Determining YEAR for Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Chronometer

[rustydustin]

Q: How can I determine the year & model for a classic Rolex watch?

I bought a used pre-sapphire Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Chronometer for about $1800 from a New York jeweler in the early nineties and I'm just wondering what it is worth. I'm sure that depends on its age and specific model.

Currently, the most classic of watches is lying in my "to be fixed" drawer because my kid dropped the watch on the cement a couple of years ago and the previous repairs ($300 for an adjustment, $800 for a complete overhaul) are still fresh on my mind as being overly expensive.

I'm thinking of sending this classic watch in for repair IF (and this is the reason for the question) if I can then sell it for a reasonable price thereafter. But what is it worth?

I did a search and found vastly divergent prices ... depending partly on the model and year - which is why I ask this question of you experts.

Where do I look to determine the model and year (or other pertinent information) in a classic Rolex stainless steel & gold Oyster Perpetual Datejust (just the number, not the day of the week) chronometer?

My only value datapoint was when I walked into a pawn shop in Texas a few years ago (I had never even 'seen' a pawn shop until I went to Texas - I thought they were just in the gangster movies) and handed it to the guy just to see what he'd say it was worth; he took off the band and looked up the number he found on the crown at that spot and said sweetly "I'll give you $500 for this" (which is exactly when I realized that everything in a pawn shop must be stolen because nobody would part with their Rolex watch for that low a price unless they stole it in the first place).

So, I can dig up that serial number. But, then what do I do with that number?

The watch "looks" like that on these pictures I found in my searches:

I am pretty sure it does NOT have the sapphire crystal because the jeweler who sold it to me said it would not fit. I also wonder if I can get a price for a non-working watch (which is what it is at the moment) vs a working watch (which would be a simple lookup once I can figure out the year and model).

In summary, not being a pro, where do I find the appropriate identification information on my Rolex watch and then where do I look up the value for it?

[Jack Denver]

In good running condition, maybe $1800 to sell it, $2800 to buy it from a retailer. From that you have to subtract the cost of getting it running again.

There are books that purport to give Rolex prices but the data you can find on the internet/ebay completed auctions are probably fresher and more accurate than the books.

Here is a rough guide to serial #'s

Since 1998 Rolex has been assigning the numbers in such a way that you can't tell anymore, because keeping your cards close to your vest is a very Swiss thing to do. :-)

[nospam]

On 18 Jul 2005 17:03:04 -0700, [e-mail] graced this newsgroup with:

Go to an authorized Rolex repair shop. The serial number is stamped inside the watch. They'll be able to open it up and cross reference the number and probably give you an idea of it's worth. Both before and after repair. They'll also be able to give you an idea of its age.

[G Henslee]

Send it to me. I will examine it closely and determine it's worth. I may or may not send it back.

[Mungo Bulge]

or post the serial number

| >I bought a used pre-sapphire Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust | >Chronometer for about $1800 from a New York jeweler in the early | >nineties and I'm just wondering what it is worth. I'm sure that depends | >on its age and specific model. | >

| >Currently, the most classic of watches is lying in my "to be fixed" | >drawer because my kid dropped the watch on the cement a couple of years | >ago and the previous repairs ($300 for an adjustment, $800 for a | >complete overhaul) are still fresh on my mind as being overly | >expensive. | >

| >I'm thinking of sending this classic watch in for repair IF (and this | >is the reason for the question) if I can then sell it for a reasonable | >price thereafter. But what is it worth? | >

| >I did a search and found vastly divergent prices ... depending partly | >on the model and year - which is why I ask this question of you | >experts. | >

| >Where do I look to determine the model and year (or other pertinent | >information) in a classic Rolex stainless steel & gold Oyster Perpetual | >Datejust (just the number, not the day of the week) chronometer? | >

| >My only value datapoint was when I walked into a pawn shop in Texas a | >few years ago (I had never even 'seen' a pawn shop until I went to | >Texas - I thought they were just in the gangster movies) and handed it | >to the guy just to see what he'd say it was worth; he took off the band | >and looked up the number he found on the crown at that spot and said | >sweetly "I'll give you $500 for this" (which is exactly when I realized | >that everything in a pawn shop must be stolen because nobody would part | >with their Rolex watch for that low a price unless they stole it in the | >first place). | >

| >So, I can dig up that serial number. | >But, then what do I do with that number? | >

| | Go to an authorized Rolex repair shop. The serial number is stamped | inside the watch. They'll be able to open it up and cross reference | the number and probably give you an idea of it's worth. Both before | and after repair. They'll also be able to give you an idea of its | age. | |

[meirman]

In alt.home.repair on 18 Jul 2005 17:03:04 -0700 [e-mail] posted:

I feel better now. I thought you were trying to set it, trying to determine what year it is now.

Meirman

-- If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Go back to the pawn shop. The value is only what someone is willing to pay for it. Not working, I'd give maybe two bucks.

