UK servicing advice for vintage datejust

[mfortuna]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and a first time Rolex owner :)
I achieved an important personal lifetime milestone recently and on something of a whim decided to purchase a vintage datejust (c.1989 16220 SS grey tapestry dial).
This is not to say I had not intended to purchase a Rolex at some point but for what it's worth the combination of factors led to that being sooner rather than later!

Anyhow given I bought a vintage piece (at auction) my thoughts now turn to servicing. The bracelet had a fair amount of stretch and was my first priority. I was quoted somewhere around £700 for a new jubilee by RSC West Malling and after perusing the forum decided instead to send it for restoration with Seth at the TWD.

Whilst the bracelet is being taken care of, servicing the watch itself is my next priority. This is where I welcome all advice. Given that I have no intention of parting with the watch (my first and all that) and that I have papers, which I feel reduces the need for the authentication that an RSC would bring, I wonder if an independent service would be as appropriate in this case?
The factors influencing the decision are obviously quality of service, time without the watch, price and maintaining original features.

With that in mind I was hoping for both some opinions on RSC vs. independent AND some recommendations on top notch independents (preferably Rolex accredited) in London/Essex/South East.

It's a pleasure to join the community & thanks in advance!

P.S - Apologies if the thread is not in the correct place, I will get the hang of this...

[Random Guy]

I just got my 1981 Air king back from RSC, they did a good job of servicing the watch after 27 years since the last service and they even gave me back every single part that was replaced even the small screws. I do not recommended buying a bracelet and take your watch to RSC and let them inspect it, to tell you what needs replacing etc etc. they will give you a new bracelet if the current one needs replacing but most likely they will just repair the current one, but if you want a modern bracelet you can also put a request. I would never let any other company other than RSC to open my watch, it was a bit pricey and the long wait is annoying but it’s worth it, if you want the watch looking factory fresh. As always I’d never recommend to get the timepiece polished since it will permanently change the structure of the watch and it’ll just look like before it got a polish after six weeks of wear.