BNIB from AD but F in the serial number?

[ohlins]

Originally Posted by Tfish

I also received a significent discount.

that's great.....

dj typically get a big discount off the list around here.....even if it's a D or Z...

[padi56]

Originally Posted by tonelar

There's been debate about the serial number on here for quite some time now. I remember someone mentioning that the cases are etched with the serial numbers when they are mfg'd / not when the completed watch leaves the factory.

It's why most people should take the serial number with the proverbial grain of salt.

You did buy a new watch (it's warranty will be up in two years). Wear it in good health, Mike.

Exactly and the same goes for the movements,the blank movements are sent to the Swiss COSC for testing,and returned either passed or failed .The failed ones are just re-regulated and shipped back for re-test.But there is no time limit to when the movements are finally cased and shipped.And say a Cal 3135 movement will be exactly the same as the ones first made in 1988 if only just used for testing regulating before sale etc.And today the modern oils don't dry out like the oils used say 10 years ago.And like you say now, all new watches are guaranteed 2 years, whether the dealer has had them weeks months or years.Perhaps new Rolex watches should have a sell by date on them.Then after a new date letter all the previous date letter ones,self destruct if not sold,or sold off at half or less.

[Blue Bull]

Originally Posted by dman

Why? If he got the watch he wanted, why does it matter if it is an F or Z or XYZ? For most normal and sane people, you only buy one Rolex in a lifetime if that, so it is an experience unto itself.

It's called experience because next time he will check the serial nr before the purchase.Very simple.Been there,myself.Personally I couldnt really care if its a F,D or Z... My Dweller I bought recently and its a D serial.I knew that at the time of purchase.The price was right and there were no Zs to be found.

[ohlins]

Originally Posted by dman

There are certain facts that you either fail to accept or can't comprehend. One of those is that Rolex does not ship every watch out in order. That is why in each batch an AD recieves there are mixed serial numbers.

perhaps u can enlighten us on how factual this 'fact' is supposed to be....

you are right in a way cos u r talking about all rolex watches in general.....i.e. DD, DJ, sub, etc....

however if one were to look into the specifics of each model....e.g. 16610......they do arrive at the store in the order of the letter......my AD do not receive any more d serial 16610......they are all z now.........it also happened that when d was introduced......they did not receive any f 16610....

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by ohlins

perhaps u can enlighten us on how factual this 'fact' is supposed to be....

you are right in a way cos u r talking about all rolex watches in general.....i.e. DD, DJ, sub, etc....

however if one were to look into the specifics of each model....e.g. 16610......they do arrive at the store in the order of the letter......my AD do not receive any more d serial 16610......they are all z now.........it also happened that when d was introduced......they did not receive any f 16610....

Agreed....definitely no more "F-series" coming in now. Some older "D-series" still around, but new ones rolling in are all "Z".

Both my present Rollies are "Z" and the next ones which came in after that (for example a few more Blue Subs have come in after the one I bought in December are also "Z") are all "Z".

JJ

[dman]

Originally Posted by ohlins

perhaps u can enlighten us on how factual this 'fact' is supposed to be....

you are right in a way cos u r talking about all rolex watches in general.....i.e. DD, DJ, sub, etc....

however if one were to look into the specifics of each model....e.g. 16610......they do arrive at the store in the order of the letter......my AD do not receive any more d serial 16610......they are all z now.........it also happened that when d was introduced......they did not receive any f 16610....

No scientific proof, just that fact that when I picked up my DJ in December they had a shipment come in while I was in the store waiting on the engraver. My AD is a friend/student of mine and I was in his office while they got the watches. They had two LV's one D one Z. A bunch of DD's that ranged from Y to Z. They also had a new style TOG that was a D along side a Z.

There is no exact science, but the fact remains they don't ship in numerical order. Never have and doubt they ever will.

[Rubenonfire]

I wouldn't sweat it at all. Although it's "nice" to have a more recent serial and if I had the choice between the two I would take a more recent one, the fact remains that you bought the watch brand new from an AD with a Rolex factory warranty.
Considering the watch hasn't changed internally or cosmetically since the more recent serial numbers were released, I'd say you can probably put this comfortably to bed.
The only time the serial MAY be a factor is if you plan on re-selling the watch within a few years, but even then only WIS like the folks on this forum and a handful of others are going to give a darn about the serial, and even some of them don't. I'd say relax, enjoy, and wear it in great health. It's a beauty!

[LKNGOOD]

First of all CONGRATUALTIONS on your purchase. I myself just purchase a GMT-MASTER II (Z-Series).

If I knew it was a D-Series I would of ask for a bigger discount then 10% otherwise I would have waited for a Z-Series and still get my 10%.

