The "Fresh Find" auction, which includes 16 stunning vintage Rolex watches ordered directly from their owners, is being sold to the public for the first time. Each of these watches at auction represented an iconic Rolex from the brand's archives, many of which had never been seen before in the collector's world.
As expected, 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 desirable vintage Rolex watch with an equally incredible backstory reached a final sale price of $190,000. In second place for most expensive lot sold was the 'small-crown' vintage Rolex Submariner ref. 6536, which sold for $51,600.
Buying vintage watches directly from their owners is one of the best ways to make sure you don't end up with a watch that has been modified or repaired before you know it. When a watch has passed through the hands of numerous dealers, the history of the watch can often get lost, and it becomes increasingly hard 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 most of the timepieces sold on our site are purchased directly from their original owners, and many of the vintage timepieces are available to the public for the first time since leaving the retailer decades ago.
"Fresh Finds" will be an ongoing series of auctions that will serve as a showcase for some of the most striking and noteworthy "new markets" of vintage clocks, through our doors, and now in their public way deserve special, all original conditions and historically important places they occupy. Be sure to keep an eye out for future discovery auctions.