Did you know that RSC's outsource work?

[Alcan]

A while ago I sent Nancy's ~1960 Rolex cocktail watch to the Toronto RSC for an overhaul. First, kudos to them, they still had all the parts necessary to rebuild this almost 50 year old cal 1400 movement.

A couple of items on their estimate I found interesting. The first was that they wanted to send the case/bracelet to a third pary goldsmith they deal with for repair of the over-flexed bracelet. We agreed and their goldsmith did a wonderful job.

The second estimate item really took me by surprise, though. The RSC wanted to send the dial to another third party vendor to have it refinished. Here I thought that Rolex took a dim view of anything but orginal unmolested Rolex parts, and they themselves send stuff out. Go figure.

[Nick1959]

I am surprised or is it my naivity? Next i might find it serviced in India or China

[deserted]

Originally Posted by Nick1959

I am surprised or is it my naivity? Next i might find it serviced in India or China

x2

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Nick1959

I am surprised or is it my naivity? Next i might find it serviced in India or China

And why not India and China have the skills the same as any other Rolex service centre on this planet.And China now produces quite a few of the high end Tourbillions to be put in Swiss watches.And today China produces some very fine mechanical movements that could be in many high end watches.Especially when ETA Swatch group 2010 puts a cut off to supply movements or escapement parts outside the Swatch group.

[sandytn]

Certainly took me by surprise. I didnot ever imagine RSC outsourcing work! Guess we learn something new everyday.

[moviefreak]

there are experienced guys everywhere... as long the customer is happy I don't care if Rolex send my watches everywhere.. and they provide 1 year warranty after their work...

[padi56]

Posted this quite a while back.

Rolex Home Workers.


Found this article on the net,perhaps this explains getting rid of anchor and penny pinching etc they might have to pay there home workers more wages.


To put the mentioned wages in perspective, a teenager working at McDonald's will make around 18 francs (10.50 USD)The luxury watch manufacturer Rolex turns over billions every year but lets their home workers down. They do the finicky work of finishing watch parts, for 7 to 12 francs (4 to 7 USD) per hour.



By Rahel Stauber.


The ladies watch Datejust from Rolex - in 18 K white gold studded with diamonds - costs a proud 72,600 francs (59,000 USD), nothing for small wallets. But the luxury watch business is booming. Christmas sales were better than they'd been for a long time, certain models are sold out and the manufacturers are announcing that they urgently need additional manpower and are offering "wages better than ever before". Sandra K. doesn't notice anything of this, the single mother of two children in school age works as a home worker for Rolex in Bienne. Using a loupe, she has to file the edges of thumb-sized watch parts. A finicky work. Average hourly wage: 10 francs (5.9 USD).

When Sandra K. started working a half year ago, she was in good spirits because she knew her qualities. "I'm a quick worker, that's what they told me at all my other jobs". And she knows the trade too. For 20 years she's regularly been working for one, or the other watch company. To do her job for Rolex well, Sandra started by working 8 half days at Rolex in Bienne, for altogether 250 francs (200 USD). The meager wage didn't bother her. But she wanted to know what she could earn in the future. "That's not important, all will be fine" the department head told her. And she believed him. After all, it wasn't some dubious company she was working for but Rolex - with estimated annual sales of 2.5 billion francs (1.47 billion USD) Switzerland's second largest watch manufacturer. According to the Swiss financial magazine "Bilanz", the co-owning family Borer is "easily in the mid-field of the 300 richest" in the country.

280 francs for 14 days of work
Sandra K.'s optimism quickly faded. Rolex, for example, pays 6 francs (3.5 USD) for the "rouage" of 100 pieces of Calibre 2030/5. At first, Sandra K. barely managed 50 pieces per hour. Her first pay statement looked accordingly: For two weeks of work, she received 280 francs (165 USD). "I was devastated, just couldn't believe it", Sandra K. says. A calculation error ? No. "The department head told me clearly that it was normal that home workers hardly made any money in the first year". Roughly 350 women work for Rolex under these conditions. Quitting isn't for Sandra. That's why she's diligently continuing to work, in the hope of becoming quicker. In the mean time, if she hurries, she can make between 7 and 12 francs an hour (4 to 7 USD). Still a pittance. And additional activities are required: She has to drive to Bienne every second day to pick up the parts - at her own cost.

