Tracking down a pawned Rolex

[Tater78]

Long time lurker, but registered to see if anyone has some ideas for an odd situation.

After a long leukaemia battle, my dad passed away this month. One of his prized possessions was a Sub that was given to him as a 40th birthday present by his father. Unable to work for several years, and needing cash my dad pawned his watch. We only found out this had happened when we found the pawn slip while cleaning out his home. I’ve called the pawn shop but the watch is long gone.

Does anyone have any idea how to track this down? I don’t have the serial number, but may be able to get it from the jeweller who is a family friend. If I have that, would Rolex have a record of the current owner? I don’t want them to give me the contact info, but if they could reach out and say someone is interested in buying it, that would be ideal.

My youngest brother, who was closer to my dad, turns 30 this year and I can’t think of a better gift.

And if you happened to buy an early 90s Sub at A Edwards and Co at Bayview and Finch in Toronto after May 2013 and you’re interested in selling it back to the former owners family, let me know!

I know this is a massive long shot, but need to try.

[Ajdrlx]

Condolences for your loss. Did A Edwards and Co have any record of who they sold the watch too? Otherwise you will need the serial number of the watch to begin your search. If you have the serial number you could approach Rolex directly and see if they have a service history for the watch. I think either way it’s going to be a long shot to track it down. Your story is touching. If you are unable to find the exact watch perhaps consider purchasing the exact same model for your brother? Not as good as the original but still a link to your dad. Best of luck with your search.

[Pay M3]

I hope that this thread stays towards the top in hopes that the right person sees it. Hope you somehow track this down as I’m sure it would be an awesome reminder of how great he was. Good luck to you and your brother! Sorry for your loss.

[Rocket launcher]

If the pawn shop does not tell you who bought it...which they won't due to confidentiality of clients ...then you have no hope of tracing the watch....again if you had the serial number it will not help you find it unless you say it for sale..nd then it would identify the watch..Rolex will not be able to give anyones personnel info again to to confidentiality
I am afraid it would be easier finding a needle in a haystack without the information from the pawn shop

[tyler1980]

condolences.

However i would be very very upset if anyone released my info to the previous owner regardless of the situation.

Minus maybe getting lucky and stumbling across it on a sales listing, not sure it's possible. most sellers do not list the serials though (even if you knew it) so you could be looking at it and might not even notice.

[Innocenti]

I wonder if the pawn shop has details of the new owner on record ( they may not).
If they do maybe they would forward a letter from you (for a fee).

[dmy99]

Always worth a shot to ask the pawn shop!


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[THC]

What may help is to actually show the pawn shop owner, this thread. Best of luck here.

sincere sympathies for the loss of your Dad

[r6tanz]

Reach out to the owner of the pawn shop and ask them to call the client they sold it to. They should have a record of the person who purchased it and since they are in the business of making a profit, they can offer to pay more than what that client paid and sell it to you. I lost my dad to AML 3 years ago so wish you the best.

[MoosicPa]

If the pawnshop owner has the buyers info, that would be the best bet for you to recover the watch. A similar thing happened with me. My AD had purchased a vintage Elgin pocket watch from a guy who needed money. It was his great grandfathers and was engraved with his great grandfathers name and was dated 1912. I purchased the watch from my AD and added it to my collection. About 2 years later my AD called and told me the guy was in his shop asking if he still had the watch as he was hoping to reclaim it. My AD wouldn't give him my info, but did offer to contact me and inquire about the watch.

So if the pawnshop owner knows or has the buyers info maybe he could reach out the buyer.

Best of luck,

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by MoosicPa

If the pawnshop owner has the buyers info, that would be the best bet for you to recover the watch. A similar thing happened with me. My AD had purchased a vintage Elgin pocket watch from a guy who needed money. It was his great grandfathers and was engraved with his great grandfathers name and was dated 1912. I purchased the watch from my AD and added it to my collection. About 2 years later my AD called and told me the guy was in his shop asking if he still had the watch as he was hoping to reclaim it. My AD wouldn't give him my info, but did offer to contact me and inquire about the watch.

So if the pawnshop owner knows or has the buyers info maybe he could reach out the buyer.

Best of luck,

no offense intended but that's the exact thing as i buyer of such a watch i dont want to know. You bought a watch knowing it was vintage and you liked it but when you get guilted into selling it back its a no win situation for the new owner. Either you say no and feel guilty and are a jerk or you could sell it but you lose your watch. I would never ever deal with a store that contacted me in such a manner. Ever.

I hope OP gets the watch back somehow, but i wouldn't want to get that phone call from the store.

[calatravato]

You could maybe hope that the watch stayed local and putting a feeler out on a board like Nextdoor.com?

[elitejae]

Really sorry about your dad, I can't imagine. Our deepest condolences.

Like others have said, try to talk to the pawn shop (preferably owner or manager?) and explain this situation. Offer to cut them in with a finder's fee? If their empathy doesn't help motivate, maybe a profit opportunity will. Good luck.

[elitejae]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

no offense intended but that's the exact thing as i buyer of such a watch i dont want to know. You bought a watch knowing it was vintage and you liked it but when you get guilted into selling it back its a no win situation for the new owner. Either you say no and feel guilty and are a jerk or you could sell it but you lose your watch. I would never ever deal with a store that contacted me in such a manner. Ever.

I hope OP gets the watch back somehow, but i wouldn't want to get that phone call from the store.

