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Old 19 March 2012, 02:49 AM   #1
Wooster
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RSC: San Francisco or Dallas

I live close to the RSC in San Francisco, so come service time, I can easily take it in and pick it up, upon completion. That being said, should I be concerned that the SF RSC is not actually owned by Rolex? I've heard their work is outstanding, but is it recognized by Rolex as an official service? Is the warranty honored by Rolex RSC's elsewhere?

I realize a full service costs some money, and I am willing to pay for quality work. So, apart from the fact that I wouldn't have to ship my GMT IIc to Dallas, should I use San Francisco instead of Dallas?

Please share your thoughts and experiences?

Thanks!
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Old 19 March 2012, 03:22 AM   #2
ndsleep612
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Yes their work is honored by Rolex. They originally were like 1 of a very small handful of independent RSCs from back in the days. The guys that work there are knowledgeable and friendly. You can do a search on the watch forums and there are many positive experiences in dealing with them.
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Old 19 March 2012, 03:45 AM   #3
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Either will be fine, but I personally would go with Dallas.
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Old 19 March 2012, 05:22 AM   #4
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If I could walk it into San Fran, that is where I would take it..

You have a watchmaker there who does all the work, and it is an OFFICIAL ROLEX SERVICE CENTER... whether it is owned by Rolex or not is irrelevant - it works to the same standards...

If you send it to the big Centers in Dallas or New York, and likely Beverly Hills, the work is done by machines and technicians in an assembly line fashion and the watchmaker only tunes it up at the end...

So, who would you rather have working on your watch
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Old 19 March 2012, 05:41 AM   #5
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I have taken my watches to RSC SF three times and have only been met with positive experiences...
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Old 19 March 2012, 06:22 AM   #6
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Sounds like SF is the best option for you considering you can walk right in.
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Old 19 March 2012, 07:04 AM   #7
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I'd heard that Giovanni (he is 2nd owner, bought it from orig. owner & founder, a guy named Bernecker, who retired) was selling the RSC SFO????? Anyone know?????
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Old 19 March 2012, 09:36 AM   #8
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I'd heard that Giovanni (he is 2nd owner, bought it from orig. owner & founder, a guy named Bernecker, who retired) was selling the RSC SFO????? Anyone know?????
I haven't heard that, but if it's true, he can only sell his business as a shop, not the RSC status. The new owner would have to meet the qualifications and standards that Rolex sets to be a Service Center..

Further, if true, I might just go with the Beverly Hills RSC... it's just down the coast a few hundred miles..
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Old 19 March 2012, 09:57 AM   #9
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Quote:
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I'd heard that Giovanni (he is 2nd owner, bought it from orig. owner & founder, a guy named Bernecker, who retired) was selling the RSC SFO????? Anyone know?????
Do you mean Ludwig? He was a good guy but very professional.
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Old 19 March 2012, 11:12 AM   #10
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Walk in or shipping expense?

I think walk in meets the requirement of the KISS method.
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Old 19 March 2012, 11:38 AM   #11
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Another vote for SF Rolex

The current owners name is Giovanni, and is a great guy and I just got back my Sub overhauled there. It needed it- 35 yrs is never worked better now!
This is the the first time I had the watch polished ( it truly needed it- it had road rash from a bike accident ) and it looks awesome.
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Old 19 March 2012, 12:33 PM   #12
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Quote:
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I'd heard that Giovanni (he is 2nd owner, bought it from orig. owner & founder, a guy named Bernecker, who retired) was selling the RSC SFO????? Anyone know?????
giovanni is selling the shop? for real?
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Old 13 April 2012, 06:42 AM   #13
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sf rsc is a great place. never had a problem there. the staff is always helpful and willing to spend time with you talking about your watch. i talked to giovanni (the owner) and joe. great guys!
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Old 13 April 2012, 06:56 AM   #14
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A word of caution: I talked to Giovanni/SF about getting a regular overhaul on a SD 16600. They refused to give me even a ball park estimate, I decided to try them out because of all the great things I've heard and overnighted my watch to them. They had promised an estimate within a couple of working days. After pinging them twice, I finally got an estimate 10 working days after the watch arrived and it was 20-25% more than what RSC Dallas had quoted me (hence, nothing wrong with the watch, just a simple cleaning and lub).

So there I am, having to pay them to release the watch back to me, I spent $100 on shipping back and forward, I wasted 2-3 weeks and I had nothing to show for.

I can only speak from personal experience but I am never using them again. RSC or Ridley.
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Old 14 April 2012, 02:52 PM   #15
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Thanks everyone. I appreciate hearing the personal stories and experiences. It is what I was looking for. Keep 'em coming.
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Old 14 April 2012, 03:58 PM   #16
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Highly recommended

I took my 16610 sub to RSC in SF, and they do EXCEPTIONAL work. When you call Rolex and tell them you need servicing, they will tell you "why not go to the RSC near you in SF"? They tell me it's officially certified as a Rolex repair facility. My watch looked fantastic when it was done. Perfect polishing, and they have a very nice staff as well. Took about 1 1/2 weeks. Not bad!
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Old 14 April 2012, 04:04 PM   #17
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Further, if true, I might just go with the Beverly Hills RSC... it's just down the coast a few hundred miles..
You have to take your watch there in person, though. They aren't taking shipments at the moment.
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Old 14 April 2012, 04:05 PM   #18
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I would pick sf
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Old 18 April 2012, 02:15 PM   #19
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I had a nightmare experience with SF. They are not an official RSC. Send to Dallas
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Old 18 April 2012, 02:19 PM   #20
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I had a nightmare experience with SF. They are not an official RSC. Send to Dallas
Will you provide details? Thank you.
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Old 18 April 2012, 11:14 PM   #21
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I had a nightmare experience with SF. They are not an official RSC. Send to Dallas
some clearly state that they are an 'official rsc' and now an indication they are not.

anyone know 'officially' if they are an official rsc? what does that even mean? that they are certified by rolex? how could there be ambiguity about that?
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Old 18 April 2012, 11:21 PM   #22
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some clearly state that they are an 'official rsc' and now an indication they are not.

anyone know 'officially' if they are an official rsc? what does that even mean? that they are certified by rolex? how could there be ambiguity about that?
From what I've read on here, I believe SF has certification from Rolex and access to parts.

However there are only three US service centers listed on rolex.com - New York, Dallas, and Beverly Hills.
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Old 19 April 2012, 12:25 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by RolexguyinSF View Post
I took my 16610 sub to RSC in SF, and they do EXCEPTIONAL work. When you call Rolex and tell them you need servicing, they will tell you "why not go to the RSC near you in SF"? They tell me it's officially certified as a Rolex repair facility. My watch looked fantastic when it was done. Perfect polishing, and they have a very nice staff as well. Took about 1 1/2 weeks. Not bad!
1 1/2 weeks, wow, I like that
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