This week, we focused on Ebay where we found some interesting chronographs, some with a few issues and others in stunning condition. We actually have two different. The giant kangaroo rat Dipodomys ingens is the largest of more than 20 species of kangaroo rats, which are small rodents that a. TAG Heuer Watches. More Info. TAG Heuer watches have been Swiss Watches Directs number one watch brand since our inception in 2005 with discounts up to 25. Serviced by Rolex UK in September 2017 An excellent condition preowned stainless steel D serial ladies 26mm case size chronometer rated automatic movement Rolex. Early batteries the voltaic cell, the gravity or crows foot battery and other telegraph batteries w1tp telegraph and scientific instrument museums httpw1tp. Rado has a long history of materials innovation in their watches, most famously with superhard ceramics that hold a mirror finish. Here for review is something. Basic Things You Should Always Look At Before Buying A Vintage Rolex. Shopping for a vintage Rolex can be an intimidating task  frightening, even  given the number of fake and Franken watches lurking all around. We even showed you a bad one earlier this week. Youve likely heard the advice buy the seller a million times before, and just as likely dismissed it. I wouldnt blame you, because in most cases a transaction doesnt scream shady business at first, leaving you to discover much later that your watch may not be as original as you were led to believe, hurting its collectibility, and thus its value. Therefore, this article aims to equip you with the key points that you should always check when hunting for your dream vintage Rolex. This checklist cant claim to be comprehensive, as numerous books would not suffice to cover all the quirky features of the entire vintage production from Rolex. It will nonetheless provide you with the basic knowledge to avoid being on the losing end during your next quest. The Dial Is Not Everything, But Its Close To Everything. RADO1B.jpg' alt='Rado Serial Number Search' title='Rado Serial Number Search' />Stainless steel case with a stainless steel bracelet. Unidirectional rotating stainless steel bezel with black ceramic top ring. Black dial with silvertone skeleton. As surprising as it might sound to the novice vintage Rolex hunter, most of the value in a vintage Rolex comes from the dial. Very rare dials on vintage references can command enormous premiums over less rare dials. For that peculiar reason, extra attention must be devoted upfront to this single part you must ask yourself the three following questions. Look For Authenticity First, Everything Else Later. Is the dial authentic is the million dollar question when looking at a vintage Rolex  quite literally, if you are actually considering some of the rarest Daytona chronographs. There is only one way to establish if a dial is authentic very careful examination. And still I would add the disclaimer dont try this at home in the case of very high value Rolex where fakers have mastered counterfeits  the priciest Daytonas again come to mind. Besides those specific cases, in most instances, a detailed examination of the logo and other text on the dial is sufficient. Comparing with pictures of similar models that you can find in books or other trusted sources emphasis on trusted, as it is not unheard of for unscrupulous experts to simply make things up, especially when they are also dealers is a safe starting point it comes down to analyzing the shape of the Rolex logo, assessing whether it is should be applied or printed, and studying the font of the main lines on the dial. This step should in most cases give you adequate information about the dial, and allow you to progress to examining other aspects of the watch. Applied Rolex logo on a vintage Day Date. Printed Rolex logo on a more recent Explorer. Check The Age Of The Dial. Another curse with vintage Rolex comes from the abundance of spare parts, also called service parts. These are authentic, in that they were approved by Rolex and often fitted in watches as replacement parts. However, as this operation happened after the initial production, their presence generally decreases the overall value of the watch. So it is of paramount importance to verify that the dial is period correct with respect to the watch. For this task, this easiest way is to examine the lume on the dial different types of luminous material were used at different times. In chronological order, radium was used until the early 1. Luminova between 1. Super Luminova and Chromalight since then, and up to today Rolex began using Chromalight in 2. The lume material is also indicated at the bottom of the dial SWISS for radium T Swiss T or T Swiss Tlt 2. SWISS again for the transitional Luminova and Swiss Made since. So if you have a watch that historically should have a tritium dial but comes out with a Luminova dial, you just found a service dial, and the price should be adjusted downwards, in the event that you are still interested in the watch. Transitional SWISS line on a