How Much Is A Rolex?
The Rolex Price Guide

Numerous articles circulate on the web distributing thousands of information on the different Rolex dials, inserts, bracelets etc., that can be found on a collector Rolex. Unfortunately, some of these articles tend to create confusion among a new generation of collectors (and among more “newbies” collectors in many cases). 

The history of antique timepieces has never been presented or confirmed by Rolex  and a “parallel history” has been rewritten by collectors/dealers and is now more or less accepted, considering the reactions of collectors on social networks, in amateur meetings, and in my private discussions with amateurs.

I do not wish to question any existing information, but clarify the context of this market and to put certain things into perspective, in particular by underlining a basic point: the past has already shown that when the information disseminated by different vectors does not emanate from the source (the Rolex factory itself), no one is protected from the fact that one day or another, the factory will drop a few “truths”. We could then potentially witness a situation where the value of a piece preciously preserved in a safe would considerably decrease, to the dismay of amateurs and collectors who have been well “informed”.

The number of collectors since 1995 has continued to grow, from the true vintage Rolex watches enthusiast to nowadays new generation of “investors” wishing to recycle a bank “home savings plan” that has proven its uselessness for years. But the evolution of the vintage enthusiast public, whatever the reasons for its infatuation, has brought another significant factor. Watches that had had only one owner, careful and conscious of their value (a consideration that today seems to have practically disappeared) have seen their owners change three to four times, or even more, in the last twenty years. The result is strongly felt if one looks at the state of the watches currently on the market, which are nevertheless, at the same time, constantly increasing in value.

One of my main purpose as an expert is to put things in their proper place and bring an objective point of view on the type of product that can be worthy. A question arises: is it better to buy a so-called “new old stock watch” with “all original”, rearranged from the lugs to the bezel, rebuilt with the “right” parts, or a worn watch that can tell a story? There are many problems with this question, but the one we will highlight here is: what do we mean by a totally original Rolex watch? Is it a watch that has not moved since it was purchased or a watch with parts matching more or less its production date, according to the agreements in force between experts, collectors and players in this market? This question is not innocent because the market today offers more watches that have been updated than watches that have not moved since they were released on the market.

Most of the information found today concerns details on the various pieces and we often forget to talk about the main thing, namely the watch and its history. This is one of the services I offer as an expert, in order to share some of the knowledge gathered over the years on our favorite watches, simple stories most of the time…

You can contact me if you need information of just want to share with me about Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or any other collection watches.

Fabrice Gueroux