Buying Points
There are many points to buying used Rolexes that newbies often miss, and get overcharged. There are five basic considerations to looks for: bracelet issues, gold-through clasps, solid end links (SELs), lug holes vs. no holes, and presence of box & papers (called a Full Set). We will go through them all, one-by-one, below:
Bracelets
The Oyster bracelet is a durable style developed for the professional watches, whereas the Jubilee bracelet was released in 1945 on the first
Date-Just watch as a dressier style. Pictures from GQ.com’s Watch Bracelet Guide.
Jubilee band is a formal classic style, but its many flexible parts can loosen up over time, which can be a real problem in a pre-worn watch. This writer prefers the more modern look of the the flat, solid link bands.
Osterflex Bracelet
The band with flat links is called “Oysterflex” bracelet. It was first introduced in 2015 on the 37mm Yacht-Master. See the gold through vs. non-gold through Oyster bands above. Whether you get a Jubilee bracelet or a band with solid links, you just don’t want the non-through band even though the watch will be cheaper. It is not as valuable or nice and certainly not considered “collectable.”
The Jubilee bracelet will loosen up in time, and you’ll likely be looking at older watches. You will see pictures of people holding the watch by the case to display how much sag there is in the Jubilee band. The bracelet can be tightened up. The Watch Doctor in a small Pennsylvania town can do this labor-intensive task for only about $200, as he points out his overhead is low. But, it is a hassle as you must send him the watch (although he returns it quickly) and if you get this done anywhere else it will costs much more and take a long time. Here’s a saggy Jubilee bracelet the Watch Doctor soon tightened up.
Solid End Links (SELs)
Rolex used hollow end links until the early 2000s. They were strong, but could loosen over time and just did not as nicely against the case as the newer solid ones did. All solid gold and platinum bracelets had and have solid links, but not the two-tone and one-tone SS models from the early days. This will usually be made clear in an advertisement by a statement saying “solid SELs”; if you don’t see that, inquire before buying a watch. A watch is less valuable and harder to resell without them.
Above are two good pictures from Millenarywatches.com of a SS hollow end links.
Box & Papers
If you buy a watch, make sure it comes with the box and papers (the box isn’t critical, there are many on eBay for ≥$100, but the papers are important). This is called a “Full Set” if there is a box as well as papers. Pamphlets are less important, but the warranty is critical. Up until around 2010 you could figure out the date the watch was manufactured from the serial number, but you can’t anymore. Here’s an explanation of why they did away with serial numbers that could identify the year it was made.
The serial number, before 2010, may often only give you a range of years. The best (and only) way to know the exact year a watch was made is from the date on the warranty that the original owner got (the paperwork) from the dealer. No Rolex sports watch sits on the shelf for long after a dealer receives it, so the date sold (listed as the warranty start by the dealer) is going to be close to when the factory shipped it.
There is like a ten year wait for these watches, so if you want a newer Rolex you’ll pay more on the used market than you will at a Rolex dealer for a brand new one. Many people get on a waitlist and then just sell the watch when it arrives, unworn, on eBay for thousands more than they paid for it at a dealer. This is discouraged by Rolex, and they drop customers from their waitlist who do this sort of profiteering. All Rolexes sold through a dealer go at the retail price, never marked up. There is no lack of watches as Rolex makes a million a year, it is their popularity that keeps the supply low and price high. Rolex even refines its own gold as well as making its own movements, which no other watch maker does.
Holes vs. No Holes
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I consider this small potatoes, but later Rolex watches did away with exposed
lug holes for mounting the bracelet. This is considered desirable, and could be a deal-breaker between two watches close to each other in age and features. Here’s something to think about: Eventually, you are going to want basic tools to adjust watch bands and such. The spring bar on the watch above right is easily accessed with a simple push pin, and is much easier to remove and replace the end links of a band to a watch with exposed spring pins via lug holes. Pictures from millenarywatches.com.
If there are no lug holes, you need a special spring bar tweezer tool to fit in between the end of the lug and push back the spring bar end to remove a bracelet from a newer watch. Most collectors recommend a high quality tool, like the Bergeon 7825 Spring Bar removal tool, as inferior tools make this difficult task even worse. Amazon sells the Bergeon for $175, so I tend to be happy with exposed lug holes!
If there are no lug holes, you need a special spring bar tweezer tool to fit in between the end of the lug and push back the spring bar end to remove a bracelet from a newer watch. Most collectors recommend a high quality tool, like the Bergeon 7825 Spring Bar removal tool, as inferior tools make this difficult task even worse. Amazon sells the Bergeon for $175, so I tend to be happy with exposed lug holes!
To Polish or Not
The great debate! Truly obsessive aficionados of vintage Rolexes will refuse to buy a polished Rolex, arguing it destroys its value
