Unpolished

In case you are not sure how a certain reference should look like unpolished, take a close look at the matte part of the watch with a suitable magnifier. The matte parts will tell you if a watch has been polished or not. Below I will post some pictures from unused vintage Rolex so you can compare yours with. Here’s a unpolished like new small crown Ref 5508. Focus on the edges…

In case you are not sure how a certain reference should look like unpolished, take a close look at the matte part of the watch with a suitable magnifier. The matte parts will tell you if a watch has been polished or not…

A unused bracelet is still stiff, you need to bend the links. When removing the band with the push pins before polishing, it will always leave trace marks on the case. That is why the lugs are often sealed with tape before band removal. A clear sign of a service polish are the drilled lug holes, or better yet the sharpness of the lug hole edges. Because once polished, these lug holes will lose the original sharp edges.

Following is a GMT Ref 6542 also unpolished and unused. Hard to believe that these almost 60 year old Rolex have been tucked away and now see the daylight. In a scale of impossible to find these unused miracles are listing top position. Collectors grail.

Another part to check if a watch has been polished are the chamfers, the bevelled edges between the matte part and the middle case. Tool watches like the Daytona or dresswatches like the DateJust and Daydate did not have chamfers. You will only find them on the Submariner , Milgaus, GMT-Master and Explorer II. Perhaps because of this rarity and value, bevels are particularly loved by vintage collectors. A bevel was merely for esthetical purposes. Each model had its own bevel, the bevel on the GMT-Master was a bit smaller than the Submariner one. This has to do with the fact that the Submariner model was thicker than the GMT-Master and the Submariner winding crown larger.

Little less rare are those unused, NOS (New Old Stock) Rolex from the 70-80-ids. Here’s a NOS Ref 6263 Daytona. Note the sharp bezel and all edges. There are professional polishers who take the whole watch apart when trying to polish it back to Rolex standard. This will inevitably cause loss of material, unless the polishing has been done very lightly. Not easy, as it requires highly developed polishing skills because you only get one shot. If it goes wrong, the transition in polish is clearly visible. But if you get it right, it is harder to detect with the naked eye.

Another indicator if a watch has been polished or not, is by looking at the fine lines on a watch. If these are not straight, the polishing has been done by hand. Unpolished watches only have a manufacture polish, meaning the case has a satin polish that was done at the Rolex factory before all parts were assembled.Every place where wear and tear could happen is still unused, the crowns, the case back, the lugs, the sides, bracelet, crystal. If you compare the case with the band, you will often see a difference in finish because the band is easier to polish than the case. The lugs are especially difficult to handle, so this is an area that requires extra attention with your magnifier. While attempting to make the case matte again, there will always be a 1mm spot against the edge, impossible for a polishing machine to reach. In fact, you could only do a proper polishing job by taking the whole watch apart.

Wear indicators case side

• Original crown or replacement
• Replacement crown periodically correct
• Magnify pushers if present
• Magnify top left lug for heaviest wear (left wrist watch wearers)
• Magnify below lugs for end link scratches
• Magnify below lugs for dirt/dust

Here’s a summery from the checklist to determine the condition of your vintage Rolex:

Case Condition

 Wear indicators case side

• Original crown or replacement
• Replacement crown periodically correct
• Magnify pushers if present
• Magnify top left lug for heaviest wear (left wrist watch wearers)
• Magnify below lugs for end link scratches
• Magnify below lugs for dirt/dust

Wear indicators case back

• Magnify screw thread for frequent opening of case
• Original rubber sealing ring present
• Original rubber sealing ring or replacement
• Tarnish on screw thread
• Magnify case back for service codes

Wear indicators glass

• Original crystal?
• If original, is there any ‘icing” visible
• Is it a later service crystal with sharp edge
• Correct crystal type corresponds with model

Wear indicators movement

• Patina movement corresponds with patina watch
• Magnify screw near crown for damage, those are often used to get the movement out of the case
• Magnify the screws that hold the movement in it’s place, in below example at the edge in the middle of the lugs.
• Magnify small screws for tarnish and if they have been used. Often a used one will show you burr on the screw.
• Examine the screw thread. Often the rubber seal shows you wear. Also salt water will leave marks clearly visible.

Serial Number

• Serial Number present
• Magnify Serial Number for clear engraving
• Worn out Serial Number corresponds with worn out case
• Serial Number matching with model
• Serial Number matching with production date inside case back

Reference Number

• Reference Number present
• Magnify Reference Number for clear engraving
• Worn out Reference Number corresponds with worn out case
• Reference Number inside case back matching with number in between lugs
• Reference Number matching with model

DIAL 

Luminous

• Type of luminous matching with period of model:
  • Swiss print with Radium luminous
  • Swiss + ! with lower Radium luminous
  • Swiss + _ with Tritium luminous
  • Magnify for Golden Swiss, white Swiss, double Swiss corresponds with period of model
  • Swiss – T<25 / T-Swiss-T / T-Swiss-T<25 corresponds with period of model
• UV-lamp lest luminous glow for several minutes
• Overall matching luminous in colour and fluffiness on dial, hands and markers
• Colour of luminous matches period of model (<1964 cappuccino vs yellow)
• Colour of luminous greenish indication for water damage
• Stains on dial due to damage Radium luminous
• Luminous paint completely inside surrounds

Composition

• Cracked dial when tilted in light
• Magnify gilt lettering for correct application
• Glossy dial corresponds with period of model
• Matte dial corresponds with period of model
• Tropical dial corresponds with period of model
• Tropical dial with intact luminous
• Rolex print under/over lacquer layer

BEZEL

• Ribbed edge of fluted bezel matches period of model
• Is the inlay original and matching the all over patina.
• Faded inlay matches dial and luminous, often inlays get changed.

I hope my checklist to determine the condition of your vintage Rolex has helped you. If you have any questions, please send some pictures by my RPR Contact button and send me some pictures so I can do my best to answer your thoughts.

Cheers, Philipp

Check also following studies:

• My Vintage Rolex Buyers Guide
• The Evolution of the Daytona
• The Importance of the Vintage Rolex Dial
• The Evolution of Rolex Luminous
• What is your Vintage Rolex Worth?
• The Small and Big Crown Submariner Story
• The Ghost Daytona Oyster Paul Newman
• The Exclamation Mark
• The Story about the Rolex Prototype Dials
• The Rolex Sultan of Oman Story\
• The High Quality Fake Rolex Dials

Many more interesting articles I have shared with you in the past you find in my RPR Archive. Cheers Philipp