To Engrave or Not..?

[AndyS]

Recently purchased a DateJust 41mm and I’ve been pondering getting it engraved, however just like a lot of things not sure how I will feel about it in 5,10 or 20 years for that matter. Plus if I would sell or trade etc: would it be worth less. Any experience in having engraved then not being happy about it. I’d like to but I’m not completely sold on doing so.

[watchwatcher]

My motto: Don't do anything unless completely sold on it.

[hulkalicious]

This is a great question and I wondered about this for a firstborn or something. I love the idea but there's no doubt it will seriously hurt the value if you want to hand it down later on as an investment/heirloom etc.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

My motto: Don't do anything unless completely sold on it.

I agree, however flipping watches does not count

[joli160]

Go for it, make it your own

[unreformed66]

How about getting another back for it and having that engraved and keeping the original back put away?

[tamiya]

Originally Posted by hulkalicious

This is a great question and I wondered about this for a firstborn or something. I love the idea but there's no doubt it will seriously hurt the value if you want to hand it down later on as an investment/heirloom etc.

Yeah, no, don't engrave the firstborn either.

Thought did cross our minds but then the gynae suggested instead he should tattoo his brandname on bottom sole for every baby he delivered as a marque of quality.

[Nikrnic]

You can have a light etching than always have it polished out.

[AndyS]

And obviously the choice of engravers is key, certainly don’t want a botch job from a booth in the middle of the mall

[tjbender]

Buy another back and have that engraved? They're not that much.

[meganfox17]

Oh Come On! Your DJ could be worth a fortune 50 years down the line......

[mjclark32]

I still need to get my sub done. It's never going anywhere. BUT, even if it had to. Case backs can easily and cheaply be replaced ~$150. Or they can be brushed back to original finish as shown here:
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=171274

[hulkalicious]

Originally Posted by tamiya

Yeah, no, don't engrave the firstborn either.

Thought did cross our minds but then the gynae suggested instead he should tattoo his brandname on bottom sole for every baby he delivered as a marque of quality.

haha so engrave the kid instead made me laugh

[AndyS]

I’m thinking engraving caseback and wearing it then purchasing another caseback to have on hand in the event of sale/flip. Makes sense because I’d really like to engrave it.
I’ve seen some with the clasp engraved below crown and that’s just a bit much for me.
Thanks for all the input!

[rolex75216]

I think that you would regret it later. I would not engrave.

[gccmd]

My first Rolex is a Submariner 16610 that I got as a gift from my father in 1991. The caseback is engraved with “Best Wishes”, the year and my name. It makes it more sentimental and I’d never sell it anyway. So if you want it engraved for a special occasion I would tell you to go for it.

[rolehex]

Originally Posted by joli160

Go for it, make it your own

x2

[MCO1]

Its cool if your wife is Joanne Woodward! I would probably pass unless I had a spare case back to do the engraving on.

[robbycon]

If the engraving means something to you, you should do it. You can also wait until you find something that means something to you (birth of a child, etc.). You can always engrave later, but it's not so easy to un-engrave...

[NDAzone]

I wanted to engrave mine when I bought it. I waited a few weeks to make sure I still liked what I was going to get and then had it engraved. Make it special, make it yours. If you are going to keep the watch, go for it.

Sent from my BBB100-1 using Tapatalk

[SeaAndSky]

Engrave it!

[Delands]

I'm sorry to dig up this old thread, but I would say go for it!
My mom gifted my father a GMT II for their 18th wedding anniversary back in 2003 and had it engraved with their names and the date.
I'm waiting delivery of my first Rolex to commemorate the birth of my daughter and I'll have the caseback engraved with her name and birth date. I think it's a cool detail for when I hand it down to her when she turns 21 or graduates.