The Bluffers Guide To Vintage Rolex

Long time vintage Rolex collectors have watched with some amusement (and bemusement) at the surge of new enthusiasts. Many arrive with hot cash looking at vintage Rolex as an investment asset. And being told that vintage watches of any brand are terrible investments, only seems to fuel their ambitions.

They've seen the auction price headlines. Their friends have them, and their GFs want one too. They liked an IG post and the algorithm has now convinced them they need one. The AD won't sell them a new one and influencers are telling them the "smart money is in vintage". All around them they see,

There is no shame in knowing nothing as everyone starts there. Some will become happy one-watch owners, while others will evolve into collectors. An unlucky few will descend into the rabbit hole that is vintage Rolex, losing themselves in endless nuance and detail. Some will degenerate into obnoxious Rolex snobs. Seek help before becoming one of these.

Your money and your time is precious and sounding knowledgeable and credible is important to avoid wasting it. So here's the quick bluffers guide to some of the basic concepts and terminology you'll need to get comfortable with.

How old is Vintage anyway?

The general rule is 30 years or more, but things get blurry around the 30 year boundary. As time progresses more modern pieces will fall into this bracket but for now, seek out design features that are no longer in the modern Rolex watch. These might include,

Antique watches are different from vintage watches. These are generally considered 70+ years old. These would be war-era, and pre-war watches and are not for rookies. Antique chronographs in particular get very technical and expensive to maintain. These are precious antiques and nothing written here applies.

What's the deal with condition?

It is true that some signs of age add character to a watch but be wary of descriptions used by sellers. What is considered desirable, attractive patina in a steel sports watch, does not translate well to a gold or two-tone versions. A heavily distressed gold watch looks tatty, where equivalent patina on a stainless steel tool watch can look cool.

While unpolished watches are desirable, it is not egregious to polish one provided the work is of a high standard. The line between good and bad can be thin, but the goal is to maintain as much presence as it originally had.

Use of the term tropical is especially common with colored dials. Use of the word patina is more commonly used to describe the condition of tritium lume and therefore associated with later dials featuring more tritium lume. Both terms are euphemisms for corrosion, which we should remember is a constant ongoing process. And like rust, will continue unless treated. Corrosion that may be minor (or attractive) today, could be catastrophically ugly in a few years.

Corrosion is a natural phenomena and should not be confused with damage. Unscrupulous sellers may try to conflate the two. Attractive corrosion like tropical dials can command a price premium based on their aesthetic. Damage never does anything good for long term value.

What is too polished or too thin?

Spend any time on a watch forum and you'll find someone proclaim with absolute certainty that a vintage watch is over polished and worthless. Or recut and destroyed. Or refinished and ruined. Mostly this is just an opinion. There is nothing wrong with skillful restoration of an old, tatty case. Some like it, and some don't. It is an entirely personal preference.

For many, english is a second language and combined with a cock-sure attitude things can escalate quickly and become combative. Don't take any of this to heart and don't feed the trolls. So when someone says the "the lugs are too thin", what do they mean? How do you assess the condition of a case?

How do I care for a vintage Rolex?

Vintage Rolex watches are more robust and durable than most people give them credit for. The fact is, a Rolex watch can withstand much more than the human wearing it. If it's properly serviced, meaning it passed a waterproof pressure test, you can take it anywhere provided you clean it now and again.

How do you clean it, you ask? The same way you clean yourself - with soap and water. And perhaps a toothbrush to get in the cracks. No special equipment, chemicals, or rituals needed. Obviously if it's not water resistant, like some old Cellini's, War-era trench watches, and pocket watches, then don't do this. If you don't know if your vintage Rolex is waterproof, ask first!

Now if you're going to really abuse a vintage Rolex, rest assured that just about any damage can be repaired at a price. So don't behave like a sissy and treat your vintage Rolex like a precious baby. Wear it like the Man's Man it was designed for. That goes for you ladies too.