Union wants to act
Why does such a noted company like Rolex let their home workers work in such miserable circumstances ? Franziska Borer-Winzenried, general directress of Rolex, Bienne wrote the "Beobachter" a dry note on ritzy paper with gold coinage: "Depending on pace and sensitivity, the monthly income can vary". Sure, could well be. But the law says something different. The employer must set a basic wage and a target time for the home worker - meaning an approximate time for the work. And: Home workers may not earn less than comparable employees working at the factory. In the case of Sandra K, this isn't true. What's even more offending is that - due to the fact that Sandra used to be unemployed and can't make ends meet with such a pay - she receives supplemental unemployment benefits. So Rolex is employing cheap labor at the expense of the state unemployment insurance. The union "SMUV" now wants to intervene. And general directress Borer-Winzenried writes that she will review the rates for home workers and "if required, adjust them appropriately". The requirement certainly seems to be her

[DadsWatch72]

The dial looks to be all metal (ie. gold). Why not refinish it?

[fkl118]

I'm guessing that Toronto RSC isn't as busy as other RSC's so it doesn't make sense to have in-house subspecialists for less common work. I'm sure they send it to trusted people.

[shandy]

Originally Posted by padi56

And why not India and China have the skills the same as any other Rolex service centre on this planet.And China now produces quite a few of the high end Tourbillions to be put in Swiss watches.And today China produces some very fine mechanical movements that could be in many high end watches.Especially when ETA Swatch group 2010 puts a cut off to supply movements or escapement parts outside the Swatch group.

Originally Posted by padi56

Posted this quite a while back.

Rolex Home Workers.


Found this article on the net,perhaps this explains getting rid of anchor and penny pinching etc they might have to pay there home workers more wages.


To put the mentioned wages in perspective, a teenager working at McDonald's will make around 18 francs (10.50 USD)The luxury watch manufacturer Rolex turns over billions every year but lets their home workers down. They do the finicky work of finishing watch parts, for 7 to 12 francs (4 to 7 USD) per hour.



By Rahel Stauber.


The ladies watch Datejust from Rolex - in 18 K white gold studded with diamonds - costs a proud 72,600 francs (59,000 USD), nothing for small wallets. But the luxury watch business is booming. Christmas sales were better than they'd been for a long time, certain models are sold out and the manufacturers are announcing that they urgently need additional manpower and are offering "wages better than ever before". Sandra K. doesn't notice anything of this, the single mother of two children in school age works as a home worker for Rolex in Bienne. Using a loupe, she has to file the edges of thumb-sized watch parts. A finicky work. Average hourly wage: 10 francs (5.9 USD).

When Sandra K. started working a half year ago, she was in good spirits because she knew her qualities. "I'm a quick worker, that's what they told me at all my other jobs". And she knows the trade too. For 20 years she's regularly been working for one, or the other watch company. To do her job for Rolex well, Sandra started by working 8 half days at Rolex in Bienne, for altogether 250 francs (200 USD). The meager wage didn't bother her. But she wanted to know what she could earn in the future. "That's not important, all will be fine" the department head told her. And she believed him. After all, it wasn't some dubious company she was working for but Rolex - with estimated annual sales of 2.5 billion francs (1.47 billion USD) Switzerland's second largest watch manufacturer. According to the Swiss financial magazine "Bilanz", the co-owning family Borer is "easily in the mid-field of the 300 richest" in the country.

280 francs for 14 days of work
Sandra K.'s optimism quickly faded. Rolex, for example, pays 6 francs (3.5 USD) for the "rouage" of 100 pieces of Calibre 2030/5. At first, Sandra K. barely managed 50 pieces per hour. Her first pay statement looked accordingly: For two weeks of work, she received 280 francs (165 USD). "I was devastated, just couldn't believe it", Sandra K. says. A calculation error ? No. "The department head told me clearly that it was normal that home workers hardly made any money in the first year". Roughly 350 women work for Rolex under these conditions. Quitting isn't for Sandra. That's why she's diligently continuing to work, in the hope of becoming quicker. In the mean time, if she hurries, she can make between 7 and 12 francs an hour (4 to 7 USD). Still a pittance. And additional activities are required: She has to drive to Bienne every second day to pick up the parts - at her own cost.

