Rolex - should I?

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by the

Here's my Rolex. I like to keep it in my exhaust pipe.

Nice Daytona, mine is SS with white face, a gift from a happy client

I've worn my Rolex GMT Master every day since I first bought it in the PX in Viet Nam in 1970...April to be exact. This part is gonna kill you.... $170 brand new

An old boss did the same thing with a Sub, paid a bit more, but not much. No a lot of things are still in style 40 years later and go up that much in value

Very true on the Box, tags & papers, just check eBay for boxes.

[motion]

Ahhh..... the watch of choich for mortgage brokers. I'd be watching eBay for deals if I were in the market for one

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

$2000 for a used watch? Only if your ego really needs it.

Sam, do you buy art based on whether or not it matches the couch?

[MRM]

$2000 is very much on the high side for an Airking. They're not much of a collector's watch. Newer Rolexes aren't collectors items except to some special models.

BTW a 1970 GMT with military history is more like a $5,000 watch. The market for GMTs is on fire now.

[Hugh R]

If you like it get it. I've worn my submariner every day for about 19 years. Have it cleaned about every five years.

[spuggy]

+1 on "if you like it, buy it". You're unlikely to lose money from what I can see, so why not?

Originally Posted by Drdogface

I've worn my Rolex GMT Master every day since I first bought it in the PX in Viet Nam in 1970...April to be exact. This part is gonna kill you.... $170 brand new. I had it serviced at the Rolex Center in Hong Kong a year or so later so I know it's real.

It's been appraised at $2500 in the past few years so these do keep their value...just like P cars

You might want to double-check that figure? I've got an 80's GMT Master that was valued at the Rolex center in San Francisco for significantly more than that 10 years ago - that was right after a big service bill, so they may have just been trying to make me feel better...

[Dottore]

Have you considered the Explorer II?

Also clean and understated and similar price - but has a couple of extra features. It's very, very robust. Has the date. And also has that red hand, which is great for setting on a second time zone when you are travelling.

I've had mine for 12 years.

[Mule]

Careful Dottore, you'll be confused with a capitalist. How many hungry kids could you have fed for the cost of that watch. Rmember, Lenin is watching you, comrade.

[Manny Alban]

Got my Air King in the late 80's. Think I paid $800 for it new. I've worn it every day since. Haven't owned a different watch since. I love the look and feel of it. No one realizes its a Rolex, which is fine with me. The only people who instantly recognize it are Rolex owners

[Dottore]

This man was preachin' at me, yeah, layin' on the charm
askin' me for twenty, with ten-thousand on his arm.
He wore designer clothes, and a big smile on his face
tellin' me salvation while they sang Amazin' Grace.
Askin' me for money, when he had all the signs of wealth.
I almost wrote a check out, yeah, then I asked myself

Would Jesus be political if He came back to earth?
Have His second home in Palm Springs, yeah, a try to hide His worth?
Take money, from those poor folks, when He comes back again,
and admit He's talked to all them preachers who say they been a talkin' to Him?

Would He wear a pinky ring, would He drive a brand new car?
Would His wife wear furs and diamonds, would His dressin' room have a star?
If He came back tomorrow, well there's somethin' I'd like to know
Would Jesus wear a Rolex on His television show?

[javadog]

Bob,

I think it's a great idea to buy a Rolex and I'd like to make a few suggestions. For a long time, Rolex watches looked the same from year. That didn't mean they were not making small changes. So if you are considering an Air King, you need to learn the differences between a current model, one a few years old and one many years old. They can look very similar, if not identical, and have very different values, depending on which version they are. All Rolex watches have both a model number and a serial number and from these, the age can be estimated. The model number will tell you which movement they use. In general, the newer movements run a little better. The newer watches have synthetic saphire crystals, which are a great improvement over the older crystals. The bands have been upgraded as well, in several ways.

