Buyers Guide To Rolex | How To Buy A Pre-Owned Rolex Safely Online & In-Store

Buying a Rolex is a dream for some and a reality for others. What it is surely, is a milestone and a beautiful mark of an achievement. I am hoping this blog will answer many questions and be the most extensive guide, especially for a first time Rolex buyer.

I remember buying my first Rolex as a consumer. It’s hard to know where to start, a few points were raised in my mind:

1. Do I buy brand new or second hand? Polished or unpolished?
2. Do I buy online or in a physical store?
3. What do I need to look out for? How do I know the watch is genuine and the history is clean?
4. Does age matter? Is newer better?
5. Does the watch need to have the original box and papers?
   
6. What guarantees should I expect from the dealer?

After reading this I hope you will have a clearer picture, and you will be able to make an informed decision. Let start by answering the above 6 points one by one:

Do I buy a brand-new watch or a second-hand watch? Does it matter if a watch is polished or not?

Buying a brand-new watch from the Rolex dealership might be appealing at first as you are guaranteed that the watch is authentic and has no problems, except that is not always the case. Whilst you will be guaranteed authenticity, the watch can still have faults along the line and you might need to bring it back under warranty - Warranty being the main keyword that we will come back to later. Whilst it's unlikely for a Rolex watch to need work in such a short period of time, being mechanical anything can happen.

Now we move on to buying pre-owned. Buying pre-owned can be a little confusing if you are not familiar with the market and that's probably how you came across this article. The two most important things to consider when buying a pre-owned Rolex is the condition of the watch and the dealer that you are buying from. Buying a pre-owned Rolex, you can still be guaranteed authenticity, clean history and a great condition watch, and sometimes you can even find watches that have never been worn or have hardly any wear whatsoever in their lifetime. One of the main benefits of buying a pre-owned Rolex is that you will not be limited to only modern designs. Rolex have created many models and colours over the years that are now discontinued and can no longer be offered by the Authorised dealerships. There are also some dealers that offer a long warranty like us (Watch Collectors UK). We offer a 24-month warranty which is long enough to find out if a watch has any issues. What I have seen over the years is that if a watch does not show any signs of problems in the first year or so then it’s likely to carry on running well for many years.

I cannot discuss buying a pre-owned Rolex without touching up on polishing. After reading all over the internet, people sometimes build concerns over whether a watch has been polished or not. Polishing only affects the value of rare collectable vintage watches. So, if you have two rare watches that are 60 years old, the one that has never been touched would demand a higher premium since it has never been touched in its life. When it comes to modern watches or day to day watches, no one really cares if the watch has been polished or not as people generally expect the watches they buy to be in like new condition. After all, a watch gets polished at factory to achieve the desired finish and a professional polisher can polish the watch again years down the line and still maintain the original finish. I do need to put emphasis on Professional Polisher.

Did you know that you can polish a gold Rolex on a bracelet without losing even a gram from the surface? I am sure you are shocked by this fact. 

To sum up, I think the main deciding factors on whether to purchase a new or a second-hand Rolex should be condition, price and the dealer you are buying from. If you have two watches, one being new and one being pre-owned but in excellent condition from a reputable dealer with a long warranty, I would say choose whichever is cheaper as the purchase needs to make financial sense and the new watch will be worn and become second hand almost instantly, so you will lose the premium that you paid for. Please note that sometimes pre-owned watches can cost more than their new counterpart due to desirability and being on a waiting list, and that is why I say buy whichever is cheaper. If you have a good relationship with your authorised dealer, you may be able to purchase waiting list Rolex watches without having to pay a premium on the pre-owned market. (Unfortunately, it does take a very large spend history with the dealer to build that relation.)

Do I buy online or in a physical store?

I think buying online is fairly safe as we have been selling online for many years, however I still believe that the presence of a physical store is always comforting and important, and I would always recommend that you pay the dealer a visit so you can make your own judgement on the company and the people you are dealing with, and not just trust online reviews. I also think that it’s much better to be able to see the watch in hand and try it on before you make up your mind whether you want to purchase the watch or not.

I would say it remains a personal preference but if you are buying online, make sure to read the online reviews of the company, preferably purchase through credit card and ask the company if the package they will send you is insured. Avoid deals that are too good to be true at all costs. I always find that a phone call with the dealer is a good way to get any questions answered before you make the purchase online.

Lastly, here in the UK all businesses need to display their company registration number and VAT registration number on their website. You can use the company registration on companies house and look up the company and its accounts to make sure that they are legitimate and financially healthy.

What do I need to look out for? How do I know the watch is genuine and the history is clean?

