Question about AP RO 33mm Quartz (56303ST)

[zwilhelm]

Hi all, new to this forum.

I'm considering picking up a Royal Oak Quartz 33mm 56303ST with a D-series serial number, but am not sure if it's such a good idea after reading Submarino's sticky.

10. Stay away from a RO Quartz as changing the battery is something that needs to be done every 2-3 years. To change the battery you need to disassemble the whole watch. Remove the bezel, dial, hands, crown, etc. to access the movement and then replace the battery. If done by an independent there are a ton of things that can go wrong. Then again you will need to have AP do it and it gets really pricey even when it's just a battery change as they will still force you to do a periodic service.

I'm wondering if this still applies in 2022 and my case. The AP website says it will cost $600 USD minimum per service. Is it really $600 every 2-3 years still? Furthermore, the same service page says prices are only valid for "quartz watches which were produced within the last 15 years" and I think the D-series was made before 2007 (2022 minus 15), so the service charge will be even more than $600?

Does anyone else have a similar or same model? What's your experience with the 33mm quartz? I love the Royal Oak design, I sincerely don't mind that it's a quartz, the small size fits my small wrists, it's been a grail for many years now, but I'm wondering if the juice is (or is not) worth the squeeze.

Thanks in advance!

PS: I need a higher count to post links, so I apologize in advance for not providing link references

[VogelPhoenix]

Looking for a smaller RO opens up a lot of options, new(ish) and vintage. I probably would not go for a 20 yr old quartz watch. I think it's reasonable to expect that AP will keep my mechanical watches in running order for a very long time; not sure if that is true for their quartz offerings if the movement croaks.

[zwilhelm]

I think it's reasonable to expect that AP will keep my mechanical watches in running order for a very long time; not sure if that is true for their quartz offerings if the movement croaks.

I'm not all that surprised that their quartz line isn't treated like first-class citizens like their mechanical lineup, but I can't say I didn't expect a little bit more from AP given their price point.

For reference, I have a Goldeneye Seamaster (also quartz) from 1995 (which should be older than the D-series right?) that just got back from Omega's service without a hitch. No mention of end of life support, nothing like that at all. Case in point: I can rely on it, and I don't need to service it (baby it) constantly.

I'm not the type of person to send a Royal Oak in for polishing for every little scratch, but I do see myself doing a routine service on it every 5-10 years or so (come on seriously, it's a quartz, how much servicing does it even need, right?).

Battery swaps shouldn't be that bad. Having to do that every 2-3 years (according to the sticky) is fine, but if it really hard-requires a full movement rebuild each time and AP starts charging me the minimum $600 USD just to even take a look at it, with a real possibility of one day sunsetting support for the movement/other parts, it'll start getting annoying real quick.

Thanks for your insight, I appreciate it and would appreciate hearing more!

[Old Expat Beast]

Speaking of quartz longevity, I have owned several mid and high end Seiko quartz watches that were close to 50 years old and ran just fine. I recently even had a 1978 twin-crystal Seiko Superior that was originally rated at +/-5 secs per year, and still kept to less than +60 secs/year.

Unless you're really set on AP, I'd go with a Grand Seiko 9F movement. They're rated at -/+10 secs a year, and while the oft-mentioned suggestion of no service required for 50 years might be a bit optimistic, you can change the battery yourself every 3 years, or have Seiko do it with a pressure test and new seals for about $50. Case, dial and hand finishing is arguably better, too.

[Palex]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Speaking of quartz longevity, I have owned several mid and high end Seiko quartz watches that were close to 50 years old and ran just fine. I recently even had a 1978 twin-crystal Seiko Superior that was originally rated at +/-5 secs per year, and still kept to less than +60 secs/year.

Unless you're really set on AP, I'd go with a Grand Seiko 9F movement. They're rated at -/+10 secs a year, and while the oft-mentioned suggestion of no service required for 50 years might be a bit optimistic, you can change the battery yourself every 3 years, or have Seiko do it with a pressure test and new seals for about $50. Case, dial and hand finishing is arguably better, too.

My wife wears a gold RO from the eighties, as new. Never any issues.