Don't Buy From AuthenticWatches.com!

[MiamiBoy]

I saw a Rolex Daytona with the APH error in an ad on AuthenticWatches.com so I emailed to make sure that is what they were selling and not just using the picture and got the written reply, "We have checked with our product team the letter for this item is "M" which means it was manufactured in 2007, or 2008. This item is an APH error model."
The watch I received doesn't have the error dial so I spoke with their manager and he says she didn't know what she was talking about and the picture didn't show the APH error dial. Of course, the ad is gone and and I unfortunately didn't grab a screen shot of it.
So caveat emptor: Don't do business with these crooks. Typical bait & switch cheats.
Boy, am I steamed!
EDIT: I can get 90% of my money back and I'm not going to lose $2900 just for the quirky APH print anomaly. The point is, they are cheaters and liars so learn from my mistake and take screenshots. And probably best to buy on Chrono24 from a private seller than to deal with slimy people.

[BillA]

Sorry to hear of your disappointment.
The APH dial is not an error. Rolex made tons of them, they are not rare.
Can you return and get your money back?

[1665fan]

If you send your Daytona in for service and they replace the dial and hands like they usually do they will put an APH dial in for you…..they have plenty of them left

[KathleenL]

What is an APH dial?

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by MiamiBoy

I saw a Rolex Daytona with the APH error in an ad on AuthenticWatches.com so I emailed to make sure that is what they were selling and not just using the picture and got the written reply, "We have checked with our product team the letter for this item is "M" which means it was manufactured in 2007, or 2008. This item is an APH error model."
The watch I received doesn't have the error dial so I spoke with their manager and he says she didn't know what she was talking about and the picture didn't show the APH error dial. Of course, the ad is gone and and I unfortunately didn't grab a screen shot of it.
So caveat emptor: Don't do business with these crooks. Typical bait & switch cheats.
Boy, am I steamed!

Sorry to hear that. Can’t you return it for a full refund?

[nollie85]

They should have a return policy in place. Maybe 7 days return if not as described.

Most gray dealers have something like that.

[rkny]

Always save pictures or screenshots of watches you’re about to buy.

[Bladeshot]

I bought a 116520 from a reputable dealer a couple weeks ago and it has the APH dial. I realized that when I got it. But the thing is - I don’t care whether it does or not. They are not rare. Not a big deal. It’s internet hype.

I get that you wanted it. Sorry you got another watch. Send it back.

Someday, in 50 years, maybe some of this stuff will matter. But not now.

Enjoy your watch.

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by BillA

Sorry to hear of your disappointment.
The APH dial is not an error. Rolex made tons of them, they are not rare.
Can you return and get your money back?

It's not the rarity of it but it's a little more collectible and "interesting", at least to me. I wanted a Daytona and I got a Daytona so I'm not complaining about that. What I'm complaining about is their slimy bait-&-switch practice. If I return the watch I can use the credit to buy another watch from them and I have no intention of doing business with them again. But if I want a refund, they will keep 10% which amounts to $2,900.

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by rkny

Always save pictures or screenshots of watches you’re about to buy.

Now you tell me?!?

[SaintMickey]

Originally Posted by KathleenL

What is an APH dial?

And why would we want one.

[hellofromthebay]

Crazy! I'm so sorry to hear it.

I thought you'd be able to find a copy at the internet archive. If you aren't familiar, it's a service that essentially saves the state of websites going back to the start of time!

https://web.archive.org/web/*/https:...icwatches.com/

But turns out "AuthenticWatches" blocks the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

"This URL has been excluded from the Wayback Machine."

I hope your credit card company can help. AMEX (Fingers crossed)

[SaintMickey]

HAHA! That looks HORRIBLE. That's the dial I wouldn't want!!!!

https://wristporn.com/rolex-daytona-...omplete-guide/

[Rick_Nashville]

Originally Posted by KathleenL

What is an APH dial?

In the upper half of the dial, in the word 'Cosmograph', the space between the 'R' and the 'A' is wider than the spaces between the other letters.

