Expert opinions?

[Bigcigardan]

I have owned and worn over 20 Rolex watches over the years currently my daily is a 18038. The watch in question goes beyond my area of knowledge based on year and era. so I ask for your answers and opinions.

Question 1: does this look all OG?
Question 2: how hard would it be to source a jubilee bracelet for it given I decide to purchase? Also what endlinks should I look for?
From what I know it’s manual wind and has a rivet bracelet on it it’s also late 60s? Serial starts at #515?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bigcigardan]

It was offered to me for 2500 and with a one year warranty I think price is fair


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BDII]

The bracelet will be easy to source. All looks good to me

[alwayshere]

From memory, these are smaller size case (34mm) so you will need to find a smaller size jubilee bracelet.... The datejust ones won't work (I think)

Frankly the rivet suits this watch (matches the simplicity)

$2500 feels high but probably not far off.

[CTech]

As far as I know these manual wind watches never left the factory with Jubilee bracelets and so there are no listings that I can find for end pieces for them. Jubilee bracelets made for automatic wind watches can be made to fit and I think they might need some minor reshaping of the end pieces to match the profile of the lugs. I'm not sure about this but I think the lugs are very slightly different between the manual wind watches and the automatic wind watches as the case is taller for a perpetual watch.

The watches like this that are around possibly had the bracelets swapped by the dealer at the time of sale or maybe had them changed by one of the previous owners. Clearly it can be done and quite a few of the ones I've seen have had a US made Jubilee bracelet with 574 end pieces, usually with marks on them where the undersides have been bent to make it fit properly.

As said above, complete Datejust or GMT-Master bracelets won't fit as they have 20mm end pieces made for bigger cases and this one has a 34mm case which needs 19mm end pieces. Some bracelets had central sections which could be used with either size end piece and others had fixed or semi-fixed end pieces which cannot be easily swapped.

Bracelets to look for are the folded link 6251H or the solid link 62510H with 19mm end pieces such as the 74, 274, 574, etc.

Correct bracelets and end pieces are very difficult to source because most of the ones for sale are from sellers who don't know what they were fitted to, what they could fit, how to change end pieces, how old it is, etc. so you need to do a lot of research to understand what fits properly.

[Das]

My Oysterdate came with a Jubilee bracelet. My dad bought it new in the 60s.

[Das]

Pic attached!

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Das

My Oysterdate came with a Jubilee bracelet. My dad bought it new in the 60s.

Your photo appears to be of a solid-link Jubilee. When do you think the watch was purchased new?

[Das]

The original jubilee was stretched so replaced with this one in the late 90s. Watch was bought in the 60s but during a service changed to service dial and hands (I still have the originals). End links are stamped 574B. As far as I remember it's not sel but can check.

[Nick9]

Mine is in a folded link Oyster. These seem versatile when it comes to bracelet choices; look good on Oysters and Jubilees.

If the OP’s were mine, I’d likely leave it on the bracelet it comes with.

[Das]

Mine would have looked like this when first bought.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Das

Mine would have looked like this when first bought.

Hard to see, but that appears to be an oval link. Is that right?

[Das]

From old photos years ago I remember thinking my dad's watch bracelet looked like it was made of rice! So yes pretty sure links were a different shape to the more modern bracelet. The dial and hands are what I have stored away look exactly the same.

My dad bought it in 1965 in Nairobi Kenya.

[TimeLord2]

Originally Posted by Dan S

Hard to see, but that appears to be an oval link. Is that right?

Yeah, I was under the impression the oval link bracelets, were made in the USA or Mexico.

[Kingsking]

Originally Posted by Bigcigardan

I have owned and worn over 20 Rolex watches over the years currently my daily is a 18038. The watch in question goes beyond my area of knowledge based on year and era. so I ask for your answers and opinions.

Question 1: does this look all OG?
Question 2: how hard would it be to source a jubilee bracelet for it given I decide to purchase? Also what endlinks should I look for?
From what I know it’s manual wind and has a rivet bracelet on it it’s also late 60s? Serial starts at #515?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry to go off topic but I noticed you owned a King Midas and wow, what a beauty . You also said your daily is a 18038 right now , which do you like better? Im in the market for a gold piece next and I have both of those on my list. I'm a bit concerned the Midas might wear a bit small on me with my 7.5 inch wrists.

[Das]

Is this turning in to a pissing contest? You can clearly see 2 6694s with a perfectly fitting jubilee from factory. I guess so called experts don't like it being proven wrong.

[CTech]

A watch bought in Kenya might have had a bracelet made in England for Rolex by Watch Accessories Birmingham. These are normally marked with some normal Rolex markings and also include the maker's mark "WAB" in an oval shield.

They are not quite the same design as Jubilee bracelets and are a little like the bead of rice bracelets made by Gay Freres.

They do not tapered in width like more modern bracelets and the end links have an R.D. number (Registered Design).

This is one from the early 1960s on a Rolex 5508 which was bought this way in the North of England.

[CTech]

Das, your comment above is completely inappropriate and uncalled for. Other people have been banned for this type of behaviour towards people who are trying to help build a knowledge base.

I understand you come from an area of the country that prides itself on blunt speaking but this is a bit rich, even for my tastes.

Nobody has said that they are an expert, nor has anybody said that Jubilee bracelets on 6694s are impossible. You need to substantiate your claim that these two watches left the factory like that.

The distinction, which seems to be lost on you with your strong in t'arm, weak in t'head attitude, is that the dealers could and did swap bracelets as the customers desired. This is quite different from watches leaving the factory like that.

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Das

Is this turning in to a pissing contest? You can clearly see 2 6694s with a perfectly fitting jubilee from factory. I guess so called experts don't like it being proven wrong.

Not sure where this is coming from or who it's aimed at, but I'm pretty sure that nobody really cares what bracelet this watch came with. Everyone is just trying to help the OP identify validated information.

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by Das

Is this turning in to a pissing contest? You can clearly see 2 6694s with a perfectly fitting jubilee from factory. I guess so called experts don't like it being proven wrong.

We are all confined struggling to stay safe.

Not sure if we do need your negativeness, we are a community of vintage Rolex lovers/collectors and the rule of thumb here is to help each other.

[swaini3]

Originally Posted by Filipão

We are all confined struggling to stay safe.

Not sure if we do need your negativeness, we are a community of vintage Rolex lovers/collectors and the rule of thumb here is to help each other.

[motoikkyu]

Here's a terrible photo of my 6694 on a jubilee. It looks better nowadays, the spring bars were too thin. The bracelet came off a 6426.

[Bigcigardan]

Originally Posted by Kingsking

Sorry to go off topic but I noticed you owned a King Midas and wow, what a beauty . You also said your daily is a 18038 right now , which do you like better? Im in the market for a gold piece next and I have both of those on my list. I'm a bit concerned the Midas might wear a bit small on me with my 7.5 inch wrists.

I owned it for a while very heavy I owned an original 9630 of the supposed 1000 made. I had to let it go after a year of ownership unfortunately. And to answer your question I’m a big guy and it looked good on my wrist it had the left handed crown variation



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kingsking]

Originally Posted by Bigcigardan

I owned it for a while very heavy I owned an original 9630 of the supposed 1000 made. I had to let it go after a year of ownership unfortunately. And to answer your question I’m a big guy and it looked good on my wrist it had the left handed crown variation



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply , if you could only keep one ? 9630 or 18038

[Bigcigardan]

Originally Posted by Kingsking

Thanks for the reply , if you could only keep one ? 9630 or 18038

18038 because of water resistance and automatic movement however the Midas was over 200grams so much heavier. the later Midas watches made in the 70s were a little lighter I think


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk