Rolex Buying Guide

[keltzar]

I decided to start a new sticky thread, to consolidate information so far for both online and offline options. In the case where a shop has a webpage, only their URL needs to be listed. Please add only the shopping info to this thread and not use it for discussion.

Add the shops that you trust. If you are unhappy with a shop for any reason, please take your unhappiness to another thread to keep this one clean. You are responsible for what you post.

If there appears to be enough happiness about one particular shop, the listing in this thread may be deleted at the discretion of the mods, in the interests of the community.

Disclaimer: This forum is not affilated with any of the shops listed here. Neither does this listing imply any form of endorsement. Deal with them at your own risk.

Only local businesses listed pls. Those located overseas are well-represented in other forums.

New, Options:
Authorised dealers (AD) as supplied by Rolex e.g. Cortina Watches, Hour Glass, Lee Chay in Peninsula Plaza, Watch Palace & Roy Eastern in Lucky Plaza. Many more. This information is easy to obtain so need not be listed.

Disclaimer: This forum is not affilated with any of the shops listed here. Neither does this listing imply any form of endorsement. Deal with them at your own risk.

[triton]

if you are getting a preown rolex, it is strongly advised you get it cerfified @ RSC @ $75. it takes about 10-15 min for 1 watch authentication. however some people will advise that you 'buy' the seller. i dont agree as you are paying about couple of thousands for a watch, a $75 gives you a peace of mind.

i thought i should include this point when buying second hand watches. if the watch comes with papers. do check that the series alphabet is more or less matching the date of papers.

for example a P series watch is produced between jan 2000 and aug 2001, if the papers/card is dated say aug 2003. then it could mean the card/paper was not stamp when bought. if @ the watch in concern you know is a popular item back then, one has to be cautious as why it is kept for so long.

there are some reasons what i can think of. seller got it @ a lower cost price and want to sell @ maximum price.

alternatively, if it is a preown piece, buyer request not to fill in the date so that can extend warranty. however, one other possibility is that want to sell it @ a higher price @ later date when rolex increase its selling price.

as such, the asking price could be futher negotiated.

[triton]

No idea which Rolex to get? COME IN!

i have noticed that every once in awhile, someone will post questions such as

which rolex model should i buy? which has got better investment value?


if you can answer some of these questions, then you may have the answer

1) buying for who?
2) to please oneself?
3) is investment value an important factor? if yes, then just buy the daytona.

which model should i buy. you need to ask yourself why you want to buy a particular model. is it for investment purpose?

if it is not for investment purpose, then you need to ask urself, you buying this watch to please yourself? to show to others aka please someone else.

if it is to please someone else, then just anyhow buy a model can already.

if you asking which rolex has investment value? currently, the daytona tops the list. other models are depending on demand and supply. also dependent on other factors such as if a movie star was wearing that model.

how about other models such as a discontinued 16710? if there is demand and supply is low, then selling and buying price will be high. how about the new 116710? currently it is selling above premium price because supply is lower than demand. so now, it seems like a good investment value. however, when supply increase, price will be lowered. hence investment value drops.

[Darkangel]

no worries to change thread title.

it is not words of wisdom but rather personal experience.

That's great!

Anyway,to add on what Triton has said about the 116710. Personally,I think if you want to get it for investment...I don't think it is worth the gamble. Get it from overseas where dealers do not charge a premium and you could possibly get a discount. Unless...there is a super high demand which I do not think will happen..dun get it now

[minusplus]

More info for fellow forumers. Extracted from "Tapestry of Time"...

"The Great Commandment is "Buy what you love". This comes about because some folks post questions like "which watch should I get?" or "which is better between X vs Y?"... "help me choose between A, B and C" etc etc etc

What is the preferred watch for someone else has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on what would be the preferred or optimal watch for you. This extends to all other areas where taste or subjectivity comes into play yuh not just watches So the following advice is purely

to aid you in coming to the right decision for yourself. From time to time I will add to this when I attain greater enlightenment or when i do get down to it...

So what is the right watch for you?
What do you normally get up to during the week and weekends? Do you intend to buy multiple watches or are you looking for one that can cover it all?

Assess these factors:
- Do you want to wear the watch for your typical work days or is it for the weekend or specific activity or is it the one watch for everything?
- During your workdays what kind of attire are you in and how active do you get?
- If you're getting the watch more for weekend or other activities, then the question is what are these activities? Pulling at the pub, clubbing, diving, swimming, jogging, skiing etc
Does the watch you wanna get suit and hold up to all of this?

What is your necessary or preferred features, characteristics of a watch? Must be theres, can live withouts, dislikes...

