Rolex Repair

[Targa Me]

Hello Everyone,

If you own a Rolex and it needs repair, do you take it to your local watch repair guy or do you seek out an official Rolex repair shop.

If you do take your watch to a general independent shop, how do you ensure the inner workings are still your original Rolex movements?

Thanks in advance.
LE

[RNajarian]

Good Question

I prefer to go to an authorized Rolex dealer for the reasons you stated.

However, I have a friend who is able to service my watch so I go to him. If I did not know him and 100% trust the jeweler I would bite the bullet and go to the dealer.

[Targa Me]

I have a trusted watch repair guy that won't repair Rolex watches any more. He says it takes to long and he doesn't make a profit on it.
He told me for a general cleaning and replacement of the main spring i should pay no more than $400 to $500.
I called the authorized Rolex dealer and they quoted me $850 to $1000. Ouch.

[HardDrive]

I just paid $600 for a full monty service on my Omega from factory dealer. Very pleased with the results.

[Erakad]

Have always taken it to an authorized Rolex dealer...pricey, but you know there won't be any "substitutions".

[vash]

The knob recently pulled out of my Tudor. I had a jewelry shop send it directly to Rolex for the repair. They did the full tune also Wasn’t cheap at all. But whatever. It was legit.

[mgatepi]

My best friend of 50+ years owns a jewelry store. He sends it to a reputable repair service, not rolex direct.
Still expensive, but it comes back fantastic.

[Rinty]

I went through this a few years ago, and learned my lesson. The watch went to two local watch repair guys, who couldn't get the job done, and I finally ended up at the local dealer, who sent it to Rolex's service centre in Toronto for service.

[javadog]

I used the Rolex factory service center in Dallas for three decades. Always got back a perfectly finished and beautifully running watch. I once tried the country’s largest independent service center for one of my wife’s watches and it quit running a year after the service. I never used an independent again.

A service at the Rolex factory service centers includes a complete refinishing of the case and bracelet, along with the internal service. It’s a lot better deal than it first seems.

[ErVikingo]

Well this is something I have been through. Rolex will cost $1K (IMHO) 90% of the times (experience with 4 of their time pieces during 3 decades). It comes back usually perfect.

Now, they wont work with all Rolex's (odd i know). I have a very low volume Rolex watch which they wont service anymore and I'm afraid of losing it was my late father's watch. I sent it to Rolex Service and they returned it with a note politely declining to service it.

For the record, the movement is caliber 1570 movement so nothing different but it is a Reference 1530 Oyster Perpetual Date of which less than 1500 were made. Why wouldn't they service one of their standard movements? I have never gotten a reasonable answer.

No choice but to go to a local shop. I still paid $1K, came back fantastic and still works perfectly 5 years later.

Perhaps I got lucky with the local guy (too bad you retired Robert) his attention to detail was fantastic. When it was all said and done he offered to buy it from me at appraisal value which I denied.

If its for a clean and lube, you might be able to get away with a local job but, if you really like your watch (and they accept to service it), go straight to the mothership.

Next time I want to service mine, I don't know where to send it.

[javadog]

The last time I spoke to someone at the Rolex Service Center, they noted that they were running out of spare parts for some of the older movements. If they don’t have the parts to correctly service a watch to their own high standards, they won’t do it.

[spuggy]

If you need warranty, apparently since 2017 only the Dallas and NYC RSCs are doing that.

I've used the Rolex Service Center in San Francisco since the 90's and see no reason to change at all - even though they're now under new ownership, still the same guys working there. When they popped the back cover off booking it in, the guy showed me his initials from 1996...

They'll do what you want, within reason.

I'm told the official RSCs will do things like use service dials, hands etc. according to policy - you don't get a choice. And they don't care if the watch was much more collectible with a "spider dial" or a particular font date ring/bezel, tastefully creamy colored hands etc.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by javadog

A service at the Rolex factory service centers includes a complete refinishing of the case and bracelet,

And a over-polished case and/or bracelet may look shiny, but makes the watch much less desirable to many.

There's entire forums for watch enthusiasts. These guys really know their stuff https://www.rolexforums.com/index.php

[ErVikingo]

Originally Posted by javadog

The last time I spoke to someone at the Rolex Service Center, they noted that they were running out of spare parts for some of the older movements. If they don’t have the parts to correctly service a watch to their own high standards, they won’t do it.

Yup

[javadog]

Originally Posted by spuggy

If you need warranty, apparently since 2017 only the Dallas and NYC RSCs are doing that.

I've used the Rolex Service Center in San Francisco since the 90's and see no reason to change at all - even though they're now under new ownership, still the same guys working there. When they popped the back cover off booking it in, the guy showed me his initials from 1996...

