Rolex Ref 18038 with special Oak Dial, not been polished, and he had changed with Chinese Day Dial in HK RVC.
HK Snob
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Rolex Ref 18038 Day Date Yellow Gold with Oak Dial
Rolex Ref 18038 with special Oak Dial, not been polished, and he had changed with Chinese Day Dial in HK RVC.
HK Snob
The BesselWorld 2013 Rolex Retro Day Date Comes into effect
Well, look at recent More magazine ad that Lane Crawford cannot wait to sell some of the most lovely colour Day Just and Day Date Ref 1803… Buy price is astonishingly un-friendly!
Black Date Just with ten Shinning Sugar cubes- HKD$97,000
Blue Date Just without diamond HKD$104,000
Green Date Just without Diamond HKD$104,000
Note the Stella Red Ref 1803 , price is HKD$314,000
HK Snob
The Early Rolex Promotion slip and Rolex AD in Hong Kong
This is an actual Rolex Slip for Rolex promotion in the 60s’ friend of mine gave us yesterday.
In the list you can see there were not too many Rolex Authorized dealers at that time, now we have over 100 shops under Rolex AD in HK.
Note the slogan " Men who guide the destines of the world wear Rolex Watches!"
HK and China itself consumes over 60% of Watches export from Rolex and HK is still the most important market of Rolex. With the new Xi Administration of China who cut extravagant spending on entertainment and at same time slow down of China GDP has an impact to the Rolex Watches market in HK. Nevertheless, the Watch Business is still a billion dollar business in HK.
These are the old Rolex shop but now they either closed or no longer selling Rolex.
- LAM YUEN FONG WATCH COMPANY AND LAND DEVELOPMENT LIMITED
林源豐錶行地產發展有限公司Established 8 Aug 1973, and dissolved 30 June 1995.
- Precision Watch Company
Level 2 , Harvey Nichols ,Pacific Place , 88 Queensway, HK
- China Emporium Queen’s Road
大華國貨, I think the shop has been close in early 90s that is where the Oriental Watch company now .
- Budson Watch and jewelry Company 弼臣鐘表珠寶有限公司
Established on 1962 Dec 6 and close in 1998 after running for 36 years!
These are the list of HK Rolex AD outlets, Correct me if I am wrong!
Artland
Chow Sang Sang
Chow Tai Fook
Dickson
Eldorado
Emperor
Europe
Fung Leung Kee
King Fook
La Suisse Watch
Oriental
Precision
Right Watch
Solomon
Tai Hing
Times City
Times Watch
Wah Hing
Zurich
*************
HK Snob
A Lange and Sohne Datograph
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Each piece of the components has been finely polished to the highest standard to a mirror surface, meticulously care has been exercised on each of the chamfer, whereas where two chamfers meets, is still able to maintain a vertical straight line. What can you say!?
Is German watch manufacturing another step higher than the Swiss!? No in par!?
It is a Platinum watch that weighs like one Ton on my hand! Partly it is heavily expensive!
Man, Should I sell one of my kidneys for this watch?
The watch belongs to one of the low profile watch collectors in HK! He has also a case of Rolex Day Date of various fancy colour!
HK Snob
Rolex Ref 116710LN GMT Master II bought by Selim in HK
Wish he loved this watch as much as I love mine!
HK Snob
Sotheby's Auction on Ref 1503 and Watch Fever's Ref 18038, both has the arms of UAE Military Arm force Dial
With the same special dial with arms of UAE Military Armed Force. With price HKD$48,000 to HKD$63,000, of course final hammer price is yet unknown. We will see on 27 May 2013!
About my 1986 Rolex Day Date Ref 18038, a very special dial with arms of UAE Military Armed Force.
Now this un-polished Rolex Day Date with this very rare special dial is only HKD$69,000!
What is the impact to you!, a Ref 1503 or Ref 18038, One is Day Just, the other is Day Date.
One has Aryclic Crystal, the later is Sapphire!
Think about it!
