you wrote and described the watch, have you given any thoughts to the new oyster perpetual 36mm in Silver? If you ask my honest opinion, if you’re going for a DJ, you should get a jubilee bracelet at minimum, along with fluted bezel at best.

The fact that you’re getting oyster (sport) and a smooth bezel sounds more like an OP or even Explorer I, which you can get for brand new at similar price points.

Just my thoughts, but I would definitely recommend looking into the new OP 36MM and see if any of them strike a fancy from you.

[Sam2710]

Thank you to all of you - I've read your posts and taken all the advice on board.

studioJ - I'll be sure to clarify exactly what they mean by 'refurbished' and whether that means anything was replaced.

TYimepiece - The watch has a sticker with green stripes on the side of the case, which I believe it was sent to Rolex to be serviced? They also have the receipt for the service. They did mention that they were opening an in-house service centre at some point in the near future but it hasn't been done yet.

jamesy983 - Thank you for the suggestions, but for some reason I have my heart set on a date function. Don't ask me why haha! Sometimes we just can't explain these things. Yes, ideally I would like the fluted bezel with the oyster bracelet, but the fact that it's purely in WG pushes the price up a bit too much for me at this stage.

Thank you all.