Another Bay Area newbie

[mavila]

Amazed to see how rich this forum is in enthusiasm and information about these watches. I just inherited what I suppose is a vintage Rolex from my father, who got it from his father as a graduation present (this would have been in the 50s). My father has worn this every day as long as I can remember and I was surprised and flattered when he handed it to me a few months ago.

It is due for a servicing and I'm looking for some advice. I wore it for a few weeks until a very small part on the clasp broke, so in addition to the regular servicing, it also will need a minor repair. The official Rolex site only lists 2 Rolex Service Centers in the U.S. - New York and Dallas. However, in a FAQ on this forum I also saw a recommended Rolex Service Center "not owned by corporate" in San Francisco. I also read somewhere else that some service centers will not work on vintage models. The San Francisco location is fairly convenient since I'm in the Palo Alto area. Is there anything I need to be concerned about? Does this need to go to New York or Dallas?

I don't have much information on the watch since I don't know how to remove the band to view the serial number. The clasp does have "MODELE DEPOS BREVETE" on it, with a "51" written on the part that attaches to the case. This watch is also a mid-sized watch, which I haven't really seen before.

Looking forward to getting it services and fixed. Any advice would be appreciated.