ubiquitous

AP has never made a seconds at 9:00 Men's Offshore. The Offshore was originally fitted with the 2226 (caliber 2225/889 with DD module); the module placed the seconds at 12:00. Actually, I am unaware of any AP Royal Oak Chronograph with seconds at 9:00; even the 25860 classic came fitted with the caliber 2385 (F. Piguet 1185), which had the seconds at 6:00...

If the notch didn't give it away, the coronet did... Otherwise, the fonts look very good. It's a very good dial.

I still stand on my belief that the first bezel is okay; just worn down.

Axel B. has had a rather colorful transaction history in terms of what's sent vs. what's advertised. Not always 1:1! Some things are okay... Some are not. There's no consistency, so just be aware of that prior to entering into any purchase transaction...

Overall looks pretty good considering the notch at 3:00...

7031 to start the week...

Yech!

Ehhh... I hope this didn't have to do with anything from our discussion this morning? Otherwise I'll really feel bad

Off to a great start, foucalt!

The best things are always worth the wait, my friend! That's what really makes it fun

Franken-Pilot for today...

Lookin' good!

I've got the perfect set of hands for it!

Very nice indeed~!

Looks pretty worn, but there are details such as the lip against the insert that look correct.

Period correct acrylic...

This has been an excellent topic of discussion, MG!

Collectors have learned to be extremely cautious on this stuff, and with the ubiquitous accessibility of the Internet, it's much easier (and better) for a discerning collector to do their due diligence as they should. When dollar figures encroach the amounts discussed, doing one's homework is a must. Back in 2002, even though the Internet was available, the collector's infrastructure, networking and knowledge shared and gained on vintage Rolex (or watches in general) was no where near as extensive as it exists today, hence why such an odd and obscure piece as the Marines watch in question probably sold for what it did. Had it emerged and went up for sale today... I somehow doubt it would sell for anywhere near the amount it actually sold for (if at all) in my opinion.

I suppose it could be possible... But it would depend on how it's 'marketed'. In addition, it should have a strong yet appealing design to all, and should probably be identified as a one off custom piece. If the watch has some sort of value adding significance, who knows. It is impossible to speculate. And quite frankly, I think that many of the collectors with the money to purchase such an item would likely be highly skeptical over such an item. You have to remember that many of them, if they wanted such a unique piece, could probably commission anything on their own as they'd have the resources at their disposal. Most, however are likely looking for something that they would be able to liquidate should the need arise (i.e. a known and documented, immacluate condition vintage of high demand); with a unique custom piece with no history or significance, that would be a difficult item to move, as you'd have to find a very specific buyer willing to pay for such an item. With tastes being unique as well, that could potentially be an impossible feat... However, an example I should cite that could prove that the right piece with the right provenance could have increased value are the Sultan signed/crested custom commissioned dials. While not completely one off, this is a good example of how provenance can help boost an otherwise standard watch's value...

It's relatively new. I picked it up in the interim of another project Kinda took off on it's own and evolved into it's own full blown project. It's a great watch; definitely an oddity of sorts with lots of 70's influence to it's design. It's been one I've always wanted, and I figured now was the time. Definitely not a design that everyone can relate to, but I love it

The vintage world is a little different; yes, some exclusivity from the namesake is involved, but many of the sought after pieces are desired for what they represent; a piece of history that cannot be duplicated or re-lived. There are only so many pieces in existence out there of certain models; the volume of such is still fairly large when compared to, say Patek and the like, but as most of these pieces were actual tool watches and used for a purpose (at the time), there are very few of these examples with provenance and in perfect near mint condition today. That makes them rare. Mil spec pieces, exotic dials, red variants etc are all commanding big prices, and there are many reasons for that; some have probably looked to such pieces as an alternative investment vehicle, and some are genuinely interested in the history they represent. However, there is a driving force behind the in-demand watches that isn't present in, say a Day-Date 1803 of the same era (a watch that actually has a commodity value in it's precious metal), so it's not really the name on the dial that makes for an instant collectible. For these vintage pieces, it's not really Rolex driving the market force, but rather the consumer and collector. Rolex would much rather have you buy a new watch than an old one, as they would be a direct benefactor in the new purchase. Personally, I can't really say that many new, modern pieces will be considered collectible either, due to production volume and also thanks to many speculators hoping such pieces will be worth something someday (I have to wonder how many unworn new pieces are sitting in safes or vaults in hopes of having a time capsule piece; probably quite a few I would imagine). With saturation of such mint condition pieces, the future values will likely be worth very little, and for that, I would not call a Modern Rolex a collectible, but rather a wearable consumable. So to summarize, Rolex's vintage success is in thanks to it's collectors and their following of the brand, specific to certain pieces and examples Rolex's modern success is thanks to their great marketing team

On the flip side to that... Look at how many rare bubblebacks there are, and were once worth loads of money (but are no longer)... Nothing is forever... But as long as there are folks to keep certain things perpetuated, the bubble, no matter how big or small can be sustained for as long as people believe in it

Essentialy, you are asking about a well made, high quality one-off completely unique fantasy model? Well, the watch would be one of a kind... But it would have to appeal to many and be highly coveted as a collectible; an item's worth is really based on what one would pay for it, right? Usually, for a Rolex collector the key factor that makes many of the important pieces valuable is their significance in history or heritage. One couldn't really achieve that with a one-off custom fabricated piece without either a false story fabricated around it, or perhaps with provenance of it's creator if they are well known and recognized as a great watchmaker whose creations are highly coveted. Even then, there have been unique pieces fabricated and modified (I just recently saw a listing of a genuine DateJust with functional moonphase added), and for it to really be worth something, someone would have to pay an (undetermined) price for it. I suppose that this is why most things of this nature are sold at auction; it's too difficult to try and establish a price for it otherwise, and an auction would allow the attendants present to determine a price for it by way of bidding. Also, some may think that the major auction house may provide a little more credibility, whereas a listing on an enthusiast's forum or eBay may see it dismissed as nothing more than a fantasy frankenwatch since there's not much documentation to support it's existence otherwise. There are many rare and unusual pieces out there, even for Rolex; but rare does not always mean valuable...

She's got a dainty little wrist, but she's down for the Doxa! As long as it's orange. And she's only interested in the full sized gents; no ladies' Doxa for her says she.