Celebration Dial

[espanol]

Originally Posted by SMPc

There is a reason that it took almost a year for them to source me a dial. The dial came from a new celebration OP41. The buyer bought the watch initially for his daughter but she preferred the plain Tiffany dial. So my trusted seller swapped it. Rolex sold a few Tiffany dials (and the other initial colors) in the beginning before the hype started and also my trusted seller bought a few.This
Practice then stopped roughly 3-4 months after the hype around the colors started. With the celebration dials you basically have to wait until somebody wants to swap his dial so that you can purchase one. It will take time but it does happen.
I have no reason to doubt my seller, since they are a well established watch dealer in Marbella for over 20 years already.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Is the dial stamped on the back or anywhere to ensure it’s authenticity?

[Duke Nukem]

Just know the aftermarket celebration dials are quite good and it takes a highly trained eye to spot the differences. They even had the aftermarket celebration dials available in Spring 2023 before the real thing hit the ADs!

I wouldn't dare purchase a celebration dial from the secondary market as a result. The white hang tag is an absolute minimum, unless the watch has an AD invoice denoting the dial. A watch like this, it's straight from the AD or nothing at all imo.

And yes, the celebration is an exchange only dial, which includes the olive (DD40), green Daytona (116508), blue/green SkyD, etc. Any of the hot dials are strictly exchange only and the original has to be sent back first to confirm authenticity before a replacement is released.

[jb335]

Originally Posted by SMPc

There is a reason that it took almost a year for them to source me a dial. The dial came from a new celebration OP41. The buyer bought the watch initially for his daughter but she preferred the plain Tiffany dial. So my trusted seller swapped it. The Tiffany dials (and other initial colors) were available from Rolex when they were launched. Just after the hype started, Rolex limited the supply.
With the celebration dials you basically have to wait until somebody wants to swap his dial so that you can purchase one. It will take time but it does happen.
I have no reason to doubt my seller, since they are a well established watch dealer in Marbella for over 20 years already. I’m glad it worked out and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

I am not tying to question the legitimacy of your dial but I will say there was never not any hype on a turquoise or celebration dial. Hype on those colors were from the start.


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[SMPc]

Originally Posted by espanol

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Is the dial stamped on the back or anywhere to ensure it’s authenticity?

Yes, the dial was stamped and shown to me before. I also received my black dial back, in case I would like to swap them back in the future.
I know there are many fakes out there but my family has a very long history with this seller (my father and uncle bought multiple Pateks, APs and PM Rolex over the years) and I just don’t think they would jeopardize that relationship by trying to sell me a fake or aftermarket dial.

[SMPc]

Originally Posted by jb335

I am not tying to question the legitimacy of your dial but I will say there was never not any hype on a turquoise or celebration dial. Hype on those colors were from the start.


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That’s totally fine. Like I said in a previous reply, my family has a very long relationship with this seller, so it would be very hard for me to believe that the dial would be a fake.
Anyways, it’s a keeper for me. I guess in 8-10 years I’ll know for sure when it needs its first Rolex service. Can write an update then if I remember this thread :)

[jb335]

Originally Posted by SMPc

That’s totally fine. Like I said in a previous reply, my family has a very long relationship with this seller, so it would be very hard for me to believe that the dial would be a fake.
Anyways, it’s a keeper for me. I guess in 8-10 years I’ll know for sure when it needs its first Rolex service. Can write an update then if I remember this thread :)

Haha, I’m sure the dial is legit. Enjoy!


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[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by SMPc

That’s totally fine. Like I said in a previous reply, my family has a very long relationship with this seller, so it would be very hard for me to believe that the dial would be a fake.
Anyways, it’s a keeper for me. I guess in 8-10 years I’ll know for sure when it needs its first Rolex service. Can write an update then if I remember this thread :)

Given the extra background you provided, I’m sure it’s real. I’ve noticed that on aftermarket dials, it’s hard to get the turquoise the correct shade. Yours looks identical to my pic from my AD. No worries!

Kat


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[CarlOver]

Originally Posted by SMPc

There is a reason that it took almost a year for them to source me a dial. The dial came from a new celebration OP41. The buyer bought the watch initially for his daughter but she preferred the plain Tiffany dial. So my trusted seller swapped it. The Tiffany dials (and other initial colors) were available from Rolex when they were launched. Just after the hype started, Rolex limited the supply.
With the celebration dials you basically have to wait until somebody wants to swap his dial so that you can purchase one. It will take time but it does happen.
I have no reason to doubt my seller, since they are a well established watch dealer in Marbella for over 20 years already. I’m glad it worked out and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Alfred Greene from Grand Caliber says that he can get factory Rolex Celebration dials. I am very skeptical that Rolex would sell this dial based on what I have read about parts availability on various posts. Who knows?

[mrlube1151001]

Rolex website still has celebration dial .If they are ceasing production why it is still there.

[SMPc]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

Given the extra background you provided, I’m sure it’s real. I’ve noticed that on aftermarket dials, it’s hard to get the turquoise the correct shade. Yours looks identical to my pic from my AD. No worries!

