Flooded Submariner

[Mickey®]

Originally Posted by boywondergq1

I am so sorry to hear this. I'm sure the Rolex will effect some leverage here and restore your confidence. If the service centre was Rolex certified, then I am confident this will happen.

Now, with respect to the argument about taking your expensive dive watch on a dive vs. something a little cheaper, does anyone have a link to that story posted here many months ago about the TT sub which was found at the bottom of the ocean 1-2yrs later, still working? I'm not advocating one or the other, just saying :)

I think Rolex is going to get involved with every Independent watchmaker that screws up a service.

[withthesword]

out of curiosity, were they able to locate exactly where the water intrusion was? crown tube, case back, crystal?

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by MasterDiver

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.

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.

Originally Posted by 77T

The watch passed PT in 1/2012 and again after leaking...anyone care to suggest how this can happen? Yep

Paul, OK I'll be the dummy I can't and wouldn't argue with your comments and certainly don't have any idea of the OP's intentions with repect to starting this thread but you bring up an interesting point that I'd like to explore further. These are just questions up for discussion and don't require a defending response.

1.) I didn't read anything that proved the watch passed a PT in 1/2012. I understand it might be natural to assume Bobby did his job correctly and performed both a dry and wet PT however there is no proof. Is it possible he didn't, or forgot, or only did a dry PT .... etc? As Armyguy03 mentioned earlier in his post he received a sub back from service that included a print out slip from the PT. I also insist on this from my watchmaker. Only way to be sure it was done and passed.

2.) How would Bobby test for a leak once the watch is flooded? I honestly don't know if this is possible without first opening it up to drain & dry it out. Of course the minute you open it you've compromised any possible test to prove it didn't have a leak. I suppose you could try to shake as much water out through the open crown as you can if you can and then do a dry PT but this wouldn't prove the watch wouldn't develop a leak when submerged.

3.) If any watch is properly serviced and passes both the dry and wet PT why would any watchmaker not warrant it's water resistance? If it passes that's the guarantee isn't it? I would never have a watch serviced by anyone who would not 100% guarantee their work.

Just my

[Rikki]

If a watch comes in wet and still has water of some kind inside it can still be tested. Screw the crown down and test if it passes the dry test it's possible that the crown was loose and not properly tightened. Then open the watch it's usually pretty easy to see where the intrusion came from by the rust patterns because the first thing to get wet has a deeper rust stain or corrosion. I am not saying that this is what happenned just that a crown can get knocked loose if hit just right. I am also a diver and underwater photographer and have never in 40 years had a watch or camera flood. I dry test and watertest all dive watches the drytest is the only one that gets a test slip the other machine is mechanical and thus has no print out. Rikki

[BOA]

Just going by memory here, but I remember threads on the forum with pictures of people diving with the crown unscrewed in order to demonstrate how the gaskets will hold. The maximum depth the OP indicated is still less than the 30 meters many watches without screw-down crowns are rated, so I think based on this that the Submariner in question, especially after a service, should have kept the water out without any problem if the gaskets were right.

[Brenngun]

Rik, Thanks for your help with my questions. So if the watch is flooded can you then easily drain the water before the dry test? Do you even need to? Could the fact that there is moisture of any kind or amount inside have any effect on the results of the dry test? If a watch passes both tests is there any reason not to warrant it?

[springer]

Originally Posted by dba

Not to add insult to injury and slag the South, as I love it there; but your first clue that this wasn't going to end well was when the Rolex tech was named "Bobby."

Pretty crude, actually, very crude post.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by BOA

Just going by memory here, but I remember threads on the forum with pictures of people diving with the crown unscrewed in order to demonstrate how the gaskets will hold. The maximum depth the OP indicated is still less than the 30 meters many watches without screw-down crowns are rated, so I think based on this that the Submariner in question, especially after a service, should have kept the water out without any problem if the gaskets were right.

Both Rolex twinlock and triplocks are rated to their max depth with the crown unscrewed.

I don't have information on other makes.

[Cesium133]

I'm very interested to see how this plays out. Hope the OP presents more information. Would love to see a copy of the original warranty from the watchmaker since Bobby is being blasted on this thread and he's not here to defend himself or his reputation.

[bridgs]

Sorry to hear of this.

[joseluu]

Under water, your watch is supposed to be part of your life saving equipment and, therefore, it makes sense to carry the best you can afford.

It sounds strange to me to hear that the guys are really crazy risking your their subs on those underwater adventures.

As a climber, what am I supposed to do, never, ever risk my excellent fall-taking perlon lines in the unforgiving, jagged rock-studded inclines?. Should I only use the old hemp ropes from the garage so that, if they break, it will not be a big economic loss?

[AJAX]

I feel for you brother! My wife even chimed in when I started to talk to her about this thread. Small Claims Court, BBB, speak to Rolex about this, and start your own information campaign through media.

Just a few thoughts on really using a high end watch for what it was advertised to be.

I'm just a soldier who had to save up for years to get a very nice Rolex DSSD from a great Rolex AD. I'm careful to not advertise that I'm wearing a Rolex in certain locations around the world but I still take it with me. I've taken my DSSD into fresh and salt water as well as multiple deployments, travel around the world, and through rapid decompression from high altitudes requiring O2 with no concerns. Sure I have a few scratches and dings on "the Beast" but I expect them for what I do with the watch. My very young Siberian huskey doesn't help either. I also have it insured for the replacement value.

