3186 issues?

[danjasinski]

I have a 2011 polar explorer 2, with a 3186 movement. I purchased it about 8 months ago without no known service history. I sent it to a Rolex plaque service AD late last year, and they told me it was good to go, no service needed. However recently, the watch is randomly stopping. I take it off every night, as I’ve done with this watch and my seamaster over the past 3-4 years, and have never had an issue with daily wear not giving it enough power reserve up until 2 weeks ago.

I took it to a local Rolex Plaque AD service center yesterday, and they put it on a timegrapher and opened the case back and said it’s running great, lubrication is good and the movement is clean. They did a full wind, so I got it home and let it sit, and it stopped after 20 hrs.

Maybe it wasn’t fully wound so I put it on a winder for a day and then I’ll let it sit again to see what happens.

Has anyone experienced this, or have recommendations? I appreciate the jewelers being honest and not recommending a service bc they say it’s not needed, but it just feels like something is not right with it.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by danjasinski

I have a 2011 polar explorer 2, with a 3186 movement. I purchased it about 8 months ago without no known service history. I sent it to a Rolex plaque service AD late last year, and they told me it was good to go, no service needed. However recently, the watch is randomly stopping. I take it off every night, as I’ve done with this watch and my seamaster over the past 3-4 years, and have never had an issue with daily wear not giving it enough power reserve up until 2 weeks ago.

I took it to a local Rolex Plaque AD service center yesterday, and they put it on a timegrapher and opened the case back and said it’s running great, lubrication is good and the movement is clean. They did a full wind, so I got it home and let it sit, and it stopped after 20 hrs.

Maybe it wasn’t fully wound so I put it on a winder for a day and then I’ll let it sit again to see what happens.

Has anyone experienced this, or have recommendations? I appreciate the jewelers being honest and not recommending a service bc they say it’s not needed, but it just feels like something is not right with it.

It depends on how they wound it to fully wind watch would need at least 40 full crown turns clockwise only as they only wind on the forward turn.And most all of these machine winder things will only top up to whatever the mainspring power-reserve had to start with.

[danjasinski]

Yeah that was my thought, did they really wind it fully, but I’m assuming if the trained Rolex watchmaker says he did, then he did. I understand that when the watch is running the timegrapher looks good, and lubrication looks good, but I have never had an issue where my daily wear did not keep a watch charged throughout the night.

I did some winding yesterday and let it sit face up starting at around 3pm. This morning I picked it up and time was accurate and hadn’t stopped. I set it back down and checked an hour later, it stopped a couple minutes after I set it down the first time. It’s like something is loose in side that causes the movement to stop.

I know I need to just tell them to do a service, it’s just frustrating they don’t agree!

[danjasinski]

Well i just dropped it off at a different plaque repair AD, and they were much more receptive to seeing if they could figure out the problem. Looks like I’ll do a full service so I know I’m covered for 2 years if the issue returns.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by danjasinski

. . .
Maybe it wasn’t fully wound so I put it on a winder for a day and then I’ll let it sit again to see what happens.

. . .

A winder doesn't really wind it, it is intended to keep it at a constant state of wind.

Wind it fully, at least 40 turns to make your power test.

It is not unusual at all for a watch to stop overnight if the user is not active enough to put more than the nights wind into it.

[danjasinski]

I made a 2hr drive to drop it off at another plaque service AD that came highly recommended. Yesterday, the actual watchmaker called to tell me it’s not auto winding because everything is dried up. Funny how the first place that ‘opened’ the watch didn’t t see this. Proceeding with a full service and they are reducing the price for not getting a polish. $700 vs $850. And now I have the added reassurance of a two year Rolex service warranty.

[Goatrope]

Originally Posted by danjasinski

I made a 2hr drive to drop it off at another plaque service AD that came highly recommended. Yesterday, the actual watchmaker called to tell me it’s not auto winding because everything is dried up. Funny how the first place that ‘opened’ the watch didn’t t see this. Proceeding with a full service and they are reducing the price for not getting a polish. $700 vs $850. And now I have the added reassurance of a two year Rolex service warranty.

Sounds like a win!

Thanks for the follow-up.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by danjasinski

I made a 2hr drive to drop it off at another plaque service AD that came highly recommended. Yesterday, the actual watchmaker called to tell me it’s not auto winding because everything is dried up. Funny how the first place that ‘opened’ the watch didn’t t see this. Proceeding with a full service and they are reducing the price for not getting a polish. $700 vs $850. And now I have the added reassurance of a two year Rolex service warranty.

Excellent
Now you know somewhere reasonable to go to for servicing

Please let us know how it goes regarding timekeeping and Auto winding when you get it back from service?