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Old 5 February 2019, 01:57 PM   #1
ReyWithAnE
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My Rolex Story...

Hello everyone!

I have been lurking in this forum for a few months now and wanted to thank everyone for all their tips, experiences, and knowledge that you all have shared.

I’m happy to report that I finally took the plunge and purchased my first Rolex. Here is my story, how everything came about, and the lessons I learned.

My interest in Rolexes began many years ago as I’ve always told myself I wanted a Rolex before I turned 35. I had a son at 32 and a daughter at 36 that would delay this goal. Around November of last year, my wife and I were randomly talking about her engagement ring and how she was planning to pass it down to our daughter when she got older. She noted that I didn’t have anything physical to pass down to our son. Mind you, we’re not wealthy by no means. We’re two teachers, but we’ve been somewhat frugal with our money. We own our home, we have money saved for our retirement, our kids’ college education is pretty much saved for as long as they don’t go to an Ivy League school. :) Although her ring is priceless to us, monetarily, her ring to our standards, costs a nice little penny and she agreed that I should have something of value to pass down also. At the time, I thought that this would be a great Christmas gift, but boy was I wrong.

The name “Rolex” was something that withstood time. It stood for high standards and precision. I began to research more about the company, and my research brought me to this forum. I would spend countless hours reading all about the different watches Rolex had to offer. I quickly learned that certain Rolexes weren’t easily obtainable.

After weeks of lurking and reading, I finally broke it down to two watches: the Submariner and the 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller (SD43). Both sport watches and of course, the two that I finally broke it down to, were two watches that weren’t easily available. However, I loved how both watches were versatile. I could wear them with a suit or while in sweats. I’m not a flashy person at all, so I knew a stainless steel would be fine with me. The quality of the watches also fascinated me. Although, like most people, I would probably never go that deep in the ocean, the fact that these watches could withstand the pressures of water deep into the ocean was amazing.

For a bit, I kept on going back and forth from Submariner and SD43. I also kept going back and forth on whether I wanted one new or was willing to go used. I would look at countless pictures and compare my wrist size with other forum members’ wrists. I would go to various Rolex stores and authorized dealers (ADs), but no one had them in stock.

Christmas was quickly approaching, and I still haven’t committed to a watch. The Submariner was more affordable, and it already could withstand depths that I would never go. I liked how thin submariner was compared to the SD43. The SD43 exhibited Rolex’s brilliance in engineering and design. I really wanted to make the right decision since I was planning to pass the watch down to my son.

A few days before Christmas, I traveled down to San Diego, California to visit family. I came to the conclusion that I would not have my Rolex in time for Christmas. During some downtime, I looked online and came across a store that had both the Submariner and SD43. Their markup was way too high and even though I knew I wouldn’t buy them, it was a chance for me to try both watches and make a decision. I try both of them on and quickly learn that the Submariner was not the watch for me. It felt too light and small for my wrist. It didn’t have that solid feeling that I would get when I put the SD43 on. Although, I finally knew which watch to buy, more questions had to be answered.

Back to the forums I would go, but this time, specifically researching the SD43. I come across a post that noted that there was a slight change to the SD43’s dial. People would refer to the differences as Mark 1 (Mk1) and Mark2 (Mk2). The Mk2 dial has the crown symbol at the 6 o’clock position and “1” in “1200 meters” text font had changed. I wasn’t planning to sell the watch, but having a, “true” (no offense to anyone with a Mk2) 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller was kind of cool. If I could find an SD43 to buy at an AD, either Mks would be fine.

I also had to make a decision on whether I wanted a new SD43 from an AD, go grey market unworn, or even go used. I liked having the thought of having the warranty card under my name, but it wasn’t a deal breaker since my son was only 7. I would probably get the watched serviced again before giving it to him and from what I read on here, I would get a new warranty card with my name on it. I also didn’t want a watch with scratches because I pictured my son wearing the watch and wanted him to look at it knowing that the scratches were made by me and not some stranger.

January comes along and although I didn’t get a Rolex for Christmas, my wife and I thought it would be a great 40th birthday gift, which was coming in May. I had 4 months to find my watch. I would spend every chance I got checking various sites and came across an unworn SD43 Mk1 on Chrono24 with a warranty card dated January 2019 and for a reasonable price. If I bought from a local AD, the cost from the seller on Chrono24 would have been close to the AD retail price plus tax. Plus it was a Mk1 with some stickers for $13k flat. At this time, I felt that the longer I waited, unworn Mk1 watches were getting more scarce and more expensive.

I’ve read on here to “buy the seller” so I made sure that it was trusted seller and even did research on the actual store. The place got good Yelp, Facebook, and Google reviews. The seller was quick to answer my questions and was very responsive, so I pulled the trigger and made my purchase using Chrono24’s trusted checkout and a credit card for extra protection. The seller shipped overnight, and I thought to myself, I can finally rest as my search for the perfect watch was finally over.

The next day, I had work, but my cousin who is staying with us, could sign for the package. She informs me while I’m at work that the package arrives. While on break from work, I start calling this nearby AD and jewelry store asking them if their watchmaker would be available so they can verify the watch’s authenticity. I decided to go with an AD and not a boutique because I read on here that boutiques wouldn’t authenticate watches. Through research, the ADs watchmaker was very reputable and had years of experience working with Rolexes. As you can imagine, my work that day was very slow. I couldn’t wait to get home to check out the watch.