[rustydustin]

Q1: Am I correct in the assumption that the watch serial number is stamped under the connection of the watch band to the case?

Q2: Do I just push out the two small pins holding the watch band to the case to remove the watch band?

Q3: Is there a particular dirction (or are these pins unidirectional)?

Q4: The actual watch band has the word "STEELINOX" and 5 numbers, a letter, a space, and then two more numbers. What is the significance of these band numbers?

Q5: Near the junction of the band to the case, on both sides, is the number 455 stamped on the band. Does this have any significance?

I can proceed once I figure out the answer to questions 1 and 2 above. Thanks for all your help, RD

[mclorson]

I don't believe the serial # is on the side of the case. Only the words "Registered Design" appear there. Take it to Rolex dealer. Check ebay for past sales. An auction the size of the ebay community will determine is "real" value.

-Mike

[John S.]

I'm not sure what a "reasonable" price is. If you are looking to recover all of your costs to date including the undetermined cost of repairs, then I don't think you will be able to do it.

First off I would take the watch to a Rolex dealer or to someone who specializes in Rolex for an estimate on the repairs and to establish its age. The repair work won't be cheap. If your goal is to sell the Rolex, then you should get the work done by someone who can do a proper job because he has access to factory parts and posesses the skills to work on the watch.

[rustydustin]

Are you sure the serial number is INSIDE on a S&G Rolex Oyster Perpetual?

I found my notes from when I opened it many years ago and all I wrote down was the model number "16000" which was stamped on the case back on the inside if I remember correctly. However, I don't remember seeing any serial numbers stamped INSIDE?

I do remember seeing a serial number on the side (next to where the 6 o'clock position) underneath the band when the Texas pawn shop removed the band to look up the serial number in a book to assess the value for pawn purposes.

I wish I had written that serial number down as I don't have a tool to get that pin out which holds the Jubilee steel and gold band to the case (or is it to the crown)?

Do you know what tool will remove the Rolex Jubilee band?

[rustydustin]

Hi Dutch,

I'll remove alt.home.repair from all my responses in this thread.

The initial reason for alt.home.repair was the question is basically a home repair of a watch by an amateur at home (does that make any sense?).

Anyway, I'll remove alt.home.repair as the alt.horology (as horrible as that name sounds) is apparently the best place on the Internet to obtain advice on taking apart and repairing our watches ourselves at home.

Thanks for the courtesy query, Rusty D.

[Dutch Buckhead]

I thought this was a home repair newsgroup.

[Dutch Buckhead]

I didn't have a problem with it. Just a little perplexed.

[Mungo Bulge]

I thought this was a crafts metalworking newsgroup. or I thought this was a consumers frugal-living newsgroup. or .... Turns out it's a "your watch is as important as your wife so don't mess with it" newsgroup.

My suggestion to you Rusty is take the d... thing appart and see how it ticks. If you can't get it back together, take a picture of it in all its peices and then post a HELP to the horology newsgroup and tell them some fool in the rec.crafts.metalworking newsgroup made you do it. That way they may give you some usefull acvice instead of telling you; you can't do it because you, unlike them, are not a serious officiado of all things horological.

I must say, I do admire your tenacity. You have stuck it out for quite some time; as hard as they tried, you have made them give you some useful information.

[Frank Adam]

Look, i don't really care what he does with what he owns and the watch is not exactly what i would consider as endangered species. If he breaks it, so be it. There are thousand, perhaps tens of thousands of that model out there.

I know very well, that when i had the electronics bug, i used to pull apart everything that needed(and sometimes not) fixing, despite some advice not to do so. So for me to tell him what to do would be downright hypocrisy.

--------------------------- Tear here -----------------------------

I have ruined a very nice Sony reel to reel once, by replacing those bloody expensive power transistors myself.. I had to get them from Sony, as nobody else stocked them, IIRC 45 bucks each (x4). As it turned out, the transistors obviously went for a reason, but i didn't find(nor could i, even if i tried) that reason. Buying a transistor tester obviously doesn't make one into a an electronics guru. ;-) Anyway lots of smoke was inhaled and the unit fried itself even a little more. I kinda gave up on that one after that. ;-) None the less i've enjoyed the time i spent with electronics and even managed to get some kits together and working. In those days, i would have told anyone trying to put me off playing with all that, to get stuffed.

[Moka Java]

Following what Frank Adams (a real watchmaker) posted a little bit ago, I don't care what Rusty does with his watch. He can tar and feather it, run it over with a back hoe and use the remains as a fishing lure for all I care.

Mungo, alt.horology is not a "your watch is as important as your wife so don't mess with it" newsgroup. We gave sound advice but Rusty wants to put his big fat thumbs where they don't belong.

Richard "it's not my watch" F

Mungo Bulge wrote:

[Frank Adam]

All you had to do is ask. Which incidentally, you didn't.

None the less, from now on, i will, and i'm sure everyone else will remove the x-post to alt.home.repair and form any other group where it's not welcomed. Agreed guys ?