SOLD : Rolex Submariner Date 116613LB [#6 Mar]

• Letting go @ SOLD (#034).
• MRSP : USD13,400 (before GST). Please check with Rolex Malaysia on the latest pricing.
• Full boxed set, newly-purchased from grey reseller in March 2018, and in good condition with bezel protector.
• Nice serial no as per picture.
• Official Rolex warranty for 5 years.
• COD at Mont Kiara preferable, so that you could check on the actual great condition of this rare piece. Grab this at a bargain today!

Additional pictures added in :

Easter Collection Time

Yes, fellow collectors, I am back in Malaysia and those Batman and Daytona watches that you requested for me to assist in your purchases, are ready for collection today and tomorrow. The 6 of you lucky chaps would be getting your messages on the collection, if you haven't already!

Have fun unboxing your Easter delights!

Community Service #7/2018 : The Scammers Caught By Police

Readers may remember that through the blog entry in January @ https://andywristwatches.blogspot.nl/2018/01/community-service-52018-some-updates-on.html, readers assisted in the recovery of some watches as conned by Ms Inez Lau and her partner to some collectors whom contacted me.

Pursuant to that matter, I was contacted by a lady banker whom was believed to have been conned by the same parties. Her loss was a diamond ring valued at RM30k! She sent me a copy of the police report made, and effort was put forth to trace the pair.

Well, thanks to the prompt effort from the authorities, the pair had just been remanded earlier the week and would be facing the music from their action. Thanks to all the readers here for your prompt assistance on the matter. Together, we could make this a better and safer society!

Baselworld 2018 : 22 - 27 Mar

So the Baselworld 2018 is nearly here... and my flight tickets are ready too. But wait a minute, just noticed that my flight tickets were to different countries altogether ;p

Let's all wait for the goodies to be unveiled soon :)

Do note that this blog may be inactive during the Baselworld as there would be lots of write-ups from so many channels, plus I would be travelling; so see you all after the Baselworld. Have fun!

NB : 
1) For some fun and the likes, swing by here @ https://andywristwatches.blogspot.my/2018/03/rolex-baselworld-2018.html.

2) And the cat is out of the bag for Rolex and Tudor. These are their new pieces, and I am putting down my name for that oh-so-beautiful S/S Pepsi GMT-Master ii. And the original WG Pepsi GMT-Master ii received a new blue dial and WG GMT hand. And I may just get the DSSD for my own collection as those slimmed down lugs made the piece more wearable and less on steroids, IMHO.

Enjoy 'em pictures :

Will The Real Sea-Dweller Please Stand Up?

I used to own the Sea-Dweller Ceramic 116600, so I tend to appreciate nice pictures of Sea-Dweller across the generations. A reader sent in this that he saw a collector put up, and I couldn't wait to share this eye-candy with my fellow readers. Simply beautiful pieces, ain't it?

Proper Tools : Bergeon Ref. 7825

Brand new piece of Bergeon Ref. 7825 for sale @ RM900. Please read further for details.

One of the questions that I have been getting from buyers of my flipped Rollies after they owned the watch for a while, was how did I managed to keep the rear lugs from getting scratched during bracelet changes. This was because many of them experimented with Rubber B, Nato, or leather straps and scratched the lugs in the process. This was actually a pretty common occurrence for watch collectors.

Ever noticed how Rolex SC would be able to make bracelet changes a breeze? You surrender your watch; and in a few mins, you get back your watch with no scratches whatsoever. Do they also tape the lugs up like most of us do,  and struggle with the spring bars? Actually no, they have a secret in the Rolex Ref. 3200/3202 spring bar tweezers that was only sold to ADs and SCs. These tweezers make it an easy affair for them to remove the spring bars. 

Want one? Well, you have to be really friendly with your ADs to be able to get your hands on one.

Well, there were other commercial options available to the rest of us collectors if we couldn't get our hands on the Rolex Ref. 3200/3202. My personal preference would go towards the Swiss-made Bergeon Ref. 7825. Do note that these precise tools only cater to selected make and models, so if you were looking for a more general tweezer that could work for both Rolex and Omega, then the older Ref. 6825 might be a better bet. But the Ref. 7825 works well with Rolex models.

Bergeon has a local AD in Tai Hing KL; but a quick check revealed that they were selling this at RM1,000 per pair of tweezer (gulp). There was also a grey reseller based locally whom sells the same tool vide eBay Malaysia, but mainly to overseas customers and priced at RM1,500 (gulp gulp).

Since many collectors have asked me to assist them to change straps on their Rollies, if any collectors would like to get their own set of Ref. 7825, I could pass on a new set to you at RM900 per piece. A sound tool for investment, if you intended to change your straps quite often with damaging your Rollies.

2013 - 2018 : The Flip List

75 watches flipped, and counting.

PEPSI bidding COKE goodbye.

This was the list of the watches that had been flipped since the start of this blog in 2013. Most were bought new, while some were bought pre-owned. And if you were starting on the pre-owned route, one golden tip to strictly adhere to, was to always buy the seller and not just the watch. I sometimes buy watches just for catch-and-release, so that I could view, hold and write about them; then they move on to real owners whom would give them wrist times.

I have a series of new Rolex watches coming along, so do your eyes peeled hereabouts for good deals. Check it out on some of the pictures here and do e-mail me at toyotaharrier240g@gmail.com if any of these strikes your fancy.

Current :

1)   2009 Casio G-Shock Mudman;
2)   2011 Panerai 00366;
3)   2014 Panerai 00005;
4)   2015 Omega Speedmaster Panda;
5)   2015 Casio G-Shock Rangeman Wave-Ceptor;
6)   2016 Ball Engineer ii Genesis LE;
7)   2016 Rolex Submariner 116610LN #2;
8)   2018 Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Rhodium 116622;
9)   2018 Rolex Submariner 116613LB;
10) 2018 Seiko SKX009J1 Strapcode.

Previously-flipped :

Vintage (prior to 1983) :
1)  1972 Rolex Datejust 1601;

Diver :
2)   2006 Omega Seamaster Chronometer James Bond;
3)   2007 Seiko Perpetual Calendar SNQ043;
4)   2012 Ball Hydrocarbon John Hembel LE;
5)   2012 Rolex Submariner 116610LN;
6)   2013 Seiko Monster Dracula;
7)   2013 Omega Seamaster Chronometer Planet Ocean XL;
8)   2013 Tudor Pelagos Ti5;
9)   2013 Rolex Submariner 116610LV;
10) 2014 Citizen Eco-Zilla;
11) 2014 Citizen Eco-Zilla Suppa;
12) 2014 Seiko SKX009J1;
13) 2014 Orient Mechanical Force;
14) 2014 Steinhart Ocean Vintage Military;
15) 2014 Steinhart GMT-Ocean Ceramic;
16) 2014 Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four;
17) 2014 Oris Aquis Date;
18) 2014 Edox GMT-Class 1 Ti;
19) 2014 Glycine Combat Sub;
20) 2014 Tudor Heritage Black Bay;
21) 2014 Seiko Prospex Kinetic GMT;
22) 2014 Panerai 00364;
23) 2015 Maranez Rawai;
24) 2015 Citizen Promaster DepthMaster Suppa;
25) 2015 Seiko "Bluefin" Tuna 50th Anniv #1;
26) 2015 Seiko "Dracula" Tuna 50th Anniv;
27) 2015 Seiko "Bluefin" Tuna 50th Anniv #2;
28) 2016 Prometheus Poseidon Bronze;
29) 2016 Magrette Vantage Bronze LE;
30) 2016 Lum-Tec M60 GMT LE;
31) 2016 Seiko Turtle Pepsi K1;
32) 2016 Rolex Sea-Dweller 116600;
33) 2016 Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean;
34) 2016 Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital 2;
35) 2016 Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN #1;
36) 2017 Seiko Turtle Emerald LE #1;
37) 2017 Seiko Turtle Blue J1;
38) 2017 Seiko Turtle PADI SE #1;
39) 2017 Seiko Turtle PADI SE #2;
40) 2017 Seiko Turtle PADI SE #3;
41) 2017 Seiko Turtle Blue Lagoon LE (SharkOne);
42) 2017 Seiko Turtle Emerald LE #2;
43) 2017 Rolex Submariner 116613LB;
44) 2017 Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Chrono;
45) 2017 Zelos Hammerhead Bronze;
46) 2018 Rolex DSSD Blue 116660;

Aviation :
47) 2001 Rolex GMT-Master ii Pepsi/Coke;
48) 2013 Seiko Sportura Aviation Alarm Chrono;
49) 2014 Bell & Ross BR01-97 Reserve De Marche;
50) 2014 Seiko Prospex Field Monster LE;
51) 2015 Archimede Flieger A Heritage;
52) 2016 Rolex GMT-Master ii 116710LN;
53) 2017 Omega Speedmaster Professional Hesalite;
54) 2018 Rolex GMT-Master ii 116710BLNR #1;
55) 2018 Rolex GMT-Master ii 116710BLNR #2;

Other Genres :
56) 2005 Tag Heuer Kirium Ti5;
57) 2012 Rolex Datejust Diamond;
58) 2012 Oris Artelier Date;
59) 2013 Tag Heuer Carrera Chrono Caliber 16;
60) 2013 Ball Fireman Night Train DLC;
61) 2014 Hamilton Vintage Chrono 3828;
62) 2014 Edox Les Vauberts;
63) 2014 Certina DS Podium GMT;
64) 2014 SevenFriday P3-01 DLC;
65) 2014 Casio G-Shock Riseman;
66) 2014 Casio G-Shock Riseman Wave-Ceptor;
67) 2014 Casio G-Shock Military Camo;
68) 2014 Casio G-Shock Digi-Analog;
69) 2015 Casio G-Shock Military Camo2;
70) 2015 Rolex Explorer ii;
71) 2016 Moto Kuore Mk1 Burgundy;
72) 2016 Yonger & Bresson 15794;
73) 2016 Mondaine Stop2Go DLC;
74) 2017 Orient Bambino4;
75) 2018 Rolex Daytona Ceramic 116500LN.

SOLD : Rolex Submariner Date 116610LN [#5 Mar]

• Letting go fast @ SOLD (#0833).
• ADs currently are selling with premium at circa RM40,000.
• Full boxed set, normal desk diver wear and tear, and in good condition.
• Official Rolex warranty for 5 years (until May 2021).
• COD at Mont Kiara preferable, so that you could check on the actual great condition of this rare piece. Grab this at a bargain today!

School Holidays

Admist the picturesque view outside with the kids having their share of fun, I brought with me the One Watch to rule them all. And it's a real beater famous all over the world.

Yes, it's...

Brothers In Arms : LN & LB

These 2 brothers would be bidding each other goodbye for a bit, so here're some parting shots of both these brothers in arms at the sides of each other. Till we meet again, bro!

And one before we fly.

Cest La Vie

I have been flipping watches for a long while now, but today's was rather unexpected. I had arranged for 3 buyers to pick up 3 Rolex pieces in the morning and afternoon. 2 buyers came and collected their pieces, beaming happily at their lucky deals.

A chap, whom had been very enthusiastic over the phone over my 116710LN, informed that he was unable to make it in person. He re-arranged for his 2 friends to pick it up instead. Then he informed that he would prefer to do an immediate bank transfer rather than COD, which was fine by me. After some time, his friends arrived, checked the watch, and was amazed at the price that he was paying. One of them had just bought the same model for RM36k, pre-owned overseas piece through a grey retailer. Mine was as-new and from a local AD.

The friend whom owned the same model, informed that he would wear the watch while the transfer was being made. That was fine by me. But alas, after a while, I was told that they could only effect the transfer the next day although they planned to have the watch today. That raised some red flags. The chap explained that it was an unexpected technical problem and that he was a serious buyer. After all, he had given me a deposit of RM800 prior to collection today.

They then made other arrangements to transfer the sum, then later by cash, etc. Knowing that it was going nowhere, and the collectors whom wanted this watch at that price totalled to 12 pax; I sent out a message asking if any other collectors wanted to take over the watch and immediately received higher offers. From the 3 pax, I chose 1 of them to come collect the watch. He came in a jiffy, did an immediate online transfer from a local bank; and voila, he netted a great deal!

It was a great bargain for this watch and I do regret that I had been made to go through the waste of time and effort while giving out the good deal. Oh well, cest la vie...

Just look at how smart this piece looked like on the wrist of the new collector, and its throne admist the other pieces in his winder! Simply beautiful!

When Your Hobby Is Collecting Watches...

I was out strolling with my parents-in-law earlier and my youngest son earlier, when my son remarked that he wanted to see the stars. So I walked towards a spotlight in the garden and charged up the legendary LumiBrite properties of Seiko SKX009J1.

Now, my father-in-law was not a watch person and his daily wear was a Rolex Datejust with diamonds, which was the most commonly-found accessory accompanying most businessmen. He was surprised to see the bright glow on the Seiko, which my son had referred to as stars; and was even more amazed when I told him the price of the watch.

"Get me a piece too!", he instructed; although I knew that this watch would not be befitting of his status.

Which got me thinking. I wrote about the one-watch-policy @ https://andywristwatches.blogspot.my/2017/11/one-watch-policy.html, and I knew many business associates, relatives, and friends whom were plain practical when it came to watches so they had only 1 piece at any one point in time. Because of my love for the horology pieces, I sometimes passed over my watches for them to try on for a while, or gifted them pieces that helped them to kick-start their own horology journey.

And when I glanced back at the no. of watches that I had flipped over the years, most flipped at depreciated prices compared to my purchased prices, I realised why some people thought that the  watch-collecting hobby was pretty heavy on the finances.

To some of them whom might want to try it out, I would share on a tip that kept me along the path and enabled me to try out so many nice pieces. You could make sure that you kept the collection to a pre-determined no. such that any new addition would force you to flip off another piece in order to keep the no. This way, you would have sampled various brands and models over time; and then found  the pieces that you may want to be associated with.

I found that my consolidation of my collection over the years have slowly but surely brought out my real taste in certain brands and models. Mention diver and you must have a Rolex and Seiko on both ends of the spectrums, or mention space and you must know that an Omega Speedy as an absolute must, or mention tritium gas tubes and Ball was the only real answer.

The truth was, this journey has been an interesting one and I have made many WIS friends along the way, and I dare say that it has been an enriching experience.