I finally get home, open the package and bam! It was a Mk2 dial!! My heart dropped and felt ripped off. I wouldn’t have minded purchasing a Mk2 dial from an AD at retail cost, but I was paying extra and wanted the Mk1 dial. Plus, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I immediately email the seller and call Chrono24. They inform me that they can refund my money since I used their trusted checkout, but I would need to ship the watch back. I start getting nervous and start thinking the worst. What if the seller scams me and says that I never sent the watch back? What if the seller starts lying? Even though I did my research, one can never be 100% sure. The seller finally emails me back, and he advises me that it was an honest mistake. He sells several watches and must have chosen the wrong files to post. Lesson learned, I should have verified that it was the Mk1 watch before paying even though pictures showed a Mk1 watch. He even agreed to pay for the return shipping overnight and insure the watch. He emailed the return shipping label the next morning.

Later, I randomly check my credit card account and notice that there’s a Foreign Transaction Fee. “How could this be?” I thought to myself. The only purchase I made with that credit card was with Chrono24 and the seller’s store was in New Jersey. I call Chrono24 and they inform me that they are based out in Germany. The only refund I would get from them was what I paid to the seller. Any fees would have to be dealt with the bank or the seller. I decide to email the seller, show him a screenshot of the fee, and advised him that his “mistake” is now costing me money. He says he’d contact Chrono24 and get back to me. After speaking with Chrono24, they advise him to inform me to call my bank, be really polite, and ask if they could remove the fees. Lo and behold, they agreed to remove the fees! Another lesson learned, do not only “buy the seller,” but also research the website. Also, don’t expect to get your money back right away. It takes a couple weeks because they also give time for the seller to inspect the returned item.

It’s now February, and I was back to searching for SD43s online and at ADs. I even revisit an AD and the seller remembers me from November, but informs me that I would have better luck from 3rd party sellers. At this time, I must admit, I start to get impatient. Yes, there are people who have waited longer, but I start to think that time is money and I’ve spent countless hours hunting for this rare beast. I decide to go through old forum posts on here and confirmed that prices of SD43s have increased the past few months. I also read that there were rumors that Rolex was going to stop the red text after Basel 2019. Yes, they’re rumors, but I didn’t want to take that risk and have prices skyrocket even more.

I come across this site WatchPatrol Alerts (admin, please delete if I’m not allowed to mention). It checks various watch forums’ classified section for you and emails you when someone posts a watch you are looking for. You just input keywords and get an email when someone posts. This saved me sometime so I didn’t always have to jump on all the different sites a few times a day. It doesn’t email you immediately when someone posts, but noticed it was within an hour of the post.

A few days ago, I get an email saying someone posted they were selling an unworn, Rolex ref. 126600 Mk1 with outer/inner boxes, tags, warranty card, and even had some stickers. Best of all, it came with the original receipt! Everything for $13.2k. Yes, it was more than what I originally was expecting to spend, but again, a watch with that condition was getting more expensive and harder to find. I begin to “sell the seller.” I make the deal via PayPal this time, and he sends the watch overnight.

Again, I’m at work, but my cousin can sign for package. I get home and bam! It’s everything I’m expecting. I take it to the authorized AD and their watchmaker confirms everything is authentic. I still had 3 months until my birthday, and I had the watch I wanted. I decide to keep it in the safe, unsized, and with stickers in tact. But my story does not end here.

A couple days later, I call Tourneau and ask them if they can pressure test Sea-Dwellers because again, from reading on here, some places don’t have the equipment to test certain watches that are capable of going deep depths. They say sure. I ask if I need to make an appointment and they say just come on by and they would take care of me. It would only take a few minutes.

I get there the next morning with my watch. I bring my wife and kids as we had to run some errands after they pressure test my watch. The service person is amazed that the stickers are still on there and asks if I got it from their store. I advise him that it was originally purchased from a Tourneau store but at a different location. He informs me that someone at their location would get into big trouble because it was their policy to make sure all stickers were removed before sending home a watch with a buyer. He brings my watch to the back and returns with what appears to be a person above his position. The “boss” guy as I refer to him, hands the watch me, and says I’m sorry you were misinformed but our machines can’t test your watch as it would just register as failing. The only way I could get my watch tested was by sending it to Rolex. While he’s telling me all this, I’m looking at my watch and notice all the stickers are gone. I ask him what happened to the stickers and he says that it’s their policy to remove the stickers on all the Rolexes they come across. I could see how someone who cared about the stickers or planning to resell the watch would get upset, but it didn’t bother me much. I told him okay, but I might as well get the watch resized while I was there. I ask the “boss” if he could remove the diver’s extension as I read that the watch was more comfortable without it. He says that the diver’s extension can’t be removed and while he’s saying this, his assistant mentions that there are screws and it can be done. The boss quickly changes his tune and says Rolex doesn’t recommend removing the diver’s extension but it can be done. They inspect the watch, write down the serial numbers, number of links, model number of bracelet, etc. and take it to the back. They return, put the watch back on my wrist to make sure everything fits well and notice another link needed to be removed. I ask if they could remove a half link to keep the watch balanced, but the boss says half links can’t be removed. I thought I remembered reading on here that someone posted a half link being removed, but wasn’t 100% positive. The watch had the ability to make micro adjustments so I wasn’t too concerned. I think I just wanted out of the store. They came back out and put the watch on my wrist and it felt right: it wasn’t too tight and wasn’t too loose. Although I told myself I wouldn’t wear the watch until my birthday, I decided to wear it out the store. I also told my watch I “had” to wear the watch to run our errands because it might not be safe to leave it in the car. But my story doesn’t end here either.

