Opinions for my first Rolex

[inzaghi84]

Wow.. Thanks for yet another detailed, knowledgable post.

Well since you said that pre-owned rolexes here are quite expensive, after the 1k servicing and +/- the 1k for the bracelet, how much do you actually save as compared to buying brand new from the shop? Since you bought 2, would you mind sharing your experience?

I'm just wondering for a newbie like me, who may not necessarily be able to sniff out a con job from a good deal when inspecting the watch, is it worth the risk and hassle of paying too much for a really worn-down watch that needs a lot of time and effort servicing and replacing the bracelet.

Also when you talk about waiting for the right deal, do you mean in the pre-owned shops or online such as this forum? Not quite sure where to start with trying to look for good deals.

Finally which countries are good for buying Rolexes? I'm going Taiwan nxt month, and possibly Europe next year for my honeymoon.. Wondering if should keep a lookout in those places.

[triton]

there are couple of preown white Explorer II (not 3186) that i have seen @ Golden Landmark going for about 4.5k. comes with box and papers.

i rather buy rolex locally. ask around for assistance when you are ready to purchase, im sure many forum members can advise and assist you

[taxico]

Well since you said that pre-owned rolexes here are quite expensive, after the 1k servicing and +/- the 1k for the bracelet, how much do you actually save as compared to buying brand new from the shop?

which was why i stopped waiting for $3k-$3.8k exp2s and paid more for newer versions.

I'm just wondering for a newbie like me, who may not necessarily be able to sniff out a con job from a good deal when inspecting the watch, is it worth the risk and hassle of paying too much for a really worn-down watch that needs a lot of time and effort servicing and replacing the bracelet.

most shops won't cheat you by selling you a "fake" watch, therefore you won't be involved in a "con job" - most local shops will honor minor problems, but at the end of the day, they're in it for a profit, not to be nice.

someone mentioned in an above post that there are white exp2s for 4.5k - if the bracelet is good, it may be worth looking into.

yet if you threw in $1k for that rsc service... you end up with a $5.5k outlay.

then if you paid a few hundred bucks more ($300 to $500), you can get a 3186, probably with existing warranty, complete box set, and near-new bracelet.

so how do you quantify and breakdown a purchase? ah... if only the RSC service costs less... the slimeballs.

Also when you talk about waiting for the right deal, do you mean in the pre-owned shops or online such as this forum? Not quite sure where to start with trying to look for good deals.

Finally which countries are good for buying Rolexes? I'm going Taiwan nxt month, and possibly Europe next year for my honeymoon.. Wondering if should keep a lookout in those places.

i meant online deals.

i've recently seen 2 exp2s go for under 3.8k in the sgroc garage. i no longer check the deals out as i'm not looking to buy any more watches for the rest of the year. you need to check check and check the forum regularly for such deals as they get snapped up pretty fast.

you might find some good buys in taiwan, i'm not sure. europe? i doubt it.

i know HK has some good deals and is near enough. but in recent years, a lot of new/young china buyers/dealers have been snapping up watches from HK like no tomorrow; especially the gold/tt versions (including rolex).

but i agree with the previous post: ask for help when you are ready to buy. and if you're new to the model/international dealing, buy locally.

[inzaghi84]

Hey Taxico bro, check ur PM =)