Hand in hand with the financial advantages we looked at above, the increase in purchasing power that comes with lower buy-in Rolex prices opens up doors to options that would have remained otherwise closed.
The pre owned market brings a wider world of more exotic pieces within reach, watches that would have been left inaccessible if you had set your heart on only buying a brand new example off the shelf. Precious metals in the construction rather than steel, perhaps gemstone-set hour markers. These are all important differences that add to the watch’s desirability and safeguard its long-term value.
So, instead of being restricted to just the models Rolex is currently making, you now have your choice of an archive of watches that stretches back over generations. We all have that one particular reference we’ve coveted for as long as we can remember. And the chances are it is not being produced anymore. Tracking it down as a vintage buy is now the only chance to secure it.
Find The Perfect Vintage Rolex Watch
Another, often overlooked, benefit to buying a used Rolex is the exclusivity factor. While anyone with the necessary finances behind them can walk into a boutique and come away with any new watch of their choosing (with the possible exception of a steel Chronograph Daytona, in which case you might have more chance of being struck by lightning), it takes just that little bit more work to find the perfect vintage piece. The extra effort tends to separate the true brand devotees from those who just want to wear a Rolex for its own sake. This makes it that much more unlikely you will meet anyone with a matching wrist.
Discover A Timepiece With Unique Character
The further back you go to find your personal favorite, the more distinctive each model becomes. Time has a way of giving watches a unique character. For instance, before the recent invention of their proprietary ceramic material Cerachrom, Rolex bezels faded with age, each displaying its own particular personality. Couple that with dials that change color over the years—the white faces turning a rich cream, black dials oxidizing and paling, first to grey and then to brown, and you end up with a watch that looks unlike any other one out there. No two Rolexes live the same life, so no two will be left with the same appearance.
Scratches on acrylic crystals, patina on luminescent markers and general scuffs and scrapes on cases and bracelets, in fact anything that speaks of the watch’s individual story, sets the piece apart and gives it an unreplicable allure.
Locate Popular More Recent Models, Unworn
As well as the sheer amount of choice the used Rolex market offers in the way of vintage and discontinued models, it also often has the advantage of being the only place you can find the most in-demand stock of the very latest pieces. That steel Daytona we looked at earlier, for example, is about as common as a unicorn if you were looking to buy one new from an Authorized Dealer. Rolex reportedly only gives each of its network of agents one, or a maximum of two, to sell annually. Unless you want to join the back of a wait list that could be five years long, tracking down a used, unworn example is your only option.
