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Old 3 December 2011, 06:29 AM   #1
Nakurate
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Montreal
Posts: 5
Sub Worth Repairing?

My 24 year old 1987 "R" serialled Sub, #16800 (with the 3035 Caliber movement?) has finally ground to a halt after 24 years of having never been serviced. It has been my experience that performing servicing while a watch is still working has always resulted in more issues than what was originally addressed, hence the inertia on my part.
Much like my experience with dentistry, maybe I always ran into the wrong watchmakers.

It still runs but only in intervals of a few minutes. When it does run, it is now remarkably quiet. The rotor noise is gone as well (probably seized).
The rotor was making quite a lot of noise for probably the last 10 years.
The accuracy has always been terrible since new (about 5-6 minutes a day fast and slow), right out of the box, being one of the least accurate of any watch I have ever owned (quartz or mechanical), and I have gone through many.
Ironic for the only watch in my collection that is COSC certified.

The date change has also stumbled for the first few years after purchase. A good bang always rectified it. Usually it was around the higher dates 25-26-27.

Of course the tritium lume (which since new has always had tiny pinholes (maybe from the application process?)) has long since ceased functioning. I am sure that the moisture infiltration has had a part to play in that, along with staining and pitting the dial and hands, and goodness knows what else inside.
The moisture infiltration could have occured in the past few years when the dial started looking shabbier. Never enough to slosh around inside but sufficient to fog the dial when coming in from the cold.
I would often notice the crown unscrewed while wearing it, knowing it was not I who unscrewed it. I have no explanation other than it unscrewing itself due to wrist vibration. I am pretty active with a hammer.
That alone should not have allowed water in unless all the seals are shot.
I guess the resetting due to innacuracy several times a day over 24 years must have had something to do with it.
Can`t say any other watch I have owned ever had water infiltration. Ironic for a watch with the highest pressure rating in my collection.

The bracelet has a lot of play, and one of the pins completely wore out letting the watch fly off my wrist.
The carbon steel hat pin I fashioned to hold it together seems to have pretty good durability over the stainless one that fell out. I would always worry now that another pin will pop, maybe while swimming, or are the other pins that are left of a larger diameter (not counting the clasp)?
I also had to bend over the clasp to keep it from unlocking.

The bezel has popped off as well, but luckily I caught all the pieces including that pesky microscopic spring that I re-bent to prevent the bezel from going backwards. It worked for a few years but now slips a few minutes back.
Glad I don't do any diving. It is not a feature that I think any serious diver (or parking meter stuffer) would really depend on.
The only use that I can see for it, is to make the 30 mm dial look more impressive, and afford additional protection to the crystal. It accomplishes that task nicely.

Of course the crystal and bezel are scatched, but not remarkably so.
The sapphire crystal has taken a lot of abuse and has faired quite well.
Compared to mineral glass or plastic, it is most impressive.
I normally destroy my crystals (like my eyeglasses) in time measured in weeks.

The movement is also loose inside the case. it moves visibly when being wound.

I guess to summarise, I need a new bracelet, bezel, face with luminova, hands to match, crystal polishing, and probably a lot of new parts in the movement, if it is at all salvageable.
Sounds like the cost would be more than a good used one.

I guess due to the face parts, that it is a job for RWC and not an AD.

I even missed out on the Rolex Anchor. I think that they were still offered in '87, but my jeweller neglected to pass it on.

24 years without a battery change, or winding (most of the time) is remarkable, but the expense is not really justifyable, considering that there are many ways of telling time cheaper.
Marvels of engineering and other testaments to obsolete technology are available in your local museum for a modest fee.
Regular maintenance would have prevented this but the combined cost would have exceeded the original purchase price, at least with reference to these common entry level models.

With no dis-respect intended toward the brand, Expensive and Durable come to mind when thinking of Rolex. Unfortunately, Accuracy never enters the equation.

My only solace is in thinking that my AD sold me a fake.
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