Need Help Identifying Rolex 6239

[theautoinsider]

Hi all,

I've been lurking around the forums for a few months now and feel this is probably the best place to get some information on my grandfather's watch that was recently passed down to me from my father.

I'd like to have it valued by a professional for insurance purposes, but I thought I'd bring it to this great community first to see what I'm dealing with. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I've included more images below, but I'll try to identify what I know so far.

• Early 60's Rolex 6239 with serial number 1,09X,XX.
• No paperwork, box, or history beyond my grandfather handing it down to my father in the early 70's. It sat in a safe since the late 70's – early 80's.
• Black face with white subdials.
• Manual wind, but will not hold time for long (afraid to wind too much).
• Not sure which movement without removing back case.
• Hand on the hour subdial seems to have removed itself over the years, now sits in the second subdial.
• Main dial says: "Rolex" "Cosmograph" and "–T Swiss T–"
• Outer bezel says: "Units Per Hour" up to 300
• I believe the bracelet is the original, but unsure.
• To my knowledge, the watch has never been serviced or polished.

Per the loose subdial hand, should I risk having it repaired? I live in Brooklyn so Rolex Watch U.S.A. is only a short cab ride away.

I think that's the gist of it. Thanks!

[Tools]

Nice watch..

Could be worth north of $20,000 if properly restored and authentic..

Do not send it to Rolex for service, you need a restoration professional for this watch..

I would recommend Bob Ridley at www.watchmakers.com in Dallas Texas.. he specialized in Rolex restoration and is well respected in the community..

[Michael M.]

Wow! Very nice 6239. The 1.0mil serial would put it around 1963. The watch would have been equipped with a Valjoux 72 when it was made, and these movements/different variations of it where used until around 1988 when a new model came out, the 16520 featuring the automatic winding caliber 4030 Zenith movement. Once restored this is about a $23-$25,000 watch assuming that spot near two o'clock is just a spot on the acrylic crystal and not the dial.

As far as restoration goes there are several good options, Rolex USA NYC not being one of them as they do not like working on vintage pieces. I would contact Bob Ridley/Watchmakers International as said above or ABC Watchwerks here is Los Angeles. Other members should chime in soon with other suggestions for watchmakers.

[mdw3]

Other than servicing the movement and ensuring proper operation, there isn't much "restoration" to do done in this case. The dial is what it is at this time, and the case too, and there isn't any restoration to be recommended for either. This looks like a nice, honest example of the first "Daytona" model (although this earlier example lacks the "Daytona" signature on the dial, as is typical for examples with serial numbers under 1.3M.

These typically trade for real money between $18,000-$20,000 depending on the specific features and condition.

Michael

[theautoinsider]

This is such a great, super helpful community and I really appreciate all the comments so far.

I've been seeing Bob's name come up quite a bit in vintage restoration/servicing discussion and with it a pretty hefty price tag and time to repair ($5k + 8-12 months). I'm very new to the vintage game so it may just be sticker shock... I guess you have to pay to play especially when he comes highly recommended from the community. Does anyone have direct experience with Bob they could share?

Regarding the spot on the dial at 2 o'clock, I fear that it is on the dial. In my research I haven't seen much in the way of spotty dials... what's this mean for the condition?

Even though Rolex USA isn't recommended for restoration, would they be a good place for an appraisal? If not, any suggestions?

As far as selling the watch I'm on the fence, but not antsy to sell. To be honest, no matter what I end up doing, I'd like to preserve it as best as I can, so I must ask; would a restoration of the movement and the subdial hand devalue the watch to a true collector?

Again, thanks for all your help!

[mdw3]

If you are going to sell, don't bother fixing. Sell it as-is. You won't recoup your additional investment, and many people are seduced by the so-called "barn-find" and will actually pay more in that as-found condition.

Apart from that, you don't need to pay $5K to service a Valjoux 72 caliber movement. That is crazy. Forget Rolex USA. They are worthless on vintage.

Michael

Originally Posted by theautoinsider

This is such a great, super helpful community and I really appreciate all the comments so far.

I've been seeing Bob's name come up quite a bit in vintage restoration/servicing discussion and with it a pretty hefty price tag and time to repair ($5k + 8-12 months). I'm very new to the vintage game so it may just be sticker shock... I guess you have to pay to play especially when he comes highly recommended from the community. Does anyone have direct experience with Bob they could share?

Regarding the spot on the dial at 2 o'clock, I fear that it is on the dial. In my research I haven't seen much in the way of spotty dials... what's this mean for the condition?

Even though Rolex USA isn't recommended for restoration, would they be a good place for an appraisal? If not, any suggestions?

As far as selling the watch I'm on the fence, but not antsy to sell. To be honest, no matter what I end up doing, I'd like to preserve it as best as I can, so I must ask; would a restoration of the movement and the subdial hand devalue the watch to a true collector?

Again, thanks for all your help!

[greekbum]

5k to service a v72? Run don't walk.As the other poster told you if your thinking of selling the barn find will usually net more. If you want to service that its a basic movement that you will find in many watches under $700 on eBay.Nothing hard or wow about it

[Paul]

Nice watch fella and even more special if it has family history.

Best to be a bit careful while the lose sub-dial hand is floating around in there.
Would be a real dial-scratching risk if that hand got caught under one of the other hands while the watch was working.

Scratching that dial would see the watch's value plummet

[theautoinsider]

Again, thank you all for your help. Just received an email reply from Bob at Watchmakers Int with the word that a resto of the movement would run between $1500–3000. I'm still on the fence because it seems like a lot for a servicing. What does a typical V72 movement resto run?

[greekbum]

Depends what parts are needed,what part of the world your in,and who is doing it. From $200 and up has been my experience. RSC charged me $500 on the last one I had done 4 years ago here in Greece.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by theautoinsider

Again, thank you all for your help. Just received an email reply from Bob at Watchmakers Int with the word that a resto of the movement would run between $1500–3000. I'm still on the fence because it seems like a lot for a servicing. What does a typical V72 movement resto run?

I think that you are confusing servicing and restoration.. Any decent watchmaker can "service" the movement for a few hundred..

Your watch can be worth 20,000 bucks if properly "restored" by a restoration professional, which Bob Ridley is..

Or your watch can be worth a fraction of that if you use a generic shop that doesn't know the first thing about retention of value and what is or is not proper in the vintage watch business..

[watchcrank]

I just had my "pusher" serviced. Needed a main spring, cleaned and oiled.
Cost me $900. You should have no problem finding a good service guy in NY.
M

[mdw3]

Originally Posted by watchcrank

I just had my "pusher" serviced. Needed a main spring, cleaned and oiled.
Cost me $900. You should have no problem finding a good service guy in NY.
M

Sigma dial? No, it isn't anything of the sort. For a respectable service on this movement you shouldn't pay more than $1000 (even that is too much if major parts are not needed). This watch doesn't need any more restoration than that, and spending anything beyond is pure waste. There are hundreds of qualified servicers in this country whose work is more than competent, and whose work will not devalue your watch in any way. Don't believe anything to the contrary.

Michael