Red Sub that needs work. Is it worth it?

[996marty]

Originally Posted by cruvon

Mean price was low or high? Not on top of latest prices but all correct ones from popular US vintage dealers seem to be about 25-30k USD (20-24 GBP) though UK prices may be dearer , offcourse this one had work to be done.

Price was definitely on the low side

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by Dan S

That's the danger of posting on the forum in the days of reverse image searching.

This.

[996marty]

Originally Posted by Dan S

That's the danger of posting on the forum in the days of reverse image searching.

To be honest it was really easy to find with a google search

[alwayshere]

To be fair, a few of us already said that the price was attractive. Gotta be quick!

Good luck to anyone who can get a red sub in that condition for that price again.

[shammad10]

If it's too good to be true....

The price was a good 20% below market price in the UK for a red 1680.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by tommm

Someone got it! It wasn’t me!

You may have escaped a world of hurt there. I would be raising both eyebrows at a Red Sub for 10k, and jogging if not running in the other direction.

[Dench]

I'm just getting into vintage Rolex, and this looks to be a good time. The market is very soft and great for buyers. Who was the seller?

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Dench

I'm just getting into vintage Rolex, and this looks to be a good time. The market is very soft and great for buyers.

In principle, yes, but that also means that many collectors will just sit on their better examples and wait out the market. Good vintage watches are as hard to find as ever, so make sure you do your homework if you are bargain hunting.

[996marty]

Originally Posted by Dench

I'm just getting into vintage Rolex, and this looks to be a good time. The market is very soft and great for buyers. Who was the seller?

The seller of that particular watch was Fine Watch Club In Norwich

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by zapokee

You may have escaped a world of hurt there. I would be raising both eyebrows at a Red Sub for 10k, and jogging if not running in the other direction.

Agree getting vintages in a hurry without doing full due diligence can go either way. Here the OP had to still investigate serial number matching for MK6, the quality of the markings between the lugs, case quality, movement and case back pictures, etc. It is a risky business and best left to experts in the game to avoid disappointment, especially for new entrants to vintage!

[tommm]

Thanks for all the posts folks!

Yeah it was a very very low price so someone has got a good daily there. It was by no means a collector piece but I’d have had it.

For me I wanted to get that extra info before I took the plunge, fair play to whoever took the chance but I need to do the due diligence really.

Another one will come up, so the hunt goes on! I’ve never had a vintage watch so this my first so I gotta be sure really.

Great help as always

[Kingface66]

Take some solace in the fact that when you buy a watch with issues, the day will come when you try and sell it and it will be a frustrating and exasperating experience, and you’ll most likely not get the price you’ve sought (been there, myself, and it was awful).

[1675-David]

This thread is a must read for anyone getting into the vintage market..

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=353899

[Dench]

Originally Posted by 996marty

The seller of that particular watch was Fine Watch Club In Norwich

Thank you!

[zapokee]

Jacek at Tropical Watch in San Diego has Red Subs for sale all the time. He knows what he's doing, and ships internationally. He has two Red Subs on the website right now.

I'd work with somebody like him to make sure you're getting what you think you're getting. Vintage Rolex is a minefield unless you know exactly what you're doing. I wouldn't advise trying to do it all yourself.

A good dealer's expertise is built into the price, but you'll save yourself a bunch of time/hassle and sleep well at night.

(I have no affiliation with Jacek - just good experiences.)

[av1atic]

Originally Posted by zapokee

Jacek at Tropical Watch in San Diego has Red Subs for sale all the time. He knows what he's doing, and ships internationally. He has two Red Subs on the website right now.

I'd work with somebody like him to make sure you're getting what you think you're getting. Vintage Rolex is a minefield unless you know exactly what you're doing. I wouldn't advise trying to do it all yourself.

A good dealer's expertise is built into the price, but you'll save yourself a bunch of time/hassle and sleep well at night.

(I have no affiliation with Jacek - just good experiences.)

Echo this entirely. Very sound advice.

Jacek/Tropical Watch has been fantastic to work with as has Scott/HQMilton. They represent two of the best in this world of vintage Rolex. I would look there and consult with them as a good starting point.

[alwayshere]

Guys, i'm not sure what some of you mean by "the watch has issues". Exactly what is that?

- clean dial Mark VI
- decent case

The only nitpick is the later service hands which can easily be sourced with a bit of patience and they won't tip the scale if you bought the watch for 10K GBP.

I'm all for due diligence too but this watch was a solid deal whichever way you look at it.

[996marty]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

Guys, i'm not sure what some of you mean by "the watch has issues". Exactly what is that?

- clean dial Mark VI
- decent case

The only nitpick is the later service hands which can easily be sourced with a bit of patience and they won't tip the scale if you bought the watch for 10K GBP.

