Thoughts on this 5508 ?

[SubLover50]

I’m considering this 5508, what do you think about it?
Hands and crown seem replacements, correct?
Any goods and bads about this piece?
Thanks!

[CTech]

There are a number of things that don't look original as well as the hands and crown you mentioned.

I don't think the bezel insert is an original Rolex 5508 insert, the pip looks too high, and I'm not sure about the bezel itself as that has the look of modern replicas.

The original 5508 bezel inserts have the numbers and radial markings almost filling the width of the insert with very little gap at either the inside or outside diameters. The font is also a little sloppy on original inserts with some wavy lines on the straight sections of the numbers and little hooks (serifs?) at the end of some parts of numbers such as the 4 and 5.

This insert looks like a more modern one, maybe a genuine Rolex one from another model, or maybe not.

The crystal also looks to be an incorrect replacement as the profile at the outer diameter doesn't match the profile of the bezel insert. What I think is a correct crystal profile blends into the angle of the bezel insert with no noticeable step.

These aren't serious issues unless the watch is advertised as completely original, but it might indicate that this a watch that has been modified to be prepared for sale. It could even be worse and this has been assembled from parts to try and make a high priced 5508 out of several other watches.

Overall, buying a watch like this that is now over 60 years old is a minefield, and trying to sort out a selection of non-original parts, service parts, replica parts, etc. can take an expert a long time. None of this would matter much if it was a $2000 watch but when the prices are so high now you would like to know a few more facts behind the claims of "original" or "original Rolex".

The other 5508 advertised from the same dealer isn't really significantly better than this one, so I'm not sure whether either of them would suit your needs. If you want to compare the detailed features of any other 5508s then you'll need to find some photos of as original a model as possible.

This one from Milton HQ is pretty good as a starting point and I think it shows the correct hands, dial, bezel, bezel insert, etc. The winding crown has a + sign on it which is also probably original.

https://www.hqmilton.com/timepieces/...tion-dial-1389

Every detail matters with these high priced watches so you'll either enjoy the process of learning as much as you can from photos of other ones, or you'll go crazy wondering about whether this part has been changed or whether that one is the right color for the age. Either way, buying a vintage Rolex watch is not easy, especially an expensive 60 year old one.

[SubLover50]

Wow thank you so much for the time you took for such a detailed reply!
I appreciate it, really.

It looks like the learning process never ends with these vintage pieces.. minefield is the correct term indeed 😀