Buying a ROLEX Online. My Experience! 

A very interesting and informative insight into your experiences, Oleg - many thanks for taking the time and trouble to share them online.

For the money, I could not tolerate a bezel looking like that...

Hey Oleg. Hey Mr Bond. Firstly, congratulations mate. That's a magnificent timepiece and a milestone purchase for any collector. I'm happy for you mate. 👍🏼 Secondly, a really interesting upload. The negatives were surprising. Not so much the misalignment, I think many would be surprised to know that such problems are part of the Rolex experience. Even when buying new. However, the dishonesty of the seller was an eye opener and would have really pissed me off. Especially the 'unpolished' actually being a well executed 'light polish' and the incorrect box. I mean non original but correct era etc., we can all live with and probably would never know, but an era inappropriate box? Not good enough. You obviously did your adequate due diligence, so I guess 'buying the seller' can also be problematic. An eye-opening vid mate. Great work and thanks. Cheers, A.

Nice pickup! Looks great in the photos. Well done, and well managed purchase. Thanks for sharing.

Very helpful video Oleg. That's a beautiful watch enjoy wearing it . Iv never bought a watch from online before , truth be told the thought scares me. But maybe one day . Thanks again

Great video buddy. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank you, I'm a relatively new Chrono24 also in Canada, looking at a timepiece from a dealer in the US, with my finger on the trigger and I found this video very helpful.

I've never seen a cup holder in a sofa arm before.

Enjoyed the video. Very informative. Thank you

Thank you. A very fair and balanced video about your purchase. Top marks to you.

Educational video. Thank you!

I did buy a Cartier Tank from Chrono 24 and my experience with them was excellent. I liked the fact that the money was in an escrow account until I was satisfied with the watch. The seller was very helpful and sincere and the watch described as "excellent" condition was practically in "mint" condition. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the transaction.

The insert has been replaced, it is not a big problem though, you can easily pop the bezel up and fix the insert correctly. This is a lovely watch that will keep its value. Wear it in good health.

Good thorough description, Chrono 24 is good place to see a large selection and what the price range is. I Like your presentation style; your English is better than some British people;) lol.

great information , much appreciated

Great video Oleg, this is hopefully my next watch!

This was super useful. Thank you!

I would not worry about the misaligned insert. The aliminium inserts can be taken out, and aligned correctly if you want. You can do it yourself, or your watch maker can do it for you. It's not very difficult, and does in no way affect the water resistance or anything like that.

Very informative video Oleg with lots of great advice. I wish I had seen this video before purchasing a fake Oris 65 off eBay. Luckily I got my money back but still lost a little money on the exchange rate difference from purchase date to refund date. Living in Canada I find our options to purchase certain watches are limited, but if one follows your advice and takes the time to do their proper due diligence it’s possible to get that authentic watch you’ve been searching. Just be careful because some fakes can be difficult to spot.

Great video man!!! Very helpful. I have my grandpas GMT and treasure it. I hardly wear it and would if it was serviced.

Really informative. these are a lot of things I have either worried about or considered when buying there. My main problem was what you mentioned. Communication with sellers. I never came across one that seemed helpful in any way. So the end result is, i didn't buy. In fact I haven't bought one from there yet, but if I do it will be from the USA for sure. I never can find out, no matter where I look as to how much import duties will be from other countries. it seems to depend.... great video as always Oleg.

Thanks for sharing your insight. How did you decide on what price is reasonable for a 16710 from the 2000s?

Hello from Canada, as well. Been watching you and Bond for a long time never knew you was a fellow canuck ;) Vostok brought me here, a long time ago.

Love these videos

congrats on the piece. it's stunning

I bought a Seiko Giugiaro Ripley on Chrono24, the seller was from Indonesia Initially I was skeptical but I had a Good experience received the Watch.

It's not unusual for Rolex's to have QC issues such as a misaligned bezel. can't help wondering why they cost so much.

Great video, question how do you go about finding a watch maker? or did you just go to a Rolex AD?

Back in march 2020 I was looking a Rolex OP39 Blue. I have previously bought from Bob's an all was well, but they did not have one. I settled on Watch Box (LNIB unworn, full set) and it was a smooth transaction. No issues and a decent price.

nice one bud. congrats!

The bezel not aligning at this price point is not acceptable, I would go mad and return it

I appreciate your honest review if the on line buying experience. Truth be told it is a gamble spending that kind of money on line. It’s all about the seller’s honesty and Crono 24’s reputation and guarantee. Call me old fashioned but for that kind of money I want 100% satisfaction not 90%.

I love the dog snoring. Lmao. Frenchies are great dogs. Congrats on the watch.

I would be really pissed off if the seller had not been clear about the polishing and box. Being honest is not that hard. Thank God the watch is great, even with the light polishing. Congrats, man. You deserve it. You're one of the good guys.

good advice there cheers

I use my CC through PayPal. Its an additional layer of protection. I can stop payment through my CC company or PayPal. I also get an additional layer of protection for any kind of disputes with 2 companies paying instead of 1.

A great tutorial video. I will also film unboxing videos from now on to avoid any possible issue with watch sellers.

Thanks for this step by step guide how to do online shopping in 2020. ;P

I’ve bought 2 watches on Chrono24 a 6917 and a 1601 for myself my wife loves hers and mine looks great, I just sent mine off for service and when mine comes back I’ll be sending hers off. I’m on the app all the time and looking to buy another soon, love Chrono24

I purchased from Chrono24 many times. Even from private sellers. The escrow part is really the main reason as security.I also film the unboxing experience and the delivery (I.e. when DHL presses the door bell and accepting the package and the unpacking). It is a good service. But for Rolex I would like to see and feel it and too much room to be a Frankenstein watch.

When you take the watch to your watch maker are you allowed to open the back of the watch? And how much does watch authentication usually cost?

Cracking video brother....⌚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⌚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

In you video You said you took the watch to a watchmaker for vindication. How do you decide on a watch maker? Did you go to an authorized dealer or someone else? Thanks Peter

I only bought luxury watches in the full set including all papers and the warranty card. Without identification, the seller could easily replace parts like bezel with the aftermarket one. It is getting harder to check the difference now.

I have bought 2 watches on Chrono24 both new, one was a Rolex OP39. Happy with both experiences. I am reluctant to buy a new one for the reasons you mentioned like not the original box or bezel alignment.... they would just rankle me too much

The bezel insert alignment would drive me absolutely insane. Its a $20k watch. I have Seikos with better alignment....and Seiko is terrible with alignment haha

Only 1 week ago I bought a brand new omega seamaster aquaterra from chrono24. Basically I had pretty nice experience and I can recommend this platform. I totally agree your points. Kind Regards Levent

I too bought off C24 recently. First GMT I bought came from Italy, the dealer was super helpful and willing to sort any issues i had. As I complained the case back was too overpolished, the Dealer offered to refinish the case to so called Rolex exacting standards but unfortunately, the work carried out was poor and I unfortunately requested a refund. Months later, second GMT also came from Italy , checked out the dealer reviews 4.9/5.0, watch advertised as never polished but after telephone call, dealer informs me the watch is not polished and went on to say he would not know if it had been previously been polished. After receiving further requested photos, I purchased the watch, which was a full set about lower end of price range. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks, I noticed that a part of the case had been polished to such an extent, it was about 0.5mm out. Not a show stopper but when weighing up the cost of returning watch fully insured would have cost me about £350 , I decided to keep the watch and use this to fix the watch at later date. In future, I will scrutinise the watch more carefully and use a tick sheet to mark the watch condition.

That's not slightly misaligned. On a regular 120 click dive watch bezel this would be pretty much as bad as it gets.

Did you not see quality macro photos of the dial of the watch you selected before buying?

So what are better online places to buy a Rolex online? I’d like a datejust but don’t know where to look and where I need to take it for servicing, I’m new to the higher end time pieces

You’re a better man than I. If I bought a Rolex with a misaligned bezel, I would have been furious.

Thanks for sharing, Oleg. I don’t like the fact that the watch is polished, or that the box is not original to the watch. As far as misalignment goes, it has never bothered me, as long as I know about it. I am currently in the process of buying a Seiko on eBay and the seller sent me pictures of the watch, as per my request, and the misalignment is quite visible. As I plan on replacing the bezel insert in any case at some point, it is not an issue. But, then again, I have never paid so much money for a watch, and probably never will.

I just got an Explorer 114270 online. Similar situation described as unpolished, all links, and no scratches on crystal. Turns out it had scratches on crystal, was lightly polished, and was missing one link. The seller and I worked out a discount, but had I not known what to look for or ask, I would have overpaid.

Were you charged a service fee for paying by cc? If so, what was the percentage?

thanks 👍

Oleg are you selling any of you watches to downsize the collection ? if so where ?

