Wrist Aficionado - buyer beware of their damaged Rolex Cellini Moonphase for sale

[Patekfinder]

I bought a “new unworn” 2021 Rolex Cellini Moonphase from Wrist Aficionado with box and papers from Chrono24. It arrived with a massive dent on the bottom right lug with gold gouged out of the case deep enough to completely catch the full depth of your fingernail and be unable to continue moving your finger across the lug. I live locally to Rolliworks and brought it to them to determine if it could be polished, they said it could not be polished and was damaged to the point of requiring gold to be filled and welded into the gouge. Rolliworks also advised that when there is damage to a case this significant, almost certainly it means the movement has been compromised by an impact and the watch would require a full service and inspection. The left side of the case also had a lot of hairline scratches. The photos posted of the watch ended up being “borrowed” photos from a DIFFERENT Cellini Moonphase that was in fact in absolutely perfect condition, whereas the watch I received looked like it was worn by a soldier during the Normandy invasion on Omaha Beach. Highly unethical.

I filed a dispute with Chrono24, and they accepted the return and refunded me within a week. I was not going to share this with anyone, but I feel compelled to warn the community because of Wrist Aficionado’s actions after they received the watch back from me:

After they received the watch back and issued my refund, they relisted it on both their own website and Chrono24 with the same FALSE PHOTOS that do not show the damage at all and show a different watch with box and papers. To make matters worse, the watch is currently sitting, still fully damaged and with likely compromised movement , at their Miami store showroom inside the Setai Hotel verified by my own two eyes in recent weeks.

Buyer beware. I don’t trust any of these gray dealers anymore, and I cannot in good faith ever recommend anyone deal with Wrist Aficionado.

This is the watch on their website in absolute brand new condition, SAME photos they used to sell the watch to me: https://wristaficionado.com/products...ial-moon-phase

This is the relisted watch on chrono24, now listed as in “very good” condition.

And here are the photos of the actual watch:







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bazil]

Such a shame as I can imagine this watch to have been a dream acquisition, I actually never knew they did the moon phase ..

[Patekfinder]

Originally Posted by Bazil

Such a shame as I can imagine this watch to have been a dream acquisition, I actually never knew they did the moon phase ..

This watch was my grail. I spent years lusting after it, months researching, many nights contemplating the emotional purchase, excitement to receive it, only to receive a very damaged watch that was not the watch pictured. Even before the purchase I asked them to send me photos of it, and they did, and it was a different watch. The whole experience was so terrible in ultimately dealing with what amounted to be highly unethical behavior from what I thought was a prominent and respected gray dealer. I even took it to Rolliworks to see about repairing it myself because I didn’t want to return it, and only after being told by all my watch friends that it should be returned, I ultimately listened.

After, I ended up buying a yellow gold Day Date II from another dealer instead because these guys just ruined the Cellini Moonphase for me. I didn’t plan to share the experience and I let it go because I received a full refund, but when I saw them repost it on Chrono24 and their website using the SAME PHOTOS, and I saw the SAME damaged watch sitting in their boutique in Miami, I knew I had to do the right thing and share this with the community.

[jb335]

No way that watch should have originally been listed as “new/unworn”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Patekfinder]

Originally Posted by jb335

No way that watch should have originally been listed as “new/unworn”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The owner of Wrist Aficionado during the chrono24 dispute I filed blamed it on his “internet sales girl” for making a mistake about the condition. Yeah right…. That’s why it’s back up on chrono24 now, still compromised and damaged and listed in “VERY GOOD” condition with the same absolutely perfect brand new photos of a DIFFERENT Cellini Moonphase.

https://www.chrono24.com/rolex/celli...US&SETCURR=USD

Photo of the watch on the Wrist Aficionado website and Chrono24:




Reality:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Razorsedge1]

Hard to understand why a business selling high end watches would risk reputation in such a manner. At least you got your money back.

[Patekfinder]

Originally Posted by Razorsedge1

Hard to understand why a business selling high end watches would risk reputation in such a manner. At least you got your money back.

Makes no sense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Laszlo]

I’ve done business with Watch Aficionado and experience was excellent and the owner was extremely attentive in providing a really, high quality experience. Maybe just an honest mistake, WA has a very strong reputation.

[wesdaniel]

Disappointing. They also have it listed on ebay using the same photos in "Used Excellent" condition.

[Crown & Shield]

Par for the course for a grey dealer.