Rolex Explorer Polar dial 42mm 2017

I’ve considered that particular watch a few times now but am going to wait and see what way watch prices go over the coming months .Good chance that price will drop soon

If you are buying to keep and it’s something you’ve wanted for a while and are just now in a position to get one then I would say go for it . If on the other hand you might want to move it on within a year or so I would suggest wait and watch prices over the coming months . I think €12k is a peak price for that watch .

This was a model that they couldn't get rid of up until the madness was well in full swing. I'd say only the Airking was less coveted among the sports watches. And with that, and given the way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised to see it freely available around RRP, or under, in 12 months time.

€12k is overpriced, all his watches are. He prices them typically at about the current grey market value + 10%. And he doesn't do any discount really. Seems to work for him though, not sure how 😂

I sold mine, in perfect condition, full set, also with recent Rolex service and unworn bracelet (after service), originally Irish watch bought from the first owner, for €10,750 4 months ago, which was at the very top of what one would fetch privately (and nearly €1k higher than the cheapest in Europe on chrono). This watch was back up for sale last week briefly with an asking price of €11.5k which was a bit optimistic as the market has dropped slightly. I would spend no more than €10k on one, full set, perfect condition at the moment. I'm with 893bet, nobody knows but if I had to bet money in a years time it will be worth roughly the same €10k as now plus or minus €1k

Just checked and cheapest asking price on chrono in Europe is a private sale for €10.5k, which I feel is slightly optimistic and of course includes the chrono fee and likely a small bit of room for negotiation

BTW the RRP for this watch is €9,100, so the current second hand private sale value is barely over RRP as it is.

I'd say some sellers feel a light panic (that wasn't there a few months ago) and you might get away with an offer below asking price where you would have been laughed out of it previously. And for reference, I sold mine in February 2022 for €10750 and I bought in November 2021 (3 months prior) for €9700

The polar explorer somehow got the reputation of the "poor man's Rolex" until recently anwyay. Now this moniker wouldn't bother me, but I feel it doesn't do the watch justice. If I didn't have my Deepsea, I would be happy to have it as my daily wearer, I prefer it over any GMT Master II or Daytona or Yacht Master as those are simply too small of a watch unless you have a small wrist. Even the older 40mm model Explorer II wears bigger than any of them and even bigger than the old model submariner 40mm

The white dialled Explorer II is a strange one for me. Usually I don't like Mercedes hands at all. Or a steel bezel for that matter.

But neither of them annoy me on this model. I assume it's to do with the contrast of the hands against the dial and the black numbering on the bezel.

However, the older version with the spindly arm for the GMT hand can get in the bin.

Dropped his asking from 18k in just a week! Would make one wonder just what kind of offers he was fielding if he felt the need to discount that deep in just a week.

Hulk is (or should I say almost was) a hype watch. Polar Explorer and James Cameron never have been. Not yet anyway 😂

So what we are saying is that the Hype watches drag up prices on everything on the way up...but the entanglement is lost on the way down...makes sense.....

Sure the hype models have further to fall, but this suggestion that non hype SS Rolex are safer is not true. Go on watchfinder and they are dumping Explorer, Milgauss and datejusts to beat the band. 5-7% off. The hype watches are hype because people in general like them more than the non hype models, they desire them more. That's not going to change. If you can get a hulk for 16.5k gbp how is a black sub going to hold 14k gbp value?...answer its not, and its currently not, and soon enough these non hype models will get closer and closer to retail. Once they touch retail or under the market for them is gone. Its the amount over retail (or the ammount over what you paid) you have to play with that is the key metric.

Say a GV Milgauss is 11.950 gbp on watchfinder (which it is 10% off) and retail is 7350 gbp. Thats 4600 gbp over retail. That the "profit" in it. 10% off is 1330 gbp off the price. That represents 29% of the profit off the watch gone.

