Rolex Oyster - Ebay sale, is this a decent deal

[RobinTR6]

Hi, need some help here. My mates daughter wants to buy this Rolex off Ebay, Im no watch guru and he's asked me for an informed opinion. Hopefully someone out there knows the Rolex marketplace and especially what to watch (no pun intended) out for, in anticipation many thanks

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171406055451

[markrlondon]

That's a very nice looking watch. I presume that the dial is original but I'll leave that to someone else to comment on.

As long as it is in good working order then that price seems to me to be average to slightly high due to the lack of bracelet and age. Personally I'd hope to pay around £1400-1500 for this watch.

If your mate's daughter is in the UK then don't forget that she will be hit for 20% VAT on the watch and postage cost (plus handling fees of circa £15-£20) when she imports it. (For those who are going to mention Customs Duty, this will not apply in practice on a single watch and it would be a trivial amount anyway).

[walkerwek1958]

The watch looks OK, but it's nothing special. Given that the bracelet's missing I think it's significantly overpriced. Add on the 20% import tax and I can`t see enough good reasons to buy this. Lots of bicolour Datejusts end up on straps because the bracelet's worn out. Personally I don`t think they look right on a strap.

Newer models with a bracelet in reasonable condition can be sourced in the UK for around £2K. I`d look for something with some service history too. Servicing a Datejust will be around £400, but that's not the whole issue; a watch that's been run for many years without servicing will have significant wear on the movement, and this won`t go away after servicing unless a lot of parts are replaced.....which pushes up the cost.

Paul