A few hours later, I get home and noticed something didn’t seem right throughout the day. My watch never felt super comfortable. It always felt as if the watch wanted to lean away from me. I decided to go on this site again and learned that if links had to be taken out and it wasn’t even, it was better to keep the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position so the watch would lean towards the person. Of course I check my watch and the shorter side was indeed at the 12 o’clock position. I immediately check if Tourneau was still open and check if they can look at my watch. The service desk says to bring it in. I should have been more patient and wait until the next day to bring it in to another AD, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. Luckily, when I get there, it’s a different and more knowledgeable person I deal with. He explains to me that yes, the shorter side should have been in the 6 o’clock position and makes a better suggestion. He says that he can remove a half link around to balance the watch. He would still make the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position, but it would be more balanced by moving the half link to the other side.

After two buying attempts and two resizing attempts, this part of my story finally ends. The watch will remain in the safe, unstickered, and sized. Thank you again to everyone who has helped me throughout my venture. Whether it was giving your advice, expertise, or opinion, I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned that people who wear Rolexes come from various backgrounds and each Rolex has its own story. I wanted to show my appreciation to the people on this forum by telling mine.

Pics coming soon as this was only my first post.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:10 PM   #2
NoVaSubowner
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Really enjoyed reading this. Would have enjoyed it even more with the addition of some paragraphs. Regardless, welcome to the forum.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:12 PM   #3
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Welcome! Quality post over quantity.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:19 PM   #4
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Really enjoyed reading this. Would have enjoyed it even more with the addition of some paragraphs.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:30 PM   #5
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Great story. I was lucky enough to walk in to an AD with no purchase history and buy an SD43 at msrp in December. Watch arrived at the store 15 minutes before I got there and for some reason the manager decided to sell it to me despite menacing looks and words of protest from her sales associates. I love the watch.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:32 PM   #6
ReyWithAnE
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:33 PM   #7
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:33 PM   #8
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:33 PM   #9
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:33 PM   #10
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:34 PM   #11
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:34 PM   #12
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:34 PM   #13
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:34 PM   #14
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Thanks, excellent post and fascinating story. Well done for sticking to your guns and for ending up with the watch you really want. The SD is a lovely watch, as long as you have the wrist for it.

I honestly think I would have thrown a serious tantrum if I had handed them a watch with stickers and got it back without them. They had no right to alter your property without your consent. At that point it was no longer their watch to sell. It was your watch.
(I would feel violated. If you feel the same way, then kindly send a printed letter to Rolex in Switzerland and a copy of it to the CEO of Torneau. Explain how you were treated and how you feel about it and the name of the person responsible. Provide a link to this thread if you like.)

I highly recommend that you learn to add and remove links from your bracelet yourself. Doing that is far preferable to handing your watch to people who may not know what they are doing and could drop or scratch your watch.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:34 PM   #15
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:35 PM   #16
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:44 PM   #17
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I remember there was a post on here asking does your watch match your car? I thought this pic would be fitting. My watch matches me. :)




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Old 5 February 2019, 02:45 PM   #18
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Congrats and great story!
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:46 PM   #19
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:47 PM   #20
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I got stressed out for you just reading the uncertainty you had to go through. I'm glad it worked out for you at the end. Enjoy your new watch and I hope your son enjoys it when it is time to pass it on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReyWithAnE View Post
Hello everyone!

I have been lurking in this forum for a few months now and wanted to thank everyone for all their tips, experiences, and knowledge that you all have shared.

I’m happy to report that I finally took the plunge and purchased my first Rolex. Here is my story, how everything came about, and the lessons I learned.

My interest in Rolexes began many years ago as I’ve always told myself I wanted a Rolex before I turned 35. I had a son at 32 and a daughter at 36 that would delay this goal. Around November of last year, my wife and I were randomly talking about her engagement ring and how she was planning to pass it down to our daughter when she got older. She noted that I didn’t have anything physical to pass down to our son. Mind you, we’re not wealthy by no means. We’re two teachers, but we’ve been somewhat frugal with our money. We own our home, we have money saved for our retirement, our kids’ college education is pretty much saved for as long as they don’t go to an Ivy League school. :) Although her ring is priceless to us, monetarily, her ring to our standards, costs a nice little penny and she agreed that I should have something of value to pass down also. At the time, I thought that this would be a great Christmas gift, but boy was I wrong.

The name “Rolex” was something that withstood time. It stood for high standards and precision. I began to research more about the company, and my research brought me to this forum. I would spend countless hours reading all about the different watches Rolex had to offer. I quickly learned that certain Rolexes weren’t easily obtainable.

