ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

ROLLiWORKS · 9 October 2018, 08:45 AM

Hey how's it going. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the kind words.

Quote:

Originally Posted by curmudgeon

Interesting thread......about 20 years ago the clasp on my
1675 GMT master (1978) failed right at the hinge pin.....I think the failure is
caused by repeated opening and closing.....a lot of stress when the "click"
happens. I stopped in to Michael's shop in SF and showed him the old school
repair using my oxy/acetylene torch and "Easy-Flo 45" silver brazing alloy,
not pretty but this was before we had laser welding.
I finally replaced it with a service clasp. This is why us old guys are
retired.......we can't keep up with technology.

Cheers.......

avidflyer · 10 October 2018, 07:14 AM

Got mine back a couple weeks ago, haven't had time to post about it.

First impression it looked pretty good. Overall happy with it, but it has one area that is loose or looks like it got skipped....I'M SURE IT DIDN'T just cant figure it out. Probably going to send them my jubilee next and maybe the entire GMT.

ROLLiWORKS · 10 October 2018, 07:47 AM

Hmmm yah based on the photo I think I may know what we ran into with that gap. From my recollection (not the best) the band landed in the 90% region overall.

During assembly replace the old knurl pins with new ones. This is usually enough to lessen the gaps. Sometimes the links themselves have material loss so the replacing pins isn't enough. From there we have to step it up by adding a sleeve (tube) that go around the pins which add additional girth thus closing the gap. Rolex uses something similar on two tone Oyster bands (but for a different reason). We take it one step further with multiple thicknesses.

But somethings the thinnest sleeve is too much and makes the link feel stiff. The gap closes too much and the links rub. It forces us to back off. We assemble the bracelet one link at a time so we also decide these thing one link at a time. We really aim for the best possible result for each link without losing the original feel.

We've been considering have an oblong shape pin that can be rotated so we have a variable adjustment. It's a thought. There are some manufacturing challenges that we would need to work through.

ROLLiWORKS · 10 October 2018, 07:59 AM

Sleeves/tubes

All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Valenciawatchrepair · 10 October 2018, 08:52 AM

I wish I was near you. Would definitely stop by and check you out! I have so much work I haven't be able to go through my Rolex stuff. Try a little repair on the laser myself. But, I don't have a nice set of sleeves and pins like that! Great work!

Bigblu10 · 10 October 2018, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

Haha. Thats one way to find a deal. Either a bad band or a good whamo on the case will scare most buyers away.

Yah laser welding is fairly easy. Much easier than TIG, MIG, or stick welding for sure. Steel is easy gold even easier.

All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

What is a PUK welder? I am aware of a watchmaker who uses one for case damage

ROLLiWORKS · 10 October 2018, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigblu10

What is a PUK welder? I am aware of a watchmaker who uses one for case damage

Lampert PuK. Its a pulse arc TIG welder. We’ve had an Orion and a Puk in the past. We ditched it for the laser welder and never looked back.

All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

123Blueface · 11 October 2018, 08:18 AM

Awesome work.

ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 08:46 AM

We have some fun photos of a 1960s Mens President we've just completed work on.

Starting with the before photos. Despite the age of the bracelet it really was in decent shape. it was around 77% on our stretch chart. We really consider this the best area from 75-80%. Condition is good enough to get fantastic results. Any worse and we would have a lot more gold work, more money and it's not that realistic to see 90-95%.

ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 08:50 AM

This is what the work looks like when it is on our goldsmith bench. An acetylene torch, 18k gold rods, carbide bits, foredom hand tool, and a file are the primary tools used here.

Here another photo for a better idea of what is going on here. The old gold rods are drilled and removed. New gold rods are inserted. It's not pretty at the moment, but it's all part of the process. Seeing the rough work, it's hard to believe these pieces will shine up in the end.

ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 09:03 AM

After some test fitting and adjustments the rods are gold soldered in using acetylene torch. If all is well the tubes are filled with 18K gold and made smooth using a file.

