Anyone into Rolex Double Red Sea Dwellers?

[Bruce]

So my Dad bought a watch at a yard sale many years ago. Then he carried it around in his pocket to work at several banks and to work at the farms. It went on many hunting and fishing trips. It lived in his pocket with change, keys, ammunition, nails, etc for decades. Did I mention it is a Rolex?

He has not carried a watch since he started carrying a cell phone. Out of curiosity he showed it to a jeweler friend who responded "you might have something there". I have a friend who is a retired master watchmaker from Tiffany & Co. I asked him about it and his response was "Double red! Ka-ching!"

I am not a watch guy but apparently Double Red Sea Dwellers are pretty special. So not I am shopping it around watch dealers and getting some pretty amazing bids.

 

[Julian]

Could be worth quite a bit based on EBAY...but the condition might be an issue....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ROL...661719?hash=item56709f16d7:g:i0gAAOSwd0BV4fnl

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Doubl...134750?hash=item234710bd5e:g:e3QAAOSwg3FUj1nk

 

[Julian]

So your Dad didn't know he was walking around with $25K in his pocket?

 

[Bruce]

So your Dad didn't know he was walking around with $25K in his pocket?

He had no idea. There have been a lot of family jokes about it recently.

 

[Volffas]

Could be worth quite a bit based on EBAY...but the condition might be an issue....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ROL...661719?hash=item56709f16d7:g:i0gAAOSwd0BV4fnl

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Doubl...134750?hash=item234710bd5e:g:e3QAAOSwg3FUj1nk

HOLY S$$T! I was expecting $2,500 or so. $40K is unreal. I wonder what it is about these watches that makes them so valuable? Is it just scarcity, or is there some special components used in making the watch?

 

[Bruce]

I am not a watch guy but my understanding is that being from the first model of the Sea Dweller lineup which became quite popular later is the reason for the high value. The difference in being a $5k and a $20k+ watch is simply having two lines of text in red.

 

[billyb]

Lol, that is awesome. That's a very sweet watch.

 

[txav8r]

My dad had a Breitling Navitimer that he bought for a few hundred dollars from Sporty's Pilot Shop years ago. I have been told it is also pretty valuable...but probably more in the several thousand category, not the several tens of thousands! Kind of like limited prints that many of us hang in lighted areas, and allow to fade horribly, only to find out if we had preserved them, they would be worth a mint!

 

[Topper232]

Happy for your Dad Bruce

 

[billyb]

Funny story I didn't have time to tell earlier...

Last month my Rolex had a spring pop out of the clasp. So, after I found it, which was a challenge, I put the tiny spring and the clasp and the watch in a sandwich bag so I wouldn't lose the parts.

I Keep forgetting to take it in, finally my wife needs to go to a part of town near an authorized retailer when they were open (I work too far away to get there during business hours).

So she takes it in and they kinda look at her weird and asks her all the questions like you got papers on this, blah blah blah. They easily fix it and she is on her way in ten minutes with a nice Rolex bag in case "this ever happens again."

She gets home and tells me how she was embarrassed by my sandwich bag as they were kinda douche bags about it.

So I ask her...why didn't you ask them why they couldn't make a watch that could not fall apart (literally) after three years of ownership?

 

[Britboater]

That's a fantastic story @Bruce normally Rolex watches have a register and its history can be found, kinda like a car service history, may be you could find who and where its originates from.
Along with the unique story and its value, surely your going to keep it as a family heirloom to pass onto your children?

 

[Bruce]

surely your going to keep it as a family heirloom to pass onto your children?

My Father has not carried it since he started carrying a cell phone so he decided to sell it to help fund a sun room addition that my Mother wants.

 

[H2OBoy]

@Bruce you may want to consider posting on either Timezone in the Vintage Rolex section or on Vintage Rolex Forum. You can likely get a true idea of value based on condition and you will find a better audience for selling as well. Good luck with the sale.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I just realized that I had forgotten to update this thread.

I started negotiating with a dozen or so dealers the Monday after Christmas. The court narrowed to three at $15K. At the end of the Tuesday we agreed on $18K with a dealer and exchanged on the Wednesday. My parents were very excited as was the dealer who plans to keep the watch in his personal collection.

Everyone that knows my Father finds the story hilarious. My Father is very conservative. He very likely has more stashed away in the bank and various investments than the total of his salary for all of the years that he worked. That watch sold for more than the new value of any vehicle that he has ever purchased. With the exception of a lake house for his fishing habits and farm for his hunting habits he has spent very little on himself. Both of those purchased appreciated in value and provided nourishment. Much of the food that my parents consume is the product of their garden, hunting or fishing. As a child almost all of our food was from those sources. Even my children continue to benefit from his hunting, fishing and gardening.

 

[txav8r]

Thanks for the update @Bruce what a great story.