- External beauty...the look: overall design, the case shape, dial layout and intricacies(guilloche, wordings and whatever is on its face), the type, marriage and quality of its different finishings, look of its numerals(arabics,romans,art deco-ish,) color and look of the hands
- Size: tiny, medium, large or a clock on the wrist
- Refined or rugged or swings both ways
- Certain key functions you are looking for (see appendix at the end of this post)
- Prestige or beauty or uniqueness in its inner workings
- Story, romanticism, classicism, history
- Exclusivity (you want to be the only one you see with it or you like being part of a community or somewhere imbetween)
- Hearts desire (Due to seeing it on the wrist of someone you admire or whose opinions you value or very sadly because your hero in some sports, arts or whatever field wears it. Due to being enchanted with the ads and marketing of the watch house. The spell being cast may be strong but this is where it gets most tricky
- Fancy things about it, gadgety stuff about it
- Price range

Price almost didn't come into play Because my advice here is if you want to get a certain watch and you've set your sights on it as the one for you (noting all my proposed assessment factors to prevent you from ending up with a mistake) then price may be a secondary factor. Of course, don't be eyeing watches that are totally out of your means.

Do consider the family expenses, mortgage, car payments etc before even setting your sights on a potential next acquisition. Don't spend above your means. When they say its an addiction they’re not joking.

If price is the key factor though, the suggestion is do not buy a cheaper watch instead of the one you would really like to get. Saving it up is best, credit can be bad if abused.

And resale price is a consideration only if you think you may be making a mistake on your purchase(which no one does at the time they make the purchase decision) and may sell it further down the road or you know you are definitely selling it down the road or may want to liquidate it for a rainy day.

Try not to believe the hype (well not all of it anyways
The game is luxury. Watch houses push
- exclusivity: limited editions, limited productions, prohibitive prices
- innovation: new materials, new combinations of different materials, new escapements, new in-house movements with X amount of power reserve and special features and the list goes on, technical superiority
- uniqueness: uniqueniss of the design, of the movement (inhouse or rare) or uniqueness of any part of the movement related to the watch. Uniqueness of the brand and of the watch history which can't be made up in a flash

Beware marketing ploys

With limited editions, ask yourself this. Is it made out of a
material that’s so scarce that they can't source for it anymore and therefore hv 2 limit it? Does it house a movement that will no longer be supplied and they have to limit it? Does it contain special parts that the watch company can't make any of without incurring ridiculous costs?
Never buy a watch without seeing it in the metal
... unless you have or handled similar examples and know what exactly to expect; from heft to how it feels and looks on your wrist, to how you look with it on. No ad pics or beautifully taken pictures on some forum will be able to give that to you.

If it doesn't feel like you need to have it, then you probably don’t. If you’re not sure, step away. You can always reconsider and get it another day (except if its a problematic limited edition then its buy or potentially not have the watch or get it later at a possibly higher price or for limited production pieces you could possibly have to wait a few months.

Note, some watch houses do this so that this opportunity to pause and contemplate further before a purchase decision is taken away from you. You feel that if you don’t make the decision now, what you hold in your hand might escape from you. Some sellers are also guilty of doing this, saying that if you don’t get it they have a ready buyer.

Get what is a classic beauty to you
If you intend to buy and keep your watches, then buy what is a classic beauty for you. Look at it and ask yourself if you think you will like it 5, 10, 50 years from now. You can’t see the future and what the watch trends may be but some designs can go the distance. So ask yourself if this next acquisition is a classic beauty for me that I find beautiful today, will find beautiful 10 years from now and still beautiful 50 years from now.

Timing it. Don’t rush if possible. Don’t buy on impulse.

Post purchase – when the hunt is over. Enjoy your acquisition. Post pictures on various forums as well if thats your thing. As with all purchases, don't go around seeing if you got it at the best possible price. Just make sure you did your research beforehand and you got it at a sensible price at that point in time. If its reasonable and you were fine paying so much for it at the time, don’t sour it by looking at the grey market piece that pops up a week later going for 10% less than what you paid.

My advice to watch makers and watch houses and conglomerates – Treat your customers with respect. Don’t forego the loyalty built up with the current stable to get new ones. Don’t abuse them. The relationship should be one based on mutual respect or its not going to work now is it.



Eg. Don’t tell me an outsourced movement is in-house. Don’t tell me its limited edition and then issue another watch that’s only slightly different. Don't tell me its Swiss made and house a russian movement inside Don’t make fools of your buyers. Hopefully the advice here will aid in the watch buyer out there in making a better choice.
I hope you have found this advice to be of value to you in your hunt or search for the next piece."

[Thomas]

good advice, I was actually looking at a Rolex SD but was thinking of settling for a Sub w/o date due to pricing. Was also contemplating buying a less expensive brand.

