In the old days essential knowledge and information was hidden for the public, guarded by dealers but the internet changed everything. In the recent past I wrote an article about the importance of Instagram and the huge change of how we deal nowadays. When you know how to handle your keyboard, finding crucial information is indeed under your fingertips. Everywhere you read experts opinions although not always its true what they spread. Since there are no guidelines I noticed that it’s easy for people to give others the illusion that they are an expert. Therefore I like to discuss the risks of spreading false information, unintended or even intended.

Due to the fact the internet is for free and the information you can obtain there is also free, my observations indicate that there’s hardly any new collectors information added online. It’s all a matter of copy & paste and hardly any true information is added to the community. Many commercial websites use this info they find for free online, rewrite it a little bit without having any clue what they write and then pretend to be an expert, to sell their products. Newbies get confused, who to trust and follow they wonder. In the recent past we collectors shared our knowledge on specialist forums, nowadays we sadly see that the action has gone at forums. Social media took over and since there are hardly any knowledgeable moderators or official rules, over sudden everybody has become an expert.

This volatility is the main reason why I’m concerned of our hobby. For instance, the amount of likes that fake vintage Rolex get from so called experts on Instagram or on Facebook leave me flabbergasted. From some collector friends that also ‘like’ those fake vintage Rolex I thought they would know the difference between good & bad. Apparently the online motto has become that it is better to ‘like’ a picture and being nice to everybody, collecting more followers, then using your eyes and knowledge and share your opinion with others so they might learn something, like we did in the old days on VRF.

The amount of nonsense remarks I myself for instance get on Instagram is almost a day job to delete. I refuse to deactivate the remarks section on my IG profiles because I still believe that one day I will learn something out of it. People hiding behind private accounts writing all kinds of baloney has taken the joy to share and that was never the intention of social media! Let me get this clear, I think it’s great that people have an opinion and share this but too often I come across self proclaimed expert opinions that are so far away from the truth, I wonder how they make up the sh*t they write. And as Rolex does NOT have a department that will openly respond to any vintage questions, its indeed hard for any novice collector to find the real truth.

“Tutorial to analyze the condition of your vintage Rolex” is yet another article I wrote to help you understand collecting vintage Rolex…

The internet made us independent, at least that’s what many think. But the reality is that you need the information of a well informed dealer or long time collectors, who both made expensive mistakes, to learn the subtle differences between right and wrong. You can’t step into the game of Paul Newman or any Daytona collecting if you never handled one up close and compared the differences. Those frustrated individuals who got banned from online communities pretend they know something but at the same time use their Instagram audience nowadays to spread their lies they make up when they’re probably high on drugs or something.

So where do you as newbie search for correct info when most online moderators are as clueless as you are? You would think that for instance one of the bigger platforms in the watch market, Chrono24, could offer you some decent info and deals. But nothing could be further from the truth then trusting them. In spite of the many emails I have send them over the years to point out the fake Rolex being offered or scammers being actively using their platform, they never took any action against it. Their trusted label can be bought once you became their client and it’s therefor no insurance you will do a safe deal with them. And honestly, who needs a trusted check out if every dealer you promote is trusted? It seems that with every new owner of that company the amount of new features they introduce is only there to make money. There are no watch experts working at Chrono24 and the content they share has been written for them. Just like with E-Bay, no hardcore knowledge is available and yet lot’s of people use it anyways.

Now that the vintage Rolex market is hot and makes it to headlines on international newspapers, the logic question is who you can trust? Are all watch dealers trying to screw you? And are all auction houses trustfully? No they are certainly not because not everyone has a real expert with years of experience behind them to check all their offers. Regular watch dealers jumped on the vintage watch wagon to make extra money and sadly not all auction houses or watch platform invest in hiring people with real knowledge to approve their offers. There are some exceptions in this on the auction front: Phillips Watches, Christie’s and soon hopefully Sotheby’s & Antiquorum are back at the game again and on dealers front my logic choice would be the 100% trusted RPM Marketplace of 20 worldwide renowned vintage Rolex dealers. Guys that always have been happy to share their experience with others. Eagerly educating their clients and advising them what to buy or not often ends in a long friendship and mutual trust.

