New Rolex Owner (passed down). Broke it, freaking out!

[Ppolicar]

Hello all,

Newbie here. Basically I came here because I found this forum as I was searching google for answers.

I am in a bit of a pickle.

My dad has a few rolexes and last Christmas, he handed down to me his first Rolex. (I turned 25 last year and got engaged - quite a milestone year).

The rolex is an old Rolex Oysterdate Precision, 6694.

The thing is, he barely wore that Rolex and it wasn't in the best condition. So me being me, I looked around the Internet to see what I should do to take care of it properly.

My dad said he couldn't remember if he ever got it serviced.. Probably not. So I looked around for a place in Vancouver that services old rolexes. The obvious places didn't, but I did find one place that does (my fiancé's mother and aunt have vintage Rolex datejusts and they both take their watches there).

So I paid $420 to get it serviced there. A week later the watch was ready and he said he oiled everything, made it waterproof again and cleaned everything up. He replaced a bushing. Apparently this was the first time that it was ever serviced.

However, the result was less than desirable. The watch kept time very well now (gaining only like 3 seconds a day). However the second hand would sometime 'skip'.. It would stop for a quarter of a second then skip forward to catch up.

I brought it back and the guy immediately knew what was wrong with it. He said just had to tighten the 'spring'. He seemed confident what the issue was so I left the watch with him again.

A few hours later he called me to pick up the watch. I collected.. And my heart sank.. The watch had stopped. I complained and he seemed surprised.

He opened up the watch and he tried to figure out what was wrong. To his credit he admitted his fault right away. He said as he tightened the part that he needed to tighten, he bent a part. I don't know the name of the part, but I attached a picture of the part.

He took the watch back and he said he'll fix it and make sure it's all good. Which is good. But I'm now very worried.

Does anyone know if the guy had made a 'fatal error'? I saw the part when bent and it was slightly bent but would he now have to somehow source that same part? What the heck happened?

What should I do? Should I try source a new original part for it? What would you guys do in my position?

Thank you very much in advance for your help. Feeling kind of lost here - very new at this!

Phil

[ref1655]

your first mistake was bringing your watch to this guy but since hindsight is always 20/20, seek out a qualified independent RSC in your area & have them give the watch a thorough going over. you might also try to seek a refund from this butcher as it's obvious he's clueless when it comes to servicing older Rolexes. in the event you paid by credit card, it shouldn't be a problem...just cancel the charge citing unsatisfactory customer service.

keep in mind that the longer this guy putters around on your watch, the more expensive it's going to be to repair it properly.

[R.W.T.]

Now let's not jump to conclusions here. I'm not sure what is actually going on in this case.

The word being used "bent" is the coarser term for adjusted. That is how it IS adjusted. We don't say BENT in watch repair. :-) At any rate unless it broke (which it can at the pipe if they are adjusted too many times) he should be able to right it without too much problem.

The part is the sweep seconds tension spring. To add tension you adjust it by bending it downward at the pipe or raise it to lessen it. Proper tension insures a tight secure meshing between the pinion below it, that the seconds hand attaches to, and the independent sweep drive wheel that is attached to the third wheel. The pinion is not bushed or jeweled in anyway. It floats freely inside the center wheel and exits on the dial side. It can be a little sloppy and the tension spring insures that the 2 sets of teeth mesh well and have a consistent motion.

This movement is sometimes tricky. The sweep drive wheel (the big gold one with 5 spokes above the tip of that spring) runs VERY close to the caseback on these watches. VERY. The back is very shallow. The position of that pressed on sweep drive wheel is very critical. Too LOW and it drags the bridges...too HIGH and it may hit the caseback, especially if the the gasket is somewhat thin and the back is tightened more than necessary to insure a seal. Also because of the close tolerance there if the sweep drive wheel is bent or untrue in any way...and very often they are and it doesn't effect the time keeping to any great degree...it may touch one surface or the other. It may need a little truing.

Now with the watch being as pristine as it is one wouldn't think that the wheel would be out of true.

This is a very standard, extremely simple movement...but this area in these applications is one of its quirks.

The original second hand skipping is due to not enough pressure...this is a kind of hunt and peck exercise. You want the tension to be just enough to keep the hand steady but not so much that it creates a drag on the train reducing the amplitude. It's not, how can I say, it's not an exact or duplicable process that is universal on every watch of the same model. Each movement will behave slightly differently. Some can be VERY persnickety in this area. Sometimes I have found that if the little round end of the tension spring is angled slightly up to where there is a little sideways pushing of the pinion more Into the drive wheel the skipping is alleviated with less tension, rather than flat and directly coming down over the top of the pinion.