After weeks of lurking and reading, I finally broke it down to two watches: the Submariner and the 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller (SD43). Both sport watches and of course, the two that I finally broke it down to, were two watches that weren’t easily available. However, I loved how both watches were versatile. I could wear them with a suit or while in sweats. I’m not a flashy person at all, so I knew a stainless steel would be fine with me. The quality of the watches also fascinated me. Although, like most people, I would probably never go that deep in the ocean, the fact that these watches could withstand the pressures of water deep into the ocean was amazing.

For a bit, I kept on going back and forth from Submariner and SD43. I also kept going back and forth on whether I wanted one new or was willing to go used. I would look at countless pictures and compare my wrist size with other forum members’ wrists. I would go to various Rolex stores and authorized dealers (ADs), but no one had them in stock.

Christmas was quickly approaching, and I still haven’t committed to a watch. The Submariner was more affordable, and it already could withstand depths that I would never go. I liked how thin submariner was compared to the SD43. The SD43 exhibited Rolex’s brilliance in engineering and design. I really wanted to make the right decision since I was planning to pass the watch down to my son.

A few days before Christmas, I traveled down to San Diego, California to visit family. I came to the conclusion that I would not have my Rolex in time for Christmas. During some downtime, I looked online and came across a store that had both the Submariner and SD43. Their markup was way too high and even though I knew I wouldn’t buy them, it was a chance for me to try both watches and make a decision. I try both of them on and quickly learn that the Submariner was not the watch for me. It felt too light and small for my wrist. It didn’t have that solid feeling that I would get when I put the SD43 on. Although, I finally knew which watch to buy, more questions had to be answered.

Back to the forums I would go, but this time, specifically researching the SD43. I come across a post that noted that there was a slight change to the SD43’s dial. People would refer to the differences as Mark 1 (Mk1) and Mark2 (Mk2). The Mk2 dial has the crown symbol at the 6 o’clock position and “1” in “1200 meters” text font had changed. I wasn’t planning to sell the watch, but having a, “true” (no offense to anyone with a Mk2) 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller was kind of cool. If I could find an SD43 to buy at an AD, either Mks would be fine.

I also had to make a decision on whether I wanted a new SD43 from an AD, go grey market unworn, or even go used. I liked having the thought of having the warranty card under my name, but it wasn’t a deal breaker since my son was only 7. I would probably get the watched serviced again before giving it to him and from what I read on here, I would get a new warranty card with my name on it. I also didn’t want a watch with scratches because I pictured my son wearing the watch and wanted him to look at it knowing that the scratches were made by me and not some stranger.

January comes along and although I didn’t get a Rolex for Christmas, my wife and I thought it would be a great 40th birthday gift, which was coming in May. I had 4 months to find my watch. I would spend every chance I got checking various sites and came across an unworn SD43 Mk1 on Chrono24 with a warranty card dated January 2019 and for a reasonable price. If I bought from a local AD, the cost from the seller on Chrono24 would have been close to the AD retail price plus tax. Plus it was a Mk1 with some stickers for $13k flat. At this time, I felt that the longer I waited, unworn Mk1 watches were getting more scarce and more expensive.

I’ve read on here to “buy the seller” so I made sure that it was trusted seller and even did research on the actual store. The place got good Yelp, Facebook, and Google reviews. The seller was quick to answer my questions and was very responsive, so I pulled the trigger and made my purchase using Chrono24’s trusted checkout and a credit card for extra protection. The seller shipped overnight, and I thought to myself, I can finally rest as my search for the perfect watch was finally over.

The next day, I had work, but my cousin who is staying with us, could sign for the package. She informs me while I’m at work that the package arrives. While on break from work, I start calling this nearby AD and jewelry store asking them if their watchmaker would be available so they can verify the watch’s authenticity. I decided to go with an AD and not a boutique because I read on here that boutiques wouldn’t authenticate watches. Through research, the ADs watchmaker was very reputable and had years of experience working with Rolexes. As you can imagine, my work that day was very slow. I couldn’t wait to get home to check out the watch.

I finally get home, open the package and bam! It was a Mk2 dial!! My heart dropped and felt ripped off. I wouldn’t have minded purchasing a Mk2 dial from an AD at retail cost, but I was paying extra and wanted the Mk1 dial. Plus, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I immediately email the seller and call Chrono24. They inform me that they can refund my money since I used their trusted checkout, but I would need to ship the watch back. I start getting nervous and start thinking the worst. What if the seller scams me and says that I never sent the watch back? What if the seller starts lying? Even though I did my research, one can never be 100% sure. The seller finally emails me back, and he advises me that it was an honest mistake. He sells several watches and must have chosen the wrong files to post. Lesson learned, I should have verified that it was the Mk1 watch before paying even though pictures showed a Mk1 watch. He even agreed to pay for the return shipping overnight and insure the watch. He emailed the return shipping label the next morning.

Later, I randomly check my credit card account and notice that there’s a Foreign Transaction Fee. “How could this be?” I thought to myself. The only purchase I made with that credit card was with Chrono24 and the seller’s store was in New Jersey. I call Chrono24 and they inform me that they are based out in Germany. The only refund I would get from them was what I paid to the seller. Any fees would have to be dealt with the bank or the seller. I decide to email the seller, show him a screenshot of the fee, and advised him that his “mistake” is now costing me money. He says he’d contact Chrono24 and get back to me. After speaking with Chrono24, they advise him to inform me to call my bank, be really polite, and ask if they could remove the fees. Lo and behold, they agreed to remove the fees! Another lesson learned, do not only “buy the seller,” but also research the website. Also, don’t expect to get your money back right away. It takes a couple weeks because they also give time for the seller to inspect the returned item.