Say a hulk is 22,265 gbp on watchfinder (which it is 10% off) and retail is 8800 gbp (discontinued but thats the Cermit retail price) Thats 13,465 "profit" in the watch. 10% off is 2475 gbp off the profit. Thats 18% of the profit gone.

5% off an explorer II represents a greater loss in real value than 10% off a hulk. Not saying hype watches are doing well they are tanking, but the non hype SS stuff is going the same way as quickly and in greater volume. In a falling market dealers will offload cheaper watches first cause aint nobody buying expensive ones. My AP is on consignment in belfast. Prices 6 weeks ago as cheapest on chrono. No buyers. Dropped 11k off the price....no buyers. I am pulling it back in now cause the chance to see a profit is gone. Dealers offering half chrono lowest its carnage out there, chrono is 100% fiction.

Once any watch doesnt have a grand in profit over retail, the entire grey market for that watch is gone. Flipper wont want them from AD's and those holding stock will flush the non hype first in the hope that the hype models are better long term holds and they can get their buy in price back in the future. With non hype dealers bought close to resale, maybe 1k or 2k to play with. With hype watches its my experiance offers are always 5-10k under retail as its a bigger bit of capital to sink into one piece. There is more room. ....I dont know if I am explaining my thinking well here its getting complex. Basically its all screwed, enjoy yer watches cause we will all be in the red soon enough. Sure there is 15% off Moonwatches, 15% off tudors. Hulk will be 13.5k euro again soon enough, subs for retail, precious watches under retail, 6k Milgauss, 11k GMTs nothing is safe.

"5% off an explorer II represents a greater loss in real value than 10% off a hulk."

Eh? A hulk going for €30k 6 months ago might go for €20k now, a €11k 6 months ago Explorer II polar 42 might go for €10k now (rough figures), of course the greater loss in both relative and absolute terms would be the hyped watch, surely? What the retail price is or was in any of these is not really relevant. And yes I agree of course that if a hype sub is dropping to close to the price that a plain sub was before the current correction, that plain sub will not hold its value either

Sure, but still at 25k (lowish guess) vs 20k now (highish guess), that's an absolute loss of 5k and a relative loss of 20% (vs 1k and 10% for the Explorer)

WF always offer 10-20% under grey market even for Rolex (and a lot less for most other brands) and if they're half wise, they will only make extreme lowball offers ATM otherwise they expose themselves to even more risk with the substantial stock that they have. For anyone inclined to buy a watch from WF (without trade in), now would be a good time to get a substantial discount off their often ludicrous selling prices 😁

A savage offer. I would dump immediately.

That's a fair offer from them. About 10% under what you could hope to buy one for in the EU atm privately or thereabouts. Going on holidays tomorrow and got a new valuation for my insurance company this afternoon. For a bit less than the average asking price on C24. Which is a lot more than that though 😁

The current insured value (from 18 months ago) was €14k, which would leave me several grand short if it got lost / stolen, didn't want to take that risk

A lot less money, but a lot of money for an Omega. And you still want the Rolex. Not wanting to be a dick here, but many of us have been there...

I get your point with that and that was my own experience but now that I have a couple of rolex , they are my least worn watches. But the Rolex itch if there , definitely has to be scratched.

The seamaster is a brilliant watch though and if you don’t have the ache for a Rolex your not missing out on anything by buying it instead .

I have had the Seamaster 300P with a blue dial bracelet brosnan, Blue wave dial ceramic bracelet, black dial ceramic rubber, and grey ceramic wave dial rubber. All great watches but none were a Rolex. Not saying they are not a great watch, they are. But if you went in for a Rolex and came out with an Omega it will nag at you as the watch you could have not the watch you wanted.

Thats just the way of it, its not a character flaw, its just the branding doing its work and the collector mentality. I dont miss any of them and gave up trying to convince myself otherwise, probably because I could get one tomorrow at a discount easy enough, and somehow that makes it less desirable than the watch you have to wait for or pay over the odds for.