Just let him make the adjustments. Don't freak yet. Nothing here sounds life threatening to me.

[dysondiver]

great info ,,, rwt

[77T]

As RWT explained, that watchmaker prolly won't cause new problem with that fiddly adjustment. And if he actually "boogers it up royally" (not a watchmaker's term) you'll still be able to have it properly corrected by a better watchmaker, or the RSC.

One point I'd add if he just gives up on you and that symptom persists, it doesn't affect true accuracy for the sweep seconds hand to skip.
So you could just wait - if you can tolerate it - until its next service is due...

[harry in montreal]

I think with any antique you have to iron out the faults. I think you will be happy with the end result. Sit tight. I was just in upstate ny and the crown ofmy Tudor sub came off in my hand as it separated from the stem. This watch was also an unrestored watch I had overhAuld. It's normal and I am certain it will work out well. I have a good guy here in Montreal if you ever travel here. He is reasonable

[belligero]

I wouldn't stress too much over it; they're simple and tough, but it's typical for these older indirectly-driven-seconds movements to take bit of trial and error.

The bend in that tensioning spring for the seconds hand can be tricky to get right. As you've experienced, too loose and the seconds hand can skip around erratically, too tight and the movement doesn't run right or stops.

Don't bother getting any new parts, as it sounds like the watch is completely fine and the spring just needed some normal adjusting. That's far from being a fatal error; it sounds like he's just being honest with you and I think that's commendable.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by 77T

As RWT explained, that watchmaker prolly won't cause new problem with that fiddly adjustment. And if he actually "boogers it up royally" (not a watchmaker's term) you'll still be able to have it properly corrected by a better watchmaker, or the RSC.

One point I'd add if he just gives up on you and that symptom persists, it doesn't affect true accuracy for the sweep seconds hand to skip.
So you could just wait - if you can tolerate it - until its next service is due...

Like you said in another thread: Reading is fundamental methinks.

[Thenicknackman]

Originally Posted by R.W.T.

Now let's not jump to conclusions here. I'm not sure what is actually going on in this case.

The word being used "bent" is the coarser term for adjusted. That is how it IS adjusted. We don't say BENT in watch repair. :-) At any rate unless it broke (which it can at the pipe if they are adjusted too many times) he should be able to right it without too much problem.

The part is the sweep seconds tension spring. To add tension you adjust it by bending it downward at the pipe or raise it to lessen it. Proper tension insures a tight secure meshing between the pinion below it, that the seconds hand attaches to, and the independent sweep drive wheel that is attached to the third wheel. The pinion is not bushed or jeweled in anyway. It floats freely inside the center wheel and exits on the dial side. It can be a little sloppy and the tension spring insures that the 2 sets of teeth mesh well and have a consistent motion.

This movement is sometimes tricky. The sweep drive wheel (the big gold one with 5 spokes above the tip of that spring) runs VERY close to the caseback on these watches. VERY. The back is very shallow. The position of that pressed on sweep drive wheel is very critical. Too LOW and it drags the bridges...too HIGH and it may hit the caseback, especially if the the gasket is somewhat thin and the back is tightened more than necessary to insure a seal. Also because of the close tolerance there if the sweep drive wheel is bent or untrue in any way...and very often they are and it doesn't effect the time keeping to any great degree...it may touch one surface or the other. It may need a little truing.

Now with the watch being as pristine as it is one wouldn't think that the wheel would be out of true.

This is a very standard, extremely simple movement...but this area in these applications is one of its quirks.

The original second hand skipping is due to not enough pressure...this is a kind of hunt and peck exercise. You want the tension to be just enough to keep the hand steady but not so much that it creates a drag on the train reducing the amplitude. It's not, how can I say, it's not an exact or duplicable process that is universal on every watch of the same model. Each movement will behave slightly differently. Some can be VERY persnickety in this area. Sometimes I have found that if the little round end of the tension spring is angled slightly up to where there is a little sideways pushing of the pinion more Into the drive wheel the skipping is alleviated with less tension, rather than flat and directly coming down over the top of the pinion.

Just let him make the adjustments. Don't freak yet. Nothing here sounds life threatening to me.

Thanks for posting this - really interesting!

[belligero]

Originally Posted by R.W.T.

[...]Just let him make the adjustments. Don't freak yet. Nothing here sounds life threatening to me.

Regrets; not sure how I missed this post.

Perfect answer.

[michael067]

If you can spot a second hand that "skips"'a quarter of a second, you should think about a carter as a Major League Baseball umpire.

Hope it all works out. Older timepieces and
Movements can be very tricky. Have an RSC look at it, they will fix it properly.

[Ppolicar]

thank you all for the very very enlightening responses!
I shall sit tight and will let you guys know as to the outcome.

Thank you especially to R.W.T. ... Really insightful post on the issue!

Originally Posted by michael067

If you can spot a second hand that "skips"'a quarter of a second, you should think about a carter as a Major League Baseball umpire.

Hope it all works out. Older timepieces and
Movements can be very tricky. Have an RSC look at it, they will fix it properly.

I cheated... hehe I can definitely see the stutters..and sometimes it would stop for a full second before resetting. However, more often than not it would be a quarter of a second to half a second. Far more difficult to quantify with the naked eye.
How I found out: before giving the watch to him I filmed the watch's movement for a whole minute in 240fps slow motion on my iphone.
And again after he gave the watch back to me. I wanted to make sure it was all good (6 beats a second).

[Ppolicar]

Just an update: a week later the guy called me and said my watch was ready.
I went in and all is well! I asked if he needed to replace the part and he said nope i Just adjusted it to make it less tight.
you guys were right!

Thank you all!
I think i've been bit by the rolex bite. I suspect this won't be my first and last rolex!

Thanks again

Phil

[marcusjcw21]

No error in a watch movement is a fatal error. Every part can be fixed/replaced. Except the dial and polishing off the serial number/reference number and case back stampings.

[TimRolex]

Originally Posted by R.W.T.

We don't say BENT in watch repair.

...

To add tension you adjust it by bending it

This made me chuckle

[R.W.T.]

Originally Posted by TimRolex

This made me chuckle

It was something that my watchmaking mentor/teacher told me early on with a kind of a wry smile. :-)

I may have been asking about this very adjustment lol.

T

[R.W.T.]

Originally Posted by Ppolicar

Just an update: a week later the guy called me and said my watch was ready.
I went in and all is well! I asked if he needed to replace the part and he said nope i Just adjusted it to make it less tight.
you guys were right!

Thank you all!
I think i've been bit by the rolex bite. I suspect this won't be my first and last rolex!

Thanks again

Phil

Glad it worked out okay Phil! Never freak out :-)

Generally anything as was stated above can somehow be addressed excepting what he also mentioned.

[scooba]

Originally Posted by R.W.T.

Now let's not jump to conclusions here. I'm not sure what is actually going on in this case.

The word being used "bent" is the coarser term for adjusted. That is how it IS adjusted. We don't say BENT in watch repair. :-) At any rate unless it broke (which it can at the pipe if they are adjusted too many times) he should be able to right it without too much problem.

The part is the sweep seconds tension spring. To add tension you adjust it by bending it downward at the pipe or raise it to lessen it. Proper tension insures a tight secure meshing between the pinion below it, that the seconds hand attaches to, and the independent sweep drive wheel that is attached to the third wheel. The pinion is not bushed or jeweled in anyway. It floats freely inside the center wheel and exits on the dial side. It can be a little sloppy and the tension spring insures that the 2 sets of teeth mesh well and have a consistent motion.

This movement is sometimes tricky. The sweep drive wheel (the big gold one with 5 spokes above the tip of that spring) runs VERY close to the caseback on these watches. VERY. The back is very shallow. The position of that pressed on sweep drive wheel is very critical. Too LOW and it drags the bridges...too HIGH and it may hit the caseback, especially if the the gasket is somewhat thin and the back is tightened more than necessary to insure a seal. Also because of the close tolerance there if the sweep drive wheel is bent or untrue in any way...and very often they are and it doesn't effect the time keeping to any great degree...it may touch one surface or the other. It may need a little truing.

Now with the watch being as pristine as it is one wouldn't think that the wheel would be out of true.

This is a very standard, extremely simple movement...but this area in these applications is one of its quirks.

The original second hand skipping is due to not enough pressure...this is a kind of hunt and peck exercise. You want the tension to be just enough to keep the hand steady but not so much that it creates a drag on the train reducing the amplitude. It's not, how can I say, it's not an exact or duplicable process that is universal on every watch of the same model. Each movement will behave slightly differently. Some can be VERY persnickety in this area. Sometimes I have found that if the little round end of the tension spring is angled slightly up to where there is a little sideways pushing of the pinion more Into the drive wheel the skipping is alleviated with less tension, rather than flat and directly coming down over the top of the pinion.

Just let him make the adjustments. Don't freak yet. Nothing here sounds life threatening to me.

Wow, Thanks for educating us !