It’s now February, and I was back to searching for SD43s online and at ADs. I even revisit an AD and the seller remembers me from November, but informs me that I would have better luck from 3rd party sellers. At this time, I must admit, I start to get impatient. Yes, there are people who have waited longer, but I start to think that time is money and I’ve spent countless hours hunting for this rare beast. I decide to go through old forum posts on here and confirmed that prices of SD43s have increased the past few months. I also read that there were rumors that Rolex was going to stop the red text after Basel 2019. Yes, they’re rumors, but I didn’t want to take that risk and have prices skyrocket even more.

I come across this site WatchPatrol Alerts (admin, please delete if I’m not allowed to mention). It checks various watch forums’ classified section for you and emails you when someone posts a watch you are looking for. You just input keywords and get an email when someone posts. This saved me sometime so I didn’t always have to jump on all the different sites a few times a day. It doesn’t email you immediately when someone posts, but noticed it was within an hour of the post.

A few days ago, I get an email saying someone posted they were selling an unworn, Rolex ref. 126600 Mk1 with outer/inner boxes, tags, warranty card, and even had some stickers. Best of all, it came with the original receipt! Everything for $13.2k. Yes, it was more than what I originally was expecting to spend, but again, a watch with that condition was getting more expensive and harder to find. I begin to “sell the seller.” I make the deal via PayPal this time, and he sends the watch overnight.

Again, I’m at work, but my cousin can sign for package. I get home and bam! It’s everything I’m expecting. I take it to the authorized AD and their watchmaker confirms everything is authentic. I still had 3 months until my birthday, and I had the watch I wanted. I decide to keep it in the safe, unsized, and with stickers in tact. But my story does not end here.

A couple days later, I call Tourneau and ask them if they can pressure test Sea-Dwellers because again, from reading on here, some places don’t have the equipment to test certain watches that are capable of going deep depths. They say sure. I ask if I need to make an appointment and they say just come on by and they would take care of me. It would only take a few minutes.

I get there the next morning with my watch. I bring my wife and kids as we had to run some errands after they pressure test my watch. The service person is amazed that the stickers are still on there and asks if I got it from their store. I advise him that it was originally purchased from a Tourneau store but at a different location. He informs me that someone at their location would get into big trouble because it was their policy to make sure all stickers were removed before sending home a watch with a buyer. He brings my watch to the back and returns with what appears to be a person above his position. The “boss” guy as I refer to him, hands the watch me, and says I’m sorry you were misinformed but our machines can’t test your watch as it would just register as failing. The only way I could get my watch tested was by sending it to Rolex. While he’s telling me all this, I’m looking at my watch and notice all the stickers are gone. I ask him what happened to the stickers and he says that it’s their policy to remove the stickers on all the Rolexes they come across. I could see how someone who cared about the stickers or planning to resell the watch would get upset, but it didn’t bother me much. I told him okay, but I might as well get the watch resized while I was there. I ask the “boss” if he could remove the diver’s extension as I read that the watch was more comfortable without it. He says that the diver’s extension can’t be removed and while he’s saying this, his assistant mentions that there are screws and it can be done. The boss quickly changes his tune and says Rolex doesn’t recommend removing the diver’s extension but it can be done. They inspect the watch, write down the serial numbers, number of links, model number of bracelet, etc. and take it to the back. They return, put the watch back on my wrist to make sure everything fits well and notice another link needed to be removed. I ask if they could remove a half link to keep the watch balanced, but the boss says half links can’t be removed. I thought I remembered reading on here that someone posted a half link being removed, but wasn’t 100% positive. The watch had the ability to make micro adjustments so I wasn’t too concerned. I think I just wanted out of the store. They came back out and put the watch on my wrist and it felt right: it wasn’t too tight and wasn’t too loose. Although I told myself I wouldn’t wear the watch until my birthday, I decided to wear it out the store. I also told my watch I “had” to wear the watch to run our errands because it might not be safe to leave it in the car. But my story doesn’t end here either.

A few hours later, I get home and noticed something didn’t seem right throughout the day. My watch never felt super comfortable. It always felt as if the watch wanted to lean away from me. I decided to go on this site again and learned that if links had to be taken out and it wasn’t even, it was better to keep the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position so the watch would lean towards the person. Of course I check my watch and the shorter side was indeed at the 12 o’clock position. I immediately check if Tourneau was still open and check if they can look at my watch. The service desk says to bring it in. I should have been more patient and wait until the next day to bring it in to another AD, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. Luckily, when I get there, it’s a different and more knowledgeable person I deal with. He explains to me that yes, the shorter side should have been in the 6 o’clock position and makes a better suggestion. He says that he can remove a half link around to balance the watch. He would still make the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position, but it would be more balanced by moving the half link to the other side.

After two buying attempts and two resizing attempts, this part of my story finally ends. The watch will remain in the safe, unstickered, and sized. Thank you again to everyone who has helped me throughout my venture. Whether it was giving your advice, expertise, or opinion, I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned that people who wear Rolexes come from various backgrounds and each Rolex has its own story. I wanted to show my appreciation to the people on this forum by telling mine.

