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Here's my advice as an ex-watch collector. At one point, I probably had three dozen watches (if I include those that I bought for the wife) and about a third of those were Rolexes. A couple of those were 18Kt YG Presidents. I've since sold them all and am now without a watch for the first time in 50 years.
If you don't have an emotional attachment to it, don't keep it. We keep far too much crap and, as you get older, you'll understand this more and more.
A bark finish on the band and bezel of a President will reduce the value but it's still worth some decent money. With a watch like this, condition and provenance are everything. If you lack the original receipt and box, that will hurt the value a little. If you want to maximize the value, get it serviced by an Authorized Rolex service center and sell it the day you get it back. You'll have a warranty that is valuable to the buyer and a way to document it's authenticity. There's a service center in SF; walk in with the watch, let them inspect it and give you a quote. A service by an independent won't be worth much and you'll eliminate a good chunk of potential buyers. There are too many fake parts out there and a recent Rolex service eliminates that worry.
Finding additional links of the band would be a good idea. All Rolex parts have value so there is a brisk trade in them. Buying them ahead of the service and having Rolex put them on is your best bet.
I've had the best luck with high end watches when selling them on watch forums. There are many out there, some are better than others for expensive watches. Ebay gets a lot of exposure but not all of the money, usually.
JR
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