Box/papers...where do they go?

[Zsprings]

Originally Posted by Aquinas

Do you have the box your toaster came in?

Yes.

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by CashGap

That is actually extremely helpful. Great quote, great source.

It really helps when we can throw a number at it!!!

As I said the cost is about $700 to $800 to get a replacement set of papers through servicing at RSC and the purchase of a box. That's from where the cost comes. I'd much rather have a recently serviced Rolex with a current card than any out of service Rolex with expired paper work.

[Tensai]

Most people care less about box and papers. They are mostly a concern for people who worry day and night about resale value.

[scheneider]

AD still holding them back

[RayRay89]

Originally Posted by travisb

I'll never forget being in a watch shop in West Palm Beach and saw a guy casually buy a 30k AP and when the SA went to give him the box, papers etc, the buyer said "what do I need that for? Just throw it away". Then he left with just the watch on his wrist.

I would of said...can I have them lol

[jlovda]

When I bought my 1675 GMT 45 years ago (actually my wife bought it as my wedding gift) I considered the watch to be nothing more than an expensive piece of jewelry. We bought it from the same jeweler who sold us her diamond ring. Not an AD. We got the box and owners' booklet but the receipt looks like something you would see from a waitress at a coffee shop.

[WILLIWALKER]

Good evening everyone,

I often asked myself the same question but this year 2020 I quickly understood!

A new job, a move abroad, the children ... I lost a PP box and the box of my 50535 and bills! !! Either the two most expensive watches in my collection!

Impossible to get your hands on it, a complete mystery !!

[EEpro]

Originally Posted by travisb

I'll never forget being in a watch shop in West Palm Beach and saw a guy casually buy a 30k AP and when the SA went to give him the box, papers etc, the buyer said "what do I need that for? Just throw it away". Then he left with just the watch on his wrist.

This mystery man is my hero. Unless it was Conor or Floyd

[JonaG]

I suppose when/if I hand down my watches to my kids it would take some of the magic away if I follow up with “and never lose the box and papers and that little plastic dangly thing”.

Christopher Walker’s scene in Pulp Fiction wouldn’t have been as powerful if he’d revealed that the box and papers had been tucked up there too

[LouG]

Bought my Sub 116610LN in early 2015. Box and papers are tucked away in my closet. Jeez, I have remorse just when throwing away cigar boxes.....

[Delawareguy]

I have a Datejust that I purchased new in 85 and had a GMTII that I purchased new in 96 (stolen a couple years ago). Boxes were in my dresser drawer for years. About five years ago I went to dig them out and discovered that they were gone. My wife had tossed them. Didn't think I needed them. She did keep the paperwork...

I just purchased a no date Sub this week as a replacement for the GMT and I'm keeping the box in my office away from my wife!

[tom2]

I bought it to wear it, and I discovered that I don't need the box to wear it, so I threw it away.

[Cambo]

On Chrono24
The same model used DD's, same condition. One has Box/Papers, other does not. It's a $2K difference.

https://www.chrono24.ca/rolex/rolex-...id15115591.htm

https://www.chrono24.ca/rolex/rolex-...id11214880.htm

I get that things get lost, misplaced etc. but to simply toss them away (to me) doesn't make sense. "Never" is a long time, and something you don't think you'll sell now may be looked at differently a year later. Regardless of personal views, it seems the market prefers watches accompanied by original box and papers.

All IMHO

Edit: I should mention that's $2K Canadian

[Jack T]

What percentage of all Rolex's are owned by members of TRF?

If you could accurately measure that, I'll bet you would find a disproportionate number of them have the original box and papers

[Mendota]

There are many reasons why I am keeping everything watch-related together, but one of them is so that down the road whenever I pass on, my kids will have some sort of record of just what these hunks of metal are and they can easily research if they have any value at that point because they will have all of the original paperwork for the items. It can make a big difference in the disposition of an estate when there are records versus no records. An auction house or jewelry appraiser is less likely to lowball a clueless family member when they have plenty of records and documentation for an item. At minimum it just shows they are at least aware of what they have.

It's not frequent, but you do still read and hear anecdotal stories about "barn finds" where a clueless person has let a rare and valuable article pass through their hands for pennies simply because they didn't know what they had. One of the most heart warming stories, however, is the famous one where the old man takes his old GMT Master 6542 that he bought decades prior to a taping of Antiques Roadshow and the jewelry expert excitedly tells him he's got an amazingly rare and valuable piece. The expert is just as excited and thrilled to see and handle the piece and all of the accompanying documentation as the old guy is to hear how valuable it is! I love that one. He kept every single thing, including the original receipts from the army base and the original stamped chronometer test paper that came with it. The appraiser said it's worth twice as much to collectors because of all of the accompanying boxes, tags, and paperwork.

https://youtu.be/li0mRLcGbU8

[Boopie]

I still have my box and papers from my 2001 purchase. My husband purchased a 16710 (made around 2002) a few years ago from a grey, and it has the box and papers. No extra links, though (although none are needed).

In 1979 my FIL gave my MIL a ladies’ gold DJ President. We couldn’t find the box anywhere, and I suspect she tossed it decades ago. She wore it every day for everything (tennis, etc.) and I’m sure she had no intention of selling it. Many women do have jewelry boxes for their jewelry. It seems that if you take the extra links out and put them in your jewelry box, you don’t need the watch box for storage.