[MiamiBoy]

I've always wanted a Daytona with white face and without the black Cerachrom bezel and finally decided to buy one and found that APH "error" a little quirky and intersting to decided to set my sights on that particular iteration. I almost bought one on Chrono24 from a nice private seller in the UK who is the original owner, with duties it would be considerably more expensive than to buy one in the States. But like most of you said, it really doesn't matter because it's a lovely watch and I won't fret over the APH issue and will love wearing it.

[BillA]

First, I hope you did not pay more for this “non-error” dial and no, it is not more collectible than a non-APH dial. Dealers hype it and want you to think it is more collectible. It is just like the “error” dial BS for the GMT with the stick dial vs. Roman numerals. That is probably the biggest BS around.

To be honest, part of me is sorry you are disappointed. The other part of me is that I am not feeling sorry for you. Your have been a member of this forum since 2017 and you have to have read about the BS that dealers say with “error” dials.

You have a beautiful watch, enjoy it, and don’t look back..

A comment on your first post: No it is not better to buy from someone on Chrono24, but better to buy from one of the Trusted Sellers on TRF. Again, you have been around since 2017, you should know this.

[SaintMickey]

Originally Posted by MiamiBoy

I've always wanted a Daytona with white face and without the black Cerachrom bezel and finally decided to buy one and found that APH "error" a little quirky and intersting to decided to set my sights on that particular iteration. I almost bought one on Chrono24 from a nice private seller in the UK who is the original owner, with duties it would be considerably more expensive than to buy one in the States. But like most of you said, it really doesn't matter because it's a lovely watch and I won't fret over the APH issue and will love wearing it.

Don't see it on yours....

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Bladeshot

I bought a 116520 from a reputable dealer a couple weeks ago and it has the APH dial. I realized that when I got it. But the thing is - I don’t care whether it does or not. They are not rare. Not a big deal. It’s internet hype.

I get that you wanted it. Sorry you got another watch. Send it back.

Someday, in 50 years, maybe some of this stuff will matter. But not now.

Enjoy your watch.

You didn’t randomly buy an APH dial. You can decide that you don’t care about it, which is fine. But spewing nonsense that they don’t matter and they are unimportant and not worth more is simply not correct. They are not worth more to you. But to the people collecting, they pay more. They are not red sub or DRSD important, but small errors or variables make a difference in 4 and 5 digit Rolex.

[BillA]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You didn’t randomly buy an APH dial. You can decide that you don’t care about it, which is fine. But spewing nonsense that they don’t matter and they are unimportant and not worth more is simply not correct. They are not worth more to you. But to the people collecting, they pay more. They are not red sub or DRSD important, but small errors or variables make a difference in 4 and 5 digit Rolex.

Spoiler alert: the APH dial is not rare, so if not rare what is the collectibility value?

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by BillA

First, I hope you did not pay more for this “non-error” dial

Nah, I paid a fair price for it and less than I would have had I bought the one a private seller in the UK was selling.

Originally Posted by BillA

To be honest, part of me is sorry you are disappointed.

I'm not really disappointed because I never heard of "APH" until very recently but have wanted a Daytona for years and years so I'm thrilled to own one now. I just don't like to be deceived and lied to.

Originally Posted by BillA

You have a beautiful watch, enjoy it, and don’t look back..

Wearing it right now and loving it! But I'll never buy from those creeps again and will be a lot more careful in the future.

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by hellofromthebay

But turns out "AuthenticWatches" blocks the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

"This URL has been excluded from the Wayback Machine."

I'm not surprised. They've done this sort of thing before, I'm sure.

Originally Posted by hellofromthebay

I hope your credit card company can help. AMEX (Fingers crossed)

Nope, anything over $10K has to be wire transfer, no credit cards allowed.

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by BillA

Spoiler alert: the APH dial is not rare, so if not rare what is the collectibility value?

That’s the weird world we live in. Tiffany OPs are not inherently rare either, but people want them. Nothing modern Rolex is really rare. But APHs were absolutely made for a small period of time, a few years. I’m sure they made a crazy number, but people are paying more for them.