Union wants to act
Why does such a noted company like Rolex let their home workers work in such miserable circumstances ? Franziska Borer-Winzenried, general directress of Rolex, Bienne wrote the "Beobachter" a dry note on ritzy paper with gold coinage: "Depending on pace and sensitivity, the monthly income can vary". Sure, could well be. But the law says something different. The employer must set a basic wage and a target time for the home worker - meaning an approximate time for the work. And: Home workers may not earn less than comparable employees working at the factory. In the case of Sandra K, this isn't true. What's even more offending is that - due to the fact that Sandra used to be unemployed and can't make ends meet with such a pay - she receives supplemental unemployment benefits. So Rolex is employing cheap labor at the expense of the state unemployment insurance. The union "SMUV" now wants to intervene. And general directress Borer-Winzenried writes that she will review the rates for home workers and "if required, adjust them appropriately". The requirement certainly seems to be her

Thanks Paddi, I have read this article before and also seen a consumer affairs programme in the UK years ago on this subject. I think it very important that this side of the Swiss watch industry be seen so as to inform consumers.

Also as to your comment on the Chinese watch industry, well I have a timex with a beautiful automatic seagul movement and a couple of Alpha's each one of them has kept better time out of the box than my Breitling did!
This is not a fluke either! I keep hearing tales of how accurate and well made Chinese movements are, heck, there is a seller in the UK who gives an unconditional warranty on the Tourbillions he sells.

There are so many excuses made to dismis the Asian watch companies but they make some of the finest watches in the world, I would own a Grand Seiko in a heartbeat, my Citizen 2100 is mastery in horology I think, not only a hand assembled mechanically acutated chronograph movement but also combined with ecodrive technology.

There is a very interesting world of horology out there past the Swiss borders!

And to add credibility to watches made in China the British horological institute chose a Chinese made Tourbillion to represent what they see as fine watchmaking!
http://www.bhi.co.uk/Watch.html

[newmedia]

its whole world out their including watches.

enjoy the watches and keep trading the watches for other.

[ingoodtime]

The article about the Rolex home workers was sad to see. It sounds like they use the same tactics that Walmart uses on their suppliers only Rolex does it to their workers.

And, they need to wait until the union forces them to act responsibly for their employees and their country? AIG anyone?

[thesharkfactor]

both interesting and disappointing reading. this means if i send my watch to RSC for a service, the actual service is costing rolex only a few pounds/dollars/euros, and they are not even doing the work! ok, so they have to also guarantee the work/job.., but a job thats costing them probably less than 10% of the service bill!

after reading that, i may consider a skilled local watch maker for servicing.. at least i know someone will benefit from the work.

[DadsWatch72]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

both interesting and disappointing reading. this means if i send my watch to RSC for a service, the actual service is costing rolex only a few pounds/dollars/euros, and they are not even doing the work! ok, so they have to also guarantee the work/job.., but a job thats costing them probably less than 10% of the service bill!

after reading that, i may consider a skilled local watch maker for servicing.. at least i know someone will benefit from the work.

I think this is ONLY the case with GOLD work that is required. Same thing with Jewel mounting and that sort of thing. I'm not sure, but it seems I read something like this before on TRF.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by padi56

And why not India and China have the skills the same as any other Rolex service centre on this planet.

You have to understand that here in the U.S. we have been burned very badly in the last couple of years by our decision to outsource almost all of our production to China -- so we have a dim view of their level of professionalism on many levels. From pet food that killed our pets to baby formula contaminated with the same crap.... to children's toys chock full of lead.... to redesigned Pyrex that now explodes in the microwave...

The list goes on and on. We continually get burned by outsourcing, and it's affected our view.