PM Rolex - Pre-owned vs New

[huncho]

I know there are threads on this already and I've read through them but just wanted to hear what you guys think about buying pre-owned vs new PM

I'm looking for a 36mm yg day-date and have emailed a trusted seller about getting a pre-owned one which will be in mint condition so around 20k, but while he's searching for it I've been thinking about whether or not I should just go with a new one which would be 20% off msrp

I originally decided to go pre-owned because its better value for a gold watch, but it'll also be my first PM watch, and hopefully won't sell it ever, so just has me thinking

Anyway, thoughts?

[Fujiman]

If it were me, I'd be looking at 1990's to early 2000's. You can probably do a lot better than $20k with some judicious shopping. I would not buy a new one even though the three I own were all bought new.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by Fujiman

If it were me, I'd be looking at 1990's to early 2000's. You can probably do a lot better than $20k with some judicious shopping. I would not buy a new one even though the three I own were all bought new.

i probably should've mentioned i'm looking to get a 6 digit, and my request was that i'd be ok with early 2000s models as well so those from what i've been told would be around 17-18k

[fskywalker]

$20k sounds high for an used one. You can probably buy a 118238 used for less than $15k. Would suggest an used one over the new one, unless you get a 30-40% discount on it


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[Bigblu10]

Originally Posted by huncho

I know there are threads on this already and I've read through them but just wanted to hear what you guys think about buying pre-owned vs new PM

I'm looking for a 36mm yg day-date and have emailed a trusted seller about getting a pre-owned one which will be in mint condition so around 20k, but while he's searching for it I've been thinking about whether or not I should just go with a new one which would be 20% off msrp

I originally decided to go pre-owned because its better value for a gold watch, but it'll also be my first PM watch, and hopefully won't sell it ever, so just has me thinking

Anyway, thoughts?

If it is a keeper, which a Day Date should be I would buy new, if the finances are there for it. It is a nice feeling to unbox a brand new watch and be able to put the first beauty mark on it yourself. You are making history with it from day one.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by fskywalker

$20k sounds high for an used one. You can probably buy a 118238 used for less than $15k. Would suggest an used one over the new one, unless you get a 30-40% discount on it


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yeah for sure there are some out there for 15-16 but generally from what i see the mint ones are ~20k for random serials and around 18k for D serials

once i decided to go with the 118238 i decided i'm better off just going for a mint one because when its a lot of money regardless

[rdigate]

If you were to buy an expensive car would you go new or certified pre-owned? The answer ti that question will put things into perspective since PM watches take a beating in value once purchased new. Which type of person are you? Used PM watches are probably one of the best values out there (if you’re into this sort if thing).


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[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by huncho

yeah for sure there are some out there for 15-16 but generally from what i see the mint ones are ~20k for random serials and around 18k for D serials



once i decided to go with the 118238 i decided i'm better off just going for a mint one because when its a lot of money regardless

If you want a random serial one will for sure pay more. I would still favor used over new; take your time in searching around. Also keep in mind that dials can easily be changed so buying the right watch with the “wrong or un-appealing dial” to you and then swapping dials can be financially the right move


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[huncho]

Originally Posted by rdigate

If you were to buy an expensive car would you go new or certified pre-owned? The answer ti that question will put things into perspective since PM watches take a beating in value once purchased new. Which type of person are you? Used PM watches are probably one of the best values out there (if you’re into this sort if thing).


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that's pretty much why i initially decided going pre-owned

Originally Posted by fskywalker

If you want a random serial one will for sure pay more. I would still favor used over new; take your time in searching around. Also keep in mind that dials can easily be changed so buying the right watch with the “wrong or un-appealing dial” to you and then swapping dials can be financially the right move


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yeah i'm not in a rush and its been a little over 2 months at this point. i thought it'd be quicker but was told most of the ones that come by are crappy so still waiting, which is the only reason i started to think about this

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by huncho

that's pretty much why i initially decided going pre-owned







yeah i'm not in a rush and its been a little over 2 months at this point. i thought it'd be quicker but was told most of the ones that come by are crappy so still waiting, which is the only reason i started to think about this

Where are you looking for used ones? The major resellers in the forums (Like Takuya, AU_911T, justrolexes, DavidSW, etc) have inventory and don’t deal with crappy pieces; they can also source one for you pretty quickly


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[huncho]

Originally Posted by fskywalker

Where are you looking for used ones? The major resellers in the forums (Like Takuya, AU_911T, justrolexes, DavidSW) have inventory and don’t deal with crappy pieces; they can also source one for you pretty quickly


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i emailed davidsw but he didn't have the 2 configs i wanted in his inventory, so i just let him know what i was interested in and he went looking

from what i see the most common yg dd36s are white dial but i'm looking for champagne with romans or diamonds

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by huncho

i emailed davidsw, but he didn't have the 2 configs i wanted in his inventory so i just let him know what i was interested in and he went looking

Check here in the forums too as good deals come up, specially from people upgrading from 36 to 40mm size. Ggod luck on your search!


