Incoming! My first vintage Rolex!!

[Wesley Crusher]

Hi all,

First and foremost, I want to wish you all a very happy new year! May 2015 bring you all happiness, health and prosperity!

In December of 2013, I purchased my first Rolex. I spent a few months researching different models and decided on a 114060. I still remember the first time I put it on my wrist. It was amazing and I thought that there was no better Rolex. To this day, I still believe that the 114060 is the best modern Rolex. In my opinion, it really embodies everything that Rolex represents.

As I spent more time on TRF, my knowledge of Rolex (and watches in general) grew exponentially. I still think of myself as a real novice, but I have learned a thing or two. Over the past few months, one thing that I wanted to learn more about is vintage Rolex. Though I haven't posted much in the vintage section, I always lurked. I drooled over all of your wonderful pictures and the stories that come along with your vintage watches. I'm sure that many of you know that I have been fairly vocal in favor of modern watches over vintage. In some ways, I still feel the same way. From a technical standpoint, of course a modern Rolex is more advanced than an older model. They are built to a different standard. Having said that, I asked myself, "Is there more to a watch than the specs?" The answer to this question will be different for everybody, but for me, the answer was yes!

For the last few months, I have been thinking where I envision my watch collection going in 2015. I thought about added a 216570 to my 114060 and having the ultimate "modern tool duo", but the idea of going vintage was always in the back of my mind. But where do I start, I thought? A vintage watch is completely different than a modern watch. Has the dial been relumed? Have the hands been replaced? Is the case too polished? There are a ton of things that one must consider to determine if a watch is worth buying. Thanks to the great people here, I believe I learned enough to 1) Determine exactly what I want, 2) Know what to look out for, and 3) Figure out, more or less, how much I should pay.

When deciding on which vintage watch I wanted to start with, I really didn’t have to think twice. The 1675 was the obvious answer. I don’t know what, but it has a certain charm to it that I cannot help but love. There are many other vintage Rolex watches that I love, but I knew that I wanted to start with a 1675.

Without further ado, I present to you all, my Rolex 1675.



When I saw this watch, it was love at first sight. The combination of the wonderfully faded, fat-font insert, matching dial and hands (with great patina, to boot) and case made this watch, in my eyes, a real winner.



I always try to go into things with low expectations to avoid disappointment, but I must admit, I was so excited about this watch. When I finally had it in my hands, I was (and am) over the moon. Totally. Over. The. Moon. This is everything that I hoped it would be. Putting it on my wrist for the first time, I felt like I was reunited with an old friend. Keep in mind, until this watch, I had never even seen a vintage Rolex in person.

Coming straight from a 114060, there were some obvious differences. The bracelet is light and rattles a bit, the movement is non-hacking, the watch looks smaller, etc…, but I don’t care. Am I in the honeymoon phase? Yes. Having said that, I could not be happier with my decision.

I want to thank all of you for helping to make this possible. Some of you helped me evaluate watches and gave me your opinions. Others helped me simply by posting pictures and stories of their wonderful watches. Finally, I would like to thank John aka Springer for selling me this wonderful watch. John is a really knowledgable guy and a real asset to the community. Thanks, John!

I am really happy to be able to share this with you guys. I am looking forward to being able to contribute to the vintage section in 2015 and maybe post another incoming or two. :)

Wes