Linen 1601 advice and lume crack

[endautrestermes]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the vintage rolex world and tempted by this linen 1601.

From what I can see, the mouvement, caseback engravings (although a bit off but seems ok according to other member) and dial seem to be consistent, and the seller claims it is unpolished, which is consistent at least with the reasonable amount of scratches that show on the pics.

The dial itself is clean overall but there's just this odd lume crack on the 11 o'clock that makes me wonder if it wasn't some 90's re-lume gone bad, or any other explanation ?

Price is on the higher side for the US market but more or less OK for EU (for the moment 4250$ without the jubilee, which I'm not interested in).

If you see any other tell-tell or inconsistency, I would really appreciate your advice !

Thanks !

[Dan S]

I would take the "unpolished" claim with a grain of salt.

[Nick9]

Lume looks okay to me. I’d get the crystal off and blow away that flake.

Price is certainly near the high end of market.

[Wahlberg]

Watch is polished, already noticeable from the sides looking at the lug hole and especially up front the way the lugs are shaped and thinner.

Why aren't you interested in the jubilee bracelet? At 4k without the bracelet it's way too expensive.

[endautrestermes]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Watch is polished, already noticeable from the sides looking at the lug hole and especially up front the way the lugs are shaped and thinner.

Why aren't you interested in the jubilee bracelet? At 4k without the bracelet it's way too expensive.

Thanks ! You're right, maybe polished - I just assumed since on most (other) pics, quite a lot of scratches and a couple of dings are noticeable, so maybe polished 20yr ago then ?

For the Jubilee, it will be saggy anyway, I was in any case planing to wear it on some leather so it was a way to get the price down by 500EUR. Prices in the EU are much higher, this is the cheapest one in the EU (no customs, mandatory 1yr warranty, realistic return policy, etc.).

[Dan S]

OK, if you can get the price down by 500 EUR to 3,750, it will be a little more realistic. 4,250 without a bracelet is insane for a watch in that condition.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by endautrestermes

Thanks ! You're right, maybe polished - I just assumed since on most (other) pics, quite a lot of scratches and a couple of dings are noticeable, so maybe polished 20yr ago then ?

For the Jubilee, it will be saggy anyway, I was in any case planing to wear it on some leather so it was a way to get the price down by 500EUR. Prices in the EU are much higher, this is the cheapest one in the EU (no customs, mandatory 1yr warranty, realistic return policy, etc.).

Yeah that sounds likely that the last polish was quite some time ago. But there are better examples out there, the lugs are thin if you look at the side profile and the way the pins almost stick out. I would advise you to keep looking around and also try to get one with a bracelet, even if you don't intend to wear or use it. Makes it easier for you to sell it in the future if that would ever happen.

[endautrestermes]

Thanks everyone, I'll stay clear and keep searching for the right one !

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Dan S

OK, if you can get the price down by 500 EUR to 3,750, it will be a little more realistic. 4,250 without a bracelet is insane for a watch in that condition.

Agree. But if you're fortunate enough to be shopping for a nice Rolex, 500 bucks probably isn't that much to you.