HK Snob
PS. The watch was sold to an Rolex Collector 2 June 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Rolex Ref 18038 Day Date Solid Yellow Gold with Rare and Special UAE Military Armed Force Arms
This was made by Rolex as a custom order from UAE in the 80s, not for sales, believe to be made at a very limited number. Rolex does not make any such item any more!
"Spiral" Magazine May 2013 had mentioned that the Dial itself worth HKD$30,000!
Now this un-polished Rolex Day Date with this very rare special dial is only HKD$69,000!
Please note that Rolex had revealed the new Retro Day Date in BleselWorld 2013. I believe that the price of vintage Rolex Day Date will rise gradually. It is a good time to buy at low as an eternal Investment.
HK Snob
Friday, May 17, 2013
White Gold and Stainless Steel watches; Rolex Day Date and Date Just
White Gold
White gold is an alloy of gold (Au) and some white metals such as silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd). White gold can be 18kt, 14kt, 9kt or any karat. For example, 18kt yellow gold is made by mixing 75% gold (750 parts per thousand) with 25% (250 parts per thousand) other metals such as copper and zinc. 18kt white gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as silver and palladium. So the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. Palladium is a kind of rare metal and so as the cost, so in Other
Price Difference Between White Gold and Yellow Gold Rolex
Same model, same size of Rolex, the White gold is likely to be more expensive than Yellow Gold. As an Example, a Rolex Day Date, white gold version is more expensive than Yellow gold by HKD$21,000!
Traditionally nickel was used in white gold, however, nickel is no longer used in most white gold made today as nickel can cause allergy with skin. General, we do not use nickel in our white gold and I am sure Rolex is not using also. The natural color of white gold is actually a light grey color. For Jewelry, some white gold rings are coated with another white metal called Rhodium. Rhodium is a metal very similar to platinum and Rhodium shares many of the properties of platinum including its white color. This is to preserve the White Elegant Colour of the Gold! As rhodium plating is used to make the white gold look more white. The Rhodium is very white and very hard, but it does wear away eventually. To keep a white gold ring looking its best it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months. Most jewelers are able to rhodium plate jewelry for a cost effective price. Rolex White Gold Watch has no Rhodium Plating at all.
Stainless steel
Stainless Steel is an important invention in 20 century. In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5% to 11% chromium content by mass.
Stainless steel is used where both the properties of steel and resistance to corrosion are required. Stainless steel does not readily corrode, rust or stained with water as ordinary steel does, despite the name it is not fully stain-proof, most notably under high salinity, low oxygen like poor circulation environments. I have seen Rusty Stainless steel, the steel itself may have insufficient Chromium. It is also called corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) in the aviation industry particularly. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel.
Stainless steel differs from carbon steel by the amount of chromium present. Unprotected carbon steel rusts (Iron Oxide film) readily when exposed to air and moisture. This iron oxide film or rust is active and would accelerate corrosion by forming more iron oxide, and due to the greater volume of the iron oxide this tends to flake and fall away. Stainless steels contain sufficient chromium to form a passive film of chromium oxide, which blocks further surface corrosion and stops corrosion from spreading into the metal core, due to the similar size of the steel and oxide ions they bond very strongly and remain attached to the surface.
Passivation only occurs if the proportion of chromium is high enough and oxygen is present.
Stainless Steel 316L and 904L on Rolex Case
Stainless steel comes in over 150 grades and types of different mixes, 316L is the most prevalent in wrist watches. As it is easy to polish, refinish, mill, drill and does not readily oxidize. Most diving watches are made of 316L stainless steel because it is resistant to salt water erosion, and it is easy to polish and keep lustrous look.
That is one of the reasons why most watch companies utilize 316L stainless steel in its watch cases.
Rolex used 316L until 1985*, Rolex started to move to 904L in all Rolex watch cases because of pitting occurring in the case between the watch case and the caseback.
904L was initially developed to withstand strong reducing acids and highly sustaintible to chloride corrosion. Rolex utilizes a harder 904L that is both hard to prepare and hard to machine.
