Originally Posted by
Haywood_Milton
Truly not, no.
An insurance valuation from a jeweller is in almost all cases pitifully inadequate in so far as demonstrating the degree of authenticity of a Rolex watch. I am close friends with two former, recent chairs of the UK's NAJ Institute of Registered Valuers (the UK trade body), I happen to employ two of their (very small) membership and we all agree that most valuers fall short on correct watch identification techniques, ability and experience.
Most valuers :
- will not remove a case back
- would not be able to identify crude re-numbering of cases or other parts
- do not understand the relevance of most Rolex numbering systems / patterns
- could not then determine if a model should be a particular mix of metal / have a diamond bezel etc.
- do not know what movement to expect in which model
- would not be able to identify the better, fake Rolex movements
- when tested, could not even find the lasered coronet in a Rolex glass
- would struggle to identify "after-market" bezels and dials
- will value watches on a New Replacement basis when it is not appropriate. Red Sub at NRV £6,250 anyone?
- have almost no awareness of the vintage market, and none of the level of detail that we might expect in terms of dial variations, value differences ("What is a Fat Four, Haywood?") and so on.
What good, then, an appraisal from all these valuers --- many of whom have all sorts of jewellery / gemmological qualifications and indeed may well work for brand main agents (who are often themselves hopeless, he writes, thinking of the 179178 with a fake movement and the "gold Breitling" / crudely-plated fake that were valued as if genuine by ADs local to me)?
It's not about the time spent doing it. There is significant risk in putting your name to a watch, which these sort of sums don't make commercially worthwhile. What if I did an "authenticity report" for an individual, who then jiggers around with the watch before selling it to someone else as a Rolex authenticated by Haywood Milton? No thanks, it ain't happening and certainly not for £100. I could spend that same time doing my own dealing and make much better money. In my experience the few people who do charge for "authenticating watches" generally fall far short of being able to identify a watch and its component parts correctly. If they could and really had the confidence in their knowledge, they would be busy doing something else...dealing, for their own, greater profit. For them, it's easier to charge a sap £100 for half a rotten job in which their failings usually won't be discovered --- and which they will simply disclaim if they are.
H