Which Rolex to buy, what size a man's wrist takes, steel or gold, and the papers to expect
Start with the Datejust, the model that sold best here. Take it in steel, and in 41 mm unless your wrist is slim. For a sport watch, look first at the GMT-Master II, then the Submariner. Everything in this case is pre-owned, and none of it can be returned. Put your questions to the watch desk while you are still deciding.
Which Rolex: the best Rolex watch for men
The Datejust is the Rolex to start with, and no other model sold as well here in the year. A lens over the date marks it out, and nearly every one has a fluted bezel. Of the sport models, the GMT-Master II sold best, then the Submariner. The GMT's fourth hand keeps home time while you travel, and the Submariner's bezel times a dive. The Day-Date names the weekday in a window at the top of the dial, and every one here is gold. The Sky-Dweller shows the month too, and the Daytona is the stopwatch.
Case size: 40 or 41 mm men's watches, or a 36 mm Rolex
A wrist of about seven inches or more takes the 41. The GMT-Master II wears close to it at 40 mm, and the Submariner comes in both sizes. For a bigger watch, the Sky-Dweller measures 42 mm. The Datejust began at 36 mm, and that size still sits well on a slimmer wrist. Each 36 here also appears in our women's case. Most 36s here predate the current line and come without the Rolex card. Most 41s have it.
Steel, two-tone or gold: the metal for a Rolex men's watch
Pick steel if you will wear the watch every day. Among watches found only in our men's case, steel led the year's buying, with two-tone behind it. Two-tone is a steel watch with gold where the eye lands, on the crown, the bezel and the center row of links, either yellow or Everose, Rolex's rose gold. Gold is softer than steel, so those parts mark first. Nearly all our solid gold is the Day-Date, and every Day-Date rides the President bracelet. A G-Shock called gold tone is steel made to look like gold, not gold.
Beyond Rolex: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and iced out men's watches
For a steel sport watch from another house, take a Royal Oak, and the Chronograph if a stopwatch matters. For an iced watch, the listing's own words matter more than the photo. About half the diamond watches here name their setting as aftermarket. Where an iced watch's listing is quiet about the setting, the desk has the answer. A custom setting can be fine work, but it is jewelry added to the watch, not the watch as its maker built it.
Before you pay: Rolex box and papers, and final sale
Under each description, a few short lines say whether the card and the box come, and the year where it is known. The warranty card or papers ride along with three watches in five. Boxes are separate on all but a handful. A year on the listing usually comes off that card and marks its first sale. Returns are not taken on watches under the refund policy, so questions come before the order. Send them to the watch desk on the live chat; texts to 212-872-9692 are read by a person from 10 AM ET.