Looking to buy this Rolex - what do you think?

[tkc324]

Experts, I need some help on evaluating this 1984 DJ. I like the blue dial with TT gold combo. I think overall its an honest piece. The lugs are a little bit over polished in my opinion, but still ok right? The crystal is plastic so has a scratch between 12 and 1, which I know I Can polish out. Anything else I should watch out for? Do you guys think the dial is period correct? Bracelet looks ok to you guys? Thanks in advance for your help.

[tkc324]

Anyone??

[Dan S]

Bracelet is from 1985 and the clasp looks legit to me. Yes, the case is well polished but if you don't mind that then it's ok. My gut feeling is that the dial is later but others will know better. Even if it is later, it probably shouldn't be a bit deal for you. It's so common for people to swap out dials in DJs.

[rootbeer7]

Looks about right to me. Date charts are approximations so a bracelet around the same time is probably right. ‘T swiss made T’ about right era too. These pieces were made to be worn and in my mind the case looks ok. Lug holes aren’t precariously close to edges.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

These pieces were made to be worn...

No doubt. Do you remember eBay circa 2012-2013? Back then if you searched for vintage Datejust, you found dozens of 3-watch lots for $4k. People had buckets of these and they were just trying to get rid of them.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by Dan S

No doubt. Do you remember eBay circa 2012-2013? Back then if you searched for vintage Datejust, you found dozens of 3-watch lots for $4k. People had buckets of these and they were just trying to get rid of them.

How life has changed !!

[tkc324]

Originally Posted by Dan S

No doubt. Do you remember eBay circa 2012-2013? Back then if you searched for vintage Datejust, you found dozens of 3-watch lots for $4k. People had buckets of these and they were just trying to get rid of them.

THanks for your input... man thats crazy about eBay. Were those vintage DJ in good condition or bad shape? What was the market value of these vintage DJ back then typically? I don’t think I ever saw DJ that cheap but maybe I just wasn’t looking at the right places...

[tkc324]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

Looks about right to me. Date charts are approximations so a bracelet around the same time is probably right. ‘T swiss made T’ about right era too. These pieces were made to be worn and in my mind the case looks ok. Lug holes aren’t precariously close to edges.

Thanks for your input.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by tkc324

THanks for your input... man thats crazy about eBay. Were those vintage DJ in good condition or bad shape? What was the market value of these vintage DJ back then typically? I don’t think I ever saw DJ that cheap but maybe I just wasn’t looking at the right places...

All sorts of condition. Don’t forget, they were the staple of the Rolex range, both steel and two-tone. Always focus on case and bracelet as dials and hands replacement are readily available.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

All sorts of condition. Don’t forget, they were the staple of the Rolex range, both steel and two-tone. Always focus on case and bracelet as dials and hands replacement are readily available.

Yes, I think it's hard for newer collectors to appreciate the fact that DJs were simply treated as daily-wear commodities for so long. And that there are SO many of them, all over the world.

Of course collectors always like to have an original watch, but newbies should understand this is why they get some eye-rolls from experienced collectors when they start picking apart the correctness of these 4- and 5-digit DJs. After decades of thinking about TT DJs as the classic daily old-man beater, it's hard for some of us to transition to thinking about them as highly collectible.