What does a service on a Rolex include?

[CoachLange]

Great info. Thank you to all for the detailed info.

[jcatt]

My GMT Master II Pepsi 16710 is on it's way to Vanessa, and due to arrive tomorrow for her to service. I'm so excited, and know my watch is in the best possible caring hands.
JCATT

[nneha]

it is a good question i also want to know about this

[neilziesing]

Hello folks! I am new to this forum, but have been on watchuseek for a few years now.

I have a 1950 Rolex ref. 5015 bubble-back.

If you pick it up it begins to run immediately.

If you wind it and lay it flat, it will keep near perfect time until it runs out of power.

If you wear it on your wrist, or lay it face down, it stops running.

I took it to my local repair guy. He took a pass on it, but called three other repair folks in the area he knew and they all took a pass on it as well.

Looking for a good solid, reputable rolex repair person who will not flinch at a 1950 model.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thank you!

[ennenkuolemaa]

Originally Posted by neilziesing

Hello folks! I am new to this forum, but have been on watchuseek for a few years now.

I have a 1950 Rolex ref. 5015 bubble-back.

If you pick it up it begins to run immediately.

If you wind it and lay it flat, it will keep near perfect time until it runs out of power.

If you wear it on your wrist, or lay it face down, it stops running.

I took it to my local repair guy. He took a pass on it, but called three other repair folks in the area he knew and they all took a pass on it as well.

Looking for a good solid, reputable rolex repair person who will not flinch at a 1950 model.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thank you!

Have you tried contacting Rolex USA in Lititz Pennsylvania, if i remember correctly they do have a restoration atelier there. Also sending the watch to Geneva to Rolex might be a option. Although the price repairing watch this old might be high.

[knguyen555]

Wow that's amazing work you do Vanessa. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing.

[jatco]

Originally Posted by knguyen555

Wow that's amazing work you do Vanessa. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing.

..From other posts Re- Vanessa and her skills, - I'd certainly would recommend her for service...! - She's On the Ball........!! (JMO..)..!

[Mrcoach32]

Originally Posted by Vanessa CW21

Some common questions I hear a lot: "What does a service include?" "Why does it cost so much?" "How long does it take to service a Rolex?"
I'm sorry if the answer is a bit long, but this is what, why and how long:



This is what I do when I service a Rolex….

I open the case and remove the rotor.
I remove the movement from the case. I continue to take off the hands and remove the dial and date disc. The mainspring gets unwound and at this point the movement goes into the cleaner.

I continue with taking the case apart; removing the bezel, and crystal.
I change into a different lab coat, put on gloves and a face mask to start the refinishing of the case and bracelet.
First I buff the case with a hard wheel and a certain compound which makes the case so hot that the wheel starts smoking. I then clean the case in the ultrasonic cleaner and continue with a different polishing wheel that’s softer. I will high-polish the bezel and case back and the bracelet if applicable.
Once the case back is clean in the ultrasonic, I will now high-polish that one as well.
I will change the polishing wheel once more to a soft wheel and again a different compound and give it the finishing super high polish on the parts needed.
While all those finished parts are in the cleaner, I will brush polish the clasp with a hard wheel, followed by a softer brush wheel.
Then I tape off the polished areas on the bracelet to brush-polish the rest of it. When that’s done I change back to the high-polish wheel to polish the side of the bracelet and clasp.
I steam clean all the parts of the case and put them on a dryer. Once the case is dry, I put the final brush polish to the lugs and case back with a special filing technique.


The movement (let’s say a 3135) has finished the pre-cleaning process, and can now be checked and disassembled.
The date parts are first, flowed by the automatic mechanism: I first check the end-shake* on all wheels.
I then take out all (3) screws and put them in the small cleaning baskets. I will check the rotor axle and replace it when necessary. I continue with the disassembling of the movement.
I first check the end-shake on the balance wheel. Then I remove the shock-absorbent jewels. The balance wheel is carefully removed and put aside after I unscrewed the 2 screws that hold the bridge in place. I proceed with the pallet fork. Again I check end-shake and remove 2 screws to take off the bridge and remove the pallet fork. At this point I check the freedom of the train with winding the mainspring just a little bit. Then I check all the gears’ end-shakes and remove the 3 screws that hold the train bridge to remove the escape wheel, second wheel, third wheel and great wheel. I then check every wheel meticulously to check for worn pivots, and replace the one that are not perfect anymore with new ones.
When at any moment the end-shake wasn’t satisfactory I then move the jewels up or down to correct the error and reassemble the wheel to check again until it's perfect.
I proceed with removing the screws on the ratchet wheel and bridge to remove the barrel with the mainspring. Now I can open the barrel and remove the mainspring which goes straight into my garbage can.
I proceed with taking the rest of the watch apart, including the winding mechanism. I put the balance back onto the main plate to prevent the hairspring from getting tangled up while it’s cleaning.
Now the disassembled movement goes into the cleaner again to get its full cleaning. In the mean time I’ll have a coffee, and I will assemble the case with crystal and bezel.

