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

So fittingly it seems to be down to a "roll of the dice" so to speak. Send it in for repair and either end up with a repaired watch worth a nice lump of change for what a couple grand max!? Or you'll never see it again and might have Interpol show up at your door.

Come on, put it all on red or black and roll the bones!!!

 

HAHA. So I'm supposed to treat as fact all the alleged inspections and opinions in this thread. I dont think so. I would rather go by my eye, looking at the original photo posted, and my experience looking at hundreds of Rolexes.

 

The fact that this thread is still going on, despite the OP supposedly having it inspected and getting all these clues and whatever showings its real. . .is probably one of the biggest clues it is fake. He's not trying to authenticate the watch, he's trying to sell it. To one of you.

 

I may be new to this forum, but I'm not new to the planet

 

AGREE

Agree, its a come on for a fake.

 

The watch looks 100% ok to me.
Sodalite dial even looks like a real Rolex sodalite, not an aftermarket.
All correct features and placing of the script.
No doubt for me at all.
Clasp absolutely is white gold, the yellow/greyish discoloration is correct.
Dial alone is like 5000 euro, watch itself 15000 euro.

Every larger jewelry store will be able to open the back without damage for pictures, so we can all admire the 4030 cal movement. (yes I know, you already had an AD open it)
So come on, we like to see, to end all discussions.

 

I'm really surprised there is any debate left to be had. I'll take it on the OP's claim that it is real but that has nothing to do with integrity. Your dad found a very expensive watch and left it to you. It may be hard to understand .....but that does not make it yours. You and your dad avoided getting the watch serviced by Rolex in fear that it would be confiscated. Nothing changes that fact now or 10 years from now with the exception that you can: correct the wrong now or perpetuate the problem.

I know it would be an easier decision if the watch was worth $500 but it really shouldn't matter what it is worth when it may not belong to you.

To Rolex....there is no difference to lost or stolen if it is on their list. You don't know the story of the original owner and what this watch might have meant to them. They lost it years ago and you have it.

Do the right thing and send it in. If they send it to the original owner.....so be it. If they repair it and send it back to you.....that is awesome. In either case your integrity is intact.

 

I wholeheartedly agree. Honestly the most surprising thing to me about this thread is that the OP does not seem to want to explain why he doesn't agree with this simple reasoning.

Also saddening to see that the majority of the posters (but not all) seem to think that it is OK to try to avoid having the watch "confiscated" by Rolex.

I really don't know in which world it is OK to 1) keep an expensive watch found on the ground and not taking it to the local police station and 2) not to send it to Rolex now that 10 years have passed.

 

Sorry, but I have been around here a long time too. I don't think that JayO has mentioned anything about selling the watch. He has had it authenticated - so thats the end of that discussion in my mind.

Whatever he chooses to do with it - keep it or service it is his own business. I have had enough interactions with JayO to believe what he says.


PDG

 

I agree 100% with INRange... doing the right thing is painful, sometimes, but it will feel good in the end, either way.

 

So no updates. I kinda wanna hear how this story ends. But I don't really blame you for posting about it with all the hating going on. If it were me I'd send it in and see what happens.

 

I think the comments come down to either hating/jealousy or warning/education. I've stated mine; they are in the latter. There is another website on replicas and I would not have believed the quality of the Chinese-made replicas recently made until reviewing this (I am not stating specifically the OPs watch is not genuine although I stand on my previous comments with one amendment, replica movements can even be insanely accurate and adjusted such as a Timegrapher will not give it away, at least in resting position). They have now cloned the 4130 movement to the point that many parts interchange with OEM. People go further by replacing the rotor, back plates, winding wheels, not to mention hands and bezels with OEM. The only "tell" is the balance assembly but an OEM parachrome balance complete is only $600 by resellers so that too can be swapped by someone with experience. The average jeweler, even an AD who has a watchmaker in the back is not going to easily discern a replica with mixed parts without a full tear-down, etc. They are that good - a scary, scary world. Ohh and don't think boxes and warranty cards matter, they're faked with matching serial numbers so.....

 

I wonder if the Chinese knockoffs run on time. I have three Rolex's and none of them, even after repeated setting by an AD, keep proper time. My best Rolex gains three to five minutes a month. I accept it as a curiosity of mechanical movements and just reset it when it gets ridiculous.

 

The issue with the replicas is poor quality control on assembly and oiling (not to mention that probably the requisite 4-5 different Moebius oils and grease isn't used. From what I've read once disassembled, cleaned, properly oiled and re-timed the clone 4130 or 3135 or 3235 can run within COSC spec (although I'm not clear if in all positions or if true temperature compensation is really achieved compared with the original). With Rolex we've had mixed results. My mom's 6973 was always slow by 10-15 sec/day and never right despite going back to RSC NY 3 times. My 5 digit sub is +7 sec/day when cleaned but now running -10 or -15 sec/day and needs re-cleaning. My 6 digit Date-just is 5 years old and still great at +1 sec/day. My wife's Yachtmaster? well.....Anyhow, all are of different eras but the modern 6-digit references are supposed to be +/- 2 sec a day and I believe most can now achieve that. Keep in mind the old standard was +/-10 sec per day so a watch gaining 3 minutes a month is within that spec.

 

Cool update. I'd have left the dial as is but I like patina.It's part of the story and would make yours easily identifiable. Look forward to seeing some pics when you get it back and get to wear it.

 

Great news!! I'm glad you got it done. Congratulations.

 

Hello. I came into this thread very late. I can offer you zero comments as to the authenticity of this watch. The fact that Rolex is willing to service it (if I am scanning the tread correctly) says that it is the real thing. If you know nothing about Rolex but are interested in getting it serviced by a master technician and at a fair price, contact Giovanni Passalacqua (415) 982-9830. He has one of my Rolexes now, had serviced several for me. I totally trust his skill and integrity.

 

Congratulations!

 

I find it amusing that a free Rolex costs 7000 in maintenance

 

There's no such thing as a cheap Ferrari either.

 

I had a Zenith Daytona and that watch looked real to me.

Good luck and never sell it.

 

That was a fun thread to read, a delightful story with a nice ending.

I would like to point out that if there is one single place on earth where the solid white gold Rolex Daytona you find on the edge of the road is genuine it is in front of Monaco's Casino.

 

Yeah, you can get a full service and maybe something repaired on a Ferrari for $7k!