Here are some photos of the rough goldsmithing work next photos we took after polish was complete.

ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 09:04 AM

This is the shot that makes it all worth it! BAMM!

ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 09:05 AM

The obligatory side by side before/afters:

yoniman · 13 October 2018, 09:47 AM

Awesome.
Would you happen to sell a President bracelet only?

Cheers

Sent from my TRT-LX2 using Tapatalk

mikkoi · 13 October 2018, 04:30 PM

Great results and pics!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

primadealenator · 13 October 2018, 06:29 PM

Bravo!!! Great results! Good work!!!

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primadealenator · 13 October 2018, 06:30 PM

This beauty...

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primadealenator · 13 October 2018, 06:39 PM

I had a little damage on the edge (over my thumb) while diving - in preparation for a dive, I had a collision with concrete...
What to do?
Just leave it?
It is - in fact - a divers watch, and similar things will happen again!
Wait for the next official service? I bought it in december of 2017; that will take some years...
And perhaps some more damages!
It does nothing to function or water resistance!
So I trend to just wear and wait!

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primadealenator · 13 October 2018, 06:41 PM

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ROLLiWORKS · 13 October 2018, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primadealenator

I had a little damage on the edge (over my thumb) while diving - in preparation for a dive, I had a collision with concrete...
What to do?
Just leave it?
It is - in fact - a divers watch, and similar things will happen again!
Wait for the next official service? I bought it in december of 2017; that will take some years...
And perhaps some more damages!
It does nothing to function or water resistance!
So I trend to just wear and wait!

Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

If it doesn’t bother you then leave it. If you ever do decide to get it repaired we suggest laser welding in new 904L stainless steel fill material to build up the damaged area. After smoothing it out the new steel the case will
be back to its original shape without any metal loss.

Perhaps theres a shop in Germany that can do the work. It would be easier than international shipping. If not we can help, just send us a PM.

All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 08:48 AM

Of all the items we laser welding during the course of a week, by far, Oyster Bracelets dominates the laser welding work queue.

Jubilee bracelets - It's all about worn pins, worn loops, so new pins and sometimes sleeves is a bulk of the work.

President bracelets - is all about gold soldering tubes and rods, and a bit of laser welding.

Oyster bracelets - It's all about laser welding. The pins are almost always in perfect condition. Usually new sleeves are required as these do get very worn. The old pins are replaced with new ones as they bent during the disassembly process. but without welding the improvement to the bracelet is minimal. We may take an 80% bracelet to 85% if that. There will still be a lot of wobble and sloppiness in the links.

We always have a tough time explaining why Oyster bracelets need laser welding. A lot of the times the damage area is barely visible to the untrained eye so it's no surprise when a client assures us no welding is required. While we do include up to 30 mins of welding at no cost, 9 of 10 that enter our shop require around 1-2 hrs.

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 09:04 AM

We snapped a few shots of one link of an 11 link bracelet that shouldn't need laser welding. For an 11 link bracelet we have 33 total pieces that need to be in good working order for the repair to be successful

11 left side pieces
11 center links
11 right side pieces

Notice the pins that hold this link together are protected by a sleeve. This is how it comes out of the Rolex factory. Both the pins and sleeves are in good condition yet this bracelet arrived in our shop in 80-85% condition.

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 09:08 AM

Here what it looks like under a microscope from our vantage point and through the eyepiece. Notice the large circular groove worn into the steel. Without welding, the links will wobble due to this groove.

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 09:17 AM

The only way repair work can be done is though welding.

Approx 40-50 welds per piece for a bracelet with mild stretch. Each weld has to have a good 50-75% overlap for the best results.

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 09:20 AM

Then the opposite side

ROLLiWORKS · 14 October 2018, 09:36 AM

More work to do but this one will come out great when we're done.

SloRolexfan · 15 October 2018, 01:54 PM

I'm a mechanic and fabricator by trade. I LOVE these posts. Please please please keep updating this thread with pics!!!!!!