In 2019 I visited the Las Vegas Tourneau and tried on a few used RG DJs. The salesman told me that none of them came with boxes and papers. The watches would have been outside of the original warranty period. Tourneau had its own warranty (1 year, I think). I don’t know if that’s a common thing for used watches at that chain or it’s just a Las Vegas thing. I’ve spoken to many Rolex dealers in Vegas, and they admit that many of their sales are to people who win big and “want to buy a Rolex”...no particular model in mind. So, my guess is that if you’re buying a used Rolex in Vegas on an impulse buy, and you’re getting a warranty card from the seller, that’s sufficient.

[breitlings]

some people withhold service card and original receipt because their name is on it.

[Alexmj]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Let’s be honest... a Rolex box looks like a cheap green plastic box. It doesn’t look like anything worth saving. It’s one of the most disappointing and underwhelming parts of Rolex’s augmented product.

I agree..

[2nastie]

The casual person would typically throw it away or chuck it into another storage box somewhere.

Us as humans tend to keep other useless junk, so is it really odd to keep a box that goes with a watch? ... No.

As a "collector", I expect nothing more than a total package, whether you are going to sell the watch or not in the future. I find the box and papers a part of the set. I personally want the full set within reason (especially on a modern watch).

There no extra value to these items, but certainly if you are going to pay market price for something like a modern Rolex... there are tons around so I would pass on a watch without these items and just buy one with.

It shouldn't be really that hard to put in a corner somewhere along with all the other "junk" we have in our homes. It's part of being organized especially when most of us on here claims this is a hobby for them.

[Malum]

All my watch boxes are stored in a chest in a closet . They each contain the papers , receipt and card from the SA from whom I purchased . I just do it for myself because I consider it a complete set , with no intent to sell .

[1995akcoop]

I’ve purchased about 8-9 Rolexes from ADs in the last 10 years. Though Im sure most of those boxes are in my garage or somewhere in the storage space under the stairs I’ve never had the need to check nor do I care to. Honestly, Im sure my wife has tossed a few throughput the years. I guess Im the complete opposite, Im curious as to why so many people value the boxes so much. Im sure im in the minority though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1995akcoop]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Let’s be honest... a Rolex box looks like a cheap green plastic box. It doesn’t look like anything worth saving. It’s one of the most disappointing and underwhelming parts of Rolex’s augmented product.

facts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cambo]

So, in light of these differing opinions, should the AD (as a policy) ask if the buyer wants the box? Or to the people who claim they just toss them, why do you even bother bringing them home?

Not like the landfills need any more plastic.

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by 2nastie

The casual person would typically throw it away or chuck it into another storage box somewhere.

Us as humans tend to keep other useless junk, so is it really odd to keep a box that goes with a watch? ... No.

As a "collector", I expect nothing more than a total package, whether you are going to sell the watch or not in the future. I find the box and papers a part of the set. I personally want the full set within reason (especially on a modern watch).

There no extra value to these items, but certainly if you are going to pay market price for something like a modern Rolex... there are tons around so I would pass on a watch without these items and just buy one with.

It shouldn't be really that hard to put in a corner somewhere along with all the other "junk" we have in our homes. It's part of being organized especially when most of us on here claims this is a hobby for them.

I agree. In that Antiques Roadshow episode with the 1960 Rolex 6542, having the receipts, boxes, papers and tags and all original parts added another $35,000 to the value. This was prior to the insane boom, but the watch expert said without that stuff it was worth around $35,000 and with the extras it was worth $70,000 as a fully complete set.

[vh2k]

Originally Posted by Cambo

So, in light of these differing opinions, should the AD (as a policy) ask if the buyer wants the box? Or to the people who claim they just toss them, why do you even bother bringing them home?

Not like the landfills need any more plastic.

Totally — especially if the AD has a lot of tourist customers.

The hangtags, extra links, and warranty card/booklet (and old watch) can go in a felt Rolex pouch and the watch leaves on the customer’s wrist. Give the customer the option.

[Paul7]

Originally Posted by jerseydan31

I would imagine casual owners don't care and throw them away.

The hard core collector would keep it.....

Exactly, casual owners would most likely see no reason to keep after the warranty is expired, which until recently I believe was only two years. As long as it's genuine, I don't care if it has box and papers, just something else to store and possibly misplace.

[WatchGuy1966]

If they didn't matter, I'd toss the boxes. They are just clutter.

[Jari from Finland]

The owner is no collector but has wanted to get a good watch
and he/she has either lost or thrown them away. Paperwork have also
may be got lost while moving. They may have simple got lost somewhere.
The owner has took the watch for a posh pawn for borrowing money
and doesn't want to give paperwork in case of the watch will be auctioned
and the owner wouldn't like to reveal one's name.
Paperswork may have been sold separately.
The watch may be fake or stolen or paperwork may be stolen without a watch.

[214270Explorer]

I wonder just how many thousands of links have been lost/discarded from being left in desk drawers, or in boxes that were eventually sent to the trash.

That can lead to problems if watches are later sold. (Our family all have smaller arms, so our watches all have shortened bracelets, and we have only a very few utilizing leather straps.)

Fortunately our family has enough space to retain our watch boxes <among boxes for other valuables.> So we know where the original links, manuals, receipts, etc. are safely gathered.

We do not have anything that will become insanely valuable over time, but it is still nice to have all the original items/boxes for the valuables.

[Knappo 1307]

People seem to have a lot of fires, floods and leaks in basements. They may want to spend the watch money on home improvements....