Value of President Bracelet

[AJDay]

Hi All,

Vintage gold Presidents have been catching my eye lately. I lean towards finding an example without the bracelet, as I think it is a little less "flashy" on a leather strap.

That being said, the prices vary quite a bit, so I've been trying to educate myself on the different models and features (i.e. quickset, lume/no lume, wide boy, etc.).

One thing I'm struggling with is figuring out how much of a discount there should be if a bracelet is not present. For example, if I find two otherwise identical examples in yellow gold, how much cheaper should the one with no bracelet be?

Hoping it's simple and I didn't just delve into a black hole of bracelet nuances...

[The moose]

It really comes down to the shape of the bracelet. A worn out president bracelet can be found at about 2500 USD whereas a mint one (near NOS state) I have seen fetch 5k.
A renovation of a worn out president bracelet will set you backat least 1500 USD to renovate from what I have seen here by other members (Michael Young renovation).
I think I pay 4000 USD for the bracelet I bought extra for my 1803 (non hidden clasp) which was renovated by MY, but it was a couple of years back...

Ps. I am only talking about hollow link bracelets now, not the solid ones for 118238...that’s a totally other ball park price wise...

[The moose]

Some pics and info here in my old thread:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=517211

[AJDay]

Thanks for the replies. That's what I'm struggling with; it seems watches without a bracelet are maybe only $1k-$2k less than watches with a bracelet in some cases.

Maybe I should buy the watch with bracelet and then sell the bracelet? I hate to break up an original pairing though...

[Tools]

It's easier to sell a bracelet than it is to find one.

Unfortunately, you cannot just subtract what you feel a bracelet costs from a head only to arrive at a market price. Replacing a bracelet can range from $15k for a new one down to a couple of thousand for an older, used example.

[AJDay]

Originally Posted by Tools

It's easier to sell a bracelet than it is to find one.

Unfortunately, you cannot just subtract what you feel a bracelet costs from a head only to arrive at a market price. Replacing a bracelet can range from $15k for a new one down to a couple of thousand for an older, used example.

Thanks, good point. The hunt continues...

[enginerd]

Originally Posted by AJDay

Thanks for the replies. That's what I'm struggling with; it seems watches without a bracelet are maybe only $1k-$2k less than watches with a bracelet in some cases.

Maybe I should buy the watch with bracelet and then sell the bracelet? I hate to break up an original pairing though...

This was my struggle as well. I was looking at 18238s & 18248s. Head only pieces were 7-8k, but complete ones could be had around 10. Then I see bracelets going for 3.5-5.

So...

[AJDay]

Originally Posted by enginerd

This was my struggle as well. I was looking at 18238s & 18248s. Head only pieces were 7-8k, but complete ones could be had around 10. Then I see bracelets going for 3.5-5.

So...

Exactly! And I'm "afraid" I'll end up with the same result...

[crowncollection]

Almost always better to buy with the watch together


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JerimiahLee]

Buy the watch with the bracelet, you'll be better off.