To check the watch, can I take it apart and check the mechanism? Can the seller refuse to allow me to disassemble the watch?

Thanks Oleg, very much appreciated but I must say that misalignment would drive me mad! Regards from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Just a little tip fly to New York buy the watch put it on your wrist and mail the box and papers back to yourself fly out of the country with the watch on your wrist. No import duty.

Good video . Not a deal breaker as you said , but they should have been more forthcoming about the alignment. Maybe because they know that these watches sell themselves. Really nice Rolex.

Interesting. I'm in the UK and bought a watch from Europe through Chrono24. There is NIL chance that i would do that again. The VAT was expected (urgh!) but the multiple delays and extra so-called 'disbursal' charges from UPS were a total nightmare. Communication was non-existent, and delivery dates came and went. I suggest, just wait for the watch to come up in your own country, or buy locally, where you can handle the goods and can approve everything before parting with money. I will not make the same error again.

My experience with chrono24 is excellent. Btw did mr. Bond agree with your purchase?

I bought a watch off Chrono24 and had a good experience. I “only” spent $2,000 but was still nervous about it. I live in the US and bought from a dealer in Germany with good reviews. It was a pain dealing with Customs and I thought they were going to send the watch back to Germany. They spent several days asking for information until they finally decided on a tax amount for the watch. There was no point of contact with Customs so you don’t really know what’s going on. So I agree with buying one in your home country if you can. The watch I bought was new but made in 2007. I had been looking for this limited edition Tutima watch since seeing it in a Cigar Aficionado ad in 2007. Tutima is a German watch maker and apparently this dealer bought the leftover watches the factory couldn’t sell. Do your homework before buying a watch off the web.

I have never seen an old Rolex where the Bezel does line up

I used Chrono24 to purchase a Rolex Datejust in gold & stainless steel. On receipt both the watch and the Rolex box just did not seem right. I compared the box to one from a genuine Rolex and it was obvious that it was of inferior quality. I took the watch to my local AD in Nottingham, they concluded that the watch’s serial number had been tampered with and suggested that I try and obtain a refund. To be honest after a discussion with the seller I was given a refund, but I was still out of pocket for the delivery and return postage costs. I did notice that the Seller placed the same watch up for sale again on the Chrono24 website. I did give the seller a copy of the letter from Rolex stating the issues surrounding this watch but he obviously decided to ignore this. The AD called it a ‘Frankenstein’ watch, made from several other watches.

How does an independent watch dealer verify authenticity?

So right about the risk of vintage Franken Rolexes...particularly beware with the 16610lv Kermits..there are plenty of genuine submariners which have had maxi dials and green bezels swapped in..the financial incentives for doing this are enormous..and completely crooked. The best way to check this, even if the watch you buy has papers is to take it to your local Rolex service centre..they can immediately check if it’s a Franken Sub or a genuine Kermit by checking the serial number

what year is this watch?

Things sure have changed. It is very hard to get Rolex sports watch new from an AD. I used to love the brand but the games Rolex and the AD's play with their fake waiting list and constant cost increases have turned me off but I used to have three Rolex watches, and I was able to go to the mall to the AD and get a discount. I had two by 1997 and got one more in 2003. I experienced job loss after loss after I was in a 5 car accident and could not hold a job anymore and sold two of them. I kept the no date sub. I sold the Yachtmaster and Datejust which I paid the least for. Yachtmaster was the more expensive one.

I only buy from Verified Dealers on Chrono24. I go to the Seller’s website and shop from there. Chrono24 is just a reference for me.

I’d be very disappointed if I’d spent decent money on watch and bezel didn’t line up.

The one thing I like about Chrono24 is the escrow feature. Beyond that, there are some great sellers and some not so great sellers. I did not have my bank ask me about spending money on a gambling site, but you are taking a risk of losing at least a few hundred dollars should you decide to return the watch after having it inspected by your jeweler/watchmaker. Didn't that misaligned bezel show up in the seller's pictures? If he didn't post a picture of that, forget it. Personally, for the issues you mentioned, I wouldn't have even taken the watch to my jeweler. I would have returned it immediately.

What % are import fees? I too am in Canada

Wud rather get Rolex OP from AD i/o Rolex Yachmaster (waitlisted at AD) from grey market. Just too risky.