They'll do what you want, within reason.

I'm told the official RSCs will do things like use service dials, hands etc. according to policy - you don't get a choice. And they don't care if the watch was much more collectible with a "spider dial" or a particular font date ring/bezel, tastefully creamy colored hands etc.

That’s nonsense, you do get a choice. You can approve or decline whatever you wish. When I had them service my 5512, I was quite explicit as to what they could or couldn’t do. They had no problem with it.

Originally Posted by spuggy

And a over-polished case and/or bracelet may look shiny, but makes the watch much less desirable to many.

There's entire forums for watch enthusiasts. These guys really know their stuff https://www.rolexforums.com/index.php

I’m not one of those idiots that likes a beat-up looking watch because it has “patina.“ Frankly, I liked my watches to look like they just came out of the factory workshop yesterday. And that’s generally what you get when Rolex refinishes a case or a bracelet. I’ve never seen them over polish anything, it looks like it did when it left the factory. That’s definitely something you can’t always say for independent service facilities or local contractors, they simply don’t have the time, skill and equipment to do what Rolex does.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by javadog

That’s nonsense, you do get a choice. You can approve or decline whatever you wish. When I had them service my 5512, I was quite explicit as to what they could or couldn’t do. They had no problem with it.

The experience you report is apparently not consistent with everyone's.

Originally Posted by javadog

I’m not one of those idiots that likes a beat-up looking watch because it has “patina.“ Frankly, I liked my watches to look like they just came out of the factory workshop yesterday. And that’s generally what you get when Rolex refinishes a case or a bracelet. I’ve never seen them over polish anything, it looks like it did when it left the factory. That’s definitely something you can’t always say for independent service facilities or local contractors, they simply don’t have the time, skill and equipment to do what Rolex does.

Wow. So ignoring the aspects of your reply that border on ad hominem insinuation, you can speak for the practices of every RSC worldwide, over years of experience? And you can broadly summarize all independents as well? Because, y'know, that's a what multiple respondents in a dedicated watch forum essentially do - give a broad window into practices over many AD's and RSCs - as well as independents.

I'm out. This particular conversation is clearly pointless. And you seem like a poopy-head.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by spuggy

And a over-polished case and/or bracelet may look shiny, but makes the watch much less desirable to many.

There's entire forums for watch enthusiasts. These guys really know their stuff https://www.rolexforums.com/index.php

That would be me...we all have different tastes. When I have my Omega Seamaster serviced, I ask that they leave the bezel ring alone. I like it "salty".

Granted, it is just an Omega

[javadog]

Originally Posted by spuggy

The experience you report is apparently not consistent with everyone's.

Originally Posted by spuggy

Wow. So ignoring the aspects of your reply that border on ad hominem insinuation, you can speak for the practices of every RSC worldwide, over years of experience? And you can broadly summarize all independents as well? Because, y'know, that's a what multiple respondents in a dedicated watch forum essentially do - give a broad window into practices over many AD's and RSCs - as well as independents.

I'm out. This particular conversation is clearly pointless. And you seem like a poopy-head.

I'm a poopyhead, huh? Sorry to offend your tender sensibilities. I wasn't singling you out, just commenting on the usual noise I see these threads. Let me elaborate.

I was a watch geek most of my life. Got my first watch in the 1960's (a Timex) and got my first mechanical Swiss watch (Stainless steel, 25 jewel Rolex day/date clone made by Titoni) in that same decade. Bought my first Rolex in 1982. I've owned multiple models from each of the Date, Datejust, Explorer, GMT, Submariner, Cosmograph and Day/Date lines, along with similar models from their cousins at Tudor. I've owned a slew of watches from other houses such as Omega, Vacheron Constantine, Patek Phillipe and a handful of smaller, boutique brands. At the height of my watch madness, I had roughly two dozen watches to pick from on a given day. I have had them serviced all over the world, according to what resources were available for a particular brand.

I only took my Rolexes and Tudors to the factory service centers. In the US, which is what we're discussing in this thread, there are two. Some people would lump San Fran into the list of factory service centers, I never did. The facilities there were never the same as Dallas or New York. Been there, seen that, take my word for it.

I always hand delivered my watches to the service centers, usually in Dallas. I always waited to let them disassemble and evaluate the watches, so we could come up with a plan on what to do. 90% of the time, it was nothing more than a routine service, so there was nothing much to discuss. In special cases, like the service of the 5512 referenced above, I spoke to the actual guy that was going to service my watch, to address any particular concerns about originality. None of this was any different than what was available to anybody that walked through their doors. If you mail a watch to them, you should receive the same treatment, although you may find it more difficult to communicate your wishes long distance, as you'll be dealing with the ladies that staff the front desk and not the guys in the back that work on the watches. If you send it through a dealer, all bets are off, as you've now introduced another layer in between you and them.

