Theory behind not showing serial number

[ericisback]

Why do some online sellers not show the serial numbers of the watches for sale?

[RobearH]

#1....so AD’s and Rolex can’t track flippers!!!!!!!!

[MikeyV]

^^^Mostly this. Seriously.

[srleadjb]

And yet the very same AD’s are knowingly selling to the flippers.

[Vamp]

Originally Posted by srleadjb

And yet the very same AD’s are knowingly selling to the flippers.

The irony! lol

[Finslayer83]

Originally Posted by srleadjb

And yet the very same AD’s are knowingly selling to the flippers.

That’s ok though. They agreed to not show serials.

[Rogdogg]

It has been going on for a lot longer than this current availability situation. People have been doing it for many years when you could walk into a store and buy any watch you like.
From my understanding the main reason has always been for security when it comes to counterfeit watches. Hiding the number prevents the counterfeiters from producing watches with actual real Rolex serial numbers.

[inadeje]

1. Counterfeiters
2. Flipville
3. Camouflage final resale value of watches traded in by clients
4. Buyers may be upset that the watch they buy had its serial published online
5. Quirky pastime of veteran grey dealers

[Seibei]

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by Seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

This seems to be the biggest issue imho.

[SkyJuice]

Originally Posted by seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

+1

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

Good point

[sleddog]

For whatever reason, this question does get asked a lot, and most reasons (if not all), have already been mentioned above.
To go a little further, it’s an identifying marker. In this day and age, one needs to limit the exposure you place out into the www. This goes for many things. SIN/Personal tax number, accounts and credit info, down to your vehicles registration etc. All of these things being of need to partially, or completely, obscure. One can never be to careful!

IMO, and apart from all the good reasons mentioned above in previous posts, it’s simply just good practice.

[101031-28]

Originally Posted by sleddog

For whatever reason, this question does get asked a lot, and most reasons (if not all), have already been mentioned above.
To go a little further, it’s an identifying marker. In this day and age, one needs to limit the exposure you place out into the www. This goes for many things. SIN/Personal tax number, accounts and credit info, down to your vehicles registration etc. All of these things being of need to partially, or completely, obscure. One can never be to careful!

IMO, and apart from all the good reasons mentioned above in previous posts, it’s simply just good practice.

100%

[schoolboy]

Originally Posted by Seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

Very good point

[flexibil29]

Originally Posted by Seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

I personally don't agree because to report a Rolex watch as missing/stolen you have to provide original Rolex papers of ownership for the watch are you reporting. If the watch was stolen with the papers too , then you have to provide your identity to Rolex, they will check the database and will confirm the ownership for the watch. If you are not the first owner of the watch then you have to provide additional evidences of purchase for the Rolex watch with the serial number are you reporting

[HHIslander]

Originally Posted by inadeje

3. Camouflage final resale value of watches traded in by clients
4. Buyers may be upset that the watch they buy had its serial published online
5. Quirky pastime of veteran grey dealers

+1

For vintage pieces particularly. I sold some pieces to a dealer earlier this year who requested that I sign and agree that I wouldn’t ever post pictures of the watches online, divulge the buyer, price paid or serial numbers to anyone after the sale. I didn’t pry as to why but it was likely a combination of the above.

[Benzsiam]

Originally Posted by Seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and Rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

Only stupid malicious person who want to be in jail for free food will do that.

[Twovalvekid]

Been stated. Fakes and flippers.

Who knows if it's real or not, but had 2 separate ADs in 2 separate sections of the country tell me the same things. Serial numbers can be tracked back to the original AD.

Now, in this world, who knows if it's actually true or not. Or just big brother Rolex feeding ADs shenanigans.

[baumare]

Let say a faker create a Sub, he can use the serial number seen on a photo of a real Sub to use on his fake and stamp it the warranty, so in case you ask info about that serial # it will match reference and serial of the real one, creating a clone.
Nothing to take lightly considering the level of quality of the superfake

[TswaneNguni]

Originally Posted by inadeje

1. Counterfeiters
2. Flipville
3. Camouflage final resale value of watches traded in by clients
4. Buyers may be upset that the watch they buy had its serial published online
5. Quirky pastime of veteran grey dealers

I hear Flipville is bursting out of its seems ,devided in districts and playing "the hunger games". Apart from life,the winner gets a pepsi (which is more important).

[brucethemanlee]

Originally Posted by seibei

6. A malicious person could note the serial number of the watch and report it as stolen to police and rolex. This may at some stage lead inconvenience for the owner of the watch.

+1

[Calatrava r]

All great reasons. I think the primary reason is to prevent tracking of sold watches by the makers or ADS.

[AJMarcus]

To avoid Counterfeiters engraving a legitimate serial number on their fake watch, and prevent fraudsters from reporting a “stolen”watch to authorities and Rolex.

[CPRWATCH]

I can see why someone would not show the serial number of their watch either new or old .But I don’t think it really matters if you show the serial number of your watch or not . If the fakers/counterfeiters are really serious about faking or counterfeiting a particular Rolex for example , all they need to do is find one easily available serial number relevant to the reference number of the model they are faking or counterfeiting and just keep adding another number to the serial number or just make up a random number with a pre determined alphabetical letter matching a year the watch was in production , not sure why they seem to use the same serial number on thousands of fakes .Maybe it’s not cost effective to have a bunch of people using number punches hammering away 24/7 .

[Rashid.bk]

For the same reason I wouldn’t post a photo of my drivers license together with my social security number for everyone to see.
Honestly, protecting privacy seems like a common sense thing, and I find anyone to not agree or understand to be the one that’s suspect, unless you’re like seven years old.

As for the op’s question, a seller may not want to post a serial number because then maybe a person selling a fake can try to legitimize their fake by using real data points. And it has happened.
This is a can of worms, bottom line is privacy is rather common sense, especially today, just read Seth’s thread regarding his identity, same same to me.