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Old 23 May 2018, 02:31 AM   #1
C Walker
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Rolex 6542 with Original Bakelite Bezel :)

Hello Forum members. I am not a watch guy... I am definitely not vintage Rolex guy... I did however just inherit a pretty amazing piece of original history. My Grandfather's all original 6542.

It was found in a bag of random jewelry and other watches while I was going through and cleaning out my father's house after his recent passing. I could tell by the bag, jewelry and watches, that they were my Grandfathers and not my Dad's.

After getting back and having some time, I did some research on the watches. There were 2 old Heuer stop watches, 3 Omega Seamasters and the Rolex. After starting to get some idea of the rarity of the Rolex, I had it checked out by a local vintage watch shop. The confirmed that it was real and made me offer to buy it. I declined because I thought the offer was low and I also had no intention to sell it.

I've since had multiple conversations with a couple people and have really started to get a sense of how rare and seemingly important to piece is. This past weekend, I had photographer friend. Take some good Macro shots of the watch and thought you guys might be interested in seeing them.

The irony of the photos is that they are a little too good and bring out flaws that are not visible with the naked eye. :) The patina and wear actually adds so much the warmth of the watch. It's so understated, but so strong.

All of the scratches in the Bakelite appear to only be surface scratches and none are cracks that I can see.

Just thought you guys might be interested in seeing it as well as offering any opinions of insight on it.

Thanks!









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Old 23 May 2018, 02:47 AM   #2
Alfasin
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Very cool watch, lucky guy.
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:52 AM   #3
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That is awesome!!
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:52 AM   #4
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^^ Ditto. Amazing watch, absolute stunner. If you sell, please get at least $100,000 or more. This is my absolute grail watch, enjoy it!
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:52 AM   #5
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Just for fun, what did the vintage guy offer? My guess is 15k
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:57 AM   #6
Bruce G
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Wow...Congratulations! Would love to see an on wrist picture :)
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:57 AM   #7
Dangur
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Great find. Enjoy it!
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:58 AM   #8
BigBlue1
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That Patina is awesome. Really compliments the watch. Enjoy and PLEASE WEAR IT!!!!
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:11 AM   #9
C Walker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhknola View Post
Just for fun, what did the vintage guy offer? My guess is 15k
The vintage shop I took it to offered me $9500... Another shop offered me a whole $1500... when I told him about the $9500 offer, he instantly raised his offer to $10k... bother were trying to get a deal, but the second guy was just an trying to rip me off. I left him a nice review on Google :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBlue1 View Post
That Patina is awesome. Really compliments the watch. Enjoy and PLEASE WEAR IT!!!!
Thanks, I was wearing it quite a bit before I knew about the fragility of the bezel, now I rarely wear it.

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Originally Posted by Bruce G View Post
Wow...Congratulations! Would love to see an on wrist picture :)
Here is a funny pic. I like to take pics of it wearing to random places... This is me getting coffee at an ikea.

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Old 23 May 2018, 03:18 AM   #10
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If the other watches were from the same era and of the same condition, you just inherited a small fortune. The heuer chronos were their best watches. The same can be said if the omega seamasters from the same era. I guess your grandfather was a connoisseur and a collector. Congrats. Please share with us pics of the other watches.


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Old 23 May 2018, 03:20 AM   #11
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OMG!!! Congrats on that beauty!! My condolences on your dads passing!
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:22 AM   #12
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Wow! What an amazing find! Absolutely stunning, and yes good call not taking $10k haha, that is insulting
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:26 AM   #13
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I would not be wearing that Watch with the Bakelite Insert,One wrong move and 50K is down the drain.I would buy a aftermarket Bezel to wear it and keep the original in the Safe.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:28 AM   #14
C Walker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omitohud View Post
If the other watches were from the same era and of the same condition, you just inherited a small fortune. The heuer chronos were their best watches. The same can be said if the omega seamasters from the same era. I guess your grandfather was a connoisseur and a collector. Congrats. Please share with us pics of the other watches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Heuers were both stop watches. One was meant to be installed on a rally car. My grandfather was a pilot and a boater, I assume he had plans to install it on one of his boats or planes.

The Omegas are in okay shape. They are the dress versions and not the sport models. So far I've been told that they are not worth that much. I'll post pics later on. I have some on my cell phone.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:35 AM   #15
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Yes post pics.

My condolences to you and your family on the passing as I was blinded by the beauty of you Grandfather and Fathers nice eye to hold on to such a beautiful piece.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:47 AM   #16
C Walker
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Quote:
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Yes post pics.

My condolences to you and your family on the passing as I was blinded by the beauty of you Grandfather and Fathers nice eye to hold on to such a beautiful piece.
No worries at all. Thanks.