I do find it peculiar when someone complains about them doing unauthorized work. They will not proceed on any work until you've signed the proposal they create which lists ALL of the work that will be done, including any possible refinishing tasks to the visible parts of the watch and the replacement of any major parts such as hands, dials, bezels and crystals. All of those things are ALWAYS delineated on the proposal that you sign. It's as clear as day. They always use the correct parts for each watch, only substituting other, interchangeable parts if they have no stock of the originals. They will not use incorrect parts, not will they work on a watch that has incorrect (typically aftermarket, or not original to a specific model) parts fitted, unless you agree to first let them replace the incorrect parts with correct ones from Rolex. If you have a vintage Sub and you want to keep the original bezel, for instance, as long as they can return the watch to you fully serviced and passing all of the waterproofing tests, they are happy to do that. Likewise with things like hands, which are generally a cosmetic issue and not a functional issue. It's no big deal and I've been through this more times than most, so I tend to question any reports to the contrary. My guess is that any people that were disappointed with them doing "unauthorized" things were simply not engaged in the process and the fault lies with them and not Rolex.

As for the '"over-polishing"... I've never seen that. Most surfaces on a Roles are not polished, but brushed, and the service centers do those finishes in the same way as the factory did. I've never had a Rolex with a case or bracelet so worn that it couldn't be returned to factory fresh looking. I've even taken a watch down there for a friend (one of my old Submariners that I had sold to him) after he damaged it in a motorcycle wreck. He ran out of talent on his Harley in a 60 MPH corner, ran off the road and hit a road sign with his wrist, which immediately turned his bars and spit him off the bike. He ended up in a ditch with a compound fracture of his arm and the Rolex was scattered in 4 different places. After he was safely in the hospital and his bike was parked somewhere that I could get it later, I went back and searched the ditch for the watch pieces. The bracelet was in three pieces and the case was somewhere else. I took all that to Dallas and they put it all back together and refinished everything and it looks and works just fine today. So, I can't picture a watch that's so bad that they can't fix it.

I haven't used every independent in the US, obviously, so I can't comment on all of them. I'll say this, though. None of them have the technical resources of Rolex, none of them have the same access to parts, most of them have nowhere near the equipment or expertise and none of them add the same value to the provenance of a watch. My experience has been limited to using the biggest (some say best) independent facility in the US and the experiences of my wife sometimes using the local "Rolex factory trained guru" in my town when she'd occasionally buy me a vintage Rolex and have it serviced before giving it to me. Not one single example of that ever turned out well. Not one. Not one time did I ever take a watch to Rolex and have a problem. See how I come by my recommendations?

Lastly, about those watch forums. I, too, was a member of them for years under a variety of names. I'm quite familiar with what goes on there and what knowledge exists. Like all forums, there's a mix of good information and uninformed bull****. It never took long to figure out who was who. My involvement went deeper than that, though. I bought all of the commercially available books on Rolex (and a few other brands), as well as collected their catalogs and subscribed to all of the watch magazines. I bought all of the annual watch compilation books, to stay abreast of the market. I got to know some of the big names in the Rolex world, guys like James Dowling, for instance. That 5512 I mentioned was one of the watches I eventually bought from him.

I could go on, but why beat a dead horse? My advice is what it is, take it or leave it. I think I'm well informed on the subject but others might disagree. I don't really care at this point. I've reached the curmudgeon phase of life. Different fish to fry now.

[Rick Lee]

I only owned a Rolex for a short time and didn't have to have it serviced. But Breitling's US service center ensured I'd never go to them again for non-warranty work. I have a local shop that has overhauled my ChronoAvenger twice in the last 10 years, the first time was because I dropped it on a hard floor. They recently overhauled an IWC Aquatimer for me. They made a mistake, but they made it right and I can just pop in anytime, since they're local. With Breitling and Sinn, it was months and months of waiting. I know it's not uncommon to have a long lead time. But in Breitling's case, they screwed up twice, requiring me to go through the wait three times before it was finally right. I've heard good things about the Dallas RSC, though.

[aschen]

If you own a modern Rolex and arnt too concerned about originality of parts or polishing I think an RSC is a safe bet, I think you could save a few bucks on a normal disassembly/clean/relube service with a quality independant. Just like specialty cars or anything else really.

If you have something old and/or collectible and you want it to stay looking old and collectible I think a bit more research is warranted and you can come to your own conclusions on what you value. I would never allow any polishing or switching out of a scrached up bezel insert on 50+ year old GMT for example but I guess that makes me a wierdo. 80s two tone datejust, make er look new and enjoy as a new watch.