a chance to welcome / laugh at / help a first time idiot poster

[bobbins]

Hello all

This looks like a nice friendly place! I'm fairly new to this watch collecting business hence the slightly embarrassing nature of this first post - to date I've really only bought new watches - in my youth Panerai - but as I grow older I find myself increasingly wanting something a little less in your face hence my growing interest in all things Rolex.

Anyway, here is what happened - I was looking at a variety of lovely watches in a shop in London with my Wife who is coming up to her 40th birthday - she spied an absolutely beautiful vintage (mens) Rolex and thought it was the most lovely thing she had ever seen. In a moment of (untypical) madness I bought it for her on the spot, bypassing what would have normally involved months of research and thought - so what - she is very happy.

On returning home two things became apparent to me. (i) I had paid far too much for the watch - very annoyed with myself but I guess I can deal with that - buyer beware; (ii) more worryingly looking at pictures of the watch on the web I'm not entirely sure the hands of the watch are correct - I'm wondering if they are not original - I could well be wrong of course and I was hoping if one of you fine people might be able to put my mind at ease.

Here is the watch. 1916 WW1 Silver military watch

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7...fe338379_m.jpg

Here is a similar watch from the web with the different hands

http://www.canards.co.uk/images/2106...ficersMAIN.jpg

Any idea what is going on?

[Gugnunc]

Look -you said it yourself, you have a wife who is happy with what you bought her; both of you should be able to enjoy that. I don't know if the hands are original, and on a watch nearly 100 years old I don't think that it matters too much; even if you do find out that they are not there is little that you can do about it unless you have a written guarantee that contains an unequivocal statement that the watch is totally original. Enjoy what you have and I hope that your wife has a very happy birthday.
P.S. Welcome to the forum.

[bobbins]

I hear you - however I do think these things should be original (especially if you are paying a silly price premium). If they aren't correct I'm perfectly happy to go have a fat lip / tantrum moment in the shop and see if they can cut the price down / swap it out etc.

Thanks for the welcome!

[Darlinboy]

Originally Posted by bobbins

In a moment of (untypical) madness I bought it for her on the spot, bypassing what would have normally involved months of research and thought - so what - she is very happy.

Just look at it this way.... you weren't buying a vintage investment piece, you were buying a gift for your loved one to wear and enjoy....

She's happy, be happy!

[bobbins]

stop being so reasonable! its pretty much the most I've ever spent on anything - I don't like to be hoodwinked. I'll loose sleep over this for years unless I find out if its o.k!!

[Nate G]

This guy is funny! Watch looks cool.

[Welshwatchman]

The hands are wrong and it's hard to tell if the dial has been re-done from the bad picture.

I have seen original and VGC examples offered for £1500-1800 as a price/value yardstick.

[Silvio Mosiello]

Welcome!

[Chris B]

Welcome to TRF

At times we all have bitter pills to swallow, this may be one of those 'hold your nose & gulp' moments

[Warnsboy]

Welcome to Vintage TRF

[cruvon]

Welcome. Nice present though I would say get her a vintage or modern Rolex to make up;)

Some tips here
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthrea...highlight=wife

and

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthrea...highlight=wife

[Tudor66]

Interesting, my thoughts are: happy wife, end of story...

[fusionstorm]

Originally Posted by bobbins

stop being so reasonable! its pretty much the most I've ever spent on anything - I don't like to be hoodwinked. I'll loose sleep over this for years unless I find out if its o.k!!

We TRFers are many things, but psychic we are not. How are we to ascertain if you got hoodwinked w/o knowing how much quid you dropped for your wife's present??

[AzPaul]

Do you not have a grace period in which to return it?

[caryyee]

Also, when you bought it, what was the description of the watch? Did it say all original, or was it described as hands / dial replaced or something like that? Unfortunately, if a description was not available or given, it's up to the buyer to ask the relevant questions first, otherwise it is assumed the buyer knows what they are looking for and doesn't need to ask, or does not care.

Would also pay to check if they have a return period?

[Kingair]

Hello,

Welcome to TRF.

Normally the procedure is :

1. Read, read & read some more
2. Ask what you want to know
3. Spot something
4. Ask for info on TRF - including a price quote / reference
5. Buy

But if your wife is happy . . . . we are happy too ;-)

HAGOne

[bobbins]

thanks for the welcome and the advice all. What did I pay? More than twice the suggested price on here. Sick to my stomach. Return policy? None that I know of - but I asked them specifically if it was original and they said yes - simply taken apart - cleaned and re-assembled. So I think I can get them on normal statutory rules. I'm "going in" tomorrow. Wish me luck

[fusionstorm]

Good luck! Let us know how this resolves.....

[bobbins]

Well. the owner of the shop said that they were original / that Rolex was a small company at the time and whilst these hands are unusual there were often 2 or more stylistic variants of hands therefore he is comfortable that they are original and enhance the style of the piece. He offered to exchange it for a different watch if I didn't agree. All sounded very reasonable - but doesn't exactly chime with the advice on this thread nor pictures I have seen whilst researching it - nor indeed do I think my wife will want a different looking watch. What to do? :(

[Xander]

If your wife is happy, you didn't over pay, so keep your mouth shut. The shopkeeper is, at best, mistaken. But whether or not the dial and hands are original is beside the point. It was a sucessful gift, so mission accomplished!

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Xander

If your wife is happy, you didn't over pay, so keep your mouth shut. The shopkeeper is, at best, mistaken. But whether or not the dial and hands are original is beside the point. It was a sucessful gift, so mission accomplished!

x 2

Happy ending. ;-)

HAGOne

[bobbins]

but that is the point - I massively overpaid (my fault - so what) - and the wife shares my suspicions about the watch so she is annoyed as well!

But in general - yes she is very happy - she has a super good-looking nice husband who always does the washing up and can discuss the ins and outs of this seasons shoes. What's not to be happy about eh?

[bobbipiazza]

Originally Posted by bobbins

but that is the point - I massively overpaid (my fault - so what) - and the wife shares my suspicions about the watch so she is annoyed as well!

But in general - yes she is very happy - she has a super good-looking nice husband who always does the washing up and can discuss the ins and outs of this seasons shoes. What's not to be happy about eh?

If I were she, I wouldn't be annoyed by the fact that you overpaid...I'd be annoyed by the fact that you were regretting a romantic impulse. Of course I wouldn't say so....

[bobbins]

haha - no worries - I doubled down on the romantic gesture and bought another identical watch (for a lot less).

Imagine my surprise when I found out it was substantially larger than the original watch. What is going on here? Did they make these old watches in multiple sizes?

I'm going to become an expert on pre 1920s black face rolex trench watches at this rate!

[smallcandle]

^^^ If you intend to become an "expert" I would suggest doing your research BEFORE purchasing any more watches... I've never understood the approach of "Buy 1st and ask questions later".

[Speed]

Oh dear.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by smallcandle

^^^ If you intend to become an "expert" I would suggest doing your research BEFORE purchasing any more watches... I've never understood the approach of "Buy 1st and ask questions later".

I think he explained that he was caught up in the moment, and bought it on impulse, because his wife admired it so much. Any of us, who did the same, would then research such a treasure on the internet, upon returning home. I totally get why authentication sometimes happens in the reverse of what would be the logical process...

KAT

[cakey007]

one lesson learned for me- dont buy when hungover

[bobbins]

hehehe - no no SmallCandle is completely correct. Hence the use of the word "idiot" in the title

[HRV]

Welcome to TRF, sorry your first purchase wasnt as happy as planned, the cure of course is to start researching your next Rolex purchase