Found Rolex on Golf Course, Now What?

[Thainer]

Left all my information at the club, including with the GM and DoG. Did not leave the watch, I work in the golf industry and that would be silly. It would get lifted.

 

The police were involved but no one came forward to claim it. Been googling the serial number hoping to find a "lost watch" ad locally with no luck. Found in May.

 

I don't have any paperwork for the watch so I feel like I'm viewed as a thief if I try to sell it locally.

 

Do any of you have any recommendation? It has been appraised and verified as real(that's how we got the serial).

[RJRJRJ]

Is it real? Post some pics. If its fake the guy probably doesn't care that its gone.

[Thainer]

[quote name='RJRJRJ' timestamp='1415407329' post='10413493']Is it real? Post some pics. If its fake the guy probably doesn't care that its gone.[/quote]it absolutely 100% real.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Contact Rolex with the serial number and maybe they can give you the name of the jewler that sold it, contact them to see if they have a record of the owner? If it is an older watch that may not be a great idea in the event the original owner sold it to someone else.

[Thainer]

[quote name='One_Putt_Blunder' timestamp='1415408218' post='10413595']Contact Rolex with the serial number and maybe they can give you the name of the jewler that sold it, contact them to see if they have a record of the owner? If it is an older watch that may not be a great idea in the event the original owner sold it to someone else.[/quote]rolex said they wouldn't help because when watches get sold if they get it back to the original owner he could sell it twice.

[healthyscratch]

Rolex Service Centers would have a record (serial#, owner at that time) of any watch brought in for service. I believe that is the only time Rolex associates a serial# to a person. Not exactly sure of the procedure to report/inquire, but there are only 3 service centers in the US. Although I'm thinking you might not actually live in the States...

[Arizonalefty59]

You're better off going out of your way to find the owner, because if the owner is wealthy enough to own one of those he may give you an even bigger reward because that may be his favorite watch.

[bscinstnct]

Where did you find it?

[highergr0und]

Sounds like you did all you could. Time to think about keeping it. Odds are an insurance policy has already been paid on it.

[CommerceTiger]

If it was his favorite watch and he was super worried about it. He would have definitely given the course a call at some time. Kudos for doing a lot to find the owner but i say you got yourself a nice watch now.

[highdraw69]

I find it depressing that at your club it's a given it would be stolen. Maybe that entire staff needs to be cleaned out. I always return any item found on the course to my club staff, it doesn't matter how big or how small, and I have never once thought there was any chance the item would be "lifted"

[Jim Clark]

Sounds like you did all you could to find the owner. I say it's yours. But Rolex's keep really bad time. Quartz watches are way better.

[Arizonalefty59]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[PZero]

What kind of Rolex?

[hebron1427]

EBay. /thread

[502 to Right]

[quote name='Thainer' timestamp='1415406602' post='10413437']
Left all my information at the club, including with the GM and DoG. Did not leave the watch, I work in the golf industry and that would be silly. It would get lifted.

The police were involved but no one came forward to claim it. Been googling the serial number hoping to find a "lost watch" ad locally with no luck. Found in May.

I don't have any paperwork for the watch so I feel like I'm viewed as a thief if I try to sell it locally.

Do any of you have any recommendation? It has been appraised and verified as real(that's how we got the serial).
[/quote]

If you found the watch in May and the owner hasn't come forward by now (after all you've done to find him) I'd say it's yours. As stated earlier, the person has probably already filed an insurance claim on it.

Or perhaps it was stolen by the person who lost it and that's why he hasn't come forward. Either way, I say the watch is yours.

[billyhandsomeface]

It's yours. If it meant that much to the person they would have done at least as much as you did in order to get it back. Apparently they didn't so it is yours.

[Thainer]

Thanks everybody for the help. I've been reluctant on eBay because of the high fees and I've had trouble going into jewelry stores to consign it or sell it because I feel like I'm being judged when I go in there without the boxes or papers.

[somaplr]

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1415461380' post='10415643']
Sounds like you did all you could to find the owner. I say it's yours. But Rolex's keep really bad time. Quartz watches are way better.
[/quote]

That's not why people buy high end automatic watches

[chickenpotpie]

Same thing happened to my mom about 25 years ago. She found what turned out to be a 24 karat tennis bracelet while we playing on a par 3 course. Tried to find an owner, but none presented themselves.

Enjoy your watch...

[PZero]

[quote name='Thainer' timestamp='1415478435' post='10416565']
Thanks everybody for the help. I've been reluctant on eBay because of the high fees and I've had trouble going into jewelry stores to consign it or sell it because I feel like I'm being judged when I go in there without the boxes or papers.
[/quote]

Which model Rolex is it?

