It's insane. Watchfinder have some around £7k-£8k then they have two for sale at £16k
Supply and demand prices for the early LVs is becoming laughable. I've just spotted an early Y series up for sale for $19,000 (£15,000)
I know some say it won't sell but eventually it probably will.
Last edited by newsboy; 22nd July 2017 at 09:08.
It's insane. Watchfinder have some around £7k-£8k then they have two for sale at £16k
I'm struggling to spot the difference between a 2003 model and say a 2004 which can be found for sub £7k? Anyone care to enlighten me?
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
The moral I'm choosing to take from this story is don't sell anything ever! Just keep adding to the collection. I'll let my wife know, she'll be thrilled haha
I think we have all sold a watch and regretted it.
I sold two 1675 GMT's and an F serial LV full set,with the combined amount being less than what one of these watches would fetch today.
I sold a 2008 or 9 LV I 2012 for under 4k as I didn't really ever bond with it. I would be wary of buying now from an investment point of view. The current bubble reminds me of the property market here in NI in the mid noughties.
Sent from my SM-G920F using TZ-UK mobile app
Not wishing to go off topic, but may I ask, do you see the rise continuing, slowing, evening out, or even falling?
I too sold a real peach of a 5513 at half what I'd get now and that was only a couple of years ago. What is the reason behind the surge - new ceramic bezel versions and discontinuation of the old shape perhaps, but surely there's a lot in circulation?
I hummed and hawed over a y serial LV in mint condition from a German dealer about Nov time .
It was about 10K
The same watch is about 14K now-crazy
At certain points you need to say "I'm out"
I wouldn't sell my full set F serial flat 4 for less than £10k. Comes with the original marketing brochure too. They're just tough to get and by the low numbers available I think a lot of them have been tucked away for people's pensions! I wear mine, as I do with all my others.
Indeed. Austin Kaye is asking £12.5k for a matte dial GMT with a case that's been on the slimfast plan
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
I hope my Tudor Black Bay 79220N does something similar to this in the future...would never sell it though 😊
Drifting again.....
Now with more modern production methods and ceramic bezels etc., would you agree its unlikely to get future collectibles - I suppose flat 4's and dots over bezels or the likes just won't happen again - shame.
So now it's just a game of forward buying perhaps - guesstimating price rises, getting first in the list for the next new watch etc.
You and flipper? Thought never entered my mind.
LTF has raised flipping to an art form:-)
Vintage Rolex sports watches seem to be the safest and most lucrative bet for watch investment.
May be the bubble will burst at some point or may be it won't.
I have flipped only one vintage Rolex- a red Sub years ago.
My lament is more about wasted opportunities in this regard- to buy vintage Rolexes when they were more attractively priced. But, hindsight is 20/20. No point lamenting.
The LVs never appealed to me and I feel they will be the first ones to deflate in future.
5513,1680,1675 or DRSD or even 16750- much more alluring.
Who knows! Just enjoy the hobby without letting that worry you or be a consideration.
About 10'years ago, Omega PloProf and SM 1000m were going at crazy prices thanks to Antiquorum and since have come down a lot. A lot of these are flavor of the month but vintage Rolexes have been most consistent.
Modern Rolexes are also undergoing subtle changes and there is a MkI DSSD and Mk2.
Rolex might discontinue some models which might make them appreciate.
I try not to waste time thinking about it.
In recent years vintage Omega have been playing catch up. To think a few years back an Ed White was cheaper than a second hand modern Submariner. Today that Speedmaster is easily selling for more than the price of two second hand Subs.
Speedmasters and the 60s Seamaster 300m have gone through the roof and show no signs of slowing down.
Last night I watched a single end link from a bracelet sell in seconds for $600 on the Omega Forum.
Long may this craziness continue
Re: Long may this craziness continue
Yup. Nothing more amusing than watching grown men fawn over Flat 4s and fat fonts:-)
I disagree with you Raj on the lv value being the first to devalue.
Only an opinion but the reason they are so popular is that they are a damm fine looking timepiece which is a little bit different.
Its just a sub with a maxi dial and a green insert, it doesn't even have pin holes in the lugs.