The funny thing is, I don't think my Dad even knew it existed and if by chance he did, it would never have been on his radar as anything of value, just not my Dad's thing. It was stashed in a small leather pouch with a bunch of random jewelry, rings, watches that were all my GF's. I'll post some pics of the bag too. It's comical.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:51 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by C Walker View Post
The vintage shop I took it to offered me $9500... Another shop offered me a whole $1500... when I told him about the $9500 offer, he instantly raised his offer to $10k... bother were trying to get a deal, but the second guy was just an trying to rip me off. I left him a nice review on Google :)



Thanks, I was wearing it quite a bit before I knew about the fragility of the bezel, now I rarely wear it.



Here is a funny pic. I like to take pics of it wearing to random places... This is me getting coffee at an ikea.

Such a beautiful watch deserves to be worn! (With extreme care may I add)
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:59 AM   #18
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Wow. Congrats on that find!
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:59 AM   #19
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Trophy piece Im in love
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Old 23 May 2018, 04:03 AM   #20
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Beautiful watch, $10k is a joke, insert alone is worth more than that lol. Wear it in good health!
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Old 23 May 2018, 04:04 AM   #21
mattedialdoc
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 05carbondrz View Post
I would not be wearing that Watch with the Bakelite Insert,One wrong move and 50K is down the drain.I would buy a aftermarket Bezel to wear it and keep the original in the Safe.

+1
You can find a very nice aftermarket insert. But please have someone w experience dealing w Bakelite to remove the bezel. Just the removal could crack it. Good luck!


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Old 23 May 2018, 04:11 AM   #22
C Walker
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I have also received a number of PMs already on the watch. I'll reply to all eventually, but do know that I already have a legit offer on the watch that meets market value. If that deal falls through, I will post a FS thread. Thanks!

If I were a serious watch guy, I would keep it in a heartbeat. However, the value here way outweighs any sentimental attachment that I may have. (basically none because I didn't even know it existed. That and I got a number of other cool artifacts from my Dad and GF that remind me of them more.
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Old 23 May 2018, 04:34 AM   #23
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Wow. What a find! Congratulations on a beautiful watch.
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Old 23 May 2018, 04:34 AM   #24
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Wow! I guess a lot of the scuffs are just on the crystal, be interested to see how it’d look with a sympathetic polish of the crystal to show off that dial.

And $1500 lol, what a f@ck-wit!

Someone’s going to get a killer watch, shame you’re not into watches. At least you had the sense to do some research, someone like my Mrs would have had the bloke’s hand off at $1500 for “an old watch”. I had a similar experience with a valuable item and a dealer offering me £1500 but not on this level (mine would retail at £25k).

Just goes to show what’s out there undiscovered, imagine there’s probably a fair bit of this type of thing (and no doubt some minters) tucked away.
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Old 23 May 2018, 04:50 AM   #25
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So cool, congrats on the find!
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Old 23 May 2018, 05:16 AM   #26
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I expect to see this Watch Dealer prepped and FS at a big markup soon.
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Old 23 May 2018, 05:29 AM   #27
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..... a legit offer on the watch that meets market value ...

To my eyes, what you have is an exceptional example of one of the most collectible vintage Rolex'es . As such, I'm thinking that only a specialist watch auction would reveal it's true market value.

A very strong case, a true tropical dial (with splendid patina), correct hand set and period correct rivet bracelet (clasp dated ?) and that bakelite insert .... after 20 years in this hobbie and with a 6542 in my own stash, your insert in the best I've seen, bar none. It's very rare to see an original 6542 bakelite insert that doesn't display at least some fine stress cracks.

If the watch came along as a surprise and there's no burning need to cash up, I say take your time, enjoy it for a while in rememberence of Dad and Grandad and consider placing it up for auction with the big boys. It's the kind of watch that could gain some real momentum among potential buyers if it's seen around for a while before it's formally put to market ..... by that I mean enthusiasts forums and within the collectors' networks .... not in Ikea or Starbucks

Ummm ... have you buffed up the bracelet and case a bit (your Ikea pic) ?
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Old 23 May 2018, 05:41 AM   #28
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I'm way out of my league on this one & can't add anything not already posted except to say , WOW that watch is simply the best
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Old 23 May 2018, 05:44 AM   #29
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My condolences on the loss of your dad

Very nice and cool piece though! Keep it untouched. All the best with the sale
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Old 23 May 2018, 05:54 AM   #30
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If a sale is where your heart is set, perhaps picking the right auction house may gain more money. Thie piece is incredibly strong in case and that bezel must be one of the very, very few with nothing more than a few scuffs. It needs the correct audience.
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