I'm all for due diligence too but this watch was a solid deal whichever way you look at it.

Spot on summary and for the money it was clearly a great buy

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

Guys, i'm not sure what some of you mean by "the watch has issues". Exactly what is that?

- clean dial Mark VI
- decent case

The only nitpick is the later service hands which can easily be sourced with a bit of patience and they won't tip the scale if you bought the watch for 10K GBP.

I'm all for due diligence too but this watch was a solid deal whichever way you look at it.

multiple minute markers on dial have chips, original pip missing, no bracelet, date wheel should be silver( hard to tell if it is silver from the pictures). And some unknowns like whether serial number is correct for the MK6 dial, if all case engravings are correct and lack of movement pictures. Hard for a new vintage collector to assume all this without taking a gamble but may have been a good deal to someone knowledgeable if the unknown boxes tick!

[alwayshere]

Originally Posted by cruvon

multiple minute markers on dial have chips, original pip missing, no bracelet, date wheel should be silver( hard to tell if it is silver from the pictures). And some unknowns like whether serial number is correct for the MK6 dial, if all case engravings are correct and lack of movement pictures. Hard for a new vintage collector to guess all this without taking a gamble but may have been a good deal to someone knowledgeable if the unknown boxes tick!

The minor minute hash markers are not uncommon and it doesn't really impact the dial value vs. say missing letters or hour markers peeling.

The lume pip is cheap to source. Price reflects no bracelet.

Anyway, next time I guess!

[Phwtch1]

Originally Posted by Kingface66

Take some solace in the fact that when you buy a watch with issues, the day will come when you try and sell it and it will be a frustrating and exasperating experience, and you’ll most likely not get the price you’ve sought (been there, myself, and it was awful).

Thought about this too.
Now I'm not saying it's a norm to always consider re-sell value but it shouldn't be discarded entirely. Perhaps you don't care much about this and if so it's a good deal.

Sent from my A5_Pro using Tapatalk

[KY..]

Originally Posted by Kingface66

Take some solace in the fact that when you buy a watch with issues, the day will come when you try and sell it and it will be a frustrating and exasperating experience, and you’ll most likely not get the price you’ve sought (been there, myself, and it was awful).

I agree to a point…
There’s a big difference in buying an overpriced watch with issues and buying an underpriced watch with issues.
I’ve been on both sides but have still managed to come out ahead overall.
IMO that watch was very fairly priced even for a novice.
The dial, insert, and functional 1570 movement were worth the price of admission alone.

[alwayshere]

Originally Posted by KY..

I agree to a point…
There’s a big difference in buying an overpriced watch with issues and buying an underpriced watch with issues.
I’ve been on both sides but have still managed to come out ahead overall.
IMO that watch was very fairly priced even for a novice.
The dial, insert, and functional 1570 movement were worth the price of admission alone.

Exactly.

I prefer us to be objective vs. providing false self-assurance.

[Kingface66]

Originally Posted by KY..

I agree to a point…
There’s a big difference in buying an overpriced watch with issues and buying an underpriced watch with issues.
I’ve been on both sides but have still managed to come out ahead overall.
IMO that watch was very fairly priced even for a novice.
The dial, insert, and functional 1570 movement were worth the price of admission alone.

Absolutely fair.
My greater point is, if you’re not that experienced and are trying to sell a watch with issues, great or small, selling it on your own can suck. You can get a ton of low-ball offers, a ton of questions, some accusations, a lot of demands for proof of this or that. It just becomes a headache if you’re not prepared.

[Dom9]

This watch still appears to be on eBay with the same seller for £10,950

[996marty]

Originally Posted by Dom9

This watch still appears to be on eBay with the same seller for £10,950

It’s back on their website at £9950 seems a little odd

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Dom9

This watch still appears to be on eBay with the same seller for £10,950

Originally Posted by 996marty

It’s back on their website at £9950 seems a little odd

The buyer probably returned it, and they reduced the price to try to offload it.

Probably tells you all you need to know.

[IrishChippy]

Originally Posted by zapokee

The buyer probably returned it, and they reduced the price to try to offload it.

Probably tells you all you need to know.

I doubt it as it went from 'for sale' to 'sold' and back 'for sale; in less than 48 hours including delivery.
Somebody probably withdrew their bid, or the item was 'held' for another dealer for 24 hours.
I am usually the skeptical one

[Dan S]

There are a lot of crappy buyers out there. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about the watch just because a sale didn't go through. If the OP regretted not buying the watch previously, here's his chance to pull the trigger.

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by 996marty

It’s back on their website at £9950 seems a little odd

I note it states meters first on eBay blurb !? Also 1976 !? Reds were done by '75.