Vintage ROLEX DateJust Buy  The Watch Gentry ... why the 16234 ???
Channel: THE FULLER FANATIC
Date: 2020-02-12

The Holy Grail of entry level time pieces IMO... 30yrs later and still going!!!
Per the Rolex 18k white gold bezel, the sapphire crystal, and the sunburst dial.. this actually isn't my idea of true vintage... Don't get me wrong for one second, ALL of these changes were made per my request and the way I wanted the piece to be.  Although the case and all internals/ caliber 3135, are 100% authentic & of '89,  there was one HUGE ISSUE 4me.  Starting by wanting a sapphire crystal which is more valuable, I've never been fond of acrylic crystals, and on the 16234 the acrylics stand really tall & protrude from the bezel. (Honestly, the sapphies do as well, just not as drastically.)The bezel is mid-2000's, & seeing as how Rolex didn't forge its own gold until post 2000, and I only was willing to accept the true 18k solid white gold bezel milled in-house by Rolex; so to go with a more modern bezel was truly the only choice available.The case I chose, which I believe had be kept up the best from the case to the lugs, down to the thread and stem on the crown.  This watch met and passed all my mint condition check points, but didn't posses the correct dial, and well it's a datejust so changing the dial wouldn't be a problem, or at least that's what I thought LOL... An official Rolex Dial with 18k applied Arabic numerals over sunburst blue finish is what I had in mind, but wasn't in at the time. Boiling it down to the Grey sunburst dial with Roman numerals which was "temporarily" put into my 16234,  after going back n forth trying to pick from his inventory and match the look I like for about 25 minutes, I said okay this will do until the Arabic Numerals arrive.  (which I filmed for and appear in this video.)   Unaware this was a total aftermarket dial, this is were things went left...  When I went in to pick out the piece from a jeweler I've known and also have a business relationship with for over 10 plus yrs, I made it perfectly clear, I understand the way I want the setup won't be all original, or totally comprised from 1989, which I was totally aware of and okay with.  My biggest concern and only issue was and is with any piece I purchase is.. I need everything on it to be 100% AUTHENTIC WITH NO AFTERMARKET PARTS... ( on my seikos, citizens, etc. watches I may customize, this is def okay, but there is NO WAY POSSIBLE I want that to be the case on my DateJust). Super long story short, I returned for pick-up of the piece at shop closing, approx. 8:50 p.m. after making the deal at 3 p.m. earlier that same afternoon.  After needing to leave the piece for the crystal, bezel, and dial changes, I returned took a quick glance, mainly to the bezel which I took a loop to previously to locate the crown stamped underneath, and to see the new crystal.  Nit being the dial I wanted, but settled with the dial really wasn't a point of interest for me nor receive any initial scrutiny by my eyes. I WASN'T MADE AWARE @ THE TIME OF PICK UP THAT THIS PEICE IS AFTERMARKET.  After looking over the watch, my brain and heart told me this isn't it.  Rolex in that era used a watchmaker's 4, which is III in Roman Numerals, definitely wasn't the case on this dial. The Rolex print was just a bit off in my eyes, and the roman's spacing and placement wasn't the best at all either, & I KNOW for a FACT there is no way Rolex would release such a dial.  Luckily, this was a Jeweler I knew/ had a relationship + he knew who represented me along with who I am... not the most likely circumstances, but very fortunate for me, in the end def not the beginning LOL that I went here, eEVERYTHING WAS WORKED OUT,  HEADS ROLLED,  & I want to believe it was an honest mistake and not someone trying to make an extra couple dollars because I drive a super hard buy and am willing to wait.. and that way my point, before I would wear a fake aftermarket, I could've waited for the Authentic Dial to arrive and picked it up then.. Either way my money was refunded and I still have great footage an amazing story to tell... and oh by the way, I had the privilege of making my new and officially papered 116234 purchase shortly after all of the previous nonsense.  if you told me what I would have to endure and worry about along the journey to getting my Ultimate Datejust... https://studio.youtube.com/video/ELnHbmKbJ2w I would laugh aloud and say to myself, "Yup, I'll do it all again!"    
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