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[GFONG]

The price of a mint preowned DD is around 40% off the msrp. I think you can get 20-30% of the brand new one. The different of $5-6 is not much if you plan to wear the watch for your lifetime. Spending additional $5-6K you have the following advantages:
- enjoy the new watch
- not worry about the authenticity of the watch (Read a lot of posts, people are buying frank watch from trusted or well reputable shops)
- not worry the condition of the watch (accuracy) / case (polished) / bracelet (scratches)
- I heard a story a guy bought a new DD from reseller and after sending back to RSC, he was told the bracelet of the DD is not from Rolex. (The price of the bracelet already cost 10K)

If the additional money for new watch is not a concern, I highly recommended to get a new one. If you don’t have the budget, I suggest you to save for it.

P.S. The same question I was asked when I bought my BLRO. I chose to buy from AD.

[envuks]

The car analogy did it for me with this post. I think a trusted seller is a great option here. They can get some pretty new/cherry pieces in PM. Just ask for that. You might pay a little bit more, but you’ll get what you want. A lot of these models sit around as safe queens and don’t get worn all that much. I’d reach out to other trusted sellers and see if anyone else has one or has quick access to one. They can often work quickly.

Off to the races! Might as well make the grey market for you on this piece since they seem to cash in so nicely on SS pieces. I’m sure all the trusted sellers will be happy to try to help.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by envuks

The car analogy did it for me with this post. I think a trusted seller is a great option here. They can get some pretty new/cherry pieces in PM. Just ask for that. You might pay a little bit more, but you’ll get what you want. A lot of these models sit around as safe queens and don’t get worn all that much. I’d reach out to other trusted sellers and see if anyone else has one or has quick access to one. They can often work quickly.

Off to the races! Might as well make the grey market for you on this piece since they seem to cash in so nicely on SS pieces. I’m sure all the trusted sellers will be happy to try to help.

i was thinking of contacting some others but what happens if both come back at the same time, or if one is in the process of sourcing one but you don't need it at that point? you would be effectively screwing over one of them no? unless i'm wrong because i'm not familiar with their process for sourcing pre-owned watches

[envuks]

Originally Posted by huncho

i was thinking of contacting some others but what happens if both come back at the same time, or if one is in the process of sourcing one but you don't need it at that point? you would be effectively screwing over one of them no? unless i'm wrong because i have never bought anything from a trusted seller before so not familiar with their process for sourcing pre-owned watches

Did you make any explicit commitment to buy it when to spoke with DavidSW or did you just inquire about if he has/can get one? I guess it would depend on the specifics of how your conversation went, but it didn’t seem that way from your post. I can’t imagine there’s any implied expectation to buy if it wasn’t explicitly stated that you would be buying as soon as he finds one. Given you mentioned used, I would assume condition would logically come into play in the buying process.

Reading your thread, I’d recommend looking for a LNIB example of whichever Champaign dial version you like more from a trusted seller. Shop it around. You can be transparent that you’re actively shopping around for one when you speak with potential sellers. I’d also recommend you be prepared to move a little bit off your target price for the perfect piece if you have to to get it. When you're already spending that much on a piece a couple grand shouldn’t be a huge obstacle to getting it exactly how you want it. The long term satisfaction is worth more.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by envuks

Did you make any explicit commitment to buy it when to spoke with DavidSW or did you just inquire about if he has/can get one? I guess it would depend on the specifics of how your conversation went, but it didn’t seem that way from your post. I can’t imagine there’s any implied expectation to buy if it wasn’t explicitly stated that you would be buying as soon as he finds one. Given you mentioned used, I would assume condition would logically come into play in the buying process.

