How Does Rolex or the AD know if you Sold your Watch?
To get a broader understanding of the Rolex market, we suggest that you first read this article which discusses the different reasons Rolex may refuse to sell you a watch. Because this ties into the reason why you would care if the AD (Authorised dealer) or Rolex knows that you sold your watch in the first place.
The fact is that the Rolex market is not like most other markets. For a number of reasons. Rolex today has enormous popularity and the demand far outweighs the supply of Rolex watches. This has led to long waiting lists at the official Rolex retailers and difficulties in buying certain models.
But how does Rolex or the AD (authorized dealer) know if you sold your watch?
This question first makes us wonder, why would they need to know? And why would they care?
The answer is that both Rolex and retailers dislike flippers, in other words, those who sell their watches. Rolex even clearly states in the retail contract that their watches should be sold to end-consumer, over-the-counter. In other words, not to dealers, flippers, or resellers.
They want the watches to be sold to end consumers who will wear and enjoy their watches for a long time to come. They don’t want that the customers, as soon as they leave the store, go out and sell the watches for a profit. The issue is that due to the scarcity of Rolex watches, many Rolex models sell for more than the recommended retail price. As such, if a customer gets their hands on one, it can be very appealing to flip it for a quick profit.
But this is not something that neither Rolex nor the official retailer likes.
As a matter of fact, Rolex has started to work harder and harder to battle “flippers” in recent years through several different means.
The issue is that if you do sell your Rolex watch and the AD finds out, they may blacklist you. With that said, if you are considering selling your watch and also want to prevent the AD from finding out, let’s have a look at the different ways they can find out if you have sold your watch.
Rolex will not blacklist you
First and foremost, we need to sort out the fact that Rolex will not blacklist you if they find out that you have sold your watch. Since Rolex is not a direct-to-consumer company, they will instead inform the retailer that has sold the watch that you, as a customer, have sold the watch. And they may in turn blacklist you.
However, with that said, one of the most common ways that a Rolex AD finds out that you have sold your watch is that Rolex informs them. In recent years, Rolex has actually started hiring people who browse the web for advertisem*nts for Rolex watches – in particular brand new Rolex watches. This may include some of the biggest platforms like eBay, watch forums, and Chrono24.
Of course, just looking at photos of a watch won’t help identify the watch. But there are technically three ways that Rolex is able to identify the watch:
- The serial number that is engraved on the rehaut
- The warranty card which shows the serial number
- A receipt or other information that tells when the watch was originally purchased and where
With the serial number, Rolex can identify which AD sold that watch and can in turn contact them, informing them that one of their customers is selling their watch. When the retailer finds out about this, they will likely blacklist you.
This is part of the reason why most adverts online conceal serial numbers and are very discreet about the AD from which it was purchased.
The Rolex retailer scouts the web
It is not only Rolex themselves that looks online to see if they can spot the watches being sold online. There are also an increasing number of Rolex retailers that actively scout the web for watches that they have sold. Some retailers that we have spoken with have actually hired new staff whose main job is to actively look for advertisem*nts online to identify customers who sell their watches and then take appropriate action.
Retailers normally look at local marketplaces etc. where their customers are most likely to advertise them. If a Rolex retailer identifies a watch that they have sold, they will likely blacklist the customer, or at least inform the customer that they know they have sold the watch.
The warranty will not expose that you have sold your watch
Different from what some people think, Rolex will not find out if you sell your watch as a result of the warranty. The Rolex warrranty is connected to the warranty card and the watch. The warranty is not connected to a person and it is transferable without anyone having to do anything.
With some other brands, you transfer the warranty to a new owner, and in this case, the brand theoretically knows that the watch has changed owner. This is not the case for Rolex watches.
The only way you can be exposed via the warranty is if you advertise your watch online and forget to hide the serial number (or place of purchase).
Note that the older generation warranty cards indicate the retailer from which the watch was sold. This means that if an online advertisem*nt shows the warranty card with the date of purchase and retailer, both Rolex and the retailer that sold it would be able to identify who was the original buyer.
If someone visits the retailer with the watch
Another way a Rolex retailer would be able to find out if you have sold the watch is if someone comes into the store with the watch.
This is not uncommon if you sell the watch locally. For example, if you buy a watch and then advertise it on the local marketplace. Someone buys it and then goes to the same retailer who sold it to have it checked for authenticity. This way, the store will be able to know that you have sold it. The same may happen at a later stage, for example, if the watch needs to be serviced or repaired.
A way to prevent this from happening is to make sure that the watch you sell ends up far away from where you buy it. If you live in a small country with only one or two retailers, and you sell it locally, then the chances are that someone will one day visit the retailer with that watch. This is why it can be wise if you live in a country with few ADs to sell it out of the country.
Quick tips to keep your AD from knowing you sold your watch
If you advertise online:
- Don’t disclosure the serial number of the watch
- Hide the serial number on the rehaut at 6 o’clock
- Hide the serial number on the warranty card
- Hide the retailer on the warranty card (if you have an older warranty card)
- Hide the day and month of purchase on the warranty card
- Don’t show the receipt which indicates where it was sold
If you sell your watch:
- Sell your watch out of the country or far away from your AD
- If the watch has the old warranty card, ask that the buyer don’t contact that exact retailer for any checks, but instead contact a different AD.
