The Rolex brand is arguably one of the most well-recognized watch brands in the world, and their models are just as iconic. The Rolex Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, and Day-Date are just some of the brand’s most distinguished models. However, a big part of their fame is their distinct and familiar design. As such, to put a personal touch on their Rolexes, or even just to update a vintage model, collectors will sometimes modify the watches’ designs. Once those modifications are made, the watch then becomes known as an after-market Rolex.
Defining After-Market
The line between after-market and genuine Rolexes is incredibly well defined in the watch collecting community: any alterations to a Rolex that have not been made by an authorized Rolex dealer will make that specific piece an after-market Rolex.
For example, if your watch’s dial gets damaged because you went swimming with the crown left open and it sustained water, it would still be considered a genuine Rolex if you brought the dial to an authorized dealer to be replaced. However, if you brought the watch to any old watch repair shop, the new dial would not be Rolex certified, and the watch as a whole would be considered after-market.
Aesthetic customizations, like the ones we outlined in this post, are almost always after-market because authorized Rolex dealers will not make alterations to watches that are not part of their original design. For that reason, collectors will take their timepieces to outside sources to have them customized with parts that are not Rolex-certified, rendering their watches after-market.
Is After-Market For You?
If you’re considering customizing your Rolex or purchasing a pre-owned model with after-market parts, you should know that there are caveats to consider. While watch customization can have its advantages, it also most certainly has its disadvantages.
The biggest advantage to customizing your own Rolex is that you get to make the watch suit your style perfectly. If you’re the type to prefer black watches or to show off a completely iced-out, diamond-studded timepiece, then these customizations make it so the watch expresses your taste perfectly and makes an extra-personal addition to your collection.
In addition to that, you could end up saving money by choosing to customize a watch rather than buy a more expensive version of it. For example, Rolex makes watches with diamond dials that are still considered genuine Rolexes because the dials are Rolex-certified and come from the brand’s factories. However, genuine Rolexes with diamond-studded dials cost significantly more than Rolexes with regular dials. Those who like the diamond-studded look can choose to customize a regular Rolex with a non-Rolex diamond dial and achieve a very similar look for less.
There are several problems with Rolex customization, however. If you customize a Rolex you bought from a dealer yourself, you end up voiding the watch’s warranty if you alter it soon enough after purchasing it. If you insist upon owning a custom watch, however, and are concerned about the warranty, you are far better off buying a pre-owned model that has already been customized. You may not get exactly the customization you want, but pre-owned watch and jewelry marketplaces often offer short warranties on products that are outside of their original manufacturer warranties, so you would at least have some protection for your custom timepiece.
If you intend to resell the watch, whether you bought it new and customized it yourself or bought it pre-owned, the value of the watch will generally decline because of the watch’s customizations. Considering the sunk cost of those customizations, this decline just puts you out of even more money than it would have if you were reselling a genuine Rolex.
When buying a watch pre-owned, be extremely wary of the vendor you’re purchasing from. The shadier vendors can sometimes charge much more for the watch than it’s really worth by marketing an after-market watch as a genuine Rolex, or even by switching cheaper, non-Rolex parts in for genuine Rolex parts and presenting the altered piece as authentic. To avoid scams like this, only shop at marketplaces that authenticate their watches and specifically mark every after-market part used in their timepieces.
TrueFacet’s team of experts authenticates every watch and piece of jewelry made available on our marketplace. If you would like to know more about our selection of after-market Rolexes, feel free to contact our concierge service for help here.