Quote:
Originally Posted by CigarPundit
You’re probably right that an auction is worth considering. No box or papers, but it runs fine and seems to be in pretty decent condition from what little I’ve seen. I’m going to sign up with the forum, show it off a bit, and see what happens. I don’t need to sell it, but I’d be interested in exploring it given the current market.
Kind of a funny story how I got it. I was helping a girl pick out a vintage watch as a gift for someone else in the 1990s. We went shopping in Manhattan and wandered into a watch shop. I was wrist-modeling the watches for her. The clerk showed us a few and then brought this one out. I didn’t know anything about watches back then, but it just spoke to me. I told her I really liked it, and she bought it.
The guy didn’t know what he had—there was no talk about it being a Bakelite, or rare. If I recall correctly (and I might not), he sold it to her for about $1,500. Well, she ended up breaking it off with the guy she bought it for, and never gave it to him. Years later, I married the girl and she gave it to me as an engagement gift.
I wore it as my daily for years  never having any idea that one smack against a door jam and I could have destroyed the most valuable component of the watch. Then I got into watches and discovered what I had. Haven’t worn it since, lol, but I replaced it immediately with a 16710 Pepsi, which now has a nice patina and continues to be one of my dailies.
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My advice if you truly want to sell, is get Rolex or a Rolex Expert to authenticate and provide authentication papers. DO NOT HAVE THEM POLISH OR REPLACE ANYTHING THOUGH!!!!! That will significantly drop the value.
Getting the authentication papers on the watch though will provide buyers with something to go off of in regards to what is original, what has been replaced, and will give you an idea of what the actual value is. These vintage Rolex can have huge price swings if it is an all original watch, vs one that has something minor like service swapped hands. That alone can be a 10-20k swing right there.
The Rolex Forum is probably your best bet to get a sale. Watchuseek is another good place. But be ready for the lowball offers, and expect the buyer to want to see it in person before forking over the cash. The vintage Rolex market is full of shady sellers so people are cautious.