[Thainer]

[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1415491204' post='10417425'][quote name='Thainer' timestamp='1415478435' post='10416565']
Thanks everybody for the help. I've been reluctant on eBay because of the high fees and I've had trouble going into jewelry stores to consign it or sell it because I feel like I'm being judged when I go in there without the boxes or papers.
[/quote]

Which model Rolex is it?[/quote]submariner

[southpaw72]

Hey op. Thanks for finding it. I will pm you my address. Let me know when it ships.

[SullGolf]

I think I would hold on to something like that for a long long time before I sold it. Id probably just keep it and wear it until the owner was found, even if that was never .

Sounds like youve done a lot to try to find the owner, so I dont think you have to do much more though.

[somaplr]

PM me before you stick it on eBay �

[Nantucket9]

pick it up.. look to see if anyone's watching... put it on... walk away...

[Wriggles]

The watch is now yours. You did all you could to find its owner. As someone pointed out, insurance money has probably been paid to the guy who lost it. I'd just enjoy wearing it. If it's real, you can relate a good story for years to come.

It's possible it's fake. There's some really good copies out there. I had an accounting client, who had a penchant for trying to pull the wool over people. He had really good stories for everything he sold. He had a profitable antique business and really took in some good stuff. One day, we're chatting and he gives me a story how he bought a Rolex for $500 from someone. He shows it to me, and tells me that he found it was fake after he bought it. I knew it was a fake on first glance, I'm sure he did, too. (I have an older, SS Datejust, bought when they were reasonably priced.) His was a very poor quartz copy of a Submariner, in really beat up condition. I told him to contact the seller, and get his money back. The guy told me, he made the deal, he never backs down on a deal. He then wants to sell it to me for $50. I decline.

Later that month, when I pick up his write up work, I see an entry with proper ID and such. He bought a box of junk watches for $5, including the fake Rolex. Had it listed as the "Rolex lot".

What a character!

Enjoy your watch!

[CrabDaddy]

[quote name='Thainer' timestamp='1415478435' post='10416565']
Thanks everybody for the help. I've been reluctant on eBay because of the high fees and I've had trouble going into jewelry stores to consign it or sell it because I feel like I'm being judged when I go in there without the boxes or papers.
[/quote]

You may already have it sold to somaplr, but you can't worry about being judged by strangers. My brother-in-law gave me a Rolex (used) as a gift with no paper work, so you can be legit w/out documentation. Besides, if they're buying it or selling it for you....

And kudos to you for the effort you put into finding the owner. I wish you had found him, because it would likely make him feel good that there are really decent folks out there, and, I'm obviously speculating that, you'd feel relieved and kinda proud that you did the right thing.
But, since the owner didn't step forward, at least it sounds like a deserving person has the watch now. Man, all I ever find are Pinnacles!


[quote name='highdraw69' timestamp='1415460742' post='10415595']
I find it depressing that at your club it's a given it would be stolen. I always return any item found on the course to my club staff, it doesn't matter how big or how small, and I have never once thought there was any chance the item would be "lifted"
[/quote]
I agree with your sentiment, but here it is 6 months later with no one claiming it. Had the pro shop held it, now what? Hold onto it for another year? Head pro keeps it? Employee of the year? Auction for charity? Last option being the best, but I don't think the course would be considered a den of thieves if someone took it home after this much elapsed time. If it disappeared in a week? Yeah, that's a problem.

[Jim Clark]

As someone said, it may have been stolen by the guy who lost it, or he could have bought it from someone knowing it was stolen.

In which case you might want to be cautious if you want to sell it.

[somaplr]

[quote name='Wriggles' timestamp='1415537130' post='10419359']The watch is now yours. You did all you could to find its owner. As someone pointed out, insurance money has probably been paid to the guy who lost it. I'd just enjoy wearing it. If it's real, you can relate a good story for years to come.

It's possible it's fake. There's some really good copies out there. I had an accounting client, who had a penchant for trying to pull the wool over people. He had really good stories for everything he sold. He had a profitable antique business and really took in some good stuff. One day, we're chatting and he gives me a story how he bought a Rolex for $500 from someone. He shows it to me, and tells me that he found it was fake after he bought it. I knew it was a fake on first glance, I'm sure he did, too. (I have an older, SS Datejust, bought when they were reasonably priced.) His was a very poor quartz copy of a Submariner, in really beat up condition. I told him to contact the seller, and get his money back. The guy told me, he made the deal, he never backs down on a deal. He then wants to sell it to me for $50. I decline.

Later that month, when I pick up his write up work, I see an entry with proper ID and such. He bought a box of junk watches for $5, including the fake Rolex. Had it listed as the "Rolex lot".

What a character!

Enjoy your watch![/quote]

You are correct there are some very very very good fakes these days. Most really good Rolex fakes will even have the same copied ETA SWISS auto movement inside of it. Some of the fakes are so good that the only way to tell is to stare at the second hand for a few minutes to tell if it jumps.