Should important information be free of charge for everybody? It’s a difficult question and personally I’m against any closed forums, chat groups or databases because I believe in the power of sharing information and that’s why I invest my precious time to type this article for you. Nevertheless I do understand why one of my trusted vintage Rolex dealers, Stefano Mazzariol, decided to close his Rolex blog to the public and opened an archive that is only accessible by paying a € 100,=  for 1 year of entrance because it’s a reasonable price he asks. If it helps you to determine only 1 vintage Rolex, you got your money back.

Stefano invested a lot of his time into setting up this archive. Time he could have used to deal in watches which most possible would have made him much more money then he gets from his subscribers today. For the small fee he’s asking, you get access to some 100.000 of his Rolex pictures taken over the years and lots of written information about all Rolex references. 1 year of almost free learning for just 100 bucks. Another problem is that people don’t really want to learn as it has to go fast and easy: just upload a picture and ask if it’s ok to buy or not. Even if it’s a total fake, it seems like nobody is ashamed to go viral with their silly questions nowadays. I always wonder what they think after reading the comments. Do I really look that stupid now? Doesn’t matter, tomorrow the world has forgotten and I can ask again somewhere else to get my 5 minutes of fame. Could I have known that answer by myself if I had invested some more time or is this my old fashioned way of thinking? After seeing yet another victim of an obvious vietnamese fake dial, why are many become this lazy in finding real answers I wonder?

For those that are still interested to read, here’s a evening full of vintage Rolex knowledge from my classic post” The Vintage Rolex Buyers Guide“….

My advise to you is to always believe what your own eyes see, never trust an opinion you can’t verify or seems to be un logic. Ask me by email or any true trusted vintage Rolex dealer who is always happy to share his knowledge with you and accept the fact that you can’t know everything by yourself. I myself do make mistakes and I still do learn each day from the internet, which I find really great. Many thousands of emails you have send me over the years and to each and everyone I take the time to answer them as good as I can as if I was the one being on that crossroad of buying or not. Don’t automatically “like” every post you see online, you could instead take your time to look closely to the picture and not the person who puts it there and like what you really see. Nothing is more important in this world then true and honest information!

Best regards and enjoy wearing your Rolex!

Cheers,

Philipp

The post What’s true and what’s not with so many watch experts around? appeared first on Rolex Passion Market.

# Which watch made your heart skip a beat during your worldwide search for vintage models?

I started my adventure in the watches world way back in 1985 in London. At that time the watch in greatest demand was the Submariner steel and gold, possibly with blue dial. I remember that some English dealers were trading one Submariner A70 with 6 or 7 “pieces of iron”. By pieces of iron, they meant “old” Rolex models with plastic glass. You can’t imagine how many sport watches like Submariner, Milgauss, GMT or Explorer were available in London in those days, and everybody wanted to upgrade to newer models.

For instance, the price of a Milsub was almost a half of a Submariner Bicchierini.

In those days you could really find anything, and it was my fortune to like the older models the most, especially because I could wear them with a more natural and safe feeling.

# Which vintage watch would you never sell?

I kept only 3 watches: one Submariner ref.6200, my first DAYTONA 6263, and one 16520 serial W which I bought new from the official dealer and it already came with the brown dial.

Then, in the late ‘90s, I decided to buy myself one Patek 2499, the one that I liked the most, which I still keep, and I will hand it on to my children.

# Which watch do you regret not having bought?

I got a long list here. I mainly remember a dear friend of mine, he was among the first ones to buy vintage watches, especially Rolex. He built a fantastic collection. The day he decided to sell it, he contacted me and told me: “Take it all, you can pay it with leisure”. At that time I was scared by the sum so I only bought half of the collection, leaving some watches which – if I could have them today – would now make me own Tuscany! In less than a month I had already sold them all, but when I went to my friend again, the other half of the collection was already sold out. It included 6540, 6538A, 6204 SubAcqua, Daytona Aprey Quabus, Spanish military 6538 deep in red and many others like those.