When the movement is clean I put on some finger cots, and start with putting the reversing wheels, pallet fork and escape wheel into a special liquid lubricant.
I apply grease on the inside of the barrel wall and put a new mainspring in it. I close the barrel and check the end-shake of the arbor to make sure it’s free.
I continue with taking the reversing wheels, pallet fork and escape wheel out of the special lubricant and dry them with hot air from a hairdryer. Now I can take the balance back of the main plate and start putting the watch back together. Again the watch has 6 different lubricants and every lube has a very specific role into making the watch run as perfect as possible. When a grease or oil gets applied too much or too little, or at the wrong location within the watch, the amplitude and timing of the watch won’t be as it should.
Once the watch is assembled (and I’m not going to explain every single step as this is already getting way to long) I put it on my timer to check the beat, amplitude and time. Everything gets adjusted accordingly if necessary and I time the watch in 6 different positions to be within -1 to +4.

Once that’s achieved I assemble the dial and hands (when the date jumps at 12) and put the movement in the case. At this time I do the final timing at full wind and half wind, and adjust if necessary.
Then I assemble the automatic mechanism and check for freedom of the rotor.

Once that’s all up to standard, I close the case with new gaskets and put it on a dry pressure test. When it passes (or not) I proceed with the wet test, and make sure the watch doesn’t leak.
I can then put the bracelet on, set the time equal to my atomic clock and store it in my safe with the crown left, until the next day.
Then I check the time again compared to the atomic clock and note the amount of seconds it’s + or -.
Then I put it on my automatic winder for a day, check again and finally I put it dial up in my safe again to check the next day, and the day thereafter to see when the watch stopped to check the power reserve.
At this time, if everything is within standards I call the customer that his/her watch is ready. If not, I have to find the problem, possibly adjust or start over! This all comes with a 2-year warranty on the work performed.

The tools and materials needed to work on Rolex watches and to keep the account in positive standing are about a $30,000 investment. Plus we have to maintain them and pay rent for the work space. I have gone to a 3-year full-time watchmaking school and undergone many hours of specialized training to do this job.

So now, let’s see… hmmm I guess the four hundred-something dollars I charge might not be enough if I think about it…

*end-shake: the free longitudinal movement of arbors or the like between bearings.
That means I have to evaluate the amount of movement of a wheel between the jewels. Some can be 0.01mm others 0.02 up to 0.06mm. This can only be determined by the experienced, and louped watchmaker's eye!


Vanessa

Great stuff! Thank you for posting this

[johnscioscia]

a quetion for you if I may. I took my rolex in to get serviced . they said it had water damage and the dial needed replaced. I said OK. They replaced it with the newer dial with the tiny pinpoint diamonds in it and kept my original dial!! with the big ones!! My watch is the
1997 R1623333GB6252, Serial # U309028, Black G 10 brill. Can they get away with this? I refused to accept it back. What can be done??? Tyou!!! I feel like Ive been swindled!! Hoodwinked!!

[stray_cat]

I purchased an older sub some years ago that had a dial replaced during a service. A couple of days later it occurred to me that I might want the old dial put back in to preserve originality. When he could not find it (I don't recall if he called them to get it and was then told) or he vaguely remembered that Rolex requires them to keep the old one, or something to that effect. Wished they replaced the hands too, I can see the dial lume but still don't know what time it is lol.

Was yours serviced by an AD?

[WatchHustle]

Wow, didn't know such much went into servicing a watch, thank you for the information! Great read

[jfk-ii]

Very informative for a first time Rolex owner. Thank you!

[Amandaluv]

Anybody know the year of my datejust Rolex 16030 serial number 8790386

[Rollied]

Originally Posted by Amandaluv

Anybody know the year of my datejust Rolex 16030 serial number 8790386

Seems like 1985?

Here’s a link from Bob’s listing serial numbers for Rolex watches
https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-serial-numbers

[jeffnnj]

Great post (at least the parts I understood). Thank you for sharing.


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[cjs1992]

great post

[Jerrocop]

Great info and great to hear it from you Vanessa, a watchmaker. My local watchmaker, who is also trained and authorized by Rolex, charged $520 to service my 6263 Daytona last year. Worth every penny after reading your post!

[Gaeta74]

Great post, people are willing to pay much more for useless things and stupid accessories than for overhauling a Rolex.

[Straggy]

Nice info!

