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Old 28 July 2021, 12:35 AM   #1
Phil t 32
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Rolex Service / Mainspring

Hi folks, just out of curiosity….(talking about my GMT II which is my daily wear and around 9 years old)

I was going to get it serviced this year as much as to ensure it’s ‘waterproofness’ as much as anything plus it didn’t seem to have the power reserve as it used to….anyway, I believe the mainspring beat me to it on Saturday, it suddenly stopped running and after I gave it a few winds it ran backwards for a few seconds.

My question is, would the mainspring typically be replaced as part of the service anyway or will it be an extra cost on top because it’s broken?

Thanks


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Old 28 July 2021, 01:25 AM   #2
padi56
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Originally Posted by Phil t 32 View Post
Hi folks, just out of curiosity….(talking about my GMT II which is my daily wear and around 9 years old)

I was going to get it serviced this year as much as to ensure it’s ‘waterproofness’ as much as anything plus it didn’t seem to have the power reserve as it used to….anyway, I believe the mainspring beat me to it on Saturday, it suddenly stopped running and after I gave it a few winds it ran backwards for a few seconds.

My question is, would the mainspring typically be replaced as part of the service anyway or will it be an extra cost on top because it’s broken?

Thanks


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Mainsprings are always replaced as part of service, and even Rolex don't make there own mainsprings and quite a cheap component to replace at service, mainsprings are made by a firm called Schwab-Feller AG.
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Old 28 July 2021, 05:35 AM   #3
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Mainsprings are always replaced as part of service, and even Rolex don't make there own mainsprings and quite a cheap component to replace at service, mainsprings are made by a firm called Schwab-Feller AG.
This is correct
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Rolex uses rare elves to polish the platinum. They have a union deal and make like $90 per hour and get time and half on weekends.
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Old 28 July 2021, 02:17 AM   #4
Phil t 32
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Thank you for the prompt reply Padi, off to the AD tomorrow for a service


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Old 28 July 2021, 02:40 AM   #5
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Thank you for the prompt reply Padi, off to the AD tomorrow for a service
Make sure that you know what is going to happen to your watch from the Dealer. Rolex RSC replaces mainsprings as a matter of course. Some independents will charge extra for all parts.
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Old 28 July 2021, 02:23 AM   #6
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The Parachrom hairspring, an alloy of niobium, zirconium and oxygen, is entirely manufactured in-house by Rolex.
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Old 28 July 2021, 02:30 AM   #7
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The Parachrom hairspring, an alloy of niobium, zirconium and oxygen, is entirely manufactured in-house by Rolex.
Might I suggest you stick to timegraphers as the poster asked about mainsprings, and not hairsprings, which is a totally different component.
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Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again.

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Old 28 July 2021, 02:46 AM   #8
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Might I suggest you stick to timegraphers as the poster asked about mainsprings, and not hairsprings, which is a totally different component.
:rofl :: rofl:
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Old 28 July 2021, 05:16 AM   #9
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:rofl :: rofl:
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Old 28 July 2021, 05:23 AM   #10
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+1

+2. Good to clearly read before jumping the gun..
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Old 28 July 2021, 03:58 AM   #11
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Might I suggest you stick to timegraphers as the poster asked about mainsprings, and not hairsprings, which is a totally different component.
What a Harsh and Rude response !
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Old 28 July 2021, 04:27 AM   #12
saxo3
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Rolex Service / Mainspring

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What a Harsh and Rude response !
Uneducated and w/o Manners
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Old 28 July 2021, 05:41 AM   #13
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Uneducated and w/o Manners
Well well well now, please don't exaggerate.

Your post about the hairspring is completely irrelevant and useless in this thread, Peter just called you out on it.

Also, your remarks of other people's intelligence / education are getting a bit old. Also makes me question your intelligence, actually.
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Rolex uses rare elves to polish the platinum. They have a union deal and make like $90 per hour and get time and half on weekends.
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Old 28 July 2021, 06:17 AM   #14
padi56
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What a Harsh and Rude response !
Nothing harsh or rude with my reply just stating the facts,but your post and Mr Saxa post is a more rude response..
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All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only.

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever."
Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again.

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Old 30 July 2021, 07:41 AM   #15
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Nothing harsh or rude with my reply just stating the facts,but your post and Mr Saxa post is a more rude response..
Peter,
There is no need for you to respond.
You may have been a tad abrasive and unsympathetic, but you certainly hit the mark and mirrored my thoughts exactly.
We are a broad church indeed

And Bas is reading my mind as well
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Old 28 July 2021, 02:30 AM   #16
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You are good to go on a standard service as the mainspring is a disposable part. They will still use the barrel on your older movement. Cost of general service will be the same unless they find something more significant besides the mainspring.

Point of interest on the new 32 series movements, the barrel and mainspring are a disposable part in a routine service.
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Old 28 July 2021, 06:27 AM   #17
Ron P
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In my days, when working for a Rolex AD, we replaced in the full service always the complete barrel with arbor and mainspring. No exceptions.
This makes sense for you want the watch to run for a long time without any issue till the next service.
And knowing you have people who service their watch every 5 years on one end and others only after 15 years, so if you start with a working, but mildly worn barrel with only the mainspring replaced you can be quite sure that after another 5 or 10 years the barrel wall is worn out leading to a very reduced amplitude and power reserve. So we always replaced the barrel complete. This applied on all models so not only the 32xx series.
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Old 30 July 2021, 07:44 AM   #18
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In my days, when working for a Rolex AD, we replaced in the full service always the complete barrel with arbor and mainspring. No exceptions.
This makes sense for you want the watch to run for a long time without any issue till the next service.
And knowing you have people who service their watch every 5 years on one end and others only after 15 years, so if you start with a working, but mildly worn barrel with only the mainspring replaced you can be quite sure that after another 5 or 10 years the barrel wall is worn out leading to a very reduced amplitude and power reserve. So we always replaced the barrel complete. This applied on all models so not only the 32xx series.
Understandable and I'm sure best industry practice
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Old 28 July 2021, 06:43 AM   #19
saxo3
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Originally Posted by Phil t 32 View Post
My question is, would the mainspring typically be replaced as part of the service anyway or will it be an extra cost on top because it’s broken?

Thanks
OP, please take note that I had simply misread your post and provided a factual feedback about the Parachrom hairspring, instead of the mainspring, which you had asked about.

That was not my intention, sorry for your thread.
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Old 28 July 2021, 08:20 AM   #20
djyolky
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Originally Posted by Phil t 32 View Post
Hi folks, just out of curiosity….(talking about my GMT II which is my daily wear and around 9 years old)

I was going to get it serviced this year as much as to ensure it’s ‘waterproofness’ as much as anything plus it didn’t seem to have the power reserve as it used to….anyway, I believe the mainspring beat me to it on Saturday, it suddenly stopped running and after I gave it a few winds it ran backwards for a few seconds.

My question is, would the mainspring typically be replaced as part of the service anyway or will it be an extra cost on top because it’s broken?

Thanks


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Yes, standard service covers the main spring.

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Old 28 July 2021, 08:38 PM   #21
Phil t 32
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Thanks all for taking the time to reply and share your knowledge, it’s appreciated

@saxo3, no need to apologise, worse things happen at sea, as they say


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