Bidding for the Bob’s Watches ‘Fresh Finds’ auction concluded yesterday evening, and the online event was a resounding success by all accounts. The ‘Fresh Finds’ auction consisted of 16 stunning vintage Rolex watches that were all purchased directly from their original owners and were being offered to the public for the very first time.
All 16 lots sold, pulling in a grand total of $600,100 – and since the ‘Fresh Finds’ auction does not include additional buyer’s premiums, the final sale prices will actually be what the proud new owners of these watches will pay. Each of the 16 remarkable watches featured in the auction represents an iconic Rolex reference from the brand’s archives, and many of them have never before been seen by the collecting community.
With a total of 3,608 registered bidders from 79 different countries, competition was fierce and the vintage Rolex Submariner ref. 5512 from 1967 received 39 bids before finally selling for $22,800. Additionally, the Rolex Explorer II ‘Steve McQueen’ ref. 1655 fitted with a rare and coveted ‘rail dial’ received 26 bids and reached a final sale price of $22,500.
Unsurprisingly, the most expensive lot sold during the ‘Fresh Finds’ auction was the Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona ref. 6241 that made headlines around the globe last year when its previous owner found it between the cushions of a couch that she had purchased from a thrift store. This incredibly desirable vintage Rolex watch with an equally incredible backstory reached a final sale price of $191,000. In second place for most expensive lot sold was the ‘small-crown’ vintage Rolex Submariner ref. 6536, which sold for $51,600.
Purchasing a vintage watch directly from its original owner is one of the best ways to guarantee that you do not unknowingly end up with an example that has been previously altered or restored. When a watch has passed through the hands of numerous dealers, the history of the watch can often get lost, and it becomes increasingly difficult to verify what may have been done to it in regards to repairs or replacement components. As the popularity and desirability of all-original vintage timepieces has increased dramatically in recent years, these “fresh to market” watches have become increasingly rare and valuable.
As the industry’s leading online retailer of pre-owned luxury timepieces, Bob’s Watches receives its inventory almost exclusively from the public. This means that the vast majority of the timepieces available for sale on our site were purchased directly from their original owners, and many of the vintage models are being made available to the public for the very first time since they originally left their retailers many decades ago.
‘Fresh Finds’ will be an ongoing series of auctions that will serve as a way to showcase some of the most remarkable and noteworthy ‘fresh to market’ vintage timepieces that come through our doors and present them to the public in a manner worthy of their exceptional, all-original condition and the important place that they occupy within history. Be sure to keep an eye out for future ‘Fresh Finds’ auction announcements.
