Explorer II 1655 Questions: Looking to Buy

[TuRo]

Later ones start and finish with a t either side of T25, earliest t swiss t https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/r...35378.6461423/

[4rnold]

Originally Posted by bondtoys

Shouldn‘t the dial read Swiss T < 25?

The MK1: The first iteration had a wide coronet, with a rounded foot on the R of Rolex. The bottom of the dial was marked T SWISS T.

[4rnold]

Look, AD's are certainly no experts on vintage

But they are not complete idiots either

My AD has some good watchmakers who would be very carefull about vintage watches, certainly about fake parts.

At least you can expect that when an AD sells you a watch with fake parts, they will have reputation damage and will be willing to refund you or compensate you.

[1675-David]

Originally Posted by Pete_McC

I did exactly the same. Still kick myself over the stunning Mark 1 with box and papers which I let go at £9,000 a number of years back, then the all original birth year one at £12k a few years later..
..had to eventually bite the bullet last year as I knew the market for good examples just isn’t going to crash.

Sooooo nice!! Congratulation!

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Pete_McC

I was once told my Oysterquartz was ‘probably a fake because it ticked’ by an AD..

I once wore my Oysterquartz 17000 on an AD visit. The sales lady took a glance at it and advised me to replace my current watch with a Rolex.

I explained, and she said she'd never even heard of an Oysterquartz. She was probably selling double-glazing the week before.

Conclusion: Vintage Rolex and ADs do not mix.

[FrenchBigCrown]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Later ones start and finish with a t either side of T25, earliest t swiss t https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/r...35378.6461423/

Both of mine have 'lollipop' seconds hands and are T SWISS < 25 T

[Gopher1]

Hello again, everyone! We had so much fun with the first one, here is another I had the opportunity to view recently. There are similarities and differences to the first.

The Watch
Here is another early Mark I (serial 2,9xx,xxx) I have a chance to purchase. My understanding is this from 1972 and should have a Mk1 dial and Mk1 or Mk2 bezel.

Bezel
This bezel is clearly a Mk5 service replacement. The main flaw in this example.

Dial/Lume
The dial and lume are quite nice to my eyes. The only significant blemish is that ~20% is missing from the 15:00 hour marker as highlighted. Note: Any marks are just lint on the crystal.

Aside from the aesthetic impact, how much of a hit on value would you place on this small lume loss? I never noticed it until magnifying the photo. It is obviously not big as the missing lume on the first example.

Bracelet/Links
It comes with a C&I Rolex bracelet dated 1972 (period correct) plus a new 76360/580 replacement, so a nice bonus. I am unclear on whether this should have come with a 7836 or if the C&I could be original. Can somebody shed light on these bracelets, their originality and value?

Hands
Look correct to me. The 24-hour hand, while somewhat faded, has a nice shade to it, much nicer than the first example. Lume color, especially noticeable in the 24-hour hand, matches the dial. Of note is a small crack/hole in the minute hand and two tiny cracks forming in the hour hand. Not sure how concerning these are for longevity and value. I do not notice them without major magnification.

Case
The case was buffed by the RSC during a recent service (why, oh why?). What do you think of the lugs/edges? Chamfers appear to be gone or mostly gone.

Miscellaneous
Watch had a complete overhaul service at the RSC recently. I saw the receipt (expensive!). The RSC performed a full movement overhaul and replaced the bezel (why, oh why?), crystal and crown.

Conclusion
What do you think of this one? Where would you place value range, with the biggest issue being the service bezel?

I will appreciate any and all expert advice!

Thanks!

[swish77]

That case is over-polished, IMHO, with soft lugs and rounded crown guards. Depends how picky you are. Overall, not a bad-looking 1655, but the dial blemish, service bezel and the over-polished case would be deal-breakers for me.

These watches are expensive, of course. Let's say this example, hypothetically, is priced at $20000. You'd be much better off waiting and finding a better example for, say, $25000, or even more.

When you're already in this ballpark of pricing for a vintage Rolex, you can afford to be picky.

[Pete_mcC]

The bezel is the ruin of that watch. You could forgive the other issues if the watch was all original.

[Gopher1]

Originally Posted by swish77

That case is over-polished, IMHO, with soft lugs and rounded crown guards. Depends how picky you are. Overall, not a bad-looking 1655, but the dial blemish, service bezel and the over-polished case would be deal-breakers for me.

These watches are expensive, of course. Let's say this example, hypothetically, is priced at $20000. You'd be much better off waiting and finding a better example for, say, $25000, or even more.

When you're already in this ballpark of pricing for a vintage Rolex, you can afford to be picky.

swish77: Thank you!

Now if you can point me to an all-original, unpolished Mk1, in excellent condition for $25k, I am all ears!

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Gopher1

swish77: Thank you!

Now if you can point me to an all-original, unpolished Mk1, in excellent condition for $25k, I am all ears!

They're out there, although you might need to stretch your budget a little. Patience is key. And it doesn't need to be unpolished, unless you absolutely want that. (Very tough to find). I'd just suggest a watch that has been minimally polished and done well, not butchered.

[Gopher1]

Originally Posted by Pete_McC

The bezel is the ruin of that watch. You could forgive the other issues if the watch was all original.

Thanks, Pete_McC, it is hard to miss! If a correct bezel could be sourced, that would be the answer, but we know of their scarcity and high number of fakes out there, so would likely take longer than finding a better complete watch.