Kat


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Originally Posted by jb335

Haha, I’m sure the dial is legit. Enjoy!


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Thanks, I believe it’s real but I can totally understand the first reactions, given how limited these dials are.There are many aftermarket options out there.
I didn’t have high hopes to ever get one and it was quite a surprise when my trusted seller reached out to me. But this was still a year after I first mentioned my interest, so it wasn’t readily available or anything. Anyways, I’m really happy with the result :)

[bibbi]

Ok. At the end of the day it’s just a Ferrari put together from different parts outside of the Maranello production site. Is it a Ferrari or is it not?

[Duke Nukem]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

Alfred Greene from Grand Caliber says that he can get factory Rolex Celebration dials. I am very skeptical that Rolex would sell this dial based on what I have read about parts availability on various posts. Who knows?

Why do you even entertain those sleaze bags? The apple (Alfraud) doesn’t fall from Anthony Farrer & Co. They cannot obtain genuine celebration dials. Full stop.

Originally Posted by mrlube1151001

Rolex website still has celebration dial .If they are ceasing production why it is still there.

This happened last year. Go back to scooba’s thread from last year regarding the fluted motif and YM2. The news broke late Jan 2024 about those two being discontinued and they were pulled from the site in April when the show began. He got a lot of pushback on here but his sources were correct. It’s also been publicized from numerous reputable sources.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=935052

The celebration will most likely fall off after April 1st, when W&W 2025 begins.

If you want one, use this as encouragement and continue to check in with your AD, so you’re on top of mind if they get another allocation.

[Parapraxis]

I'm not buying that Rolex would send out celebration dials only for people to freely swap out, sorry

[CarlOver]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

Alfred Greene from Grand Caliber says that he can get factory Rolex Celebration dials. I am very skeptical that Rolex would sell this dial based on what I have read about parts availability on various posts. Who knows?

Originally Posted by Duke Nukem

Why do you even entertain those sleaze bags? The apple (Alfraud) doesn’t fall from Anthony Farrer & Co. They cannot obtain genuine celebration dials. Full stop.

😉

This happened last year. Go back to scooba’s thread from last year regarding the fluted motif and YM2. The news broke late Jan 2024 about those two being discontinued and they were pulled from the site in April when the show began. He got a lot of pushback on here but his sources were correct. It’s also been publicized from numerous reputable sources.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=935052

The celebration will most likely fall off after April 1st, when W&W 2025 begins.

If you want one, use this as encouragement and continue to check in with your AD, so you’re on top of mind if they get another allocation.

Originally Posted by Parapraxis

I'm not buying that Rolex would send out celebration dials only for people to freely swap out, sorry

Agreed. Buyer beware!

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Parapraxis

I'm not buying that Rolex would send out celebration dials only for people to freely swap out, sorry

Me, neither! I’ve already said allocation, or I’ll do without. Secondary market price is still ridiculous! I would love to have one. I am on the list at my AD, and if they called tomorrow, I’d find the money I don’t readily have.

Kat


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[Rolexforthewin]

Originally Posted by Parapraxis

I'm not buying that Rolex would send out celebration dials only for people to freely swap out, sorry

I would agree with you!

[mrlube1151001]

What I learnt from the A.D is this dial is extremely hard to produce.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by mrlube1151001

What I learnt from the A.D is this dial is extremely hard to produce.

Yup! I read the same. That’s why it’s hard to replicate.

Kat


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[SMPc]

Thought I’d give a quick update:
I admit I got doubts after yesterday’s discussion and so I stopped by at my AD this morning and talked to the GM and their watchmaker. I shared with them the pictures of the dial I have bought from my trusted seller and they inspected my watch with a magnifying glass.
Their watchmaker traced the stamped code on the back of the dial from the pictures and confirmed that it is indeed a dial that belongs to a 124300 Celebration Dial that was first registered in Puerto Banus (Marbella) on the 5th of December.
They highlighted that they often receive questions about dial swaps for OPs, DJs and DayDates. To my surprise for all colors. The colorful dials are still very popular among watch enthusiasts but they also have increasing amounts of customers with very colorful dials that got bored after 1-2 years ownership and are seeking a more traditional Rolex look (black, silver, blue, etc).
However, Rolex forbids the ADs to do the swap as long as the watch is still under warranty (the first five years). That’s when the ADs might recommend external watchmakers that could do the change but highlight that opening the watch could impact the warranty of the watch. Many non-collectors don’t care about keeping their old dials and this is most likely how my dial initially ended up at my trusted seller who then contacted me a few days later.
Although I personally didn’t have doubts when agreeing to do the swap due to the long history with my seller, yesterday’s discussion about fakes got to me. So thank you, at least I got clarity now and know that I didn’t end up ruining my watch with a franken-dial :)
Have a great weekend everybody!

