Flooded Submariner

[MasterDiver]

I purchased my Submariner over 20 years ago, and have never had a problem with it. I am a Master SCUBA Diver and have worn this watch on over 600 recreational dives. Late last year, I noticed it has started to run slowly and decided to have the watch serviced for the first time. It had never been opened for over 20 years. I carried the watch to Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers, 2701 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223, to be serviced by their certified Rolex watch repairman, Bobby, in January, 2012. He informed me that he had serviced the watch and replaced some parts, including the crystal, and I paid over $750 for this first-ever service. I was told I had a two-year warranty.

Last month, I went SCUBA diving for the first time since the watch had been serviced. On my very first dive, the watch flooded at a maximum depth of 60 feet. The crown was tight, as I checked it prior to the dive as I do all of my other equipment. On returning from the trip, I returned the watch to Bobby and he did a leak test and told me he couldn’t find a leak. After a week, he called me and told me he had dried out the watch and it would cost me over $1000 in parts to repair the watch, but I would not be charged labor. He also told me that he would not warranty this DIVE WATCH against leaking the next time I went diving. I told him that I needed a guarantee that the watch was waterproof, since it was a DIVE WATCH. He confessed that if it leaked again, I would be required to do the same thing and pay the same money to have it fixed.

I called Rolex Customer Service in NY and TX, and they both told me to ship the watch to the Service Center to be restored to factory standards, and that the store that serviced the watch should pay for shipping and repair of the watch, including parts and labor. I have shipped it back to the Rolex Service Center in TX and am waiting on the estimate. The store refused to pay for parts and only their labor was no charge.

Has anyone ever had this happen? What did Rolex do?