I really don't know what all the fuss is about ;)
Yes, there are some chancers out there, but I managed to find this unpolished November 2003 full set locally last month for what I thought was a non-extortionate price:
Heuer 2446C double grains of rice bracelets are now over £5k. i'm still kicking myself for not paying attention to the two GF Heuer bracelets that appeared on eBay for £800 or so each. I assumed they were 1163 or 11630 bracelets but it turned out they were mid-1960s and with 19mm end links for the screw back early Autavias. I wouldn't even know where to begin on price but if a Rindt goes for £20k plus, and a very good condition first series Autavia went for $220k, someone made a rather good purchase of those two bracelets!
I was offered some HL Autavia 19mm end links a few years ago for £500 and thought that was far too expensive. That's something to add to selling two Sifferts, a red Sub, two pre-moon Speedies (one with NATO history) and so on. On the plus side I kept a load of my nice old watches.
"A man of little significance"
I wish I could say the same. Please share your secret. Do you never give in to temptation? Never make an impulse purchase? Do you think carefully which watch to go for next, try a few on the wrist over an extended period, and play the waiting game until the right one comes along?
Thinking back, the watches that I have kept have mostly been ones bought through a patient, deliberative process (surprise suprise). I knew the model I wanted, the particular characteristics (as they were vintage), the price I wanted to pay and the dealers from whom I'd buy. Since then I've become less disciplined and the flipping has taken hold. Must break the cycle!
+1.....I`ve never understood the hype around them and that's why I turned down the chance to buy a new one (with discount!) just before they were discontinued.
All part of the Rolex madness, can`t understand why folks can get so excited over the shape of a 4 but they do. All a bit 'kings new clothes' to me but grown men take it seriously so I must be missing a trick.
Had I bought one the first thing I would've done is swap out the green bezel insert for black and store it safely away. I like the maxi dial and hands but can`t stand the green bezel, I seriously considered doing this but decided it wasn`t worth getting the marginal improvement over the second-hand 16610 I owned at the time.
I certainly see the appeal of the 16610, it's the last of the classic Subs and it's a whole lot nicer in my opinion than the ceramic models....it's just that naff green bezel thing that never appealed!
Paul
It's part of the modern dick waving contest:
I have the new just released Lambo, so do I.
I have a new 1TB limited edition iPhone red, so do I.
I have the limited edition Miele fitted kitchen equipment in my just acquired Hampstead pad, so do I.
I have the Oval 'O', 'R' in 'Oyster' aligned with gap between left and right feet of 'R' in 'Rolex', '5 Ticks', Flat 4 (2003 Issue Models ONLY), From Y966xxx 19 September 2003 To F068XXX November 2003 Kermit. ... fuck I need to find one, watchfinder get me the... whatever that guy has, price doesn't matter (after all money cost nothing now).
Could any forum be considered as a dick waving contest?
I thought that talking about something you have an interest in with others who are likeminded adds to the info you can gain from it and also to see some fabulous collections which I thoroughly enjoy.
If they have a new Lambo then I'd love to see it.
I really don't see why you think it's a "kings new clothes" thing.
If you don't like the design or green bezel that's fine but a lot of people think they're great looking watches.
You can get a decent set for about 7.5k and considering what modern ceramic BLNRs cost I would have the LV all day long in comparison.
I see guys with lv's as having impeccable taste as opposed to large appendages.
Thanks, fellas; I was fortunate to have come across one from a reasonable private seller in my city. I definitely appreciate the watch; the classic case with the larger markers has a bit of the old-school plexi Sub look to it, and it's effortless to swap in a black insert for a different look.
To be honest, the 2003 thing doesn't mean much to me — these things all look pretty much the same — but that's what happened to come up, so I wasn't exactly going to say "no" to it. However, I'd have been quite pleased with any other year, and I agree that the premium that some are trying to get for 2003s is a bit silly. If you're looking for one, I wouldn't worry too much about the year, and just get a condition and price that you're happy with.
Best of luck with the search, and don't believe the hype peddlers; patience is a virtue when it comes to this stuff.