Rolex Watches are certainly one of the most famous branded watches you can buy in the world today. They are considered to be luxury at its best and with a very strong second hand re-sale value it can also turn out to be one of the best long term investment products on the market today.

A weak economy and having a weak Dollar and Euro means that Rolex have increased their prices no less than 3 times on their entire in 2008 through to 2009. This in turn has resulted in price increases being reflected across the range of all second hand rolex watches.

When buying your first Rolex watch there are a few guidelines that I would like to share with you to help make your buying experience a pleasurable one and hopefully worry free.

The Rolex second hand market is rife with copies, replicas, fakes, and also include fake boxes, paperwork and booklets. Therefore, it can be a mine field out there so please don’t be afraid to ask the watch dealer some important questions. If you are unsure about the replies then it may be best to look somewhere else. Remember, there’s a big world-wide market out there with thousands of genuine Rolex watches available for sale, so don’t get disheartened if the first enquiry is not as successful as you had hoped.

1. Don’t purchase any Rolex watch without its original certificate and please be aware that Rolex do not issue copies. The certificate is produced by Rolex when the watch is made and has its individual number inscribed on the watch head which will correspond with the embossed number on the paperwork. Please be aware of copies, scanned or faxed copied paperwork.

2. Ask for the individual serial number off the watch that you are interested in and any Rolex agent will confirm the Rolex watch is 100% genuine and is not on the Rolex lost or stolen list. There may be a small charge for this service, but this is minimal compared to potentially buying a stolen Rolex watch and later having it confiscated by the authorities.

3. Remember that there is always a good second hand market value for all Rolex watches be it through the retail sector or online, so if the watch seems too cheap then it probably isn’t real.

4. Second hand Rolex watches with the relevant box and original paperwork can achieve up to 70% of its current retail price on the open market. This will depend on age, condition and model.

If you have bought your first Rolex watch I hope you enjoy wearing it for many years to come. If it is kept in good condition and serviced regularly then it can, over a period of time, be the best investment you make.