Advice Needed: noticed some scratches after picking up a watch from the AD
So… I picked up the new 40mm Rolex Explorer from the AD yesterday. And as usual, I was very excited and happy to get it and examined it while in the store.
But after bringing it home and having a closer inspection, I noticed some scratches on the case flank on the left side of the watch. (See photo)
It’s been less than 24 hrs since I’ve had the watch. I didn’t wear the watch out of the store, but had it in the box. Yes I did “wear” it at home to try on and take some photos. But did not wear it outside of my home and wasn’t doing anything else with the watch. It’s been in its box after taking some photos of it.
The scratches aren’t MAJOR…but they’re also not minor. If I had to guess, someone probably tried on the watch in store and was double wristing another watch on the left side and their crown scratched the case flank.
Should I pursue this with the AD? Or is this minor and inconsequential? What is the AD likely to do if I pursue this - how could they resolve the issue? Polishing? Or replacement?
FINAL UPDATE: after taking into consideration all the helpful advice from everyone here, i’ve decided not to take the watch in to the AD for a polishing or buff, on the non-zero chance that doing so might only make it worse. i’m going to accumulate plenty more scratches, and looking at it again these ones are REALLY minor. i might have just over-reacted with new watch giddiness.
Lifelong watch lover. Learning more every day about this hobby. See more photos on IG @morebillablehours
Really sorry to hear this !
In the middle east, they call this "Baasa" (middle finger) that ruins your moment of utter joy !
I think that depending on the AD, they could accept it back and buff it for you.
But I think you would be better off if you take it to a professional jeweler where a very slight buff will fix the thing that irritates you and will not cause too much wear to the watch itself.
cheers
Alan
Are you sure it's a scratch or a smudge ? have you tried using a fine cloth to see if you can remove it ?
I say throw it out!! It’s garbage now!! 😜
Joking aside, the AD might even blame it on you so I say leave it alone and wear the watch with pride!!
Difficult as the AD will defend their position. Ultimately it’s a lot of cash and you’re clearly unhappy. Good to nip in and have the chat as it’s unlikely you will be happy without doing this. Damage is a strange thing, if you had done it you might be annoyed but then it is what it is. Good lesson for us all to inspect with a clear cold mind before leaving the shop.
Are you sure it's a scratch or a smudge ? have you tried using a fine cloth to see if you can remove it ?
Yes, indeed I have tried to clean it with a cloth and it’s not a smudge. At first I thought it was a bit of glue or adhesive from a sticker, because I know that new Rolexes typically have a sticker on that spot. But it didn’t come off.
The scratches aren’t deep, and I’m pretty sure they would come right out with a bit of a buff. Fingers crossed it does!
I say throw it out!! It’s garbage now!! 😜
Joking aside, the AD might even blame it on you so I say leave it alone and wear the watch with pride!!
Yeah, I was worried about that. I’m pretty sure the AD will take that stance of course. They’re not going to admit fault. But I wonder what options they’ll offer. I’m guessing they’ll at least offer to buff or polish it out. But if that doesn’t work…? What then? Doubtful they’ll offer a replacement, as it would take away from one of their allocations. And if they send this back to Rolex for a fix, I’m guessing the costs to fix it would be on me. :|
I also have a great relationship with the AD and would hate to sour it over this.
Difficult as the AD will defend their position. Ultimately it’s a lot of cash and you’re clearly unhappy. Good to nip in and have the chat as it’s unlikely you will be happy without doing this. Damage is a strange thing, if you had done it you might be annoyed but then it is what it is. Good lesson for us all to inspect with a clear cold mind before leaving the shop.
Yeah, I’m thinking the same. Best to nip this now and at least have the conversation with the AD to see what they can do. Hopefully they offer some good options and are willing to work with me to buff / polish it out, or pursue it with Rolex.
But agree - need to inspect more closely at pick up.
In this occurrence, I also blame myself a little bit. I paid for the watch in full online first, but didn’t have time to pick it up until a full week later. So the watch was sitting at the AD for a week. I’m guessing they probably still showed the watch to customers while it was in their possession, and I wouldn’t be surprised that customers might have tried it on and possibly scratched it. But that’s my own fault for not picking it up earlier…
Report it to the AD ASAP. Get it on the record. Let them know you haven't worn it properly, that you were disappointed the stickers had been removed already. Try to get them to fix it...
But secretly, know it could have been you, and it's the start of a long lifetime of bumps and scrapes, patina and memories. - It'll help soften the blow if the AD pushes back.
TBH your are going to accumulate more scratches and dings over the years, the clasp on your bracelet is going to bear the brunt of the abuse if you work at a desk. In 5yrs when you get your watch serviced most of these will be polished away. Call you AD and ask for advice, they might be able to use a buffing cloth on it. In a few weeks you are not going to pay attention to scratches and dings. When I got my GS ( polished like a mirror), and accidentally hit the bezel with a door knob in the 1st hour of wearing it, it put a shiny ding on the bezel and my heart almost stopped.. a year later its still there among the other scratches and ding.
replying to both @XplusYplusZ and @watchdawg:
yeah, i knowwww…i’ll accumulate plenty of scratches over the lifetime of the watch. but the difference is knowing those scratches came from me vs. knowing they were done by someone else. if i had worn it out and bumped it or known that i had caused the scratches, i would definitely accept it as wear and tear. the problem is i know i didn’t cause them. it’s just difficult to get over accepting an imperfection. :|
@XplusYplusZ - Rolex AD’s aren’t supposed to sell the watch with stickers still on it. sometimes they miss a few stickers but they’re supposed to remove all the stickers before handing the watch to the buyer.
replying to both @XplusYplusZ and @watchdawg:
yeah, i knowwww…i’ll accumulate plenty of scratches over the lifetime of the watch. but the difference is knowing those scratches came from me vs. knowing they were done by someone else. if i had worn it out and bumped it or known that i had caused the scratches, i would definitely accept it as wear and tear. the problem is i know i didn’t cause them. it’s just difficult to get over accepting an imperfection. :|
@XplusYplusZ - Rolex AD’s aren’t supposed to sell the watch with stickers still on it. sometimes they miss a few stickers but they’re supposed to remove all the stickers before handing the watch to the buyer.
So did you see them remove the stickers?...
If not, then you've got a better chance, at the AD taking the blame..
Yeah, I was worried about that. I’m pretty sure the AD will take that stance of course. They’re not going to admit fault. But I wonder what options they’ll offer. I’m guessing they’ll at least offer to buff or polish it out. But if that doesn’t work…? What then? Doubtful they’ll offer a replacement, as it would take away from one of their allocations. And if they send this back to Rolex for a fix, I’m guessing the costs to fix it would be on me. :|
I also have a great relationship with the AD and would hate to sour it over this.
Tough one, maybe just mention it and see worst scenario they say no and you move on and maybe they’ll offer a solution … if you have great relationship with them then worth a call.
Any scratches you accumulate in the first months of wearing it will obscure those minor scratches.
Enjoy your new Rolex.
Honestly, I would let it go if you plan on wearing it and enjoying it. Scratches will happen and if you take it back to the AD either they will take it back and you will never get another one, or, if you ever plan on getting another Rolex from this same AD you will be out of luck. These are so slight, just enjoy that beautiful watch!
I wouldn’t hesitate to go back in to see the AD right away. They know the watch was handled, and if your dealer is like mine, you can’t see anything in there but bling and shine because it’s so bright.
If I had to guess they’ll have a watchmaker take it in the back and polish it up like a mirror. I wouldn’t even broach the subject of a return. But that’s just me.
I used to work with a guy that every time he got a new car he would dent it himself. His reasoning was “at least I know who did it”. Applies to a lot of expensive things we buy, lol.
😄 i like the thinking here but let’s face it - with demand the way it is, AD’s are never beholden to the customer right now. i think i would be deluding myself to think the AD would give me any preference after this incident.
it’s a sad truth about the state of the market. should it be this way? no. do i like that it is this way? of course not. but that’s the reality right now in the market. sad but true.
You’re absolutely correct.
but in the nebulous velvet rope world of Rolex ADs, who knows?
Some of our colleagues here in crunchville have landed whales recently (I’m thinking of a certain gold Daytona @TheHoroSexual 😉) …and I expect being known a little helps!
