A Good Reason to Learn to Repair Your Own Rolex

[freddy333]

NYC Rolex RSC charge to replace ss clasp & perform standard, 5-year overhaul on a 16610 Sub (5-week turn-around)

[valerian]

Ouch! Sorry to hear it. Did they send it to the factory? That would explain part of. Swiss Franc is rock hard ATM.

Val.

[TeeJay]

That's just nasty

[rosnik]

Fortunately my friend Domenico is a lot cheaper when he get service to my GENs .

[praetor]

500 dollar service + 350 dollars for clasp? @_@

And here I am complaining how people are charging an arm and a leg for superdome tropics. It was Rolex's fault to begin with.

Edited June 8, 2011 by praetor

[alligoat]

A friend of mine spent $500 on a Rolex service a few years ago. Luckily I stay away from the RSC.

You'd figure a clasp at $200-250, so where's the other $200? More replaced parts?

[praetor]

^taxes

[Ronin]

A friend of mine spent $500 on a Rolex service a few years ago. Luckily I stay away from the RSC.

You'd figure a clasp at $200-250, so where's the other $200? More replaced parts?

Tax?

My AWCI guy with shop, and parts account (don't ask, he WON'T even sell to me, he is by the book) charges $300 + parts for a Typical Rolex service. So figure $300 + 250 for clasp = $550 for an independent shop... [edit to add: 1 Week turn around]

FYI, my AD charges $1100 for a new 93150 complete bracelet...

[Vuggy]

So if you send it to rolex service centers and pay, say, $1000 a pop every five years for the next 30 years (amt includes inflation), rolex makes almost as much off you after the sale as they do on selling you the watch itself.

[Dizzy]

I would never send such a basic watch to RSC. $900 is rediculous.

[freddy333]

The saddest part about this is that with Rolex tightening restrictions on the parts supply, independent watchmakers, many of whom were Rolex-trained & who do not have the luxury of spending hours/days/weeks trolling ebay, are no longer functionally able to repair a Rolex watch. This, increasingly, leaves the average gen owner with no other option than to bend over & repeat that famous line from Animal House - 'Thank you, Sir. May I have another?'

I looked up the word 'monopoly' in the dictionary & it said 'Take it to your local RSC'.

[automatico]

"The saddest part about this is that with Rolex tightening restrictions on the parts supply, independent watchmakers, many of whom were Rolex-trained & who do not have the luxury of spending hours/days/weeks trolling ebay, are no longer functionally able to repair a Rolex watch."

Rolex is one of the very few outfits in the world who can get by with this...sell a man a common item but refuse to sell parts to the repair shop of his choice.

What if your Swastiki computer needed a $10 part and you were forced to send it back to Swastiki and pay $400 for a 'overhaul'? I doubt this policy would last very long.

Otoh it seems like AD shopper type rolex owners are Ok with 'bending over' when service is needed and rarely complain.

I doubt I am the only one who laid down their genuine rolex and put on a replica/Frankenwatch because of this.

[modelizer]

Ouch! That's insane.. If there was a service on a complex movement involved it would make a little more sense.. (just a little)

All hail the frankens!

[jdavis]

That is insane! My 16233 Datejust had a chip in the crystal and I stopped in at a local AD to have a new one installed. At only $350 to replace it, I ran as fast as I could. I later purchased a replacement crystal from Jules Borrel for less than $40 and replaced it myself. Rolex parts have become more expensive and difficult for local non AD watchmakers to come by and many are buying used or aftermarket parts to stay in the game.

[kdspiv]

Here is the break down of what Rolex charged me for my full service a couple of years ago on my 2001 116610 Sub. If I would have known I would end up selling it a year later I would have waited.

When I approached the AD and requested THEY send my watch in for service the price was double this amount. When I called Rolex directly and asked them about it, they said as long as there were parts to turn back in (regardless of condition) that I would be given trade-back credit on those parts. I was later warned that the AD's sometimes try and keep those parts to be replaced and pass the full price charge that Rolex gives for the lack of part, on the the customer.

So I made the 4 hour drive to Rolex and gave it to the service people directly.

It was a kick butt experience.

They sat me down in a BEAUTIFUL waiting room with red carpets and butter yellow leather couches. I was told it would be a 15 to 20 min wait for the technician to come and discuss my watch with me. Then Rolex literature was handed to me and I was given chocolates and sparkling water to help ease the wait.

Sure enough, a Rolex watchsmith walked out with my watch dismantled on a green leather tray and went over what services needed to be done and what services and parts they reccomended to replaced.

I have to say if you have the chance to take your gen in for service in person DIRECTLY to Rolex themselves..DO IT! It is worth the experience

**EDIT** I forgot to say that I bought the Sub second hand from a local "High Profile" watch and jewelry store. The The dial was determined to be an "aftermarket" sub dial and Rolex would not give me full credit for the dial. They did give me half credit as I had bought the watch like that. Rolex also gave me a letter complete with pics and documentation showing the dial was not original to that Sub. I took this back to the place I purchased it from who advertises "Rolex authorized service and only ROLEX parts are ever used". That store reimbursed me for the dial cost.**

Edited June 9, 2011 by kdspiv

[Ronin]

The saddest part about this is that with Rolex tightening restrictions on the parts supply, independent watchmakers, many of whom were Rolex-trained & who do not have the luxury of spending hours/days/weeks trolling ebay, are no longer functionally able to repair a Rolex watch. This, increasingly, leaves the average gen owner with no other option than to bend over & repeat that famous line from Animal House - 'Thank you, Sir. May I have another?'