[espanol]

Originally Posted by SMPc

Thought I’d give a quick update:
I admit I got doubts after yesterday’s discussion and so I stopped by at my AD this morning and talked to the GM and their watchmaker. I shared with them the pictures of the dial I have bought from my trusted seller and they inspected my watch with a magnifying glass.
Their watchmaker traced the stamped code on the back of the dial from the pictures and confirmed that it is indeed a dial that belongs to a 124300 Celebration Dial that was first registered in Puerto Banus (Marbella) on the 5th of December.
They highlighted that they often receive questions about dial swaps for OPs, DJs and DayDates. To my surprise for all colors. The colorful dials are still very popular among watch enthusiasts but they also have increasing amounts of customers with very colorful dials that got bored after 1-2 years ownership and are seeking a more traditional Rolex look (black, silver, blue, etc).
However, Rolex forbids the ADs to do the swap as long as the watch is still under warranty (the first five years). That’s when the ADs might recommend external watchmakers that could do the change but highlight that opening the watch could impact the warranty of the watch. Many non-collectors don’t care about keeping their old dials and this is most likely how my dial initially ended up at my trusted seller who then contacted me a few days later.
Although I personally didn’t have doubts when agreeing to do the swap due to the long history with my seller, yesterday’s discussion about fakes got to me. So thank you, at least I got clarity now and know that I didn’t end up ruining my watch with a franken-dial :)
Have a great weekend everybody!

Wonderful news. You should be able to breathe easy with your AD’s assurance. Real or not, assurance from an authorized Rolex dealer is the equivalent of real. If you ever wanted complete assurance, RSC would be the route to go.

What an unusual circumstance. I’d wager you’re one of only a handful (if even) of potentially authentic celebration dial swaps out there. First I’ve heard of it. Enjoy the watch for many years to come!

[SMPc]

Originally Posted by espanol

Wonderful news. You should be able to breathe easy with your AD’s assurance. Real or not, assurance from an authorized Rolex dealer is the equivalent of real. If you ever wanted complete assurance, RSC would be the route to go.

What an unusual circumstance. I’d wager you’re one of only a handful (if even) of potentially authentic celebration dial swaps out there. First I’ve heard of it. Enjoy the watch for many years to come!

Thanks, I really appreciate it :)
And yes, I feel quite relieved after talking to my AD about it. I admit that yesterday’s discussion really had me worried for a moment.

[mrlube1151001]

Many buy celebration dial watches for the novelty. It is something unique since Rolex always is a conservative company. The chances of some one swap the celebration dial to a normal one is rare but it can happen.A normal person would keep the celebration dial and swap a black or white.They can always revert it back.If you are tired of the dial you can sell the watch at a premium and buy another OP and pocket some cash. Smpc is quiet lucky to get a original dial.

[Duke Nukem]

Originally Posted by SMPc

Thanks, I really appreciate it :)
And yes, I feel quite relieved after talking to my AD about it. I admit that yesterday’s discussion really had me worried for a moment.

My posts weren’t intended to instill doubt regarding your watch, so glad to hear you were able to get confirmation. My post was intended to inform the wider group and help prevent anyone from getting a fast one pulled on them.

[SMPc]

Originally Posted by Duke Nukem

My posts weren’t intended to instill doubt regarding your watch, so glad to hear you were able to get confirmation. My post was intended to inform the wider group and help prevent anyone from getting a fast one pulled on them.

No worries at all :) I didn’t take it personal but it still got me thinking. I just felt a need for clarity and in the end I feel very relieved after taking the watch to my AD. Even my AD mentioned that there are thousands of aftermarket options available and you often can’t even tell the differences without additional magnifying glasses, etc.

[arrey]

Hoping it happens as said, will be nice if they can be out there.

[MDiddy]

I was in with AD yesterday afternoon and they received comms it is 100% discontinued.. They expect small run offs in lower sized models but very little if any of 41's this side of W&W so game over for anyone on the waiting list !

[w786]

Originally Posted by MDiddy

I was in with AD yesterday afternoon and they received comms it is 100% discontinued.. They expect small run offs in lower sized models but very little if any of 41's this side of W&W so game over for anyone on the waiting list !

did they say all the sizes are discontinued even the 31 ladies ?

[iadrian]

I absolutely love this watch, it's the most un-Rolex Rolex out there.
It's nearly impossible to see one in person at any of the ADs.
This is definitely a piece for someone who already has a well-rounded collection.

[Newbie2277]

Originally Posted by iadrian

I absolutely love this watch, it's the most un-Rolex Rolex out there.
It's nearly impossible to see one in person at any of the ADs.
This is definitely a piece for someone who already has a well-rounded collection.

Exactly, you nailed it on the head. It’s only my 2nd Rolex but I LOVE that it’s so unconventional for the brand. All of the haters who say “no one would care if it was any other brand,” that’s PRECISELY the point! It’s such a fun piece, puts a smile on my face every time I wear it.





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[Duke Nukem]

Originally Posted by iadrian

I absolutely love this watch, it's the most un-Rolex Rolex out there.
It's nearly impossible to see one in person at any of the ADs.
This is definitely a piece for someone who already has a well-rounded collection.

+1, exact reasons why I love mine and it feels well into my collection of otherwise conservative Rolexes.