Pics coming soon as this was only my first post.
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Old 5 February 2019, 02:51 PM   #21
Rolexlover123
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I don't do business with Tourneau anymore because they always take your watch to the back room and do whatever they want with it.
My AD that I get watches from now does the sizing of bracelets in the open.
This is important to me because one of the Tourneau watch makers scratched up my bracelets in a resizing and then said I brought it in like that.
I feel more reassured if the work is done in front of me. I'm sure not all work can be done in front of me given there are equipment in the backroom depending on the type of service, I don't trust them taking it back for a bracelet adjustment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seibei View Post
Thanks, excellent post and fascinating story. Well done for sticking to your guns and for ending up with the watch you really want. The SD is a lovely watch, as long as you have the wrist for it.

I honestly think I would have thrown a serious tantrum if I had handed them a watch with stickers and got it back without them. They had no right to alter your property without your consent. At that point it was no longer their watch to sell. It was your watch.
(I would feel violated. If you feel the same way, then kindly send a printed letter to Rolex in Switzerland and a copy of it to the CEO of Torneau. Explain how you were treated and how you feel about it and the name of the person responsible. Provide a link to this thread if you like.)

I highly recommend that you learn to add and remove links from your bracelet yourself. Doing that is far preferable to handing your watch to people who may not know what they are doing and could drop or scratch your watch.
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Old 5 February 2019, 04:08 PM   #22
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Greet story! Congrats on the SD43. Well deserved. It’s an amazing watch. My MK1 dial says hi.
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Old 5 February 2019, 04:35 PM   #23
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Greet story! Congrats on the SD43. Well deserved. It’s an amazing watch. My MK1 dial says hi.
That's just gorgeous
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Old 5 February 2019, 04:49 PM   #24
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Welcome! Congrats on the SD43!
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Old 5 February 2019, 05:49 PM   #25
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Welcome and congrats on your SD43! When it's time to pass it down to your son, I'm sure he will love it!
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Old 5 February 2019, 06:27 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by Seibei View Post
Thanks, excellent post and fascinating story. Well done for sticking to your guns and for ending up with the watch you really want. The SD is a lovely watch, as long as you have the wrist for it.

I honestly think I would have thrown a serious tantrum if I had handed them a watch with stickers and got it back without them. They had no right to alter your property without your consent. At that point it was no longer their watch to sell. It was your watch.
(I would feel violated. If you feel the same way, then kindly send a printed letter to Rolex in Switzerland and a copy of it to the CEO of Torneau. Explain how you were treated and how you feel about it and the name of the person responsible. Provide a link to this thread if you like.)

I highly recommend that you learn to add and remove links from your bracelet yourself. Doing that is far preferable to handing your watch to people who may not know what they are doing and could drop or scratch your watch.
I agree 100%. Even though like the op, I don’t care about the stickers I would be really pissed that they took them off. They didn’t sell you the watch from that store. You bought the watch from someone else and they don’t have the right to alter the condition of that watch in any way, shape or form. They should have at least asked for your permission first. I would have demanded they put every single one of the stickers back on.
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Old 5 February 2019, 06:32 PM   #27
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Great story and very good picture!

Welcome here!
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Old 5 February 2019, 07:05 PM   #28
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Congrats on that rollies.
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Old 5 February 2019, 07:27 PM   #29
ShingaMC
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Hello everyone!

I have been lurking in this forum for a few months now and wanted to thank everyone for all their tips, experiences, and knowledge that you all have shared.

I’m happy to report that I finally took the plunge and purchased my first Rolex. Here is my story, how everything came about, and the lessons I learned.

My interest in Rolexes began many years ago as I’ve always told myself I wanted a Rolex before I turned 35. I had a son at 32 and a daughter at 36 that would delay this goal. Around November of last year, my wife and I were randomly talking about her engagement ring and how she was planning to pass it down to our daughter when she got older. She noted that I didn’t have anything physical to pass down to our son. Mind you, we’re not wealthy by no means. We’re two teachers, but we’ve been somewhat frugal with our money. We own our home, we have money saved for our retirement, our kids’ college education is pretty much saved for as long as they don’t go to an Ivy League school. :) Although her ring is priceless to us, monetarily, her ring to our standards, costs a nice little penny and she agreed that I should have something of value to pass down also. At the time, I thought that this would be a great Christmas gift, but boy was I wrong.

The name “Rolex” was something that withstood time. It stood for high standards and precision. I began to research more about the company, and my research brought me to this forum. I would spend countless hours reading all about the different watches Rolex had to offer. I quickly learned that certain Rolexes weren’t easily obtainable.

After weeks of lurking and reading, I finally broke it down to two watches: the Submariner and the 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller (SD43). Both sport watches and of course, the two that I finally broke it down to, were two watches that weren’t easily available. However, I loved how both watches were versatile. I could wear them with a suit or while in sweats. I’m not a flashy person at all, so I knew a stainless steel would be fine with me. The quality of the watches also fascinated me. Although, like most people, I would probably never go that deep in the ocean, the fact that these watches could withstand the pressures of water deep into the ocean was amazing.