Bought a BB58 Blue from C24. New, AD and basically list price. I'm from NJ, so paid sales tax, as was the dealer he said it wanted I can drive (like 80miles) and check it out before I buy. I guess I could have brought my notebook and paid on the spot. Never went up and actually wouldn't change the price. Watch came as promised, warranty card, box and tags on watch. Except for fee's and such, like you used a CC. If there was a problem would just drive up, got it in a nice bag and business card, I did speak to him once on the phone. No complaints. He had a good rating. I'm mixed they are legit (C24) but there are other US based resellers with excellent reputations that if had what I have used and would again. And may call the that dealer I used through C24 if I wanted something or just look around.

If I was buying something like that online I’d go see my friendly local Rolex specialist and ask if I could have it posted there and have him film the unboxing. For example if it had the wrong movement I’d appreciate being able to prove I hadn’t swapped it myself.

I’ve returned to Europe through Chrono24 and customs Canada is a pain in the ass to get your taxes and duties back and it probable took 8 weeks to finally get a cheque back. They make it as difficult as possible!!

Superb advice, especially if you’re an amateur.

The brushing on the upper side of the lugs looks course (9:56). That's very strange.

Thanks for sharing the experience! Sounds like it's a much much better experience vs ebay.

Eh there is False Creek what watch do you were at the golds gym arnie seiko

Thanks for sharing. I buy from a certified Rolex dealer because I know it's a real Rolex, Guarantee card and a 6 year warranty.

Misaligned bezels are a complete no no for me. There is no way I would keep such an expensive watch with an issue I will stare at all day. I have sold every watch I've had with a misaligned bezel because they drove nuts. So far two Seikos and a Yema ended up on ebay to be resold after discovering they had misaligned bezels. If I bought a Rolex and it had a misaligned bezel it would be returned to the seller on the same day I received it.

Red Flag 🚩..Please do not pay for any transaction outside of Chrono 24. I had a verified dealer asking for a wire transfer outside of Chrono 24 transaction system. I reported them and of course Chrono 24 did nothing.

If you are going grey for a Rolex, there are better options.

How much does it cost to have the watch authenticated by a local watchmaker or AD?

Never buy a wristwatch based on photos, ... moreover chrono24 listed wristwatches mostly have: Year of Production = Unknown ( enough said )

Stein Diamonds are a great company 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I had a successful experience buying from Chrono24 verified NYC dealer, living in Canada. I used the escrow service paying with my Visa card. I had to contact them regarding the purchase, which I didn’t mind doing, as it suggested they were concerned with security. They did not mention thinking it was a gambling website. I bought a new Panerai Luminor GMT, date, Power Reserve and 3 day automatic. Free 1 day delivery to the west coast Canada. I felt confident in the purchase.

Same experience. Same emergency block by mastercard but they never mention gambling things. The process its stressful for the first expensive watch, but everything was sweet and soft with chrono24 so far. And yes calculate import fee first lol. And yeah make it verify the watch even if its a quick case back check. Very similar experience for me as you had. I would say you knowledge of the watch will impact your general experience.

I bought a Datejust 41 new from Chrono24 from Joseph Stein diamonds In LA ,no problems and saved £2300 ,Everose with chocolate dial and got a extra link ,I stay in Scotland and was golfing in Florida and he sent it to my hotel in Florida and it saved me the taxes ,I hope this helps,stay safe everyone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

Import taxes was high and it was and original watch with fake part...Now i don't know if i would have my money back because on the case BEWARE

I don't get it either..... you paid a hefty price and the damn thing came with misaligned bezel? If that was done 200-500 bucks watch, I wouldn't mind it either, but gmt master 2 .... not acceptable

maybe its the accent but what's a Franklin watch

It would drive me crazy not having the bezel properly aligned. For that amount of $....hard pass and I'd buy another one. It would just eat away at me every time I looked at it.

I like Chrono, got an Oris and my favourite, Speedy Reduced off there for an excellent price full kit from Japan to Canada. I like the escrow. There are a handful of Facebook groups that are also pretty tight with the possibility of a neutral admin acting as middle man who can verify the watch is as it should be, if a seller chooses to. Or you can go by the numerous references a seller has. Buy the seller. Edit: No call from bank, and I got really lucky, no customs/taxes/fees! Made the deal that much sweeter. Saved a few hundred bucks.

For a watch of this quality/brand, the bezel shouldn't be misaligned.

I will never pay that kind of money for a used watch. The bying experience of a new watch is so better.

Hi, Oleg! I bought a Seiko SKX from Chrono24 but the bezel was properly aligned, so I had to return it. For sure it was fake! Jokes apart, congratulations for your great watch. It's a beauty. One question though: how did you notice that it has been polish? Cheers!