[Truongton7]

Vanessa, thanks for your sharing👍

[irocku]

Incredible article Vanessa, that’s the most precise one I’ve ever heard, thank you for your information and if so, it would be appreciated if you are able to write much more about the watch parts :)


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[GJ-PGMTII]

This description is so insightful.

Thanks for the details.

I paid $800 to get my IWC AT serviced. The Rolex seems like a deal.

One question, do they replace the hands during the Rolex svc?

[Sgooter]

Originally Posted by GJ-PGMTII

...One question, do they replace the hands during the Rolex svc?

FWIW: The Rolex Service Center in Dallas replaced all four hands on my gold GMT, mainly because the luminous material had deteriorated. Total add'l cost for the new Lumi hands was $141.

[996marty]

A great post answered a few questions

[JoseR]

Wow. Great info. Thanks for taking the time to post such interesting information..

[jatco]

Originally Posted by jrubero

Wow. Great info. Thanks for taking the time to post such interesting information..

That's ..part and partial, what we're here for...!,. To assist and inform.

[Peter Ian Staker]

Hi Guys,

I'm new here and after some advice please.

I have a Submariner that is around 3.5 years old. A few months ago it started to lose time (a couple of minutes over a few weeks) not the biggest deal in the world until a few weeks ago when the watch stopped completely.

I went back to my local AD and asked them to send the watch back to Rolex to get fixed under the warranty, no problem. However today I got an unfortunate phone call from the dealer stating Rolex have advised the watch wont be fixed under warranty as it has a dent in the case and I will have to pay out for a full service to get the watch fixed.

Rolex claim that the movement inside may have stopped working due to shock damage caused by a knock or drop (hence the dent on the side of the case)

I wore my Submariner everyday so it did get scratched and knocked against things but to say the movement has stopped due to shock damage I believe is more of an excuse to get me to pay out for a service.

On the Rolex website it states;

Rolex watches have to pass more than 20 different drop tests before their launch. The most severe homologation test is the bélier, tellingly named after the ram. This exclusive shock-testing equipment submits the watch to an impact equivalent to 5,000 G – hundreds of times more than a car crash test. Yet the watch has to remain unharmed and fully functional afterwards, maintaining the highest real-life standards of accuracy and appearance befitting of a Rolex.

I would be truly shocked if they are tested this hard and yet somehow I have damaged the watch without even realising it.


Has anyone experienced anything similar to this before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Kind Regards

Tom

[jatco]

Originally Posted by Peter Ian Staker

Hi Guys,

I'm new here and after some advice please.

I have a Submariner that is around 3.5 years old. A few months ago it started to lose time (a couple of minutes over a few weeks) not the biggest deal in the world until a few weeks ago when the watch stopped completely.

I went back to my local AD and asked them to send the watch back to Rolex to get fixed under the warranty, no problem. However today I got an unfortunate phone call from the dealer stating Rolex have advised the watch wont be fixed under warranty as it has a dent in the case and I will have to pay out for a full service to get the watch fixed.

Rolex claim that the movement inside may have stopped working due to shock damage caused by a knock or drop (hence the dent on the side of the case)

I wore my Submariner everyday so it did get scratched and knocked against things but to say the movement has stopped due to shock damage I believe is more of an excuse to get me to pay out for a service.

On the Rolex website it states;

Rolex watches have to pass more than 20 different drop tests before their launch. The most severe homologation test is the bélier, tellingly named after the ram. This exclusive shock-testing equipment submits the watch to an impact equivalent to 5,000 G – hundreds of times more than a car crash test. Yet the watch has to remain unharmed and fully functional afterwards, maintaining the highest real-life standards of accuracy and appearance befitting of a Rolex.

I would be truly shocked if they are tested this hard and yet somehow I have damaged the watch without even realising it.


Has anyone experienced anything similar to this before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Kind Regards

Tom

I'm on your side on this one. I haven't had that experience..and I'm no expert by any means, but you must have really beaten the Hell out of your watch Beyond their 'tests ' ..5,000G's is a lot of force...- (which may seem unlikely ...even wearing it daily...). for them to come to that conclusion ...
I'd check out other Service centers directly.., if your AD can't assist..
Seems odd to me...

[SOG DIVER]

When ready for a full service on your Rolex, consider Phillip Ridley in Texas or Rick Dietel in FL.
Your dial, hands and case will remain original unless YOU request otherwise. No case or bracelet polishing unless requested. The movement service to the caliber will be professional as they are CW 21 watchmakers with Rolex experience & training.
IMHO, just as better than the RSC where many work on your watch rather than one dedicated watchmaker.

[mj dombek]

Good advice., here from SOD DIVER. Having one person doing the work is more likely to spot a connected problem, or potential thereof.