I get your point here, and I understand the principle, however, it was a pawn store Rolex pick up - surely, there is a chance (perhaps low, but nonzero nonetheless) whoever bought it may be economically or sympathetically inclined to make a deal. Maybe I'm too commercial or transaction orientated but I'd welcome a "blind" solicitation like this if we could come to a fair deal. Even if someone bought it from the pawn shop for me as a gift I'd think the goodwill of helping fellow person with a story like this would be a good outcome on my side, too. To each their own though, so I understand and respect where you're coming from

[Nikrnic]

Sorry to hear about your dad. It sounds like a real Longshot due to the time passed. I wish you the best.


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[Kingsking]

Like others have said contact the pawn shop and hope they still have the buyers info on hand. Sorry to hear about your father.

[bradyb]

I'd bet the watch is still local and would be so cool if the shop owner would reach out on your behalf to see if any interest in selling. Please keep us up to date on what happens. Anything is possible!

[TimeRookie]

You might want to try posting this on the Canadian Watch collector’s site.
Here’s the link:

https://canwatchco.ca/forumdisplay.p...-Within-Canada

[Sweetswisssteel]

Originally Posted by Tater78

Long time lurker, but registered to see if anyone has some ideas for an odd situation.



After a long leukaemia battle, my dad passed away this month. One of his prized possessions was a Sub that was given to him as a 40th birthday present by his father. Unable to work for several years, and needing cash my dad pawned his watch. We only found out this had happened when we found the pawn slip while cleaning out his home. I’ve called the pawn shop but the watch is long gone.



Does anyone have any idea how to track this down? I don’t have the serial number, but may be able to get it from the jeweller who is a family friend. If I have that, would Rolex have a record of the current owner? I don’t want them to give me the contact info, but if they could reach out and say someone is interested in buying it, that would be ideal.



My youngest brother, who was closer to my dad, turns 30 this year and I can’t think of a better gift.



And if you happened to buy an early 90s Sub at A Edwards and Co at Bayview and Finch in Toronto after May 2013 and you’re interested in selling it back to the former owners family, let me know!



I know this is a massive long shot, but need to try.

Sorry for your loss but if the sub wasn't working when it was pawned, then it may have been beyond repair anyway. The pawnbroker may have offered to buy it cheaply for spare parts.
Maybe just let it go.

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[BakerView]

You never know the character of the person that bought it, so the only way to know is to ask the pawn shop proprietor to make the call as others have said, and offer the buyer an opportunity to do something great or not. That person will have the option to sell it at their value, or be a man worthy of remembrance and just give it to you (clearly after the trust-but-verify vetting). Tough one. I wouldn't get my hopes up, but you won't know if you don't A-S-K. Good luck.

[aleexxxxx]

Originally Posted by Sweetswisssteel

Sorry for your loss but if the sub wasn't working when it was pawned, then it may have been beyond repair anyway. The pawnbroker may have offered to buy it cheaply for spare parts.
Maybe just let it go.

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I think you misread the post, OPs father was unable to work which forces him into selling his Sub.

Best of luck finding the watch and RIP to your father

[Mr. K]

Best of luck. Would be a very cool story if you could Source The Watch.

Another idea would be for you and your brother to get matching new submariners and have a new tradition of passing that watch down in memory of both your father and grandfather.

Only problem with that is, nobody can even buy new submariners these days.

[ltmgeller]

Sorry for your loss. Did you try going to the pawn shop in person and ask them personally. They may (for a price) be inclined to look when you are there, its easy to hang up a phone. They may also protect their customer. If they do still have the info, have them call and ask if the new owner will speak with you. I wish you luck.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

Either you say no and feel guilty and are a jerk or you could sell it but you lose your watch.

You know, it's possible to say no and not feel guilty, as there is nothing to feel guilty about, if the purchase was legitimate.

I have a vintage Tissot that has a man's name and a date engraved on the back. I don't expect it to happen, but if the seller did contact me about the watch, I'd be more than willing to hear him out and give some consideration to the proposition.

There are people here who've stated that they'd prefer not to buy a watch with someone else's name on the back, but I look at such purchases as taking on a sort of curatorship, if you will, of a historical item for posterity.

Like you, I wouldn't want a seller divulging my personal information, but if I were so inclined, I might very well be interested in talking to the family of the original owner and, provided that they would be nice about it, I might very well let them have it back for a decent price.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

You know, it's possible to say no and not feel guilty, as there is nothing to feel guilty about, if the purchase was legitimate.

I have a vintage Tissot that has a man's name and a date engraved on the back. I don't expect it to happen, but if the seller did contact me about the watch, I'd be more than willing to hear him out and give some consideration to the proposition.

There are people here who've stated that they'd prefer not to buy a watch with someone else's name on the back, but I look at such purchases as taking on a sort of curatorship, if you will, of a historical item for posterity.

Like you, I wouldn't want a seller divulging my personal information, but if I were so inclined, I might very well be interested in talking to the family of the original owner and, provided that they would be nice about it, I might very well let them have it back for a decent price.

i would sell it back no question. I might not want to but i couldn't not do it and sleep at night. Its a bad position to be in either way though.

[brucethemanlee]

Sorry to hear
It will be hard to track down


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[Johny]

Hi op.

Perhaps offer to exchange for an identical watch.

[Calatrava r]

If you are never able to the watch buy back, keep in mind it was your father's wishes to sell the watch.

[Coop13]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

no offense intended but that's the exact thing as i buyer of such a watch i dont want to know. You bought a watch knowing it was vintage and you liked it but when you get guilted into selling it back its a no win situation for the new owner. Either you say no and feel guilty and are a jerk or you could sell it but you lose your watch. I would never ever deal with a store that contacted me in such a manner. Ever.

I hope OP gets the watch back somehow, but i wouldn't want to get that phone call from the store.

I feel like the person trying to get the watch back would in some way need to potentially sweeten the pot a bit... something to make sure the current owner could go right out and purchase a new sub...