Found a Rolex years ago. What to do with it now?

Ok, I think I found the watch. It is supposed to be 18k gold.

So if yours is gold, then there is a good chance that it is the real deal.

However, take a look at the chronos, they are different.

https://shop.rebag.com/products/watch-rolex-oyster-perpetual-cosmograph-daytona-automatic-watch-white-gold-and-alligator-with-sodalite-dial-and-diamond-markers-40684332/?utm_content=feed-file-goog&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgbS-hqKV7gIVE4zICh1NmgcUEAQYASABEgJQx_D_BwE




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We’re getting there!
Honestly, now I’m just more curious than anything, and want to figure out what it is. I saw this one on chrono24.com that matches my watch.

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Yes, but I’m sure that is 18k gold not and SS.

If yours if gold, I would say you have a winner. It is very rare to see a gold replica.




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All of the similar models that I've seen are White Gold.


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And the chronos are also different.


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true

 

How?
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Zenith Daytonas have the seconds on the left sub-dial. The successor model with the Rolex movement has it in the center/bottom sub-dial.

 

I was looking at a different picture. Yes, these two pictures look exact at first glance. The chrono pushers look different but that may just be the angle. I think if you can confirm that yours is 18k gold, you have the real deal. The biggest difference is the weight. A gold Rolex is substantially heavier than a SS one. Besides, they don’t really make replica gold ones....I have personally only seen a fake gold Rolex once in my life.


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Here is the clasp of my watch. Looks identical to other examples I have seen, although I am hardly an expert. Also, regarding the weight, this watch is heavier than my Submariner. I know they are different watches, but the difference is noticeable.

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His chrono pushers look different because they’re unscrewed. It’s hard to confirm from pics only but I don’t see any red flags in regards to it being fake.

 

18k! This may be it man. Awesome. Congrats


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Would running the serial number here help to determine if it was ever report stolen?

https://www.thewatchregister.com/

D

 

Really, the moral thing to do would be to bring it to an authorized Rolex dealer and have it checked out. If it was lost or stolen, shouldn't the original owner get it back? What's the point of keeping an item that you acquired through less than legitimate means? If it turns out to not be stolen, then you have a clear conscience and can do whatever you want.

On the other hand, if I had lost this nice watch, it would be wonderful to get the call that it's been found by an honest man.

 

Do you have any pictures of the underside of the case. That should have a gold stamp on it too in addition to what's on the clasp. I believe it's under one of the lugs. The sodalite dial you have is pretty cool and rare but again would have to be seen in person for a full authentication.

 

If you want to get a value and authentication, pretty easy:

https://www.bobswatches.com/sell-rolex-watch/tracing-answers

 

The story really doesn’t matter. What matters is if the watch is the genuine article.
You can show it to a someone who is in the business of buying and selling Rolex watches. They will tell you if it’s real or a fake.

 

Zenith movement and Rolex in house movement have completely different sundials and their positions relative to the hour markers are different, The Zenith sundials are lined up at 3 and 9, The Rolex in house are slightly above the 3 and 9.
This watch bezel pretends to be Rolex in-house movement. Rolex would not perform this alteration. It could have been done by someone else but I doubt the bezel would fit. Also the stamping# on the clasp don’t match the rolex in-house movement clasp at all.
Not even close. Does it match the zenith markings? Well that doesn’t matter because the other side of the clasp is pretending to be Rolex in-house with the polished center and brushed out design, which is not Zenith. So the band and the clasp are total Fugazi.

Maybe this is some sort of Frankenstein watch with some real and some fake? I doubt it. F you look at the case, the lug guards are pretending to be Rolex in house movement but dial pretends to be Zenith So if the movement is Zenith then the Rolex in house case wouldnt fit.

 

I've read and learned more about Daytona's in the last few days than I ever thought I would. Here is what I've found/seen....

According to the following link, that was posted earlier in this thread, this watch would be a Zenith Daytona. I haven't yet had a chance to have it looked at, but that fits with what I've read, and the info you provided regarding the dial locations.
https://www.timeandwatches.com/p/history-of-rolex-cosmograph-daytona.html?m=1

Here is a screenshot from the link of the paragraph describing this watch:

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Also, regarding the clasp - you are mistaken. The whole outside of this clasp is polished. I can see how you thought the sides were brushed in the photo, but that is not the case.

As far as the bezel, could you explain what you meant by "This watch bezel pretends to be Rolex in-house movement."? The bezel seems to match all the other examples I have seen on 16519 watches online. What am I missing?

 

This is more than a dial difference, it is a movement difference. The dial function is dictated by the movement.

The first 2 series of the watches (early 4 digit model and 165XX) with the Valjoux 72 and then Zenith derived movements had the same layout. Running seconds at 9 pm, 30 minute totalizer at 3 pm and the hour totalizer at 6 pm.

This changed (forget the year) when they went to the in house movement. The hour totalizer went to 9 pm and the running seconds went to 6 pm.

That dial configuration is correct for a watch with the Zenith movement.

To OP - you reference the 1 missing from the minute totalizer. It's not missing. It's in there somewhere. Likely fell off when it hit the ground and could be wedged between dial edge and case. Hopefully it didn't make its way into the movement.

 

Sorry about some typos. It’s my iPhone. I meant subdials not sundials! Only an really old Rolex has sundials!

And in regards to the guards I meant crown guards.

I know a little bit about the differences since I was shopping for a Zenith Daytona. Then I learned that Rolex had developed their own movement which they patented. There was a nice write up in some of the magazines devoted to watches. Watch magazine in particular has a detailed and somewhat technical article.

I shopped for a steel in house model, but couldn’t find a new one. Then I saw a white gold model with a silver face and red sub dial hands and pulled the trigger. White gold has a bright luster and is much heavier than steel. Your watch pretends to be white gold but it is not. Again anyone in the watch business knows the heft of gold
Platinum is even heavier

 

Please look carefully at the bezel marking on the Zenith and on yours. Your bezel has markings pretending to be the in house movement. But obviously your watch doesn’t have the Rolex in house movement. So the bezel is incorrect. There are other details on the case which are not the same when comparing Zenith to Rolex in house. Also the clasp design and the stamping which on your watch look fake

 

Do you think your watch case is white gold or stainless. (The clasp marking indicates gold)

 

The case appears to be white gold. Here are all the markings.

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Here’s an article/blog I saw on this specific watch. Seems to match my watch exactly. I’ve seen many (relatively speaking) of these online, and I’m just not seeing any differences.

https://www.watchbrotherslondon.com/articles/watch-on-my-mind-rolex-daytona-sodalite-diamond-set-ref-16519