Due Diligence on a vintage watch
 

Hi I just bought a watch off a vintage estate jeweler.

What is the best way to look up the serial number to make sure it's not stolen or dubious.

Besides authentication what else should I do to make sure the watch is on the up and up?

I have bought vintage rolexes before but only from more mainstream dealers. I wanted a birth watch and was having trouble finding it. Of course it doesnt help that I wait till the last minute for my wifes birthday.

Its a 16013. If that matters.

cool thanks! LOL.

Buy the seller

Look for watches with a recent service at Rolex with service papers (clearly that influences just how original and vintage you are looking to go, therefore reverting to point 1 is always the most important)

RSC will validate parts of flag anything stolen

Check on the watch register

Also : https://www.thewatchregister.com/wp-...mendations.pdf

TRF does not validate / authenticate etc

Just buy the seller and make sure you know what you are looking at. Research and view plenty.

Now it’s been moved

Sticky in here

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=353899

that was great thanks for the reply!

Buy the watch. Not the seller. Great guys sometimes sell bad watches and bad sellers sometimes sell great pieces. Do your homework and learn before you spend 5-6 digit money on a vintage watch. If you cheat learning you will absorbe a lot of risk.

I agree with this 100%, I can tell you very little about anyone i've bought a watch from, but I can tell you they've all been legit.

Good advice. The watch has to stand on it's own at the end of the day, regardless of who it came from. Starting with a reputable seller is a good step, but don't cheat the process of doing your own research to learn, vet and examine purchases by knowledgeable experts.

Take it to an honest, knowledgeable watch maker to check it out and see if it needs a service. Get it pressure tested as well.

Your purchase sure was a leap of faith... Due diligence is something you do before buying, not after.

Hope it checks out for you. :cheers: Post some clear detailed photos if you want immediate feedback on any obvious issues.

If you are sure it is genuine, just get it serviced and enjoy. :dude:

sounds good! thanks for all the feedback.

My wife and I enjoy flipping vintage luxury goods as a hobby. Its a personal joy to find cool stuff and give it a good home. I rarely come across watches. I always look out for them and the best pieces I ever came across were from random watch lots. The coin and jewelry game is tough and buyers are really competitive.

This one was different since it's actually for my wife. I'm fairly confident that it is real I just want to make sure its legit not that it came from anywhere dubious but I like to do due diligence to protect myself and others who have been victims of theft.

I'm pretty excited for her bday on Sunday. Shes going to love it.

For heavens sake. "Due deligence," to me means doing all that before the purchase. But maybe thats just me

In light of the current active threads on this sub-forum you are absolutely correct :cheers: