SS GMT Master IIc bracelet problem fixed!

[ttrq01]

I have a SS GMT Master IIc purchased new three months ago. (By the way, I think the GMT Master IIc is the best watch being made today! I am a convert from a TT DJ as I have grown up in the generation where this was and still is the "it" watch for many people...I still love mine and will never part with it!)

In the first couple of weeks of wearing the watch I noticed something a little strange. The end of the articulated link part of the bracelet extended out of the clasp in such a way where it was misaligned.

See this pic with the end-link folded over:



Now, check out this next pic with the end-link fully extended:



Here is a pic (sorry for the bad quality) of the articulated end-link:



This misalignment was bugging the heck out of me so I went to a few AD's to compare my watch with their new ones in the display cases. Interestingly I found a couple that had a similar problem although none were nearly as severe as mine and then I talked with a really good Rolex watch tech who diagnosed my watch's problem as a slightly bent articulated link over the axis that folds over. It could barely be seen. Another way we could determine that the link was bent is that the pin was very hard to unscrew as it was bent and binding within the link chamber as the tech was trying to remove it which made it almost impossible to remove without damaging the slot at the top of the pin for the screwdriver. This was what was causing the misalignment seen in the pics above. Also, we figured out that a little bend was causing a lot of misalignment because of the way the articulated link is designed. So now I knew this had to be fixed.

So, the watch was sent back to my dealer where the articulated end-link AND also the clasp were both replaced and just returned to me. I now have a watch where the bracelet is perfectly aligned within the clasp. We are not sure if this was a manufacturing defect or if it was somehow damaged prior to my owning the watch (I took some of the plastic wrap off so I am comfortable it was not worn or sized). Note that I have not posted any "after" pics as the alignment is now "perfect" in comparison to the pics above. Also, I opted to buy the two parts and have the dealer fix them rather than be without my watch for a couple of months.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? If you do, be sure to check the articulated link for any problems.

Cheers!

[STEELINOX]

Well, this appears to be the "tell" of an impeding weld point failure...
And for you to find this on other GMTs in showcases leads me to believe that this may in fact be a "tooling" malignment for the GMT strap line...

This appears to be so frequent and occurring ONLY TO GMTs, that this can be the only answer as to why...

Thanks for bringin this to our attention...

[Ebruner]

Randy,

I am pretty sure the problem the OP had is on the opposite end of the clasp as the broken weld problems, so I don't believe one has anything to do with the other.

Yall let me know if I am seeing this wrong..

[STEELINOX]

Originally Posted by Ebruner

Randy,

I am pretty sure the problem the OP had is on the opposite end of the clasp as the broken weld problems, so I don't believe one has anything to do with the other.

Yall let me know if I am seeing this wrong..

oh !

[watcher54]

Just to be sure, is the easylink the same thing as the articulated end-link referenced above?

[ttrq01]

Originally Posted by watcher54

Just to be sure, is the easylink the same thing as the articulated end-link referenced above?

Yes it is.

[ttrq01]

Originally Posted by watcher54

Just to be sure, is the easylink the same thing as the articulated end-link referenced above?

Yes...Easylink = "articulated end-link" = "fold-over link" = the coolest thing!

[Z-Sub]

glad it worked out.
I never paid that close attention and now I'm going to check on all my watches....

[Woody]

I have exactly the same problem with my GMTII-C - I took it to RSC in London and they compared to a replacement bracelet that they had for another customer - both bracelets showed the same problem although mine was not quite as bad - they didn't offer to fix it so at the time I decided to leave it and just ask them to address when I had the watched serviced - it does bug me a bit and now I have your post/pictures I will be back to them to ask that they repair. Many thanks for your post.

[ttrq01]

Originally Posted by Woody

I have exactly the same problem with my GMTII-C - I took it to RSC in London and they compared to a replacement bracelet that they had for another customer - both bracelets showed the same problem although mine was not quite as bad - they didn't offer to fix it so at the time I decided to leave it and just ask them to address when I had the watched serviced - it does bug me a bit and now I have your post/pictures I will be back to them to ask that they repair. Many thanks for your post.

Per my post above, I saw a few new watches in the AD showcase that showed a simlar problem but not as severe and in fact one dealer said I should live with the problem...his tech even looked at it and couldn't see an issue. It took the watch tech at a second AD to diagnose the problem as unless you were looking for the bend in the Easylink, it was not noticable. But when he went to remove it and couldn't because of the bend, then he knew right away. My watch now is perfect. BTW, it is not clear to us how this link would get bent whether if it was made that way, bent during assembly or bent from use. It almost had to have happend after assemply or they could have never screwed the pin in as the tech had to really crank on it to remove it and he bent up the screw head.

Thank you for your interest in my post. Show your AD my pics...they don't lie but I wish I had one that actually showed the bent Easylink but my tech didn't return my parts to me. Good luck with your watch.

P.S. As you, I also originally was also going to live with this issue and address when the watch had it fisrt service but the more I looked at it the more it bugged me and I wanted it right and I am thrilled with the outcome. One more thing...I was at an AD this weekend and saw a new SS GTM IIc that was perfect so I am not convinced of how widespread the problem is.

P.S.S. One correction from my original post is that I opted to have the dealer replace the parts which I paid for rather then sending the watch out to Rolex for a warranty repair and not having it for 5-10+ weeks.

[glendon21]

Thanks that everything works out for good. Do you happen to get your old clasp code and what is your new clasp code also?

[ttrq01]

Originally Posted by glendon21

Thanks that everything works out for good. Do you happen to get your old clasp code and what is your new clasp code also?

I only have the new clasp code. It is "EO5".

[ttrq01]

Folks,

It looks like there are slight variants in the new clasp architecure...check this out including the bog entry in the first post:

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=101687