[Slimpee]

Jory Goodman aka “The Time Teller” recently had a bad experience with Authenticwatches.com as well. They sound super sketchy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kgBwvgZ3JU0

[BillA]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

That’s the weird world we live in. Tiffany OPs are not inherently rare either, but people want them. Nothing modern Rolex is really rare. But APHs were absolutely made for a small period of time, a few years. I’m sure they made a crazy number, but people are paying more for them.

We do not know if they were made for a small period of time. For all we know, maybe Rolex made more APH dials then non-APH dials. Rolex gives us no numbers.

However, we all have a right to think what we want and spend our money as we wish, so if one thinks they are collectible or rare, then so be it.

[daysky1]

I also had a bad experience with them, I think the person I dealt with was named Peter. I had purchased a Rolex Explorer II, white dial. Was supposed to be from an AD Display never owned, carefully inspected etc. But when I got it the rehaut was all scratched up, clear around and the serial number was so messed up the 1 looked like a F. It was terrible. I contacted a Rolex repairer in Florida and sent pictures and he said somebody, not Rolex, had messed it up. I called Peter back and he said it came from Rolex that way, so I contacted Rolex in New York, ask for somebody I could talk to about the quality of this watch and was connected to a gentleman who said Rolex would never release a watch in the condition I was describing. I had by this time called and got a return authorization number and sent the watch back. Peter had it in his hands when telling me there was nothing wrong with it. I finally entered into a dispute via Paypal and got most of my money refunded, except for the extended warranty and left it at that. I also won't buy from them anymore. My watch was under warranty from them and they refused to refund my money. I would have settled for a credit even but he said he could exchange the head of the watch for another one of the same kind and charge me another $1,000.00 and that was the best he could do. I am glad I used PayPal since they wouldn't make this right. I felt he was just leading me on, trying to outsmart me or convince me nothing was wrong with the rehaut but I had pictures and confirmed the scratches done after it had left Rolex. Which meant somebody had opened the watch and messed up the rehaut in the process of doing whatever they were doing.

[Flintstone]

Your fault. Always buy the seller, not the watch. Lesson learned. The hard way.

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by Slimpee

Jory Goodman aka “The Time Teller” recently had a bad experience with Authenticwatches.com as well. They sound super sketchy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kgBwvgZ3JU0

Yes! Definitely watch this, not so much for the way AuthenticWatch mistreated this guy but for the entertainment value: He's great! I'd never seen him before but I will start to follow him now. Thanks for the heads up, Slimpee.

[MiamiBoy]

Originally Posted by daysky1

I also had a bad experience with them. I had purchased a Rolex Explorer II, white dial. Was supposed to be from an AD Display never owned, carefully inspected etc.

I actually bought two Rolexes from them last night and got them today, both supposedly never owned, AD display watches, etc., etc. Mine look brand new but a good polishing can make most any watch look new, so unless I can trace the serial numbers like you can with CarFax to find out the sale history of these watches, chances are they are just used watches that have been prettied up.

[Bladeshot]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You didn’t randomly buy an APH dial. You can decide that you don’t care about it, which is fine. But spewing nonsense that they don’t matter and they are unimportant and not worth more is simply not correct. They are not worth more to you. But to the people collecting, they pay more. They are not red sub or DRSD important, but small errors or variables make a difference in 4 and 5 digit Rolex.

I agree that variances matter a lot, especially on 4 and 5 digit. This is a 6 digit. I’m sure they matter here, too.

I suppose I should have made it more clear that I was stating opinion as to my views on the value, so as not to offend you. YMMV.

Originally Posted by MiamiBoy

I've always wanted a Daytona with white face and without the black Cerachrom bezel and finally decided to buy one and found that APH "error" a little quirky and intersting to decided to set my sights on that particular iteration. I almost bought one on Chrono24 from a nice private seller in the UK who is the original owner, with duties it would be considerably more expensive than to buy one in the States. But like most of you said, it really doesn't matter because it's a lovely watch and I won't fret over the APH issue and will love wearing it.

Great watch! I’ll PM you. If you find your way north, sometime, perhaps we can trade. As mentioned, I’m not picky on that APH point.

Glad you are enjoying it. It’s an awesome piece.

[Rado63]

Unfortunately the watch world is filled with unscrupulous dealers.