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Good evening everyone!
This column talks about mechanical watches from an engineer's point of view. This is the 14th installment.
About Rolex Warranty
I will talk about this topic.
Did you know that the specifications of a Rolex warranty vary depending on when it was issued?
Broadly speaking, they are classified into two types: "paper type" and "card type", with many designs of the paper type confirmed depending on the era and country, and three types of card type designs depending on the era. Since the way to read the items and the contents written on each type are different, this time I would like to explain the characteristics of each type of warranty and the impact that the type and condition of the warranty have on the market price.
Rolex Warranty Types
1) Paper type (up to around 2006)
The first thing we will introduce is the paper guarantee that was used for Rolex watches from the early days (up until around 2006).
The serial number and model number are written in the upper right corner, the country code in the upper center, and the purchaser, purchase date, and purchase store are written near the center of the paper. Paper-type warranties vary depending on the year and country of sale, so it's fun to compare them.
This is the last paper type guarantee that was in circulation in the 2000s.
The three-digit number "888" written in the upper right corner indicates the country where the warranty was issued. Incidentally, "888" indicates that the watch was shipped to Hong Kong, which is said to have been requested by Rolex Hong Kong, in honor of the number "8" being considered auspicious in the Chinese region.
By the way, the shipping country code for Japan is "410".
The text on the paper is in two languages, French and English. French is generally used, but for those sold in the United States, English is used and there are differences such as the type of dial that was attached at the time of sale.
The one published in Japan was a unique Japanese version.
② First generation card type (around 2007-2013)
Next, we'll introduce the first design when they switched from paper to cards, commonly known as the "old gallery."
This warranty card, which is two generations old, has a luxurious design that combines the company's corporate colors of green and gold. Unlike the current warranty card, various information is printed on the front.
Each one contains basic information about the watch you purchased, and from top to bottom they contain the following information:
① Country code ② Model number/reference number ③ Serial number ④ Model name
The back side is designed to allow you to write the store where it was purchased, the person who purchased it, and the date of purchase.
3) Second generation card type (2014 to June 2020)
This is the previous generation Rolex warranty, commonly known as the "old warranty."
It has an elegant design based on white. The serial number that identifies the individual item is written in the center of the front, and the model number is written below that.
On the back of the item, there is information about the store where it was purchased, the name of the purchaser, and the date of purchase.
There are some minor differences between the first and second generation card types, such as cards issued in some countries such as the United States and Italy having information printed on the face, but the standards for card type warranties are the same internationally, so the evaluation will be the same regardless of the country the card was issued in.
④Current card type (from around July 2020)
This is the third generation card type adopted in 2020, commonly known as the "New Galaxy."
The "ROLEX" logo is in gold, giving it a sophisticated look, and it has a simpler design than the conventional warranty, with a striking deep green color. Also, the back side has the model number, serial number, and purchase date printed on it, but it is also distinctive that only the purchase date is printed on it.
The old-style warranty card you saw earlier lists the "purchaser's name," "country code," and "retailer name (address)," but the new-style warranty card does not. This may be because times have changed and the information has been changed to better protect personal information.
As you can see, it is difficult to determine in which country items on the secondary market were sold, and the only way to determine this is to look at whether the purchase date is printed or written by hand.
How the warranty affects the second-hand market price
① Presence or absence of a warranty
Accessories such as the "original box" and "warranty" increase the value of the main body and affect the appraisal. In particular, the presence or absence of an irreplaceable warranty has a large impact on the purchase price. Of course, the amount varies depending on the model, but it seems that there is a difference of at least 100,000 yen.
The warranty card of a Rolex, which is not reissued, is highly reliable and is valuable in itself because it proves that the watch is genuine even after the warranty period has expired. For a Daytona Ref. 16520, it is not uncommon for the price to differ by more than 500,000 yen depending on whether or not the warranty card is present.
Considering this, you can see how valuable a warranty is as an asset.
② Condition and type of warranty
When purchasing a second-hand Rolex, the name may be erased, but this is to prevent the previous owner or dealer from reading the name from the perspective of protecting personal information. Even if the name is blacked out, the warranty is still valid, but overseas buyers and some dealers tend to dislike blacked-out warranties.
In addition, many Rolex watches imported from other countries have blank fields, and it is rare to find a warranty card with a name that has been erased, as in Japanese warranties. Blank warranties and warranties with erased names sell better than each other, so warranties with erased names often have lower purchase and selling prices.
In addition, if we look at the Submariner "Ref. 116610LV" that was sold from 2010 to around September 2020, we can see that there are three generations of card-type warranties. In this case, the rating is highest for the new warranty > old warranty > previous warranty, so keep this in mind as a bit of trivia.
As you can see, whether the warranty is handwritten or not and the design of the card can make a big difference in the second-hand market price, so be careful.
summary
What did you think?
All Rolex warranty cards are specially made with anti-counterfeiting measures, and even if the warranty period has expired, the appraisal value can vary greatly as the reliability of the card changes when selling the watch.
By the way, the warranty will not be reissued under any circumstances, so please be sure not to lose it.
We hope that this article has been useful to you and has piqued your interest in luxury watches! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly and we will answer them thoroughly. We look forward to your visit and inquiries.
Look forward to the next one! See you next time!