[triton]

good advice, I was actually looking at a Rolex SD but was thinking of settling for a Sub w/o date due to pricing. Was also contemplating buying a less expensive brand.

some people say, if no cyclops aka the magnifying glass, then no point getting rolex.

my personal thought is that there is no substitute for rolex. if budget is a constraint, and if you do not mind pre-owned, then u can consider. if u do not like pre-owned, then save the money now. wait till budget allows and then buy the sd. it will be fulfilling. just ask ChengShiLingHun

[Wife]

Please advise which model to get for hubby with $6000 budget? I am getting this for his birthday. I am looking at a SS model, maybe datejust or explorer but can any kind soul help advise. TIA

[Wife]

BTW I just called Dickson at Suntec as per other postings in other threads but the salesperson say no discount even if I pay by cash. They quote me 8320 for a 116234 w/o diamonds and 10530 with diamonds. I thought after the discount as commented by some bros here will be around $6000plus and 8000 plus respectively. Please kindly enlighten me, the goondu housewife here.

[3xtra]

BTW I just called Dickson at Suntec as per other postings in other threads but the salesperson say no discount even if I pay by cash. They quote me 8320 for a 116234 w/o diamonds and 10530 with diamonds. I thought after the discount as commented by some bros here will be around $6000plus and 8000 plus respectively. Please kindly enlighten me, the goondu housewife here.

Hi, i think over the phone, the discounts given by the ADs are usually minimal if not none at all.

it will be better if u can go down and ask in person. there are several Rolex ADs like Cortina, the hour glass, dickson, watch palace etc.

however, some of our bros may have a gd AD to recommend, so maybe u can surf for more info and PM them.

[minusplus]

Please advise which model to get for hubby with $6000 budget? I am getting this for his birthday. I am looking at a SS model, maybe datejust or explorer but can any kind soul help advise. TIA

Firstly, how old is your husband?
Secondly, what does he like?
Thirdly, what does he normally wear to work?
Next, will you consider pre-owned watches?
Lastly, is it going to be a daily watch or just for formal wear?

Once your answers to the 5 qns above are clear, then the job is easy. With a 6K budget, assuming you're willing to consider pre-owned, you can consider getting him a Sports model. Can consider Sub, ExplorerII, etc. If you want a new one only, then that limits your options to perhaps only AK, Exp I?

[jazz_samz]

Firstly Ms Wife, welcome to SG-ROC..

Wah.. your hubby so lucky to have a wifey who buys a $6k Rollie for his birthday... Think you will definitely make the correct choice in the birthday you are getting with the friendly help from the brothers here... with your good taste to manage to find SG-ROC, you are already half-way there..

Bro Minusplus standard questionaire is really the fundamental qns you need to know and it will definitely help in your purchase selection.
To add to Minusplus third qns, "What does he normally wear to work", maybe you will also know if he is gona want to wear this Rolex (your gift) as his regular watch to work or not.

Hopefully you can afford alittle more time to do research, bounce your findings off us at SG-ROC before buying.. don't let the salesman "pressure" you with their sales talk and definitely avoid any impulse purchase to avoid kana ketuk (tok cai tao = chop carrot head)...

Good luck Ms.

Firstly, how old is your husband?
Secondly, what does he like?
Thirdly, what does he normally wear to work?
Next, will you consider pre-owned watches?
Lastly, is it going to be a daily watch or just for formal wear?

Once your answers to the 5 qns above are clear, then the job is easy. With a 6K budget, assuming you're willing to consider pre-owned, you can consider getting him a Sports model. Can consider Sub, ExplorerII, etc. If you want a new one only, then that limits your options to perhaps only AK, Exp I?

[Darkangel]

BTW I just called Dickson at Suntec as per other postings in other threads but the salesperson say no discount even if I pay by cash. They quote me 8320 for a 116234 w/o diamonds and 10530 with diamonds. I thought after the discount as commented by some bros here will be around $6000plus and 8000 plus respectively. Please kindly enlighten me, the goondu housewife here.

Ok,116234 with diamonds is ard 8.8k after standard discount. That I can confirm. The prices given are before discount.

Damn lucky guy(ur hubby) I hav to say..haha Anyway,if you buy preowned means more choices. But brand new would mean you are limited to some sports watches like the Exp I and II,Submariner w/o date(This I am not sure,maybe abit more la). And,116234 aka SS DJ. These are the better choices

[schumi]

Another choice would be the Explorer II. Some bro quoted the price @ $6.9k at THG at LP.

[Wife]

Thanks brothers here for the warm response. I am not keen in a preowned as I am a novice and first time buyer so I presume buying from a authorised retailer will be a safer choice for me. So 8.8K for a brand new SS Datejust 116234, diamond dial, fluted bezel, oyster bracelet a good buy?

My hubby is a shirt-pants guy for work, mid-30s, probably a daily wearer (he dare don't wear....heehee ).

I am glad to find such a helpful and useful forum