For a bit, I kept on going back and forth from Submariner and SD43. I also kept going back and forth on whether I wanted one new or was willing to go used. I would look at countless pictures and compare my wrist size with other forum members’ wrists. I would go to various Rolex stores and authorized dealers (ADs), but no one had them in stock.

Christmas was quickly approaching, and I still haven’t committed to a watch. The Submariner was more affordable, and it already could withstand depths that I would never go. I liked how thin submariner was compared to the SD43. The SD43 exhibited Rolex’s brilliance in engineering and design. I really wanted to make the right decision since I was planning to pass the watch down to my son.

A few days before Christmas, I traveled down to San Diego, California to visit family. I came to the conclusion that I would not have my Rolex in time for Christmas. During some downtime, I looked online and came across a store that had both the Submariner and SD43. Their markup was way too high and even though I knew I wouldn’t buy them, it was a chance for me to try both watches and make a decision. I try both of them on and quickly learn that the Submariner was not the watch for me. It felt too light and small for my wrist. It didn’t have that solid feeling that I would get when I put the SD43 on. Although, I finally knew which watch to buy, more questions had to be answered.

Back to the forums I would go, but this time, specifically researching the SD43. I come across a post that noted that there was a slight change to the SD43’s dial. People would refer to the differences as Mark 1 (Mk1) and Mark2 (Mk2). The Mk2 dial has the crown symbol at the 6 o’clock position and “1” in “1200 meters” text font had changed. I wasn’t planning to sell the watch, but having a, “true” (no offense to anyone with a Mk2) 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller was kind of cool. If I could find an SD43 to buy at an AD, either Mks would be fine.

I also had to make a decision on whether I wanted a new SD43 from an AD, go grey market unworn, or even go used. I liked having the thought of having the warranty card under my name, but it wasn’t a deal breaker since my son was only 7. I would probably get the watched serviced again before giving it to him and from what I read on here, I would get a new warranty card with my name on it. I also didn’t want a watch with scratches because I pictured my son wearing the watch and wanted him to look at it knowing that the scratches were made by me and not some stranger.

January comes along and although I didn’t get a Rolex for Christmas, my wife and I thought it would be a great 40th birthday gift, which was coming in May. I had 4 months to find my watch. I would spend every chance I got checking various sites and came across an unworn SD43 Mk1 on Chrono24 with a warranty card dated January 2019 and for a reasonable price. If I bought from a local AD, the cost from the seller on Chrono24 would have been close to the AD retail price plus tax. Plus it was a Mk1 with some stickers for $13k flat. At this time, I felt that the longer I waited, unworn Mk1 watches were getting more scarce and more expensive.

I’ve read on here to “buy the seller” so I made sure that it was trusted seller and even did research on the actual store. The place got good Yelp, Facebook, and Google reviews. The seller was quick to answer my questions and was very responsive, so I pulled the trigger and made my purchase using Chrono24’s trusted checkout and a credit card for extra protection. The seller shipped overnight, and I thought to myself, I can finally rest as my search for the perfect watch was finally over.

The next day, I had work, but my cousin who is staying with us, could sign for the package. She informs me while I’m at work that the package arrives. While on break from work, I start calling this nearby AD and jewelry store asking them if their watchmaker would be available so they can verify the watch’s authenticity. I decided to go with an AD and not a boutique because I read on here that boutiques wouldn’t authenticate watches. Through research, the ADs watchmaker was very reputable and had years of experience working with Rolexes. As you can imagine, my work that day was very slow. I couldn’t wait to get home to check out the watch.

I finally get home, open the package and bam! It was a Mk2 dial!! My heart dropped and felt ripped off. I wouldn’t have minded purchasing a Mk2 dial from an AD at retail cost, but I was paying extra and wanted the Mk1 dial. Plus, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I immediately email the seller and call Chrono24. They inform me that they can refund my money since I used their trusted checkout, but I would need to ship the watch back. I start getting nervous and start thinking the worst. What if the seller scams me and says that I never sent the watch back? What if the seller starts lying? Even though I did my research, one can never be 100% sure. The seller finally emails me back, and he advises me that it was an honest mistake. He sells several watches and must have chosen the wrong files to post. Lesson learned, I should have verified that it was the Mk1 watch before paying even though pictures showed a Mk1 watch. He even agreed to pay for the return shipping overnight and insure the watch. He emailed the return shipping label the next morning.

Later, I randomly check my credit card account and notice that there’s a Foreign Transaction Fee. “How could this be?” I thought to myself. The only purchase I made with that credit card was with Chrono24 and the seller’s store was in New Jersey. I call Chrono24 and they inform me that they are based out in Germany. The only refund I would get from them was what I paid to the seller. Any fees would have to be dealt with the bank or the seller. I decide to email the seller, show him a screenshot of the fee, and advised him that his “mistake” is now costing me money. He says he’d contact Chrono24 and get back to me. After speaking with Chrono24, they advise him to inform me to call my bank, be really polite, and ask if they could remove the fees. Lo and behold, they agreed to remove the fees! Another lesson learned, do not only “buy the seller,” but also research the website. Also, don’t expect to get your money back right away. It takes a couple weeks because they also give time for the seller to inspect the returned item.

