Well I'm sort of new here. I have been lurking here for almost a year now but never introduced myself.
I'm collecting watches for about 5 years now and I'm mainly interested in vintage watches especially from the sixties and seventies.
I now have quit some vintage watches such as Omega, Heuer and Breitling in my collection but still wanted a vintage Rolex.

In the beginning of this year I stumbled on a vintage Rolex Explorer I 1016
complete with all boxes and papers from 1985









Last week I posted my rolex on a Dutch watch forum that I visit frequently and there where some critical notes about this piece.

If you look at the last picture you can clearly see that the end pieces don't fit nicely in the case, you can see the gaps at the lugs.
At first I thought the problem where the end pieces maybe they have been bended?
But then came the suggestion that the problem had to do with the case that has been polished to much so the end link don't fit right anymore.

I can confirm that this is the case, because I went to a Authorized Rolex dealer who confirmed it.
There now going to try and fit the end pieces as good as possible, but they told me it would never be the same as a unpolished model.
Anyhow there going to do there best

The lugs have been polished at the last service overhaul by Rolex France.
Probably the have polished the lugs to much or it has been polished by a unexperienced watchmaker?

My biggest concern is that my Explorer isn't authentic anymore because of the polished lugs, and as Somebody sad that this model has now been ruined.
I began to feel quit bad about the whole situation

I hope somebody is willing to share his knowledge about Rolex.


Regards,

Jan