Sub self-winding mechanism is failing

[miket-nyc]

I bought my Sub 16800 in June, 2019, from Bob's Watches in California. I've been wearing it every day, and was pleased with it until recently. But in the past month or so the self-winding mechanism stopped working right, and I have to hand wind it a dozen turns every day or so or it will eventually stop. At first I thought it was because I wasn't moving enough, but it recently happened on a day when I'd walked miles with the watch on my wrist, so there's definitely something going on.

Bob's Watches claims all its watches are serviced before sale, and this one is still faultless in timekeeping. I was expecting it to need a cleaning every 5 years or so, but now the self-winding mechanism has failed, less than 2 1/2 years after Bob's Watches supposedly serviced it.

So now I'm wondering what to do. Should I complain to Bob's about this and expect them to do something about it? (They have a one-year guarantee, which is long past). Alternatively, should I bring it to a Rolex service center or dealer, or an independent watchmaker? I'm afraid Rolex would want to do (and charge for) a complete CLA, but the movement is fine and accurate to a few seconds a week, so it doesn't really need it. It just won't self-wind reliably.

This is also making me wonder whether I should trust a 40-year-old watch as my daily wearer. I bought a 16800 because that was the first modern, high-beat moment but I also liked the smaller size and the case with holes. I was hoping to keep using it for the rest of my life. But if a major mechanism can fail after just 2 1/2 years, I'm afraid things are just going to keep breaking and I'll never be able to rely on it.

I live in NYC where there are Rolex watchmakers everywhere. If an independent watchmaker is my best bet and there's anyone here you'd recommend (particularly in Manhattan), I'd appreciate referrals.

Mike Taglieri