Rolex Submariner cal. 1030 6538 with box

Description

This rebuild is comprised of genuine and aftermarket components all obtained over the last ten years on eBay. The movement is running strong, winding and setting as it should. It is not pressure tested and it is not waterproof.
In the wristwatch world, the Rolex Submariner is an icon. Imitated, duplicated, cloned, copied and respected for decades, this timepiece has retained its standing (and resale value) consistently since being introduced to the market in the 1950’s.
Rolex has always built high quality watches that offered owners a product that embodied the ultimate luxury: reliability. A watch made of well-designed parts with very close tolerances that could be counted on to function in harsh conditions. On rare occasions when a watch became damaged, it could be restored by a knowledgeable technician and subjected to more punishment. In some dire situations, repairs to one reference could be completed with parts from a different reference.
This commitment to high standards in every aspect of wristwatch design and manufacture results in wristwatches that can be passed on from one generation to the next. The Rolex Submariner holds a  position in horological history that has yet to be challenged by any other wristwatch in the world.
Recent recognition of this model’s unique place in the universe has resulted in astronomical demand and pricing that many vintage Submariner owners could not have dreamed of when they originally purchased the ultimate ‘tool watch’ first introduced in the 1950’s. To satisfy demand for replacement parts, many aftermarket suppliers (not recognized by Rolex) produce good quality substitutes for the hands, crystals, dials and watch cases that become damaged or compromised through time and wear.
This cal. 1030 movement is surrounded by parts obtained from sources around the world. It can be difficult to authenticate a watch part that might be 70 years old.
Parallels with the markets for art and wine, where such disputes are common, are obvious. Vintage Rolex is a field particularly susceptible to allegations of skulduggery, not just because enormous amounts of money are being thrown around.  For one, the watches themselves are intrinsically simple, inexpensively made timepieces. At the time they were produced, what are highly desirable vintage Rolex sports watches and chronographs were generally entry to mid-range timepieces that were the choice of sportsmen, military personnel and the like. Reproducing or modifying something that was uncomplicated to begin with is a correspondingly
uncomplicated task. And the second reason is the lack of an officially sanctioned body of knowledge. Rolex itself never comments publicly on its vintage timepieces, leading to talk that it lacks detailed records of what it made.  Though Rolex does authenticate its vintage timepieces, there is vigorous debate amongst collectors on how much stock to put in that. And Rolex sometimes replaces components in vintage timepieces with similar looking but newly manufactured parts, which adds to the confusion. The result is that the expertise in the vintage Rolex market is largely and closely held by dealers and to a lesser extent, auction houses. This gives rise to a self-evident conflict of interest. And it is illustrative that even vintage watch dealers get into spats between themselves over authenticity. But the art market carries on. And so it will for watches.
Please examine the listing’s photos closely, and ask all questions before placing a bid. Members without substantial positive feedback might have their bids removed.
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