Update on the "Bobles's" 5510 from eBay. Please enjoy...

Over the last few weeks we all have been fascinated with the "rare ionic piece" on eBay. Many, and I mean many, of you have been skeptical of "Bobles Rolex" or "Supermans Rolex"... very clever!

Sadly, the integrity and veracity of Robert Saxton M.D., the owner of that "crazy eBay listing" have been questioned. Some have ridiculed his photograph with a certain actor, which he generously shared, not to ingratiate himself, but only to show that he owned the watch. They have become the subject of fodder in the postings of a few VRF members with snide statements such as... "not superman stuff".., ".. it didnt come with pictures of the owner frying eggs with Superman or any other movie stars like Bobles 5510 on eBay..", ".. better than a guy in a boat eating dinner..".

All very entertaining, but rather humiliating to a man that no one really knows anything about. All he did was try to sell a watch and ended up being maligned and unfairly, impugned.

Here are some facts about Robert Saxton M.D.

1. He DID NOT KNOW the value and the uniqueness of his watch. As incomprehensible as it may be to some, HE DID NOT KNOW.

2. He completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Duke University in 1958, arrived on Kwajalien Atoll in July, and bought a "dive watch" in November. It wasn't anything special to him then..."it was just a watch".

3. In 1960, he started his Neurosurgery residency in Cleveland and, over the next decade or so, "wore the watch everyday". Over the succeeding decades, he wore the watch intermittently and, all most exclusively when he went diving about 3-4 months out of the year.

4. Dr, Saxton is an accomplished Neurosurgeon, something that gives him immense pride. He did everything, from pediatrics to adults with aneurysms. In todays world of "specialists", that is an amazing feat in itself! He was president of Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons from 1993-1994.

5. Dr. Saxton is an accomplished pilot, having logged more than 3500 hours in both power planes and gliders.

6. Dr. Saxton is an accomplished sailor. He owned a charter boat company in Antigua and sailed extensively in the Caribbean.

7. Dr. Saxton is an accomplished diver. He taught Superman how to dive! Not many people can say that!

8. Dr. Saxton is an accomplished woodworker. He has created some amazing pieces of furniture, from Windsor chairs to chest of drawers to decorative boxes. I have been privy to his work. They are exquisitely crafted and finished. One would expect nothing less from such an exacting man.

So, as one could see, Dr Saxton is a great many things. However, he is NOT the villainous, calculating shyster, who was out to dupe us allas has been implied by some.

How do I know all this? I took the time to meet and talk to the man. If he was truly out to deceive, defraud, swindle, and hoodwink all of us in the vintage Rolex community, then he deserves both the Golden Globe and the Oscar for his performance in the presence of Bob Ridley.

As a fellow VRFer eloquently stated, "Calumny is a breeze". A few unscrupulous, individuals with ulterior motives, perpetuated a great deal of misinformation through their own,self-serving, opinions. Unwittingly, their cynicism actually benefitted the buyer!

As for the person who won the watch, I can tell you that, for him, it was ALL about the watch. Robert Saxtons story was alluring. But, it was all about acquiring a beautiful rare, one owner, Big Crown. He did not care if it was from a prominent Italian collector or that it accompanied a brave soldier in a war off of Argentina. In the end, it was the watch that mattered.

Dr. Saxton and the owner met in the workshop of Bob Ridley to finalize the transaction on December 12, as both do not live far from him. Both felt that this well-respected watchmaker would be the ideal third party for the initial inspection and provide an unbiased evaluation.

Bob opened and examined the 5510. He was delighted and pleasantly surprised in the condition of the watch particularly the dial.

I am quite sure that this post will be scrutinized and maligned. So be it. I just want the facts to be out there.


Why? I simply want to correct the misinformation. If the truth is not presented or defended, then the lies become an accepted fact.



The Saxton 5510


Dr.Saxton hands over watch to Ridley


5510 in Bob's hand




Initial inspection




1530 movement


Caseback revealed service in 1971, which explains the bracelet mystery that worried some on VRF


Bob teaching Bob




"The best dial I have ever seen in a watch from this period" Robert Ridley













Thank you Bob Ridley for your expertise and generosity, Richard for your guidance, Orchi for your wisdom, and Mark Lerman for being a friend and a source of invaluable information...and thank you fellow VRF members for continuing to educate and inspire me.

In kind regards,
Vijay