I've got a Daytona bracelet that has 1 link that has some wear that I really want fixed. Ill probably send the bracelet in at some point next year.

ROLLiWORKS · 16 October 2018, 04:19 AM

Yes of course, you got it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SloRolexfan

I'm a mechanic and fabricator by trade. I LOVE these posts. Please please please keep updating this thread with pics!!!!!!

I've got a Daytona bracelet that has 1 link that has some wear that I really want fixed. Ill probably send the bracelet in at some point next year.

Traction · 17 October 2018, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLiWORKS

Some smoothing and polishing on the polishing lathe. The high polish and brushed finished are applied.

Back to stylin!

Oh man, I remember when that watch was for sale. Hopefully if it is being sold on again this repair will be mentioned! Awesome work!

stanc1 · 17 October 2018, 07:53 AM

pretty cool, as good as new.
GREAT WORK

11 October 2018, 08:18 AM	#128
123Blueface "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: USA Watch: All Posts: 5,308	Awesome work. __________________ Rolex 228235 DD40 Olive, 126710BLRO, 116710BLNR, 116613LB, 116500LN White, 126610LN, 116500LN Black, 126610LV, 116610LV, 126334 Blue Diamond Breitling Navitimer 01, Cartier Santos Large

13 October 2018, 08:50 AM	#130
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Adventures in Band Repair (B4/After photos) This is what the work looks like when it is on our goldsmith bench. An acetylene torch, 18k gold rods, carbide bits, foredom hand tool, and a file are the primary tools used here. Here another photo for a better idea of what is going on here. The old gold rods are drilled and removed. New gold rods are inserted. It's not pretty at the moment, but it's all part of the process. Seeing the rough work, it's hard to believe these pieces will shine up in the end.

10 October 2018, 07:47 AM	#123
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Hmmm yah based on the photo I think I may know what we ran into with that gap. From my recollection (not the best) the band landed in the 90% region overall. During assembly replace the old knurl pins with new ones. This is usually enough to lessen the gaps. Sometimes the links themselves have material loss so the replacing pins isn't enough. From there we have to step it up by adding a sleeve (tube) that go around the pins which add additional girth thus closing the gap. Rolex uses something similar on two tone Oyster bands (but for a different reason). We take it one step further with multiple thicknesses. But somethings the thinnest sleeve is too much and makes the link feel stiff. The gap closes too much and the links rub. It forces us to back off. We assemble the bracelet one link at a time so we also decide these thing one link at a time. We really aim for the best possible result for each link without losing the original feel. We've been considering have an oblong shape pin that can be rotated so we have a variable adjustment. It's a thought. There are some manufacturing challenges that we would need to work through.

10 October 2018, 07:59 AM	#124
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Sleeves/tubes All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

10 October 2018, 08:52 AM	#125
Valenciawatchrepair Banned Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Ellijay, GA Posts: 1,504	I wish I was near you. Would definitely stop by and check you out! I have so much work I haven't be able to go through my Rolex stuff. Try a little repair on the laser myself. But, I don't have a nice set of sleeves and pins like that! Great work!

13 October 2018, 08:46 AM	#129
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	We have some fun photos of a 1960s Mens President we've just completed work on. Starting with the before photos. Despite the age of the bracelet it really was in decent shape. it was around 77% on our stretch chart. We really consider this the best area from 75-80%. Condition is good enough to get fantastic results. Any worse and we would have a lot more gold work, more money and it's not that realistic to see 90-95%.

13 October 2018, 09:03 AM	#131
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	After some test fitting and adjustments the rods are gold soldered in using acetylene torch. If all is well the tubes are filled with 18K gold and made smooth using a file. Here are some photos of the rough goldsmithing work next photos we took after polish was complete.

13 October 2018, 09:04 AM	#132
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	This is the shot that makes it all worth it! BAMM!