Rolex of 2000s
Starting in the mid-2000s, Rolex started utilizing 904L in its bracelets. Initially utilized for its watch cases, Rolex realized that the bracelet required an update to solid links, solid bracelet end-links, and the addition of 904L for pitting resistance.
Some people consider the difference between 316L and 904L as being negligible and that Rolex’s divergence from the industry standard 316L is just another marketing point. But after seeing pitted casebacks and bracelet clasps, 904L certainly has its place.
The Difference
How to tell the difference between the white Gold and Stainless steel; simply the White Gold Looks more white!
How to Restore the Original Lustre
Submariner
Rinse your Submariner off after you dive and every once in a while anyway even if you don't dive it because your body sweat has chlorides in it also. And don't worry about the difference between 904L and 316L because in the application of a diving watch it just doesn't matter.
Date Just, Date Day
I used to lock up the crown tight.
Wash under lukewarm tap water, use my Oral-B Electric tooth brush, dip into some mild soap solution and give it a light brushing thoroughly, especially the strap, corner of the slugs, and hidden area between the strap sections. Then on the bezel and the diamonds. Then wash under running tap water for 30 second…Soak with fine tissue paper and wipe off all water residues by a lint free cloth….
Surprising you can see you watch is giving you that kind of Bling bling Shinning again! Especially the Diamonds!
That is why people always said to me ” Oh, you bought another new watch again!!”
HK Snob
Reference * Rolex Price book Ref .246/0113 218.16 CHHK-12.2012 had clearly stated that all Rolex case are made by 904L stainless steel in 1985.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Is Rolex worth a High price!?
30% of the men at breast, 30% at leg, 20% at face and 19% at hair, I am the only one who will look at her watch!
Watch is her character, look and style can give me a peek into a women's background without having to ask a single question.
That is why purchasing a watch is a personal and important decision.
There are men who who wear a $20 watch all the time, but he earns $900 an hour. I know one company’s president who own a building in the heart of Makati and A food chain business of food and beverage CEO of a Electronics company, he never wears any watch! One time whilst we were drinking a bottle of Pauillac de lynch bages 1996 wine, in a place where President Aquino used to go; I could not stop to ask why, he said he really does not need a watch as he carry a hand phone does show the time.
Of course, there are men out there who only need a watch to tell time, and for those guys a watch whose price ends with .99 would suffice.
For the rest of us, a watch has a more prominent meaning, and for the select few who dabble in the Rolex territory, it can even be an investment opportunity. Really!?
We all understand the basic concept of a watch is to tell time, mostly work perfectly with quartz movement of battery operation. A deeper understanding, though, can help you recognize the subtle differences between different timepieces. One most Common asked question is “is Rolex Worth that High Price?
There are two possible answers to this question, why do some people automatically say "no"? Because the Rolex corporation artificially inflates the price of its watches by limiting the yearly supply of some of its collections. Rolex Daytona Black Dial stainless steel Ref 116520BL is notorious for being near impossible to find! Rolex Submariner Green bezel Green Dial Ref 116610LV is limited to supply maximum three pieces a month to one of the renowned Rolex Authorized Dealers (AD) in HK!
This create scarcity in the market. It is a marketing strategy similar to the Luxury French hand bag who introduces Christmas Special that only VIP is informed in the first tier where by nothing left for me when I visit the shop.
Rolex also meticulously controls its authorized dealer pricing system to make sure that all watches are sold at its suggested retail price. Less 5% in Hong Kong, less 10% in Philippines for example. Any dealer that sells a Rolex at a discount is subject to having his dealer status revoked.
There is Rolex Insider dressed in Indian traveler as disguise to ask more discount in HK…since it is nearly impossible to get a new Rolex at a bigger discount, you will always pay a premium for the name.
Many watch expert believe that a Rolex is worth the price because it is still a premium watch made with the highest level of craftsmanship. The artificially inflated prices also help Rolexes maintain their extremely high resale value. In Hong Kong, Rolex is the Highest Resale value watch, second is Panerai and then Patek Phillippe.
