want to start vintage

[boogiebot]

hi guys as of late i seem to be drawn to starting a vintage rolex collection. as of now i know nothing about what references to look for and what to collect. so some information from you guys in here would be great.

for a noob starting in the vintage rolex world what should i be looking at and what should i add??

thanks in advance

[joe100]

1680 and 1675 are required reading for this course

[CrownMe]

u wanna look for a watch that has matching Patina on the hands and dial. a case that is not over polished and try to find one that is all original. a Sub 1680 or a Gmt 1675 would be a great starting point. Just take your time and enjoy the hunt. Thats half the fun. Dont settle because great watches pop up on the forums all the time.

Goodluck with your first one. I will have my Gilt dial GMT 1675 on sat!!!

[wahasa]

Depends on your budget actually. But typically as the guys mentioned a:
1) GMT 1675 (Pepsi for example); or
2) Submariner 1680 (either white or red; or
3) Submariner 5513 would be your best bets for sure.

[MUCCI416]

Originally Posted by wahasa

Depends on your budget actually. But typically as the guys mentioned a:
1) GMT 1675 (Pepsi for example); or
2) Submariner 1680 (either white or red; or
3) Submariner 5513 would be your best bets for sure.

+1 on the 5513 a classic example

[boogiebot]

thanks for the suggestions guys.

just curious if i was able to track down these references that you guys had mentioned what would i expect to pay for a

1675
1680
5513

[Old Expat Beast]

Be careful. For a beginner, Vintage Watches can be a minefield of anxiety and buyers remorse. You really have to know your stuff. Study hard. Good luck.

[springer]

Originally Posted by boogiebot

thanks for the suggestions guys.

just curious if i was able to track down these references that you guys had mentioned what would i expect to pay for a

1675
1680
5513

Prices for vintage 1675 GMTs and Submariners in average average condition are close to $5,000 on up. Nicer examples start around $6,000 on up. Prices are dependent on age, dial style/condition, originality, accessories, service history as well as the overall watch condition.

[boogiebot]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Be careful. For a beginner, Vintage Watches can be a minefield of anxiety and buyers remorse. You really have to know your stuff. Study hard. Good luck.

good point ADam. i really would only deal with a few people. but yeah...the last thing i would want is to get burned.

[DCheeta]

Originally Posted by wahasa

Depends on your budget actually. But typically as the guys mentioned a:
1) GMT 1675 (Pepsi for example); or
2) Submariner 1680 (either white or red; or
3) Submariner 5513 would be your best bets for sure.

That says it perfectly. And read this forum a lot. Vintage is a whole different game.

[Vincent65]

Take your time, do your homework and start with what appeals the most. Go with a reputable dealer and get the best example you can afford. Condition and originality are key. The top dealers only source and sell the best examples available, so they have done the hard work for you, and that's what you pay for, of course, along with the watch. Experience, knowledge and some peace of mind. Good luck!

[paltak]

Originally Posted by Vincent65

Go with a reputable dealer and get the best example you can afford. Condition and originality are key. The top dealers only source and sell the best examples available, so they have done the hard work for you, and that's what you pay for, of course, along with the watch. Experience, knowledge and some peace of mind. Good luck!

Who are considered reputable dealers in the vintage arena? Thanks.

[mailman]

Do your homework and ask a lot of questions. Members here will be more than happy to share their knowledge with you

[Vincent65]

Originally Posted by paltak

Who are considered reputable dealers in the vintage arena? Thanks.

Start with this thread - obviously the last pages are the most recently updated, but you may want to read through the whole thing. This hobby requires time and patience, and a bit of luck.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=180461

[bplein]

Do what I did: When you find one in a dealer, don't hop on it the first time (while you are still learning). Take notes, pictures, get as much info, and bring it back here. Then the experts will school you. For example, I found a mid/early 60's 1675 GMT. Looked OK to me. Brought back some basic (not enough and not super clear) pictures and was told "replacement dial, should be gilt, not cheap to replace" and "wrong bracelet" and "walk away, keep looking if you want it to be closer to original".

So I walked. But I learned a LOT.

The odds of you missing "the deal of a century" because you failed to impulse buy, and decided instead to get opinions here, are very VERY low. So take your time, and you will learn a lot without spending more than gas money.

[Nnatan]

+1. Buy the dealer, not the watch.

[strafer_kid]

Some excellent advice here - I have had Rolexes for quite a few years now, but only got into into vintage two or three years back. It definitely is a minefield and there is so much to learn. Great thing is though that you can pick up so much info from a site like this - virtually every day! There are definitely some bear traps you can get caught in - I did once! Key is patience and don't jump on impulse. Take your time and do the research. Be prepared to pay for the right one. Also factor in service costs if you are going for a keeper. It would appear these things are not cheap to run over time! Good luck!

[Suprageex]

Should availability of parts be of concern when buying 1675's? Or 1680's? (not trying to hijack this thread, but I also just started getting into the vintage-minefield :) )

[Vincent65]

nah, they made many thousands - still enough bits out there, IMHO.

[Beelzy]

The easiest way to dive into vintage is to pick one reference, then learn everything about it.
One of the hardest things about vintage pieces is being able to discern how original a watch actually is.

[allivant]

good advice in this thread. i want to buy a GMT master but how do you all suggest you work out the deal? do you take it to an AD or certified Rolex repair shop with the seller?

[1675-David]

Here is an excellent thread from Beaumont Miller II containing many valuable insights

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=170339

[1675-David]

and this thread from Cruvon is also an excellent read..

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=190095

[enhamhale]

Try too keep away from Frankenstein watches if poss. look at the history as quite a lot of vintage watches have a lot of different bits over the years ( some not genuine rolex ) happy hunting.

[Tudor66]

Originally Posted by joe100

1680 and 1675 are required reading for this course

As others have said, lots to choose in the vintage world... Stainless Steel Sport models appear to retain their value..., here are two of mine...

[1675-David]

thats a great pair Al

[sea-dweller]

5513 and a 1675

[feet4fins]

I have an old President Rolex that I purchased about 15 years ago. When I bought it, the jeweler indicated that the watch was either 40 or 50 years old at that time so the watch must be from the 50's. I have been thinking about selling it to someone that would appreciate it more than I have, so I took it to a person in Aspen, Colorado that buys and sells estate jewelry. He examined the watch and said it was very nice but mentioned that it has an Italian bracelet and was not a Rolex bracelet. At that time, I knew where he was going and I then ended the discussions about selling it to him. I recently registered on this site but have followed it for some time trying to learn more about old Rolex watches. Rolex did have companies in Italy make the bracelets a while back and I am hoping that mine was one of that era. I have not worn the watch in years and it has just been sitting around. Now, when I look at the date, it does not appear to be right. When I tried to set the date, it appears to skip days as I am attempting to wind it to the correct date. The watch keeps perfect time so whatever the problem is, has not affected it's movements. Does anyone know why the watch is doing this? Can anyone give me a ball park figure the possible value of this watch?

[skprd13]

Hey boogiebot,
If you are looking for excellent 1675, 16750 types as mentioned go with the best seek out either Springer or Greekbum. Both always have excellent examples of those vintage time pieces. Plus I am sure they could also help you with the other 1680 and 5513 you are interested in acquiring. Good luck on your hunt, I know we all look forward to wrist shots on what ever you decide to pick up!
Aloha my friend,
Tom

[vintagewaferthin]

Definatly go for a Pepsi 1675.