Let me explain why and this is only my opinion:

• You get the newest watch - this is important to me especially if the model has changed with improvements from the previous series.
• If I ever sell the rolex - Most people that buy ROLEX will do all the research before buying it (I know I did) - Why would I buy a Rolex that's 3 years old when I can get that's only a few months old if that for the same price?

Now if the AD gave me another 5% off because it's been sitting in their safe for 3 years I may consider it.

Once again - this is just my opinion - like someone said early - a ROLEX is still a ROLEX - just that mine is newer then yours

[Fiwi]

This is a flashback from a thread I started:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=12268
There are plenty of older stock models sitting around at the ADs. If you know it's an older model and you're getting a great discount, then there's no problem. However, if you are expecting a "fresh" Rolex and find out at home that the watch you just bought is a little "stale" then that's a problem (IMO). I belive the ADs go by the "don't ask, don't tell motto". They're happy to unload an older model from their stock to some unsuspecting soul. Some people care, some don't. I'm one of the ones who does. It doesn't matter to me that there are no physical or technological differences between the older and newer watches. I just prefer a watch that hasn't been sitting around. The YM that the AD tried to sell to me was at the price level prior to the increase when platinum went up. That's what tipped me off and made me check the serial number. Even when I realized the watch was a few years old, the AD tried to convince me otherwise. Needless to say, I did not buy the watch. Now I have an '06 on my wrist and couldn't be happier. My watch had been preowned for 3 months and traded in in absolutely pristine condition and I saved over $2,000 on the 2006 list price -- and over $1,000 on the price of the '03 the AD tried to sell me.

So to answer your question, "should this concern me?" -- only if you thought you were getting an '06 or '07 and only if you care about the manufacture date. If you are happy with your watch and what your paid for it, then ignore your serial number and enjoy your new watch!

[ohlins]

Originally Posted by dman

No scientific proof, just that fact that when I picked up my DJ in December they had a shipment come in while I was in the store waiting on the engraver. My AD is a friend/student of mine and I was in his office while they got the watches. They had two LV's one D one Z. A bunch of DD's that ranged from Y to Z. They also had a new style TOG that was a D along side a Z.

There is no exact science, but the fact remains they don't ship in numerical order. Never have and doubt they ever will.

yeah.....i think it's a little bit too much to expect that watches are shipped in numerical order........

however, they are shipped in letter order for each model....

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by ohlins

yeah.....i think it's a little bit too much to expect that watches are shipped in numerical order........

however, they are shipped in letter order for each model....

Very true....I am in touch with BOTH the ADs here in Auckland. All new ones rolling in from Rolex HQ in Melbourne (Austarlia) are from the Z-series.

JJ

[Tfish]

Thanks for all of your feedback..it's much appreciated. I got the watch from an AD for $7,000 CDN before taxes. This works out to approx $5900 USD which I believe is a very good price. The MSRP on this watch in Canada is $9160 CDN.

Looks to me that I got 23.5% off.

I plan on having the watch forever, so the serial number is probably not that important.

Thanks
Fish

[nko51]

Originally Posted by padi56

It is a new watch all it means it was shipped from the Rolex factory earlier than the others.Now what if Rolex did not have the date letter,and a secret serial system.Then how could you tell how old the watch was, watches are not like cars.Now if someone was after a watch say like the SS Daytona at list price, they would not care if it was YFD or ZYZ.And today the modern date letter serial is not that important,as say the serial when trying to date say a vintage piece.

So, what your saying is that if you bought the watch from an AD, only the date of purchase on the warranty card matters. My friend just bought a Red/Blue GMT-MASTER II, and it was a K series. How much would he get for it if he were to sell it, he has had it for 2 months, and only worn 2 days.

[nko51]

Originally Posted by directioneng

There seems to be the possibility of a Rolex price rise.
Will this price rise affect all watches or just the watches that arrive from the date of the price rise? Do all the AD's increase the prices on their old/new Rolex watches even though they have had them floating around for years? So are we paying more money each year for 'new' watches that are getting older and older?

Yes, they will increase price on every Rolex in stock.

[ohlins]

Originally Posted by nko51

Yes, they will increase price on every Rolex in stock.

which = instant unrealised profit margin for ADs......

[nko51]

Originally Posted by ohlins

which = instant unrealised profit margin for ADs......

Any increase in price without increase in quantity or quality is a wind fall profit.