# Tell us your greatest vintage watch anecdote of your collecting history

1986. I was in London again, my budget for buying watches was less than 10 million lire, which is about 5000€ today. There was no internet at the time and I was able to gather informations from auctions, from the few specialized magazines and mainly by hanging out in the markets.

One day, 6 o’ clock in the morning, I was in Portobello when I found a dealer selling a watch, which I recognized as a steel Patek 130 with black dial.

The watch was healthy but in bad condition, it had a broken button, the glass was scratched, and it wasn’t working…But it was clear that it could have turned back to splendour, in the hands of a good watch repairer.

The problem was the cost, 20 million lire…who had them???

I phoned home, but my father asked me if I had become mad (an apartment in my city costed 30 million lire at that time). So I phoned my grandmother and she lent me the difference.

I bought that 130.

When I went back home and my parents saw the way I had spent 20 millions they treated me like I had become mad.

At that point, I was at stake. I sent the watch to Patek and they kept it for about 9 months, but after they sent it back to me, I was all over the moon.

The dial immaculate, the Patek receipt certifying that only a few units of that model were manufactured. I took my little car and drove to Milan where I had an appointment with a client from an auction house.

I was very young and I found myself in front of two distinguished gentlemen which were inspecting my watch.

Their offer was 50 millions. My legs shaked but I endured.

I raised to 80, knowing that a similar model was sold for almost 100 millions the year before. They refused and I – with a pain inside my stomach – greeted them, and then I left.

When I was down in the street I heard one of them calling me, inviting me to go back upstairs.

I found 75 million lire on the table.

I accepted, and from that moment my life changed.

I also had a girlfriend in London. I changed her too.

# What was your most lucrative deal?

In 1989 I was in Miami for a watch exhibition. Oddly, I couldn’t find anything interesting and I bought a shoe box full of dials for a value around 5 million lire (2500 € today). Inside the box there was any kind of dial, from Precision to Newman models.

Thanks to that box I purchased my first apartment, and I still own some of those dials.

# How far did you go to get your hands on a particular vintage watch?

In the early ‘90s I went to Oman with a friend, on the “hunt” for watches with dial logo.

At that time a logo represented both the nation and the political direction and many owners of those models were demanding to change their dials with standard ones.

I found a watchmaker who proposed me to exchange my dials with his logo ones. I went back home with about a dozen of Oman custom dials.

# Describe the perfect day for you as a watch collector

Before becoming a dealer I was an enthusiast who had the fortune to turn his passion into a job.

With passion, there is no room for estimating all the time put into studying a watch and researching all the model variations sold worldwide. You become part of a minority of people who know what they wear, which has no meaning for the profane.

When you finally succeed in finding the rare variation, personal satisfaction is greater than the one that could come from an important deal.

An enthusiast looks at the watch 10 times without looking at the time.

My perfect day as an enthusiast is represented by the discovery of a watch in great condition or very rare.

# Most collectors look for quality, age, uniqueness and complications. How do you calibrate the value of a vintage watch to avoid overpayment?

A vintage watch comes with the added value of the history it witnesses and obviously this is relevant for the price. My advice is to always buy what you like. Putting everything in a profit perspective will belittle passion.

My thirty years of experience have been teaching me that a quality watch, even if overpaid, will always reward me with great satisfactions. Both economical, if I succeed in selling it, and of personal delight if I will keep it.

#Which features are your core collection criteria, year, model, style, complication, material, or…?

In my life I have realized many personal collections. I’ve had collections of Explorer (indeed I’m referring to the ‘50/’60 models), Comex, Oysterqurtz with Logo, Newman, and GMT 6542 (only for the steel model I classified 6 different variations).

Nowadays it’s very difficult to realize such collections.