Reading your thread, I’d recommend looking for a LNIB example of whichever Champaign dial version you like more from a trusted seller. Shop it around. You can be transparent that you’re actively shopping around for one when you speak with potential sellers. I’d also recommend you be prepared to move a little bit off your target price for the perfect piece if you have to to get it. When you're already spending that much on a piece a couple grand shouldn’t be a huge obstacle to getting it exactly how you want it. The long term satisfaction is worth more.

nah there wasn't any commitment, more of a "how long would it take" to which he replied that he'd go look. i initially emailed him because i know the top reputable sellers get pre-owned watches in near mint or mint condition, and i know that's why its taking a while to find

regarding the price though, i'm pretty open and as you mentioned, when you're already spending that much a few grand isn't huge. that's what made me start wondering if i should just go with a new one lol

[ReMember]

Originally Posted by huncho

nah there wasn't any commitment, more of a "how long would it take" to which he replied that he'd go look. i initially emailed him because i know the top reputable sellers get pre-owned watches in near mint or mint condition, and i know that's why its taking a while to find

regarding the price though, i'm pretty open and as you mentioned, when you're already spending that much a few grand isn't huge. that's what made me start wondering if i should just go with a new one lol

The mint random serial 118238 that I traded to David is no longer on his website - that was a quick turn-around.

[timeldn]

I would purchase new with a discount.

[NLYogi]

Used because of financial reasons. New if you can just spend that amount of money.

[Jace]

I am constantly amazed, and have been over the years, how people put such faith in the authorized dealer to whit they are willing to pay a significant premium. Maybe I’m cheap. I have purchased many watches new from authorized dealers and I have purchased many graymarket watches, New and preowned. I want the best price. This is particularly true if you are a flipper and tend to not keep your watches for very long or you have a collection.

I am not particularly concerned if the watch is new or preowned as long it is in very good condition. Furthermore, some watches are pretty rare and as such may not be available on the new market. Lastly, while Rolex currently doesn’t discount much, many much more highly regarded haute horological watches depreciate so rapidly that you would be foolish to buy a new one. Gerard Perregaux and Blancpain come to mind, which are worth approximately 25% of the retail value as soon as you leave the store with them.

I have never had a problem with any of them.

Rolex watches are so common that you can find them all over the place. As opposed to, say, for instance, the Blancpain perpetual calendar fly back chronograph Limited addition number 40 of 50 total that I bought myself for my 40th birthday. Or the AP royal oak jumbo perpetual calendar stainless steel That I just traded away for my platinum day date 40.

Here’s a compromise: why don’t you look at preowned in an authorized dealers armamentarium? Govberg comes to mind. That’s where I bought my platinum day date 40. It had been fully serviced and polished by Rolex prior to resell and was at a substantial discount with full Rolex warranty in effect.


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[Fishrus]

First rolex i ever bought was preowned. Just make sure that all the papers/boxes are in order and get it authenticated first :)

[Bladeshot]

This thread needed photos. I bought preowned PM from TS in this forum. If you negotiate, you can realize significant savings. Example: saving $6k is significant to me. I can’t envision myself buying new. I can do something else with the funds saved. However, I do recall the feeling of buying a new car and being the first to drive it. It was exciting! I understand that is significant to some folks. Just not me, today... Here is my current pair of PM. Good luck in your hunt. The thrill of the hunt is an exciting part, for me.



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[Jazzer]

Originally Posted by Bladeshot

This thread needed photos. I bought preowned PM from TS in this forum. If you negotiate, you can realize significant savings. Example: saving $6k is significant to me. I can’t envision myself buying new. I can do something else with the funds saved. However, I do recall the feeling of buying a new car and being the first to drive it. It was exciting! I understand that is significant to some folks. Just not me, today... Here is my current pair of PM. Good luck in your hunt. The thrill of the hunt is an exciting part, for me.



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Agree all the way.


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[watchwatcher]

With the DD, the bracelet is the big concern...in terms of being free of stretch and wear.

If you're buying pre-owned, make sure you are getting "mint." If you save a bundle on the price and end up having to fix or replace the bracelet, well, you haven't saved anything.

[miataguy]

Pre-owned. Jesus... how much money do you have to burn????

[outtatime]

Every watch is is different, but don’t hesitate to buy something pre-owned from David. I just did a deal with him where I finally got my first AP, a 5 year old Offshore Diver. It looks brand new and if the warranty card didn’t say 2013 you’d swear I just pulled stickers off from it.

[Roll the Lex]

Bought mine new.
I’m superstitious- what if the previous owner went bankrupt or had to sell it off due to a hard time? Don’t want that bad mojo around me.


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[NoVaSubowner]

Agree....

[Malibuboy]

Grey market for me, but I want new and the lowest price and I get it.

Call John at Sant Blanc dot com or any other grey market dealer for the best price on a new watch. You will not get this years models, but the best price on NIB product.

If you really want the lowest price, be prepared to wire cash. Buy the dealer, not the deal. Dealers rely upon their reputation.

What is not to like?