Let us know how this all turns out. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

CHARLIE MIKE!!!

[bayerische]

Welcome, but don't let "Bobby" service your watch again.

[MrNanni]

Originally Posted by dba

Not to add insult to injury and slag the South, as I love it there; but your first clue that this wasn't going to end well was when the Rolex tech was named "Bobby."

Lol. Yikes

[dysondiver]

Originally Posted by joseluu

Under water, your watch is supposed to be part of your life saving equipment and, therefore, it makes sense to carry the best you can afford.

It sounds strange to me to hear that the guys are really crazy risking your their subs on those underwater adventures.

As a climber, what am I supposed to do, never, ever risk my excellent fall-taking perlon lines in the unforgiving, jagged rock-studded inclines?. Should I only use the old hemp ropes from the garage so that, if they break, it will not be a big economic loss?

thirty years ago that was the way of it , today a two hundred dollar computer wouldnt see a watch in its way , and before anyone shouts , run it in gauge mode if you just need a timer ,, dive watches arent dive tools anymore. just my thoughts , yes rough tough and all the rest , but when push comes to shove , rec take a computer , commercial , some one will be shouting at you , you wont need to worry about the time. ,

[bayerische]

I'll take my Mares dive computer any day over a Sub while diving, but that's not the case here. If I can I like to have both on!

[dysondiver]

Originally Posted by bayerische

I'll take my Mares dive computer any day over a Sub while diving, but that's not the case here. If I can I like to have both on!

shearwater is my weapon of choice at the moment ,, occasionally if i forget my casio i wear my sub in the pool if im teaching , but even that makes me nervous ,
i do hope there is a happy end to this.

[Stuxnet]

Originally Posted by dba

Not to add insult to injury and slag the South, as I love it there; but your first clue that this wasn't going to end well was when the Rolex tech was named "Bobby."

Can you imagine the state of the watch if his name was Bubba?

[Cleveland]

Originally Posted by Cesium133

I'm very interested to see how this plays out. Hope the OP presents more information. Would love to see a copy of the original warranty from the watchmaker since Bobby is being blasted on this thread and he's not here to defend himself or his reputation.

I find it alarming that a thread contaning so much blatant defamation has been allowed to continue. Posters calling for the OP to take legal advice and take this Bobby character to the cleaners are being extremely hypocritical. At the end of the day, this will be the OP's word against the Watchmaker's as it is perfectly plausable that this was an error by the OP in screwing the crown down and the Watchmaker has done nothing wrong - yet a lynch mob has formed on here with people making plenty of out of order statements based on 1 post and nothing more.

Poor show.

[Passionata]

Don t want to involve but a rolex is waterproof even with unscrewed crown on 60feet,otherwise always take ppl you can trust.


Best
George

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cleveland]

Originally Posted by Passionata

Don t want to involve but a rolex is waterproof even with unscrewed crown on 60feet,otherwise always take ppl you can trust.


Best
George

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would be intregued into what would happen if you took a flooded watch that you had been swimming in with the crown unscrewed into RSC and demanded that they service the watch for free if they couldn't find evidence of any other leak...

Anyway, regardless of whether or not it should be waterproof, this one sided slagging off should be stopped by the mods IMO.

[Pukka Sahib]

I'm a lawyer and live in Birmingham and know Barton-Clay fairly well - unfortunately I don't think this is a matter for the Courts. PM me and I'm happy to go over why.

[SUBversive]

Originally Posted by springer

Pretty crude, actually, very crude post.

Of course we don't know what bobby did. But I have to say our local ad had / has an in-house guy and they serviced rolex until they lost their ad status a few years ago. They change over bezel inserts for me and took off a cyclops but that's about how far I thought I should go with them even though their family has been in the business for years. But for my full service after about 7 or 8 years, i felt only rolex would do. This was also after they lost ad status. I went to mall store that is an ad. Didn't buy the watch there but chat with a sales guy from time to time. He set up the service and took care of shipping to RSc in NYC. I don't remember exactly but I think they did that free of charge. Rolex communicated with me as to what they recommended and then when it was ready they sent it back to the ad for me to pick up. Thought it was a good experience.

[DetroitDave]

I too am a diver of many years....and even though I dive with reciprocal dive computers I almost always wear my Submariner when teaching or recreational diving. Not so much when doing commercial or public safety work as there's enough other 'stuff' to be concerned about. That said I always check that the crown is tightened down anytime I'm getting in the water.

Best of luck with resolving the problem....

[Cesium133]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steamer

I find it alarming that a thread contaning so much blatant defamation has been allowed to continue. Posters calling for the OP to take legal advice and take this Bobby character to the cleaners are being extremely hypocritical. At the end of the day, this will be the OP's word against the Watchmaker's as it is perfectly plausable that this was an error by the OP in screwing the crown down and the Watchmaker has done nothing wrong - yet a lynch mob has formed on here with people making plenty of out of order statements based on 1 post and nothing more.

Poor show.

I agree. This was a thread started by someone without any history on TRF. He made an accusatioan but did not support it with any evidence. We need more from the OP since he is calling out a specific person. Until then, we should all lay off the attacks on Bobby's character. For all we know, the OP could be Bobby's exgirlfriend trying to stir things up for him.

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by Stuxnet

Can you imagine the state of the watch if his name was Bubba?

I don't think this adds much to the conversation.