My way was to study the desired reference and then searching for such models in the markets where it was possible to find particular variations due to local regulations.

For example, the Submariner 5513 Explorer Face and military in Britain, Everest in Canada, etc…

# Should a collector always strive for a 100% original vintage watch or are periodically correct but not authentic-to-watch parts allowed?

Personally I don’t buy and I don’t sell anything that is not 100% original.

Liking a watch is up to personal taste but obviously you must declare it and sell it for what it actually is.

# Which brand met/exceeded your expectations in terms of creating a true vintage watch identity? Which brand could have done better in terms of creating a true vintage watch identity?

Rolex first of all. Their strength is to innovate without overturning.

Many other brands have re-presented their collection taking inspiration from their historic models.

I really believe in Panerai, Patek and Omega too.

# Which brand is the dark horse at the moment, having potential to gain collector interest in the near future? 

Talking about Rolex again, I think that Big Bubble Back and Prince models are very underrated. Talking about other brands, I believe in the chronographic and sport production of every brand.

I think they have a great growth potential, especially given their price range, which is still acceptable.

# Which contemporary watch models have the potential to become the classics of tomorrow?

Rolex Daytona on top of all, followed by all special series and by those watches which were not immediately understood, like Deep Sea, Yacht Master 2, Sky-Dweller.

# Do you expect a shift in collecting vintage watches towards less rare models, given the high prices the extraordinary examples fetch at auctions?

Auctions have always been the reference for market trends. Lately we’ve had extraordinary models at auctions and those are hardly comparable with what we can normally find. Those watches are the exception, not the rule.

Collecting always rewards the hard-to-find watch.

# Do you think collecting vintage watches has become a bubble of ever increasing prices that will burst one day?

I think that classic Vintage watchmaking is not exposed to such a danger. I can give you an example with a classic, Daytona 6263.

It was manufactured from 1970 to 1988 and about 12000 units were made, 666 per year. How many of them are available on the market today? Let’s say a half? And how many are in great condition? Again a half? Finally, how many are complete? In my opinion we are considering less than 1000 units, and I believe there are more than 1000 people who aspire to own one.

I believe that there is always more demand than offer.

# The word passion is used frequently in the vintage watch community to mark a common driver to collect. Isn’t this word misused too often nowadays and collecting has become a cold hard cash business?

Every collection has its own meter and wallet. I believe in freedom of collecting with and without standards.

# What is your view on the development of the increasing number of fake vintage watches that are almost impossible to detect with the eye only?

Counterfeit has always been chasing success objects. I think that even nowadays we are capable of protecting from imitations, but since no one is infallible, my advice is to always refer to a professional who can provide you with an authentic product guarantee.

# How would you compare vintage car collecting with vintage watch collecting? What are the differences and similarities?

All collections reward both special conditions and special editions.

I’m not a car expert, but I can see that every special car model (Lamborghini Superleggera, Ferrari 430 Scuderia etc.) receives a more stable, profitable, and higher valuation.

# The art world resembles a meritocracy where talent eventually achieves the highest status. Do you see any similarities compared to the vintage watch world?

Many artworks were not prized neither rewarded when their authors were alive. The same happened to many watches, for many various reasons they were not highly demanded at the time, and they were rediscovered and valued decades later.

# Two events are organized at the same time: a classic car fair displaying some of the rarest vintage cars out there and a vintage watch fair showing some of the most complicated watches ever made. Which event will you attend and why?

We’re talking about the two main toys for men, the choice is hard, but I’m always more leaning to my world, the vintage watches world.

# If you could travel back in time, who would you choose to have lunch with: Hans Wilsdorf or Antoni Patek & Adrien Philippe?

When possible, I would arrange a good dinner with all of them, and I would invite A.L. Breguet too.

# What is your golden tip for novice collectors?

Study and get an idea of the object of desire, but buy only and always from real professionals.

Personally, I buy the dealer first and then the object.

Stefano Mazzariol.

Check out the trusted vintage Rolex Stefano Mazzariol has for sale at the moment..

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