Are Rolex movements hand made?

[greg788]

Are Rolex movements assembled by hand or by machine?

The little information available on the subject is mixed. The Daytona video on the Rolex website says assembled by hand but I've also read comments of machine assembly.

Given their annual production volume, machine assembly would make total sense. Certainly Seiko and Mitoya do this for their base movements.

[lordcon]

I believe the actual movement components are machined. But the watch is assembled by hand. Polishing and finish of the case is by machine as well.

[gettocard]

Not even one single part.

[toolr]

The movement parts are machined as with most manufacturers, the movement assembly and regulation is by hand.

[Kapture1]

I think he's asking about assembly, not the manufacturing process.

I thought that part of the movement was assembled by hand

[padi56]

Originally Posted by gettocard

Not even one single part.

Today to those who think that mechanical watches are produced by hundreds of little elves, restlessly filing, smoothing, grinding, polishing watch parts. And that they are made by grey-haired little old watchmakers, sitting bent at their tables for countless hours, somewhere in the Swiss mountains afraid they would be vastly mistaken. Sure there is still a small percentage with the hands on approach but look at the figures 900000 watches a year.But only the bare uncased movements are tested at the Swiss COSC no winding rotor or hands or dial perhaps they get a hands on approach when movements are returned from testing, but even that could be done by machine IMHO.Now Rolex used to quote it takes 12 months to make a oyster this is what advertisement tries to sell us. But IMHO its light years away from reality, like much of todays marketing hype over the years past and present day.

Today, watch production primarily is an issue of engineers,computer tecs, and metallurgists,various technicians,and specially trained workers. The traditional watchmaking part is all but now the very last thing in modern watch production today.And then only when the movements are fully assembled in case and adjusted and finally checked on timing machine then to be shipped on to the ADs world wide..

Quote
Rolex launches its large-scale construction the goal of the new Rolex building project is to contain the entire watch movement making process to one building. Most of the parts distribution and much of the movement manufacturing process is totally automated by robotics.
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[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by padi56

Today to those who think that mechanical watches are produced by hundreds of little elves, restlessly filing, smoothing, grinding, polishing watch parts.

Rolex are ruthlessly mechanistic in their approach and their plant is absolute state of the art high tec when it comes to the manafacture and testing of watches. But, yes, the last liitle bit where they apply the hands and some of the face markings is by hand. There used to be a video of this on the Rolex site. So 99% of your watch is machine processed.