Extremely rare vintage Rolex found in drawer restored to be worth whopping six-figures
- This rare Rolex GMT was bought in 1958, the year it was launched
- The bezel is made using a material that watchmakers no longer use
- In good condition, you can easily sell it for six figures
Published on Nov 27, 2023 at 5:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Dec 04, 2023 at 9:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
This rare vintage Rolex was rotting away in a forgotten drawer in someone’s home.
It has now been restored and it’s worth a life-changing amount of money.
This is a 1958 Rolex GMT Master, which means it is the original version of a super exclusive Rolex.
The watch was found in a drawer and it was in a terrible condition.
In car terms, this rare vintage Rolex is basically a barn find.
Obviously it wasn’t running, and the cosmetic conditions were pretty desperate as well.
The crystal was destroyed, the crown was stuck and the bezel wasn’t moving either.
However, after a careful restoration by Wristwatch Revival, it’s up and running again.
And it is now worth a massive amount of cash.
The first thing that had to be fixed was the bezel, which is made from a material with a super complicated name.
It’s called polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride.
But people (understandably) just call it Bakelite.
Bakelite used to be used in old watches to provide luminescence but it s no longer used because it is literally radioactive.
The crystal and the gasket around it were replaced, too.
Amazingly, the movement looked pretty good for a watch that hasn’t been worn in ages.
There’s no rust, and nothing is missing.
So all it needed was an ‘oil change’, as it were.
Restoring the watch was no easy task but the result is outstanding, as you can see from the image down below.
A watch like this, in mint condition now that it’s been restored, is easily worth six figures.
The average price in the pre-owned market floats around the six-figure range.
There’s even one on sale from Chrono24 for $195,000.
Imagine that.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
