Beware of Mark Sirianni Rolex Service

[MickTheKraken]

I think this is my first negative online review of anything. I don't bitch and moan on Amazon; I don't slay seller's on eBay or restaurants on Yelp. I don't like to get angry, but at this very moment I'm just steamed.

I just got my 1962 bamboo-bezeled 1603 back from Mark Sirianni, aka "The Watch Doctor".

The crown was unscrewing from the stem when trying to set the time forward and the crystal had been polished down to almost nothing (though it was still attractive, the cyclops had no real magnification). The watch was also running faster that I thought was acceptable, so I started looking around the Internet for independent watchmakers that service Rolexes. I found Mark's site and read all the 5-star Rolex-related reviews and thought that I would like to give him my business. I liked the idea of an independent watchmaker working at the same business he and his family have had for many many years. He states on his site that people ask him why his service is so cheap, to which he replies "Why is Rolex's so expensive?" Well, you get what you pay for ($200 service; $50 crystal; $30 return shipping)

I knew what I was going to be looking for, post-service: Hand alignment at the hour; crystal cyclops magnification and centering over the date window; proper refinishing of the case; (and the crown not coming unscrewed from the stem, in my specific case). The hands are dead-on aligned, but that's it for anything remotely positive. The crown immediately came right off when trying to set the time forward, the crystal is obviously not a Rolex part - it's slightly domed, and the cyclops has weak magnification and is not centered over the date window, vertically. Lastly, the brushed finish on top of the lugs has been polished to a shine! I've let Mark know how I feel, but will not be sending it back to him for any corrections.

I almost want to apologize to Mark for this rant - again, this is not my usual way. However, I feel I must let you all know what I experienced.