And, of course, you can't underestimate the cachet value of a Rolex. The status and prestige it projects can, in certain people's eyes, justify its exorbitant price. More than any other regularly produced watch, owning a Rolex is an investment and a status symbol, more than it is a teller of time.
HK Snob
$ shown here is USD
Cartier Santos XL 35mm Men's Watch in stainless steel
Size Comparison with A Rolex Day Date 36mm
I have been talking to HK Watchers today as Saturday usual gathering about my Passion on Cartier, I started on Santos stainless steel two tone back to 1983. At That time a men’s Santos Two tone auto was selling HKD$4,000. That was three month salary of a fresh University graduates in HK.It is not cheap, but it got the style! I still remember three of us bought one each at same time because of quantity discount!
After a couple of years, I bought a thin Santo Tank vermeil Watch with hand wind mechanical, That is a small watch in Today’s watch size standard. But it was a very Elegant dress watch for me. In 1997 I bought another Santos two tone Auto hexagonal shape with black dial. I still remember that was the burst of Asian Economy turmoil that I can get 7 Thai baht with 1 HK Dollar, I bought that watch with HKD$3,500 in Bangkok World Trade Centre, Isn't that a good deal?
This is another Santos Stainless steel, 35mm Auto with much thicker watch case and strap, it comes with books, paper and Box, Excellent Plus Condition, no scratches and looks almost new.
Santos de Cartier XL 33mm Auto men’s watch
HKD$23,000!
HK Snob
Watch was Sold on 11 May 2013
Rolex Ref 16014 Date Just "Steel King" as what HK People used to call
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It comes with International Warranty, Circa 1990. The powder white Dial was of the newest design at that time, a Rolex Computer dial with Arabic numeric. A great watch to use, and a great legendary watch for us. As we used to call this the “Rolex Steel King!" in Hong Kong.
Price is HKD$18,500HK Snob
PS Watch Sold to a Philippino Friend on 26 May 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Rolex with Diamond or without Diamond
Women just want to be noticed and admired. One of the easiest ways to do that is wear big old rocks that shine.
Diamond is commonly selected as for Wedding rings as Diamond is forever is the slogan. I believe Diamond is made for women, but how about men?
Men and DiamondMen and DiamondWe will almost never see a man wearing an inexpensive watch that has artificial diamond detailing. If he is wearing a watch with diamonds, it will likely be an expensive watch of a well-known brand such as Rolex, PP, VC, Cartier or AP. It takes a special character to wear the “iced out” versions with fully encrusted diamond cases that even sunglasses won’t protect you from their blinding effect.
Men and Diamond Watches
As men who have achieved a high level of social ladder and wealth will go about acquiring “the best” of everything including watches and everything else in life.
They can't wear a 5 carat Diamond with D-colour as that seems too feminine. However, they will equate “the best” of something with whichever is the most expensive and often with wristwatches. As the Wristwatch of 120 gram can have 1,500 diamonds on it. That is to say the lightest but most expensive accessory for the Rich man! With that Watch, the gold is nothing comparing with the Diamonds
Naturally, some of the most expensive top modesl of Rolex are those with diamonds. They show more discernible value to the general public as opposed to a 1 million dollar ‘Double Tourbillon grand complications’ which true watch connoisseurs will opt for over any diamond watch in a heartbeat.
Women tend to wear watches with diamonds more for the way they make them look, the aesthetics. Men wear watches with diamonds for the way they make them feel, which is all that really matters when you are picking the perfect watch for you.
Rolex
When I can afford, I used to buy Rolex with diamond on the dial and f possible on the bezel. A Vintage Rolex with and without diamond can have more value for those with diamond as it was rare to have diamond on the dial say for example.
But it might be too shinny to have too many diamonds on the watch as the watch will be no longer called “watch”!
If I could afford, I don’t mind to have diamond on my GMT Master II, I don’t mind to have full diamond dial and bezel on my Day Date….
