FAQ

Of course we all know that there are sharks in every business, but we are a 100% proven and fully legitimate business that offers a full money back guarantee. Our customer service record is second to none. We are available seven days a week between the hours of 9am and 6pm and our answerphone is always available outside of business hours. We answer every single phone call and e-mail and 99% of the enquiries that we receive are dealt with within 15 minutes. We know that in this business your reputation is vital so we guard ours with great care.

No because there is no VAT payable on pre-owned watches. Therefore you are not paying VAT in the first place.

Since 1975

Most certainly, you are very welcome – it is best to call if travelling just to make sure that we are available.

No, we trade online.

Quite simply we have a passion for what we do. We are a “dealers dealer” who enjoys travelling around the UK and indeed across Europe finding bargains and fine objects at reasonable prices.

The advertised prices of our Rolex watches are not negotiable unless marked otherwise. Our prices are already very reasonable when compared to other retail outlets and we regularly sell to other traders who sell our watches for up to 50% more than our advertised prices.

Cash upon personal collection. All major Credit and Debit cards online, via telephone (further proof of ID may be required in some cases) Personal cheques, bankers draft or Pay Pal.

Yes, we offer a no questions asked, full seven day money back guarantee as soon as your item is safely returned to us in the same condition as it left our shop. This period is extended for overseas clients to take shipping time into consideration.

Yes, we do all of our own photography in house.

You can call us anytime between 9am and 6pm seven days a week. If we are busy then please leave a message and we will call you back very quickly, usually within five minutes.

We can adjust to fit, please call us for more details if in doubt. All of our watches will fit an average (ladies) or (gents) wrist. However, if the bracelet is too small we can supply extra links at our trade cost. So there is no need to worry about wrist size.

We have our own Rolex trained technician with 27 years of experience and who completed his watchmakers apprenticeship way back in August 1961. We also have a small network of approved service engineers that cover all of the worlds major watch brands.

Let us be quite clear on this issue. We only ever sell watches in fabulous condition. When we buy, we are buying with our own hard earned cash and we buy every watch with condition as a priority. Remember, before you spend your money on our watch, we’ve already invested our own money in it.

We put some of our watches through a professional and very expensive restoration proceedure. The movements are cleaned and properly serviced. The case and bracelet are correctly re-polished and the dials may be restored. But more often, we’re just very picky about what we buy.

Sadly, this service is no longer available from Rolex UK. However, we take great care when buying any Rolex watch and we insist on formal ID checks from anyone selling a Rolex watch. This will include supplying us with proof of their name, address and personal identity (Such as a Passport or UK Drivers Licence).

Yes – but only top brands in very good condition. As a rough guideline if your watch is worth less than £1,000, or is damaged or badly worn then it probably isn’t for us.

We cannot list everything that we have in stock as this can change on a daily basis. We also have other watches in stock that are not always listed for sale. Please call us for more details.

Yes, we already supply a number of High Street Jewellers around the UK and Ireland.

We ship World Wide with a few exceptions. If in doubt, please ask. We do not ship to Africa or Indonesia under any circumstances.

We travel across Europe buying quality stock. We also have a superb and long established network of associates within the trade who help us find quality stock. We also buy in-store. Every Watch and item of jewellery that we buy is carefully hand selected and purchased with our own money. If you wish to sell then please contact us for further information.

Yes.

“Aftermarket” is a third party item (Or a non-manufacturer made part) fitted to a watch for various reasons. This most commonly applies to a dial or bezel that is not a factory item (Most commonly Rolex) – For example, many dealers and private owners add aftermarket diamond bezels to their watches. As long as these are not manufacturer signed it is a perfectly and widely acceptable practice. Just like putting better wheels on a car, as an example.

Any dials re-finished (or customised) should be original manufacturer base dials before they are re-finished so they remain a factory part. Any dials that have been changed from factory standard should and will clearly be marked as such when offered for sale as well as verbally explained to a customer.

“Afterset” means an original factory part that has been “set afterwards” by an independent diamond setter. For example, someone may have diamonds set into their Rolex watch, this would remain a factory Rolex bracelet but with “afterset” diamonds. Any afterset parts should always be described as such in any advertisement and all honest watch dealers will have no hesitation informing their customer of any afterset work carried out.

No professional watch dealer would ever try and pass off aftermarket or afterset parts for anything other than what they are. These parts are usually added to make the watch more attractive.

Sometimes, particularly with vintage watches, aftermarket or hand-made parts may have to be painstakingly made to complete a full restoration on a timepiece. When known, this should be stated at the point of sale.

Watch buyers around the world should note that most watch manufacturers will not service watches that have any replacement parts fitted unless you agree to their removal first. This is easily solved by using independent watchmakers.

The availability status of every item is stated in each individual item description and our website is updated twice daily.

We can supply unworn watches complete with their factory seals, but they are pre-owned unworn and not officially brand new.

No, we are a totally independent dealer with no attachment or association with Rolex SA. We mainly sell pre-owned Rolex watches it would be impossible for us to become an officially approved Rolex dealership. This however, is to your advantage as we are not tied to any particular brand or pricing structure.

Rolex doesn’t release exact numbers, however, according to industry estimates and considering the number of Chronometer certificates issued to Rolex over the past few years, it’s safe to assume that Rolex produces somewhere between 700,000 to 800,000 watches annually.