This is probably the most important question that needs to be discussed and cleared up. The majority of the retail buying public have no experience in buying and selling high end Rolex watches and wouldn't know the difference between a genuine watch and a fake one and you cannot blame them, after all it's not what they do for a living. I have read many articles online claiming to teach how to spot a fake a Rolex and whilst some of what is written in those article checks out, there is no way someone will be able to spot a fake Rolex based on just reading while having no hands-on experience. Imagine that was possible, then highly paid sports athletes wouldn't even exist. Imagine being able to take a freekick like Ronaldo or Messi by just reading about their technique or watching online videos of them and not having to put the hours of training behind it. Or in other words, if you need to see a doctor, it is wise to research who the best doctor to visit for your problem is, rather than researching what you have and trying to diagnose yourself, then going to a clinic that is not reputable and telling them to give you medicine based on your own findings. You are not a doctor by trade so you are not expected to have the answers and neither are you when it comes to spotting a fake Rolex, so the best thing to do is to research who are the best preowned dealers to deal with, visit them, see how you feel about them (first impression) and if you still have the doubt of (how do I know that this is genuine) then you probably need to find a different dealer. Your job is to find someone that you can trust to be experienced enough to check the Rolex watch and authenticate it on your behalf, rather than try to teach yourself to do that without any hands on experience.

What I can tell you is that with years of experience behind us, it is an easy job to identify a fake Rolex. Whilst modern technology makes it easier to replicate, there are always ways for an experienced watch dealer to distinguish a real watch from a fake watch. I follow the same advice that I am giving you. When we get offered a watch, we buy the seller before we buy the watch. No matter how good the watch is, if we are not happy with the seller or the story they give us, we simply refuse the watch. Every watch we purchase has been opened by our watchmakers and the serial number has been run through the Watch Register to insure a clean history. We also provide an authenticity and clean history guarantee which we are happy to back with a full refund if any issues ever arise.

To conclude this point, ask the dealer if they guarantee authenticity, ask them if they have The Watch Register certificate to ensure it has a clean history, and ask that if anything was to flag up in the future, would they back it up with a full refund in writing? That is how you know you are dealing with the right dealer and that is how you guarantee yourself a stress-free purchase.

Does age matter? Is newer better?

Often, I get asked for a certain Rolex (let's use a Rolex steel white dial Daytona as an example) and I say yes we have a 2018 model, the customer will then ask do you have one that is 2020 or newer? What they don't realise is that it makes absolutely no difference if you are purchasing the same model number. The newer you buy the more you will have to pay, but a few years down the line, the watch will lose the premium of being newer and the two watches will fetch the same money when sold.

I can give you another example like the submariner 116610LN which has the ceramic bezel insert with the newer style maxi case. This model started in 2010 and was discontinued in 2020 and regardless of what year you buy, you are practically buying the same watch with the same movement, so it makes sense to purchase whatever is cheaper. The most important thing is condition. People don't realise that you can have a watch that is 10 years old that could be in better condition than 2 years old. It all depends on how well looked after it was. Here is a fun fact for you, although the 116610LN is the later version of the 16610 from the late 80s-90s where they changed from the thinner cases with the aluminium insert bezels and the lighter bracelets to the heavier counterpart with the maxi case and ceramic bezel it shares the same movement, calibre 3135. This calibre was used in Date-Just, Submariner, Sea-dweller for around 30 years. So newer doesn't always mean better it's just different and a matter of preference. 

Most watches are worn gently on your wrist and cannot be compared to cars, as cars get heavily used and abused and watches spend most of their days sitting gently on someone wrist or in a safe. To answer the question, newer is not better and it all comes down to aesthetical preferences. If you like the look of vintage watches, then buying modern is not and upgrade and doesn't make sense as you are not getting what you want and vice versa.

Does the watch need to have the original box and papers?

No, a watch doesn't need to have the original box and papers. Box and papers don’t make the watch any more or less authentic but should be seen more as a completion of a set. You will pay more money for a full set but get that money back when you sell it down the line. The box and papers don't offer any guarantee to you whatsoever so I would still go by my initial advice of buy the seller before you but the watch. It’s very common for vintage watches not to have the original box and papers as people in the past never used to care as much and a paper was seen for what it was, a warranty that expired after a year or two and people would then throw it away.

What guarantees should I expect from the dealer?

Here is the main guarantee I believe a dealer should offer you to consider your purchase safe:

1. The option to pay by credit card if you wish to do so.
2. Authenticity and clean history guarantee backed by a refund policy in writing.
3. Insured delivery and full delivery liability on the dealer if the watch is being posted.
4. Chance to try the watch in person if you want (physical premises).
5. A minimum of 24 months warranty.