Rolex Pricing on Diamond
Ref 118208 Rolex Day Date 36mm 18Kt gold watch without any diamond is $209,300
Ref 118208 Rolex Day Date 36mm 18KT gold watch with 10 diamond Dial on Numberal is $243,200
Ref 118398 Rolex Day Date 36m 18KT gold watch with10 diamond dial and Diamond bezel and Snug
is $392,500.
How about you!?
HK Snob
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Vacheron Constantin Overseas 35mm Men' Auto Watch
One of the big four Legendary design by Gerald Ganta, Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Pigiuet Royal Oak, and IWC Ingenieur. The Vacheron Constantin is one of them with design on watch main base plate. Topped with a gear shape bezel with “8” teeth securely locking on the Sapphire Crystal for an air tight water proof. The Strap has an alternate square block design does have a continuity with the watch case and watch bezel.
Model Overseas 35mm
Ref 42042/423A-8890
Automatic
Stainless steel
Super-Luminova dial
150 metre water resistant
Screw Down Crown
Sapphire Crystal
Solid gold rotor for auto winding
POA
HK Snob
PS
Sold at HKD$35,000 on 9 May 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Authentic watches v.s fake watches
Similar to buying jewelry, if you were to go out and buy a pair of precious earrings – would you buy a fake diamond? Probably not I would assume. And this is even more of a priority in watches to guarantee they are reliable and well built.
Imitation jewels are not going to act the same way in which genuine stones or metal would. Fake materials are generally not worth the $20 that you may well have paid for them. It’s so common in these fake watches that the glass will quickly break or crack. Sometimes the colours of the metals would even begin to disappear! For the duration that a quality authentic watch would last you, you could have paid the same amount in replacing your broken fake watches – and still never have had a genuine high quality watch!
Fact about fake watches and Rolex
When I say someone’s watch is beautiful, he would say, ”it is Fake” that watch is almost sure is genuine!
Same as someone says my watch is nice, I used to say, “It is fake!”
I had an experience that someone who is a technical manager of a company told me my Rolex Date Day is too light, it is a plated gold Rolex!! I know that he does not understand watch. I said, well, “ You’re Right! As it is fake!”
People says to tell the watch is fake or not, just look at the man, if would be wrong sometimes, as some people likes to wear Fake watch, he has rich to afford but he does not.
I know one friend in San Francisco, he bought 3 pieces of Rolex, Milgauss Green Glass, Submariner Black etc…all fake, but he drives LX470, S600, Evolution Gen IX, 911SC and three Boxers of different colour!
When we buy Fake Rolex, it does not matter as it is also having a passion on Rolex, and believe one day he will buy a Genuine Rolex!
When a Watch can be used every day in your life, it lasts almost forever itself, problem is just about you! You feel bore about that watch, that is why people start to buy other various models of Rolex.
Friend of mine says that Rolex gold watch is still the cheapest Gold watch money can buy base on the
Brand name, reliability, quality and service of Rolex as a long term value. As when we buy Rolex, we are buying the whole Culture of the Rolex, not just the watch it self!
HK Snob
Rolex Ref 18038 Purple Dial Day Date
Sapphire Crystal, Roman Numerals, Solid 18KT gold.
To those people who like Purple colour Like I, I think this is a good lucky watch for us!
Chinese saying, Purple is another preferred colour other than Red. When People get very famous, Purple is the word to describe!
POA
HK Snob
PS Sold on 9 May 2013
Is Rolex an Expensive Watch? What is the value of your watch you bought 36 years ago!?
Ref 1803 with Stella Red Dial
Definitely a watch with price tag under $100 is average watch price. In most of the available general watch category, $100 can have 60% of the watch choice in the market. Something like $20 or below is cheap watch. However, you can go to buy 5 watches with $15, that is to say, $3 for a Watch in Ap Liu Street. For the Higher end watch, I have difficulty to define, all there is difficulty to re-define the “expensive Watch” is. Someone is wearing a Richard Millie Turbillon to play tennis, some of the collector buys Patek Phillipe with $1.3M in auction. A Cartier Crash has a price tag of $70,000 is just one toy in some celebrity jewelry’s box. To them that is not expensive... to me that is the money I can make use of for my retirement!