On early Rolex watches they stamped the Serial Number on the outside of the case back. Then, around the mid-1940s they moved the serial number to the side of the case (between the lugs) at the 6 o’clock position. It is worth mentioning that the Case Reference Number (i.e. the Model Number) is located on the opposite side of the case at the 12 o’clock position – the bracelet must be removed to access these numbers.

It is recommended to have your watch serviced every 5 years. By having your watch serviced regularly you will reduce the chances of needing any serious (and costly) repairs. We offer a wide range servicing from minor repairs to a full overhaul.

If your watch is off a few seconds per day (fast or slow) you can regulate it depending on the position you leave the watch at night when you’re not wearing it, as follows: By leaving the watch’s dial (or face) up can cause it to gain (or run fast) up to a few seconds per day. On the other hand, by leaving the watch’s dial (or face) down can cause it to lose (or run slow) up to a few seconds per day.

Please bear in mind, however, that Rolex watches are all individual with many moving parts that can expand under varying conditions. Let us make this quite clear, particularly to the layman. No Rolex watch, no matter how expensive, will ever keep time as accurately as a cheap quartz movement that relies only on a simple pulse to keep time. Think of your Rolex as a “time machine” rather than just a simple watch. It is a piece of engineering and a work of art. If you’re looking for split second accuracy, then a Rolex (or any fine watch for that matter) is probably not for you.

When brand new, Rolex guarantee most of their models to within 35 seconds per week.

This is, without question, the biggest misconception regarding Rolex watches, the “sweeping” versus “ticking” question. In the past people used this as a method of identifying counterfeit Rolex watches. The truth is, genuine Rolex watches do, in fact, “tick”. However, they tick at a very speedy 5 to 6 times per second that gives the eye the illusion of “sweeping” or “floating” around the dial. If you watch the second hand with a jewellers loupe you can see it. The second hs sweep, but with a heart beat all of its own…

The simple answer to this question is that no one without the necessary experience is even remotely qualified to judge a real from counterfeit. We often hear clients say that there are some “good fakes” out there when the truth is that there is no such thing as a “good fake” to a professional. These pieces of worthless junk might appear “real like” to a novice, but to a professional they are very, very obvious indeed.

The biggest tip that I could give to the novice watch buyer is to use your touch rather than your eyes. The general engineering quality of a genuine Rolex can be felt whilst counterfeit models are quite crudely finished and have a cheap “feel” to them.

Look for honest signs of wear, especially around and inside of the clasp area? If the watch has been worn and has genuine age then there should be signs of use. Counterfeit watches usually start to break up within 12 months. So look for signs that the watch has been worn for a good period and feel for quality engineering.

All Rolex watches are water resistant when new and factory sealed. Some models are waterproof and there is a difference between water resistant and water proof. Water resistant means the watch should ‘resist water’ under certain conditions – such as heavy rain, washing the dishes, taking a shower and shallow swimming.

Waterproof means that the watch has been tested under stringent conditions and is water tight at certain depths. Rolex Sports models, like the Submariner and the Yachtmaster are the preferred models of regular water inhabitants. All of our watches have been pressure tested for water resistance. However, dress watches, such as the Datejust model are not really designed for regular or deep water use.

You should also ensure that your crown (winder) is completely tight and fully locked down before any use around water. Of course, all seals in any watch will perish at some stage in their life. You may not find out until it’s too late and water finds its way into your treasured timepiece.

When wearing any quality watch my personal advice would be to avoid contact with water unless really necessary and then ensure that your model it water proof rather than water resistant. Why take the chance of ruining your watch and running up a hefty repair bill?

An old watch dealer once said to me:

“When I’m in a Restaurant I wear my Rolex”
“When I want to swim I wear a Swatch”

A very sound piece of advice indeed.

There can be no denying that it’s always nice if the watch you are buying has its original Box and Papers. Sadly however, the general public appear to be experts in mislaying these objects. A recent survey showed that 67% of watches are separated from their box, paper and original receipt within the first 5 years of ownership.

Every further year the percentage increases accordingly and by the time most watches are 10 years old, 98% of original paperwork is lost by the one (or more) owners that it has had during its ten year lifetime. From a dealers point of view this is rather frustrating.

When buying a watch the first thing we ask is “does it have its box and paper”?

Invariably the answer is that they’ve been lost, mislaid, or that they are “somewhere in the loft and I’ll find them one day”

A Rolex warranty paper is only valid for two years from purchase. So in all honesty, once out of date, they are pretty worthless in reality, but they do remain a nice thing to have.

We replace lost original papers with our own authenticity, warranty and insurance valuation paperwork. This supersedes the out of date, original paper if it is not present.

You should always remember that a cardboard box and a piece of paper does not, in any way, shape or form verify a watches authenticity.

If you place a Rolex warranty paper under a Timex it does not become a Rolex. And the same thing applies the other way around. The only thing that really matters is the quality and the authenticity of the watch itself…

No absolutely and most definitely not…

1: Rolex Datejust
2: Rolex Submariner
3: Rolex Ladies Datejust
4: Rolex Daytona
5: Rolex GMT Master II

Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, glass etc.

Watches in water-resistant cases may have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant.

Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, cogs, crystals, screws and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts.

Since we are not professional conservators or restorers ourselves, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report should you feel the need. Prospective buyers should inspect each item to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by us is merely a subjective, qualified opinion.

Of course, we have great experience within the industry and we do our utmost to ensure that everything we sell is completely and correctly as described. We are always happy to rectify any issues or mistakes that being only human, can be made.