Where do I start to purchase a vintage Rolex?

[milkyberly7]

I'm shopping for a pre-owned Rolex for my dad's upcoming birthday. It doesn't necessarily have to be vintage but it would be nice - as opposed to just a used watch. He already has a couple so I'm looking for something with a leather strap to differentiate from what he currently has. My budget is around $5K.

I've seen some on Gilt around the $3.5K price point but I don't know the first things about Rolexes. It's non-refundable/returnable and Gilt seemed to know little about the watch itself or if there's paperwork to authenticate. Is Gilt a decent vendor to purchase from? How important are papers?

If not, Gilt, where do I start? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[Dan S]

If you don't have a lot of experience with vintage Rolex, you would be better off buying from a knowledgeable dealer, not a consignment site. There are several that are frequently recommended if you search this site. You should be able to get a nice vintage DateJust for your budget, if that's the type of watch you are considering. You didn't give much detail except for saying you want something with a strap. Most Rolex watches come on bracelets, but the bracelet can be removed and a strap installed. Another thing to be aware of is that most vintage watches will need to be serviced, at an additional cost of roughly $500.

[J!m]

Yeah, vintage rolex is an absolute mine field.

DJs are genberally safe bets, but you need to:

1) figure out the exact model you want
2) learn all about what it did, and did not have
3) find subjects you believe to be correct
4) Probably run it by a few guys here- Springer jumps to mind, but there are others
5) be sure the seller is on the up-n-up. "Buy the seller, not the watch"
6) if you can collect in person, all the better, to avoid shipping mishaps etc.

[coelacanthus]

"It's non-refundable/returnable and Gilt seemed to know little about the watch itself" that line would never be associated with "a decent vendor" so no, I wouldn't not consider buying from that vendor if I were you. I don't know anything about this vendor, but that line above alone is a no-go.

[Dan S]

If you are in Europe, you may need to think about fees and taxes. They can be significant if you import a watch from outside the EU.