A curiosity: Rolex Explorer II 16550 Prototype.
Here are the pictures, to be credited to Antiquorum. I am not very comfortable with such offers. I always find weird that a Rolex Proto can be found on the market, and this dial does nothing to me... I much prefer a good old rail dial for that reference.....
Rolex called, they want their stolen prototype back!
Antiquorum (and other auction houses) is/are an avenue for unscrupulous people to sell their wares. The employees that I worked with at (unnamed auction house), were in my opinion (the following is my opinion and not to be construed as fact) were little b...
Auction houses
would sell their grandmother as a car if she had four rims and a steering wheel. The stories I could have told ......
I do not have the financial means to cover a court case.
But yes, that would be tempting.
Sad to hear this Patrick but sadly you are not the only one who has experienced this type of behavior from auction houses...
I know of more than a handful of fiends and collectors who have had terrible experiences with various auctions houses which deters me from ever wanting to purchase anything from them even though I have been tempted MANY times over. BIG sigh 😕 🤦♂️ ...
I now exclusively buy things from people whom I know and trust.
Buy the seller as they say! And one cannot trust auction houses anymore. Their experts invent things, "Mark 2.5" or "Transitional Pieces that have the dial of the Mark 2 but the case of the Mark 3, super rare!" to increase the value of the watch.
Two words for all these prototypes coming to market - Money Grab !!
These uber rare prototypes and the like that have been recently coming to market from Patek and Rolex are ridiculous to me. Just a cash grab and fed by speculators and the like 😤👎 Sorry mon ami but I cannot hold my tongue on this one 🤷♂️🤦♂️ ...
You know my answer Nico - I dont get it. It is a make believe market to me. Show me the records from Rolex registry or mention somewhere. I mean anyone can have TIFFANY printed on their...
...Nautilus if there were no record keeping at Patek. But then again you only need one believer when 1000s are ready when the COMET passes.
I’d definitely want real documentation of provenance. And, to start with, isn’t the box in the photo incorrect for the period?
I believe this is a box from the 60s.
I once had a 16550 black rail dial
It was a nice watch and a the patina of the tritium was beautiful. I didn't like, however, how the case sat on my wrist, as I found it thick and top heavy. Which is why the slimmer 16570 has my preference, as far as Explorer II's go. Agree on those "proto...
Like most black dials across the entire Sports line from 1984 until at least 1986
This was truly a massive industrial accident, when the botched the transition from matte to glossy dials.