[nko51]

I can some how see my way clear for a price increase on the new models being shipped as of the date of increase, but to increase price on existing stock is windfall profiteering. Rolex should realize that such dealer practice will cost them some quantity of sales. I myself was furious when I bought my first SS Sub last Year and found that retail had gone up approx. 30% since I looked at them in 2000. I felt like a

[padi56]

Originally Posted by nko51

I can some how see my way clear for a price increase on the new models being shipped as of the date of increase, but to increase price on existing stock is windfall profiteering. Rolex should realize that such dealer practice will cost them some quantity of sales. I myself was furious when I bought my first SS Sub last Year and found that retail had gone up approx. 30% since I looked at them in 2000. I felt like a

Well lets be honest here how often do we see anything in the high end retail ever go down.Take petrol for one,in the UK it goes up instantly but they might have a 1000 gallons plus in tanks bought at the lower price.

[Tommer]

Originally Posted by Tfish

Just purchased a TT DJ from AD but when I was going thru all of the paperwork I noticed that the serial number bdgins with an F.

what about the country code of your watch? did you get the country code that fit where you are locate?

[nko51]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well lets be honest here how often do we see anything in the high end retail ever go down.Take petrol for one,in the UK it goes up instantly but they might have a 1000 gallons plus in tanks bought at the lower price.

That is exactly the problem we are talking about! Whatever happened to an honest days pay for an honest days wage?

[nko51]

Is the world's economy so bad, that those who have must rape those who do not.

[Tfish]

Yes it was the Canada Country code.

[sjt]

sorry posted to wrong thread! DUH

[ofelas]

Aside from a SIGNIFICANT discount, I would also ask the AD for a complimentary RSC service on ANY watch that has been sitting around with oil drying/seals shrinking for over a year, let alone 3.
Warranty or not, there is less wear between chronological service intervals on a freshly made watch.

[Tfish]

Originally Posted by ofelas

Aside from a SIGNIFICANT discount, I would also ask the AD for a complimentary RSC service on ANY watch that has been sitting around with oil drying/seals shrinking for over a year, let alone 3.
Warranty or not, there is less wear between chronological service intervals on a freshly made watch.

I think that I will do that....thanks for the advice.

Fish

[veilstylez]

Originally Posted by ofelas

Aside from a SIGNIFICANT discount, I would also ask the AD for a complimentary RSC service on ANY watch that has been sitting around with oil drying/seals shrinking for over a year, let alone 3.
Warranty or not, there is less wear between chronological service intervals on a freshly made watch.

yup what he said.

I had a choice of getting D or Z on my YM. I said if i take the D today they better give me a bigger discount and they said no....that its the same thing. So I waited for the Z to arrive. I know it doesnt matter but for resell it does. And plus If I got the D its just that much sooner I have to get it serviced. Plus the fact that it sat there for over X year's with over 100x people trying it on and off, on a new watch..no thanks. Its only worth it if you get a big discount on older stock models....which seems like you got. Dont worry about it if your keeping the watch..just make sure they service it for free in a couple of years. then enjoy it and get it serviced later.

[Tfish]

I agree; I'm very happy with the price and plan on keeping.

Thanks

Fish

[tonelar]

Originally Posted by padi56

Exactly and the same goes for the movements,the blank movements are sent to the Swiss COSC for testing,and returned either passed or failed .The failed ones are just re-regulated and shipped back for re-test.But there is no time limit to when the movements are finally cased and shipped.And say a Cal 3135 movement will be exactly the same as the ones first made in 1988 if only just used for testing regulating before sale etc.And today the modern oils don't dry out like the oils used say 10 years ago.And like you say now, all new watches are guaranteed 2 years, whether the dealer has had them weeks months or years.Perhaps new Rolex watches should have a sell by date on them.Then after a new date letter all the previous date letter ones,self destruct if not sold,or sold off at half or less.

Is this implying that every movement is COSC tested? I've learned recently that they aren't.

[ROLEX4FD]

I wouldn't be too concerned. 9 months ago when my wife and kids surprised me with my grail watch, a TT Blue Sub, it was an F series - at a time when the D series were the newest. The F series had all the upgrades: no lug holes, SEL bracelet, crown etching on the crystal, etc.. Second best thing about it, she runs + one half second a day. Best thing about it...... it's mine!! Isn't that what really matters in the end? Enjoy!!

[nko51]

Originally Posted by Tfish

I agree; I'm very happy with the price and plan on keeping.

Thanks

Fish

I don't think that an AD is going to send your watch to a RSC for servicing as a complimentary gesture. He probably will have an in house repairman look at it. Which in my opinion is nothing like what the RSC does. My friend also bought a "F" series SS GMT-MASTER II from an AD just 2 months ago, and so far he has not been able to get any satisfaction. I may try and have him ask his AD for a complimenatry service.