buying a vintage rolex

[CMW403]

Not sure if you read my other thread but I narrowed down my issue to a seperate thread.

I quickly found out most of the sites I was looking at were bogus and stumbled upon rolexforums.com.

I found this gem http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=289151

I need advice on buying a vintage rolex like this (1964). The ref# for this watch is 1509, I assume its a datejust?

What are some of the things I need to worry about when buying an old rolex like this?

What does servicing this watch involve and how pricey can it get?

I know these watches are built to last and this guy has a good reputation and all the paperwork and everything but I just wanted some advice from anyone that is experienced in vintage rolexes.

theken, I saw your username on that site, is that you? If so, hook up your knowledge, bro.

[littledan]

i bought my fiancee a vintage tudor princess oyster as a grad gift for law school. so far so good! i'm guessing you are looking at about $500 worth of maintenance every few years...

[ga16i]

Not a Rolex expert, but that one you linked to says Date on the face, not DateJust.
Date is 2mm smaller and does not have a quick set date (think PITA Russian date setting by spinning the time around A LOT).

Not 100% on this, but that looks like an acrylic crystal which is probably good for the period, but those scratch like a mofo real quick if you plan on wearing it.

Really depends where you get the watch serviced and what needs to be done. If you go to joe blow watch repair it's probably no more than ~$300 for a full clean and lube if nothing goes wrong.

It also shows T SWISS T, but you probably aren't going to be able to see much lume given the age.

That thing should rattle like a biatch being that it's a vintage Rolex. That's not a bad thing, but something to consider.

[Graham_A_M]

My best friend is Rolex certified tech (one of two in Canada), he would know everything about it. He services a lot of Rolexs let me know if you want his contact info.

[flipstah]

Usually with vintage watches, parts are the issue. Servicing is fine but can't fix it without the original gears in stock or whatever.

I'd take a look but I'm not a member of that forum.

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by flipstah
Usually with vintage watches, parts are the issue. Servicing is fine but can't fix it without the original gears in stock or whatever.

I'd take a look but I'm not a member of that forum.
A lot of the time, parts are transferable from different models, brands and years. Sometimes on very complex watches such as Tourbillion movements, thats quite a hard order to fill however. Even if similar parts are very close to the original parts, they can be machined and customized to work. Id only trust those tasks to the most skilled watch makers though, as such people are very hard to come by.

[ColoDano]

One recommendation, have all service done by a Rolex service center.

We had my wifes watch serviced via a dealer once, and it was consistently losing time. Took it to another dealer, who sent it off to a national service center for a good look.

They found that when opened the last time, the case was deformed, and the movement was not sitting right. This meant waiting for a new case for a vintage watch, as the watch had been her grandmothers. Three months and a 2400 dollar bill later, and the watch is as good as new, with all new certification papers from Rolex, since the new case has a new serial number, oh and the new crystal looks amazing!

[ga16i]

Also be careful sending things to Rolex service center too. I haven't done this, but there's certainly talks of people having work done that they didn't intend. From a few accounts, Rolex will restore to pretty much brand new condition like you mentioned, but some people just wanted a basic clean and lube and ended up with a crazy bill. I'd be extra weary if you want to keep the original crystal or tritium paint they used for lume back then. As a collector item, having the tritium paint replaced by modern C3 is a minus. Same with scratched acrylic, a few minor surface scratches are good for the period piece, having it look minty can be a cause for concern.

[Graham_A_M]

Personally, Id rather then go to a Rolex service center, then send it away. Its best you ask for the qualifications of whoever will be working on your watch. My buddy works at a Rolex dealer, but is in fact Rolex certified. He's one of two in Canada. Id much rather go to a Rolex certified tech to whom I've met and I talked to, work on my watch, then send it to some place that I'll never visit nor meet the people there to properly address the issues.

[ga16i]

I agree that for top notch service and peace of mind, no one beats the manufacturer. Just some things to keep in mind so that you don't get caught completely off guard. Same deal as sourcing a watch in the first place, Authorized Retailer will be more expensive, but you know it's good and right or you can buy second hand where it's significantly cheaper, but there's also significant risk involved (0 risk is infinitely less risky than some risk to me). Anyone doing watch repairs is likely to have experience with the major swiss brands, and they're really just a tiny transmission with a couple wheels after all. Just like automechanics, anyone worth their salt should be able to disassemble and reassemble most common movements without much problem. Like some others have mentioned, sourcing parts will be the biggest hurdle if it comes to that. Having a quick search on eBay, there shouldn't be much problem finding cal 1570 (movement for the 1509 ref) parts and whole movements.

[Graham_A_M]

Not too sure if anybody wants this. My watch maker friend gave me this. Its about 7" X 7" and about 3/4" thick.
You can glue it to whatever you want to.
I dont have much of a use for it. I live in Kilarnney (Just west of Marda loop across Crowchild), and will be home most of the day tomorrow, so just PM me.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/Graham_A_M/484A94E9-E1D7-48C5-AA17-D04D2E26F2D8-4491-0000012F8557463D_zpsb721cae5.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/Graham_A_M/34E0FAEB-E06D-4BAE-B8C5-750CB1ACC95E-4491-0000012F74B1CDC1_zps25b0fff6.jpg

[CMW403]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
Not too sure if anybody wants this. My watch maker friend gave me this. Its about 7" X 7" and about 3/4" thick.
You can glue it to whatever you want to.
I dont have much of a use for it. I live in Kilarnney (Just west of Marda loop across Crowchild), and will be home most of the day tomorrow, so just PM me.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/Graham_A_M/484A94E9-E1D7-48C5-AA17-D04D2E26F2D8-4491-0000012F8557463D_zpsb721cae5.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/Graham_A_M/34E0FAEB-E06D-4BAE-B8C5-750CB1ACC95E-4491-0000012F74B1CDC1_zps25b0fff6.jpg

Pics didn't work, can you post them again?

[Graham_A_M]

^ Its gone. Thats why I took them down.