So, the value of a particular model watch will depend upon age, condition, service history and how much wear is observed in the links of the band. It's impossible for me to tell you if $2,000 is a good price for an Air King, without nailing down some of the details. Even the inclusion of the original box and papers will influence the value., particularly when you try to sell it.

Something else you might consider, particularly if you intend to sell the watch after a while, the Air King has a much smaller market than the Datejust. In between the two, is the Perpetual. It lacks the date feature (if that is what draws you to the look of the Air King) but is available with a chronometer certified movement, which will usually be more accurate. Another option might be an Explorer. Similar look, better movement, very simple and rugged.

Another consideration is the band. Standard is the Oyster, or you can get a Jubilee. Different looks and they feel different when worn. Some models (like the recent Explorer) are available with an Oyster band that has a flip-lock clasp, which makes it pretty impossible to open accidently.
That's my choice for a daily wear watch. If you buy a used one, make sure you get a nice tight band and be aware that there are aftermarket versions of every band out there and you do not want anything non-original on the watch.

Lastly, most of the models have been offered with quite a few different dials. There are way too many variations to list here. Even the catalog that the dealer will hand out will have a small percentage of what's actually available. Note also that although the Air King, Perpetual and Datejust look like they share the same case, they are slightly different sizes, with the Air King being a few millimeters smaller.

I'd suggest you do a little more research to get to know the ins and outs of these watches, stick to one that is just a few years old and hasn't yet been opened up for service and is in essentially new condition. Rolex makes somewhere around a million watches a year so there are lots to pick from.

Happy hunting,
JR

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Dottore

Have you considered the Explorer II?

Also clean and understated and similar price - but has a couple of extra features. It's very, very robust. Has the date. And also has that red hand, which is great for setting on a second time zone when you are travelling.

I've had mine for 12 years.

Common ground, other than the 88 Carrera. A very good choice, I had a blue faced one I have always been more drawn to the dive style watches, never much for the bling. Like others here, I like the quality over flash, and it not to be noticed( I've been known to drive my 911 dirty and no one messes with it). But I just got news from another client that I have a X-mis bonus coming

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

Common ground, other than the 88 Carrera.

...and we're both sensitive and caring men.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Dottore

...and we're both sensitive and caring men.

Yes sir, and both very passionate in our believes.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

Yes sir, and both very passionate in our believes.

Isn't the Christmas spirit wonderful?

[SLO-BOB]

Too many great responses to respond to any one. Some of my thoughts on the matter-

I simply like the name "Airking" Stupid reason to buy a watch, but fortunately, the AK backs it's cool name up with some history. I also like the understated elegance.

I prefer the "dateless" look. I haven't needed to know the date since I stopped writing checks, so it's a feature I wont miss.

The Explorer and Datejust are cool. Just a little more going on there than I want for my first Rolex. The Datejust can be had for not much more than the Airking from what I have seen. I'll look more closely at the Oyster Perpetual.

From what I understand, the newer Airkings have saphire crystals, whereas the older ones have plastic. While I understand the merits of being able to buff out scratches, I'm going for the saphire variety like the one in the pic I posted.

[javadog]

A recent version of this would be my suggestion:




JR

[CT944]

If you are asking "should I", you probably shouldn't!

[SLO-BOB]

Originally Posted by javadog

A recent version of this would be my suggestion:




JR

That is nice. I could live with it.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally Posted by Drdogface

I've worn my Rolex GMT Master every day since I first bought it in the PX in Viet Nam in 1970...April to be exact. This part is gonna kill you.... $170 brand new. I had it serviced at the Rolex Center in Hong Kong a year or so later so I know it's real.

It's been appraised at $2500 in the past few years so these do keep their value...just like P cars

I think that price is low too from what I've seen. Here's an Ebay auction right now. Much, much higher. I like the "Pepsi" bezel on this one too, but the black is just as nice

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolex-SS-GMT-I-vintage-16750-just-serviced_W0QQitemZ260192646519QQihZ016QQcategoryZ3 1387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem