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18 March 2012, 02:53 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Real Name: Genny
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 37
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Instructions for new owner of ladies' Rolex Date
After sending my sister the watch I inherited from my mom's aunt, I thought I'd send along the following instructions, so she doesn't have the same stumbling blocks I did. When you stop to think about it, there is a lot that an unsuspecting recipient of a vintage Rolex Date might not know. Perhaps this will help others in the same situation someday.
If anyone has corrections please send them along ASAP! Don't want to send my little sister down a wrong path! =^..^= WHAT'S IN THE BOX Rolex 6516, ladies' stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Date automatic watch, smooth bezel with oyster Steelinox bracelet Envelope containing receipt and test results from respected Rolex repair expert Rik Dietel HOW TO WEAR IT The hinge on the bracelet has a release that looks like a Rolex crown, or kind of like a shell. You need to hold the rest of the watch bracelet, and pull on the broader end of the crown/shell in order to disengage it. It might feel like you're breaking the watch, but you're not. It's just that tough! Once the hinge is open, slip the watch on your wrist and then fold the hinge back onto your wrist and snap the crown/shell part shut. If you have hinge parts sticking out into the air, you have some part of the hinge pointing the opposite way of where it's supposed to go. Just swing it back the other way and everything should fall into place. (For some reason, I kept trying to close this the wrong way -- not sure if it's the design, or it's just me -- you may have no trouble with this at all.) This is certified watertight to 100 feet (that's what the barely legible water test results slip says). This means you are probably fine leaving it on while washing dishes or taking a shower, but that's probably already pushing it with a watch of this age. I wouldn't snorkel with it. HOW TO WIND IT If you wear it all the time and are active every day, it will never need winding. That is part of the design of the "automatic watch" -- it's meant to have the timing springs react to your body motion and wind themselves as your wrist moves. Actually I'm sure it's WAY more complicated than that, but anyway, it's genius. The crown -- the winding part that sticks out the right side of the watch -- is actually a part of the watertight seal. The watch is only watertight if this is screwed down tight to the right (clockwise). You will need to unscrew the crown, counterclockwise, to release it from its sealed position. Once it's released (it will feel like it pops out) you can turn it back and forth about 20 - 40 times and it will keep the time for a day or two. Be sure to screw down the crown afterwards! Push and turn it until it is secured back to its sealed position. HOW TO SET THE TIME You'll need to unscrew it the same as in how to wind it. Then pull the crown out. The time setting position is one farther out than the winding position. Turn the crown counter-clockwise (left) to advance the time clockwise to the right -- the opposite of what you might expect! It's fine if you reverse to fine-tune the time. You won't break anything. This is a 12-hour watch -- but has a date on it. So you might want to keep turning the time until the next/previous date appears, to make sure which time you're setting, e.g., 9 a.m. vs. 9 p.m. *Be sure to screw down the crown afterwards! Push and turn it clockwise, until it is secured back to its sealed position. HOW TO SET THE DATE There is no date-specific setting on this watch. That means you have to turn the time backward or forward until the date is right. Yeah, that's pretty tedious if it's the 20th and your watch says it's the 2nd. Is this the annoyance, or the charm, of older technology? *Be sure to screw down the crown after setting the date! Push and turn it clockwise, until it is secured back to its sealed position. HOW TO GET IT SERVICED I think you could wear this watch indefinitely without ever getting it serviced -- if you don't dunk it and don't mind it getting inaccurate! If you decide to service it, I'd suggest the following three places: Rik Dietel, Time Care Inc. http://timecareinc.com/ - this is who worked on this watch previously. Rolex Service Center, San Francisco - Giovanni is highly recommended on the Rolex Forums. Also very close to you, if you would prefer bringing the watch in person rather than shipping it. Bob Ridley, probably the all-around highest-rated Rolex repairman there is http://www.watchmakers.com/ To continue keeping perfect time, mechanical watches need periodic oiling. To stay waterproof, they need the water-sealing gaskets replaced from time to time. All this has already been included in the service this watch got before you received it. HOW TO FIND OUT MORE http://www.rolexforums.com |
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