So I’m digging into old Rolexes today – ya know, just another Tuesday. Wanted to figure out what these old watches are really worth, whether you’re buying or selling one. Kinda figured it’d be easy. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
Getting the itch
It started simple enough. Saw my grandpa’s old beat-up watch tucked away in a drawer. Looked ancient, kinda fancy. “Rolex,” it said. Thought, “Hey, might be sitting on gold here!” Hit up a buddy who knows “stuff” about watches. He mumbled something about “ref numbers” and “papers.” Had no clue.
So I dove down the rabbit hole. Ended up spending half the day just trying to figure out:
- What model Grandpa’s watch actually was.
- Where you even look this stuff up.
- Who’s actually paying real money for these things.
First mistake? Googling “how much is old rolex worth.” Man, that was a dumpster fire. You get:
- People selling stuff way overpriced.
- Sites saying they’ll “buy it now” for peanuts.
- Random forum posts arguing fiercely about screw sizes.
Playing detective (mostly failing)
Grabbed Grandpa’s watch. Turned it over. Tried wiping off years of dust and grime to see some numbers. Tiny. Annoyingly tiny. Needed a magnifying glass. Seriously. My eyes ain’t what they used to be.
Called up my buddy again. Sent him a blurry picture text. He laughed. Told me it wasn’t some ultra-rare thing, just a common Datejust model from maybe the 70s? Okay. Then came the bad news: no box, no papers proving it was real, and it was beat up – like, really beat up.
His verdict? “Nice watch, great memory keeper… but junk value-wise.” Sticker shock of the opposite kind. Guess Grandpa didn’t sit on gold after all.
Trying to see what’s what
Not ready to give up. Decided to see what similar watches actually sell for. Figured pawn shops would be honest? Big mistake number two.
Walked into three. Felt like a bad movie:
- First guy offered me fifty bucks. Fifty. Like it was fake.
- Second place looked it over for two seconds, shrugged: “Two hundred, maybe?”
- Third guy barely glanced. “Three-fifty?”
None asked about the model. None cared about its age. Just saw a dinged-up old watch. Cold hard reality check. My gold mine was looking more like spare change.
Actually talking to people who know
Alright, time for smarter people. Found an actual vintage watch dealer, the real deal kind tucked away in a little shop downtown. Took Grandpa’s watch and… he wasn’t interested. Not even a little.
But he was cool. Explained the real deal:
- Condition is King: Not just the outside. Did the insides turn to rust dust?
- Rarity Matters: Just being old? Doesn’t mean valuable. Gotta be something special people want.
- Box & Papers = Big Bucks: Losing those bits of paper? Like burning half the money right up front. Proving it’s real is hard.
- Original Parts: Has someone swapped out hands or the dial? Huge drop in price.
He showed me a similar model he had for sale – box, papers, looked almost new. Price tag? Totally different universe from Grandpa’s.
Wrapping it up (felt like a head-scratcher)
So here’s the messy truth I figured out after poking this bear:
There’s no magic “old Rolex = $X” list. It’s murky.
- If you wanna buy? Get educated. Know exactly what you’re looking for. Inspect it like a detective. Paperwork isn’t boring, it’s cash in the bank.
- If you wanna sell? Be realistic. That roach-infested beat-up Submariner in your garage won’t buy you a boat. Get it checked by someone who knows their onions. They see things you miss.
For me? Grandpa’s watch is going back in the drawer. It’s worthless money-wise, priceless story-wise. Sometimes the value ain’t about the number, you know? Still, glad I poked around. Was eye-opening.