13 October 2018, 09:05 AM	#133
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	The obligatory side by side before/afters:

13 October 2018, 09:47 AM	#134
yoniman "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Real Name: Jesse Location: New Zealand Watch: 116234, 116613LB Posts: 1,855	Awesome. Would you happen to sell a President bracelet only? Cheers Sent from my TRT-LX2 using Tapatalk

13 October 2018, 04:30 PM	#135
mikkoi "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Real Name: Mikko Location: Finland Posts: 1,437	Great results and pics! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

13 October 2018, 06:29 PM	#136
primadealenator "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Hameln, Germany Watch: Sub 114060 Posts: 38	Bravo!!! Great results! Good work!!! Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

13 October 2018, 06:30 PM	#137
primadealenator "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Hameln, Germany Watch: Sub 114060 Posts: 38	This beauty... Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

13 October 2018, 06:39 PM	#138
primadealenator "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Hameln, Germany Watch: Sub 114060 Posts: 38	I had a little damage on the edge (over my thumb) while diving - in preparation for a dive, I had a collision with concrete... What to do? Just leave it? It is - in fact - a divers watch, and similar things will happen again! Wait for the next official service? I bought it in december of 2017; that will take some years... And perhaps some more damages! It does nothing to function or water resistance! So I trend to just wear and wait! Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

13 October 2018, 06:41 PM	#139
primadealenator "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Hameln, Germany Watch: Sub 114060 Posts: 38	Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

14 October 2018, 08:48 AM	#141
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Of all the items we laser welding during the course of a week, by far, Oyster Bracelets dominates the laser welding work queue. Jubilee bracelets - It's all about worn pins, worn loops, so new pins and sometimes sleeves is a bulk of the work. President bracelets - is all about gold soldering tubes and rods, and a bit of laser welding. Oyster bracelets - It's all about laser welding. The pins are almost always in perfect condition. Usually new sleeves are required as these do get very worn. The old pins are replaced with new ones as they bent during the disassembly process. but without welding the improvement to the bracelet is minimal. We may take an 80% bracelet to 85% if that. There will still be a lot of wobble and sloppiness in the links. We always have a tough time explaining why Oyster bracelets need laser welding. A lot of the times the damage area is barely visible to the untrained eye so it's no surprise when a client assures us no welding is required. While we do include up to 30 mins of welding at no cost, 9 of 10 that enter our shop require around 1-2 hrs.

14 October 2018, 09:04 AM	#142
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	We snapped a few shots of one link of an 11 link bracelet that shouldn't need laser welding. For an 11 link bracelet we have 33 total pieces that need to be in good working order for the repair to be successful 11 left side pieces 11 center links 11 right side pieces Notice the pins that hold this link together are protected by a sleeve. This is how it comes out of the Rolex factory. Both the pins and sleeves are in good condition yet this bracelet arrived in our shop in 80-85% condition.

14 October 2018, 09:08 AM	#143
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Here what it looks like under a microscope from our vantage point and through the eyepiece. Notice the large circular groove worn into the steel. Without welding, the links will wobble due to this groove.

14 October 2018, 09:17 AM	#144
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	The only way repair work can be done is though welding. Approx 40-50 welds per piece for a bracelet with mild stretch. Each weld has to have a good 50-75% overlap for the best results.

14 October 2018, 09:20 AM	#145
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	Then the opposite side

14 October 2018, 09:36 AM	#146
ROLLiWORKS "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Real Name: Michael H Posts: 964	More work to do but this one will come out great when we're done.

15 October 2018, 01:54 PM	#147
SloRolexfan "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: SLO Posts: 59	I'm a mechanic and fabricator by trade. I LOVE these posts. Please please please keep updating this thread with pics!!!!!! I've got a Daytona bracelet that has 1 link that has some wear that I really want fixed. Ill probably send the bracelet in at some point next year.

17 October 2018, 07:53 AM	#150
stanc1 "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: USA Posts: 144	pretty cool, as good as new. GREAT WORK

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