It’s now February, and I was back to searching for SD43s online and at ADs. I even revisit an AD and the seller remembers me from November, but informs me that I would have better luck from 3rd party sellers. At this time, I must admit, I start to get impatient. Yes, there are people who have waited longer, but I start to think that time is money and I’ve spent countless hours hunting for this rare beast. I decide to go through old forum posts on here and confirmed that prices of SD43s have increased the past few months. I also read that there were rumors that Rolex was going to stop the red text after Basel 2019. Yes, they’re rumors, but I didn’t want to take that risk and have prices skyrocket even more.

I come across this site WatchPatrol Alerts (admin, please delete if I’m not allowed to mention). It checks various watch forums’ classified section for you and emails you when someone posts a watch you are looking for. You just input keywords and get an email when someone posts. This saved me sometime so I didn’t always have to jump on all the different sites a few times a day. It doesn’t email you immediately when someone posts, but noticed it was within an hour of the post.

A few days ago, I get an email saying someone posted they were selling an unworn, Rolex ref. 126600 Mk1 with outer/inner boxes, tags, warranty card, and even had some stickers. Best of all, it came with the original receipt! Everything for $13.2k. Yes, it was more than what I originally was expecting to spend, but again, a watch with that condition was getting more expensive and harder to find. I begin to “sell the seller.” I make the deal via PayPal this time, and he sends the watch overnight.

Again, I’m at work, but my cousin can sign for package. I get home and bam! It’s everything I’m expecting. I take it to the authorized AD and their watchmaker confirms everything is authentic. I still had 3 months until my birthday, and I had the watch I wanted. I decide to keep it in the safe, unsized, and with stickers in tact. But my story does not end here.

A couple days later, I call Tourneau and ask them if they can pressure test Sea-Dwellers because again, from reading on here, some places don’t have the equipment to test certain watches that are capable of going deep depths. They say sure. I ask if I need to make an appointment and they say just come on by and they would take care of me. It would only take a few minutes.

I get there the next morning with my watch. I bring my wife and kids as we had to run some errands after they pressure test my watch. The service person is amazed that the stickers are still on there and asks if I got it from their store. I advise him that it was originally purchased from a Tourneau store but at a different location. He informs me that someone at their location would get into big trouble because it was their policy to make sure all stickers were removed before sending home a watch with a buyer. He brings my watch to the back and returns with what appears to be a person above his position. The “boss” guy as I refer to him, hands the watch me, and says I’m sorry you were misinformed but our machines can’t test your watch as it would just register as failing. The only way I could get my watch tested was by sending it to Rolex. While he’s telling me all this, I’m looking at my watch and notice all the stickers are gone. I ask him what happened to the stickers and he says that it’s their policy to remove the stickers on all the Rolexes they come across. I could see how someone who cared about the stickers or planning to resell the watch would get upset, but it didn’t bother me much. I told him okay, but I might as well get the watch resized while I was there. I ask the “boss” if he could remove the diver’s extension as I read that the watch was more comfortable without it. He says that the diver’s extension can’t be removed and while he’s saying this, his assistant mentions that there are screws and it can be done. The boss quickly changes his tune and says Rolex doesn’t recommend removing the diver’s extension but it can be done. They inspect the watch, write down the serial numbers, number of links, model number of bracelet, etc. and take it to the back. They return, put the watch back on my wrist to make sure everything fits well and notice another link needed to be removed. I ask if they could remove a half link to keep the watch balanced, but the boss says half links can’t be removed. I thought I remembered reading on here that someone posted a half link being removed, but wasn’t 100% positive. The watch had the ability to make micro adjustments so I wasn’t too concerned. I think I just wanted out of the store. They came back out and put the watch on my wrist and it felt right: it wasn’t too tight and wasn’t too loose. Although I told myself I wouldn’t wear the watch until my birthday, I decided to wear it out the store. I also told my watch I “had” to wear the watch to run our errands because it might not be safe to leave it in the car. But my story doesn’t end here either.

A few hours later, I get home and noticed something didn’t seem right throughout the day. My watch never felt super comfortable. It always felt as if the watch wanted to lean away from me. I decided to go on this site again and learned that if links had to be taken out and it wasn’t even, it was better to keep the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position so the watch would lean towards the person. Of course I check my watch and the shorter side was indeed at the 12 o’clock position. I immediately check if Tourneau was still open and check if they can look at my watch. The service desk says to bring it in. I should have been more patient and wait until the next day to bring it in to another AD, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. Luckily, when I get there, it’s a different and more knowledgeable person I deal with. He explains to me that yes, the shorter side should have been in the 6 o’clock position and makes a better suggestion. He says that he can remove a half link around to balance the watch. He would still make the shorter side at the 6 o’clock position, but it would be more balanced by moving the half link to the other side.

After two buying attempts and two resizing attempts, this part of my story finally ends. The watch will remain in the safe, unstickered, and sized. Thank you again to everyone who has helped me throughout my venture. Whether it was giving your advice, expertise, or opinion, I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned that people who wear Rolexes come from various backgrounds and each Rolex has its own story. I wanted to show my appreciation to the people on this forum by telling mine.

Pics coming soon as this was only my first post.


Thank you OP for the story and your experiences. Congratulation on your SD43


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Old 5 February 2019, 07:43 PM   #30
abozz
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Thanks for share your Rolex History! I LOVE the SD43.
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