Besançon
1835
Certified pre-owned. Questions.
The GMT in the picture looks wonderful. I found it in the Bucherer website. Now: it seems to me that a vintage watch of this sort is not really “vintage” in as much as most likely many of its parts are not original to the watch. I also believe that this discussing is rather… silly as many topics of this nature are. That is, who cares. Unless you’re investing. Or if you prefer an all original watch. Why? Because. And that’s all fine. What do you think?
Hey, have a wonderful 2026. ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼
Certified pre-owned. Questions.
The GMT in the picture looks wonderful. I found it in the Bucherer website. Now: it seems to me that a vintage watch of this sort is not really “vintage” in as much as most likely many of its parts are not original to the watch. I also believe that this d...
I'm in the camp of make them run and look as new as possible.
But lots of people love patina and un-messed-with vintage. Different strokes.
The one thing I noticed in these
vintage watches from the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watches program is that nearly all of them have replacement hands. In the old days when they used to accept vintage watches for service (in NYC), they always suggested and sometimes insisted on changing t...
I'm not great about servicing my Sub as I believe if it's keeping time, don't mess with it...
...but the times that I did have service, I insisted on no polishing and keeping all hands, dial, bezel, etc. intact. I don't mind that they're old. It's history...
Me too, but they started
insisting on changing everything out and that’s when I started using very competent watchmakers in Manhattan.
Plus they won’t even touch
it if it’s over 25 or 30 years old. I forget exactly whether it’s 25 or 30 years because it was so long ago since I collected vintage.
There is a chance that they won’t.
Might be worth a try though. Maybe the policies have changed since I had some vintage pieces so many years ago. Good luck and please let me know.
The Rolex service center here…
absolutely does not entertain such request. So it is up to each location to decide?
Having changed more than a few hands, I’m in the “function not fashion” camp
I don’t know how many times pulling & replacing hands can be done safely. I do have a “hand opening adjuster/clamp tool” to snug down an overly-loose pipe but I’d rather not do it if I don’t have to. Since watches like this rarely get opened and serviced,...
Visible alterations are a non-starter for me
The superluminova hands on this example would drive me nuts… going vintage has its limits. I would prefer well done relumed tritium hands, but you have to know where to go to get it done right
Perusing various CPO sites this does indeed appear to be universal. Non matching looks cool on a Panerai, not so much on most Rolex.
This looks like a 16750, with a matte dial. I have owned the same watch for about twenty years. Personally, when faced with this particular watch I’d rather but a slightly newer one with the later dial that might not have the same level of aging and so lo...
I meant to write discussion instead of discussing but nowadays things have a mind of their own. Apologies.
I like the older GMT, for instance, because of the slimmer case and shape in general. But the new hands in that particular watch, the one in the picture, look somewhat out of place. However, I tend towards function rather than form. In any case, I’ll enjo...
This would be an extensively refurbished “vintage”
For a vintage collector, this is a pass. In restoring a vintage, ideally every component is period correct but unless one has access to all the parts and stuff, minimally, the crystal, dial, insert, hands, bracelet should match; interior components have t...
Horses for courses...
The Rolex CPO program may not be for the Rolex maven but for the layman or even a bumpkin such as myself with a little homework I think a fan of the old-fashioned Rolex look can find a nice everyday watch from the CPO offerings. Pictured are four CPO watc...
Vintage Rolex: The Missing Guarantee of Coevality
It is concerning that a brand like Rolex is either unable or unwilling to guarantee the coevality of its vintage watches, even when sold as CPO, effectively limiting their guarantee to functionality alone. This raises serious questions about the historica...
Interesting post amd well said, Alex
The only way one can be sure as to the originality of a vintage watch is to own it from new.