Very few things in the world bring out the “trolls” of the internet like seeing an online advertisement for luxury timepiece.
And although I can’t speak directly to the psychology of the some of these keyboard warriors, I have to assume that some of their comments come from lack of education.
So if you are looking for a pre-owned Rolex or any other luxury timepiece you may seem some watches described as “naked” and wonder “How can a watch be naked?”
Quite simply, when a watch is sold as naked, it means that the sale only includes the watch, and other accessories (like the original box, papers, and warranty information) are not included in the purchase. But to expand on this, I thought it would be helpful if I shared my response to an uneducated, internet troll, who was leaving negative comments on a Rolex Hulk, the Submariner with the green ceramic bezel (Reference number 11610LV) that I had posted for sale online.
Enjoy!
”Quick explanation about Rolex warranty card (aka. “papers”) for anyone that is unfamiliar.
Generally, when a watch is originally sold from a Rolex Authorized Dealer, the purchase will include the watch, box, warranty card, a hangtag and other booklets.
However, when watches are sold from dealer to dealer, some of the accompanying accessories of a watch (as outlined above) may be either misplaced or held-back for one reason or another. Or, in another scenario, the original purchaser of the watch may misplace the paperwork, warranty card, or any of the other accessories that came with the original purchase. Either of these situations is equally likely; therefore, when a watch is sold as “pre-owned” it may be missing some the items that were included (or should have been included) in the original sale from the Authorized Dealer.
So yes – To any collector, missing any of the items that came with the original purchase will dramatically impact the perceived value of a watch and might even call into question the watch’s authenticity. So much so that some buyers are uncomfortable purchasing a pre-owned watch, and will choose to only purchase watches from an Authorized Rolex Dealer, or will not even consider purchasing a watch that isn’t “complete”.
On the other hand, there are many reputable dealers (I hope I have earned the right to be in those ranks) who sell pre-owned watches and price them accordingly based on the current market price of the timepiece and scope of what is included in the purchase.
These “reputable dealers” sell based on the trust that they have earned in the marketplace and offer tremendous value/savings to their clients.
Also, as a quick note, in about 2010, Rolex made the decision to go to a “scrambled” serial number naming convention (as opposed to an alphabetical/sequential system as in previous years) so for any Rolex watch, post-2010, without a warranty card, it is basically impossible to determine the year of production solely by a serial number lookup.
In this specific situation, I got this watch in on a trade and I have priced it aggressively, in line with current market comps for “naked” Rolex Submariner 116610V (Hulk) watches, although my sale will include an authentic inner/outer Rolex box and a certificate of Authenticity, which usually adds $150+.
So I agree, this watch may not be for everyone, but for someone who is looking to wear a Rolex Hulk immediately (not waiting years for a call from their AD) and looking to save thousands over other market comps, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I hope this explanation helps educate all interested parties and please know that I back this sale with my reputation that I have built in the jewelry business since 2004.”