Rolex Explorer. SWISS MADE line on a recent GMT Master II. Todaro Economic Development Ebook. Check The Condition Of The Dial. Now that the dial has been we hope established as authentic and original, are you done with it Not really, as you next want to make sure that it is in good condition. And here, words are a bit confusing, because a faded dial is not necessarily garbage if the dial has faded to a uniform brown color, you are looking at a coveted tropical dial. Similarly, if the dial is cracked, collectors call it spider, and some collectors actually hunt for them though they are not uniformly desirable to all vintage Rolex collectors. So the key here is to spot undesirable and heterogeneous defects, such as a stain, a missing luminous dot, or a scratch on the dial. Similarly, the lume color of the dots on the dial should be compared to the patina of the hands they need to match, or at least be reasonably close. If radically different, it is helpful to compare the respective luminosity of the dial and hands. For instance, replacement hands filled with Super Luminova would noticeably contrast with an inactive tritium dial. Same type of patina on dial and hands from vintage Rolex GMT Reference 1. If all checks out, thats good news. One additional thing can be done about the dial check whether it has some peculiar feature that could increase the overall value of the watch. Those special details would make this watch rarer among Rolex standard production, so missing lines of text, specific indexes, an additional luminous dot, or a double branding watches produced for Tiffany, for instance can justify a higher value for the watch the seller is probably aware of it but if not, you just got lucky. Tiffany signed dial on a vintage Rolex Date Reference 1. Engravings Are Everywhere. The number of details you have to be aware of when examining the dial shows how meticulous and suspicious  one should be about vintage Rolex. Now, the good news is that a lot of additional information can be found on other parts of the watch  engraved on the case and on other components you just need to know what to look for. Engravings will tell you most of what you need to know when the watch was produced, what reference is it, and whether its parts, like the bracelet or the crown, are original. Again, you really need to ask yourself three questions. Read Between The Lugs. A look between the lugs of the watch will tell you a lot. First, between the top lugs, at 1. For instance, if you were to look at an Explorer 1, the reference number could be 6. The same is true for the Submariner no date  with crown guards  from the original four digit references like 5. This reference number is incredibly important for comparison, as it will enable you to find other examples of the reference youre considering that can serve as visual benchmark. Reference number on the case of a vintage GMT Master. Similarly, between the lower lugs, at 6 oclock, you will find the serial number of the watch, which tells you when the watch was produced  at least until 2. Rolex introduced random serial numbers. There is unfortunately no one definitive database generally available for checking a Rolex serial number, but there are a few online such as this one, for instance that can give you a rough idea of the production date, give or take a year or two. Having the serial number also enables you to check that the watch was not declared stolen again, unfortunately no consolidated database exists but an online search can sometimes yield interesting results. One important thing if the serial number begins with 4. Rolex. Serial number on a vintage Rolex. As a side note, for some rare models, the engravings for reference and serial numbers were actually on the outer side of the case back, or underneath the lugs on the Oysterquartz. Reference number underneath the lug of a vintage Oysterquartz. Carefully Examine The Case Back And Crown. Mens Watches Automatic Rado e. Bay. The timepiece on your wrist is for more than knowing the hour it finishes an outfit and expresses an outlook, which is why only mens Rado automatic watches will do for some discerning fashion hounds. Of all mens Swiss automatic watches, Rado sports some of the most creative, elegant, and sophisticated designs. The stately dial on a Rado Starliner is strikingly split down the center in black and white. A Rado Senator has a graceful dodecahedron bezel and date display at six oclock. A Rado Conway sports subtly striped hour markers and a warm beige sunburst fading dial. These are just a few of the bold mens Rado automatic watches. The company offers bands of gold, silver, leather, and mesh, as well as dials featuring either a vertical day and date in the six oclock position or the conventional horizontal display at three oclock. Between the new and the vintage, the modern and the classic, the range of Rado watch designs offers something for any discerning and well dressed man. Shop the large inventory of new and used mens automatic watches on e. Bay for these and other stylish collectables.