Anyway - congrats on the new watch my friend 👌
If you are an established client of the AD, there is a reasonable chance they'll offer to polish it or to send it to the factory for polishing for free. I would not expect a replacement, but you should try. If you are not an established client, then it will be tricky. I am sorry that they spoiled the moment. It sucks
Very annoying , depending on how bad the scratch is (it's difficult to tell from the photo) a cape cod cloth will probably remove it and it is more than likely what they would use in the AD if you requested a remedy as removing minor marks from the polished areas is pretty easy.
Very annoying , depending on how bad the scratch is (it's difficult to tell from the photo) a cape cod cloth will probably remove it and it is more than likely what they would use in the AD if you requested a remedy as removing minor marks from the polished areas is pretty easy.
have you used a cape cod cloth in polished mirror surfaces? does it work well? i’ve read that it can easily leave swirls instead. and i worry that it’ll dull the mirror finish.
i don’t know if i trust myself to do it.
Do Rolex ADs allow this? Wear it for some days and if you decide against it, you can return it? I thought all purchases are final. I don't know but had always assumed so.
If it helps, the scratches you see are not visible at all in the photo 👍
If it helps, the scratches you see are not visible at all in the photo 👍
that does help actually! thanks @Kayone73
have you used a cape cod cloth in polished mirror surfaces? does it work well? i’ve read that it can easily leave swirls instead. and i worry that it’ll dull the mirror finish.
i don’t know if i trust myself to do it.
I have used it on my BB58, my GMT Master 2, my Datejust 41 and on my Zaratsu polished (mirror) case. No dulling or swirls.
Have you got any cheaper pieces that you could try it out on? Just don't use it on brushed steel.
Like I said, everyone was saying "don't touch" the Zaratsu polishing, just live with it. I did find someone who'd used Cape Cod on GS and they had said it worked like magic. Because I'd used it on other mirrored surfaces, I was confident.
I'm glad I didn't live with it. Again, try it on a more affordable piece, and you'll see how easy it is to use and how effective it is.
I know everyone probably has a different philosophy on this but for me, I say don’t worry about it. It’s not worth getting upset or losing sleep over. It’s like the first scratch on a new car. Yes it’s annoying but watches are meant to be worn. My new Speedy came with a scratch on the hesalite and I was annoyed at first. But then within days of wearing it, I just added more to it and now I don’t even notice the original scratch. I say the more scratches the better! They tell stories of a life well lived!
have you used a cape cod cloth in polished mirror surfaces? does it work well? i’ve read that it can easily leave swirls instead. and i worry that it’ll dull the mirror finish.
i don’t know if i trust myself to do it.
Yes I have used cape cods multiple times and they work very well, it's hard to mess up with them as you are literally only removing microns of metal and is a slow process.
Cape Cod polishing cloth will take care of it without issue
While I would be very annoyed to get a watch that was already marked maybe this will help de-stress you a little bit. Rolex polished surfaces are scratch magnets !! , here is my Exp 2 (226570)
I could take a Cape Cod to it and remove them as I suggested above but in short time it will be marked up again so it starts to become a fruitless task.
Perhaps you could look at it as the first scratch is already there so you can relax wearing it.
Insure it, wear it, enjoy it. It’ll pick up many scratches that easily buff out at your first servicing. Unless you like the patina, in which case specify no polishing. 😄
Unless you plan on leaving the watch on a plush pillow inside a safe forever, it’s going to get scratched and show signs of wear. After all, the watch is called the EXPLORER. It’ll be fine—just enjoy it.
Ugg i know you have already decided, and whatever else happens you own a fancy watch so that comes with a bunch of assumptions attached....but here's my 2 cents. This is a trashy situation and you should go to corporate if there is any chance that will get you a better result than talking to a mismanaged jeweler/AD. I got 2 of my 3 best and new casios back from 1. Casio repair and 2. Amazon uk with new patina attached. Did I do anything? No. But it wasn't a $7000 work of art. Does it show you are a cool dude if you let it slide? Sure but damn, Luke, the force is within you. It would give me happiness to see you satisfied. You deserve it.