I looked up the word 'monopoly' in the dictionary & it said 'Take it to your local RSC'.

(monopoly reference)

As far as them tightening down-- all the more reason for an ACCEPTED aftermarket parts business. Rolex is one of the few brands where their fan's, (fanatics), say it can only be a Rolex if contains 100% Rolex parts. IMHO, if the watch has the following three GEN items; case, dial, movement -- It is a Rolex... Crowns, Crystals, Bezel Inserts, Hands, and Bracelets should all be free game... I said it in another post, "muddy the water = good for our hobby".

[freddy333]

Rolex is one of the few brands where their fan's, (fanatics), say it can only be a Rolex if contains 100% Rolex parts.

Like it or not, that is the definition Rolex uses, so their 'fans' (like me) have little choice in the matter.

[GoFaster]

Yes Rolex is very expensive and the work is not always good... I gave few Watches to Bucherer Rolex at Geneva and the work was not always good... My friend get back his sub 16610 with a little scratch on dial... He was crazy !

[theblueprince]

The price in the UK for service on vintage sports Rolex has just gone up from £300-350 to £650 ($1000) and that's before any extra/replacement parts are needed.

[GoFaster]

@TheBluePrince

ouch... X2... Crazy ! Why !? Because they have no more parts in stock.... A Good friend of my wife works for Rolex at Geneva, she told us they put at the Bin everyday a lot of parts for a little flaw... Crazy !

[Ronin]

Like it or not, that is the definition Rolex uses, so their 'fans' (like me) have little choice in the matter.

Exactly to the point of the craziness by both Rolex Corporate and (some) of thier fanatics.

Is my vintage Doxa no longer a Doxa or 'real' because it has an aftermarket crown and bracelet? Is a Porsche no longer a Porsche because you changed the turbo, exhaust, chip, cam, wheels?

I can think of no other consumer goods that go to such extremes. Although, Apple products are getting close.

[GoFaster]

I think it depends what model we are speaking... Yes some Porsche must be in Collection condition and with all Genuine parts to be sold at the Max Price... Now a 911/997 with different wheels stays a Real Porsche 

But a Submariner vintage (1680) for example with aftermarket parts would not be a Good Deal for a Collector but stays a Real Sub... But depend which parts have been changed, not a Good Idea to change the dial or movement 

[Ronin]

I think it depends what model we are speaking... Yes some Porsche must be in Collection condition and with all Genuine parts to be sold at the Max Price... Now a 911/997 with different wheels stays a Real Porsche 

But a Submariner vintage (1680) for example with aftermarket parts would not be a Good Deal for a Collector but stays a Real Sub... But depend which parts have been changed, not a Good Idea to change the dial or movement 

Agreed, but if read above, the point I was making for keeping-- the GEN Case, GEN Dial, and GEN Movement. All other parts are 'technically' user serviceable. The issue becomes, OMG! the insert and hands are not Genuine and people flip out and flag down auctions on eBay, ban them from forums, and think the watch if fake and think these items are tells. Rolex however is preventing even "trained professionals" from getting the CORRECT GEN parts to do the service.

Let the market speak, the collector would not pay a premium for it because they think it has been molested -vs- someone who would be content saving a couple thousand dollars because the insert, hands and maybe bracelet are not OE.

[Vuggy]

Here is the break down of what Rolex charged me for my full service a couple of years ago on my 2001 116610 Sub. ...................

That's quite a story, good service but you're paying for it.

[TeeJay]

The saddest part about this is that with Rolex tightening restrictions on the parts supply, independent watchmakers, many of whom were Rolex-trained & who do not have the luxury of spending hours/days/weeks trolling ebay, are no longer functionally able to repair a Rolex watch. This, increasingly, leaves the average gen owner with no other option than to bend over & repeat that famous line from Animal House - 'Thank you, Sir. May I have another?'

I looked up the word 'monopoly' in the dictionary & it said 'Take it to your local RSC'.

Exactly to the point of the craziness by both Rolex Corporate and (some) of thier fanatics.

Is my vintage Doxa no longer a Doxa or 'real' because it has an aftermarket crown and bracelet? Is a Porsche no longer a Porsche because you changed the turbo, exhaust, chip, cam, wheels?

I can think of no other consumer goods that go to such extremes. Although, Apple products are getting close.

As discussed some months ago, there is another option (future inevitability, as parts become less and less available) and that will be having no other option but to install aftermarket parts, thus turning a gen into a franken. I nearly used the term 'reducing' rather than 'turning', but did not simply because of the rationale Ronin mentioned with cars. Sure, aftermarket parts might mean Item X commands a lower price than the unmodified Item Y, but, it is still 'a real Rolex/Porsche'. And of course, if the owner of said item has no plans for resale, then the sale value becomes a somewhat moot point, imho I'd rather wear a functional franken, than have a totally gen paperweight