What are expensive watches made of? Why are they expensive?!
A watch can generally be a great investment, especially if you have bought them for a reasonable price compared to their estimated market value. Particular watches that seem to hold their value well are those that contain jewels such as sapphire gems. Sapphire is one the most expensive stones in the world making watches containing them particularly expensive!
All expensive watch uses Synthetic Sapphire with second to diamond for it hardness as the crystal. Cheaper watches use a glass crystal which is prone to be scratched and worn out. Some special crystal are made to the precision of 5 microns. Cheap watch glass are made with 30 microns or even worse.
Material cost itself is nothing as more expensive to the Technology that has been used to make the watch, the Blue mainspring of Rolex, has been the known of the best material for the main spring. That is free from magnetization and insert to temperature changes, a fake Watch may just use simple steel wire.
The most expensive watches will use a variety of rare gem stones, diamonds and crystals to cover the face – ensuring durability and scratch free surfaces.
The special features of particular expensive watches
Expensive watches are generally held together with a variety of screws rather than pins. But the quality doesn’t just end there. These screws are made from the same material as the watch. For example, your Rolex Day Date use solid 18KT gold pins to lock the strap onto the watch. Everything you see on the watch is made of Solid Gold with polishing. This just goes to show the quality put into expensive watches. You really do get what you pay for!
Each expensive watch should be solid in structure. The links contained on the strap would not appear cheap, jagged and they shouldn’t be able to be physically detached.
Wearing your watch in any weather and climate can cause some low priced watches a few problems, especially in the rain! With expensive watches, there should never be this problem. They are built so precisely and securely that the tightening of all of the screens will ensure that the watches are water-resistant and ensure that water cannot enter the inner workings of your watch. However that does not imply all expensive watch, some of the expensive watch cannot have very good watch-proof. Not even sweat-proof! So don’t use the price of a watch to determine the watch-proof feature. Some of the very expensive watch does not guarantee they will never fail, especially when they are dropped.
How about Rolex?
Rolex, on the other hand is one of the most successful and most conservative Swiss watch company
They do not have produced any Tourbillon, they do not use Titanium, they do not have ceramic case… they don't make DLC diamond like coating on the cast, the most expensive Rolex are still using oldest Precious “Gold*” or Platinum* to make watch. Well, to me, it seems that insofar the watch of Gold cannot be underestimated.
What is the value of a Rolex after using 37 years?
Rolex watch uses approximately 118 gram of solid 18Kt gold for a Day Date Ref 18039.
As for a long term investment, I think Solid Gold Rolex has the best power to retain value and a hedge to gain value again the inflation.
Rolex Day Date Ref 1803 1977
If I am not wrong in 1976, A Two Tone Date Just was HKD$1,786. A Ref 1803 was about HKD$9,000, after using it for 37 years, you still can sell the watch with HKD$60,000, if you do not like the watch, you can sell it for the gold, a Ref 1803 weight approximately 133 gram, you keep the movement, dial and hands, there are still about 103 gram of gold!
With Today’s gold price HKD$14,000 a tael (38 grams), you still get CASH HKD$28,460. Don't forget that you have been using it for 37 years! But if your one is Stella Red dial I bet you would not sell it for its gold as it is having a value of more than HKD$200,000 how!
Note*
Gold has been a valuable and highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since long before the beginning of recorded history Middle Easterns 6,000 BC. Gold standards have sometimes been monetary policies, but were widely supplanted by fiat currency starting 1930s. Gold is still the most welcome article in Pawn Shops in HK and South East Asia as that is almost pegged with Dollar in terms of value.
Platinum was discovered by Antonio de Ulloa (1735) the same year Jehan-Jacques Blancpain found the Watch Company “Blancpain" in Switzerland.
HK Snob
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