Bump for more countries and repairers. Also added address details for RSC Sydney and Melbourne, please let me know if they need updating! Anyone has the address for RSC Bexley(UK)?
Also I don't think is worth advertising the Rolex Part Account details of repairers since is not possible to verify with Rolex and I haven't got details about whether any repairers on the list besides Rikki and Bob Ridley have a Rolex Parts acccount after I last asked here. So please ask the repairer directly if that's a concern to you since Rolex unfortunately doesn't advertise details of their Rolex Parts Account holders for us to be able to verify them. Still accepting certifications info though!
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Global List of Vintage Rolex Servicing centres
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Vintage repair and restoration is as unique a niche as vintage collecting - both require passion for the watches, patient acquisition of the knowledge, and pursuit of the elusive..Bob Ridley
USA
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East
Ernest Tope CMW21
http://watchrestoration.com/Experience.htm
Watch Service -
service@watchrestoration.com
(813) 802-4884
Masterpiece Watch Restoration LLC
PO Box 678
Mango, Fl 33550-0678
Rik E. Dietel CW21, member AWCI
http://timecareinc.com/
rikki.234@hotmail.com
727-215-8870
Time Care Inc.
P.O.Box 7489
Seminole, Florida. 33775
watchrepair.net
1499 Palmetto Park Rd.
Boca Raton, FL 33486
(888)876-9282
(561)368-1211
Jeff@watchrepair.net
Dominique Wieland
PO Box 403
616 East Savidge Street
Spring Lake, MI 49456
(800) 237-6398
http://dominiquewieland.com
West
RSC
Contact: Giovanni
210 Post Street, Suite 704-705
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 982-9830
Four Crowns
Contact: Shant Der Boghosian *Owned by former Rolex of Beverly Hills employees
608 South Hill Street
Suite 1001 (10th Floor)
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213-488-3381 office
Dalton Toledo, Alex Kohut
ABC Watchwerks
635 S. Hill St., Suite 807
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel (213) 489-1816
Tom Doan, CW21
D's TIME SERVICE
861 Sixth Ave #219 San Diego, CA 92101
Tel. (619) 696-9464 //
dstsvc@gmail.com
www.dstimeservice.com
Mid West
Universal Watch Repair
555 South Old Woodward Avenue
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248)723-5550
http://www.universalwatch.net/
Fine Swiss Watch Repair
Owner: Kent Mikolite
55 E Washington St, Ste 736
(between Wabash Ave & Dearborn St)
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 658-0602
Central
Bob Ridley , CW21, member AWCI
http://www.watchmakers.com/
Email -
bobridley@watchmakers.com
(817) 276-1400 - Phone
(817) 275-2466 - Fax
Manuel Chamosa, CMW, member AWCI
Chamosa Watch Repair (Owner worked for 14 years at the Dallas RSC)
14785 Preston Road # 150
Dallas, TX 75254-7886
(972)404-9177
Canada
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Rolex Canada Ltd.
Rolex Building
50 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 3B7
416-968-1100
Damiani Jewllers
15 Jevlan Dr.
Woodbridge, Ont.
905-850-4653
Chonger
Authorized Rolex Service Center
Location is at HWY 400 and #7
Ont.
Australia
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Sydney
RSC Sydney
Level 39, Tower Building, Australia Square,
264 George Street Sydney 2000.
New South Wales Australia. Tel: +61 2 9251 8988
MAX SCHWEIZER
SWISS WATCH SERVICE
Suite 313
375 George Street Sydney
Phone 9290 1469
CARL PARKER
PARKER TIME
Shop 1,
32 ferry Street,
Hunters Hill.
Phone 9816 1401
Expert Watch Repair
Suite 306, Level 3. 250 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
p: (02) 9261 2229 f: (02) 9283 3405
http://www.watchrepair.com.au
Melbourne
RSC Melbourne
70 Collins Street Melbourne 3000.
Victoria Australia. Tel: +61 3 9654 3988.
Ferntree Gully Watch and Clock
117-119 Station Street, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156
PH: +61 3 9758 7740
http://http://www.ftgwatch.com.au/
Ask For Phil Gore
Canterbury Clocks & Watches
209 Canterbury Road, Canterbury VIC 3126
PH: +61 3 9830 1370
http://http://www.canterburycw.com.au/watches.html
Ask For Rory Macdonald
UK
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Steve Hale
Watch Restoration
33 St. George St.
London
W1S 2FL
Tel: 00 44 207 495 3439
http://www.watchrestoration.co.uk
William Rice
Woodmansey
Beverley
Hull
East Yorkshire
Tel: 00 44 1482 873425
http://www.williamricewatches.com
Sweden
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Kristoffer Polblad
Infinitum Jewelry & Watches
Kungsgatan 5
411 19 Gothenburg
Independent but Rolex certified.
Specialised in vintage Rolex.
http://infinitumsmycken.se/
Is your watchmaker certified?
Certification FAQ/Info, listed by contributor
Rikki
Question @rolexsport: What is the difference between cmw21 and cw21?
Answer @Rikki:A CW is Certified Watchmaker and a CMW is a Certified Master Watchmaker. Certifications have been around for a long time this is the newest. Those that had a previous CMW were semi grandfathered in and only had to take 2 parts of the test I took because their CMW from before was more complicated. The AWCI hasn't as of yet put together a completely new CMW21, but they are working on it and as soon as it is ready I will test for that as well, of course after more classes and study. Also to keep your CW or CMW21 you have to take continueing ed courses and accrue between 5 and 7 credits to keep your license current every 5 years. Pretty much like doctors nurses opticians and so forth. Hope that clears it up a bit. Rikki
Question @cruvon: What are the pre requisites to take it, for example number of years experience, etc.? Also would be interesting to know what the different subjects the exam covers. Also what's the duration of the Certified Master Watchmaker exam?
Answer @Rikki: The 5 disciplines are 4 hour essay written test, 7750 Chronograph, eta automatic, eta quartz, and lathe work cut out a balance fit new one poise and properly center hairspring and oil. The only timed part is the written you have 3 1/2 days to complete the rest. They can induce up to 100 errors in the watches for you to diagnose and repair as well as clean oil adjust and case up. There is no CMW 21 test as of yet just 2 parts of the full test written and the chronograph and I believe you get 2 days to complete. You have to have 3 to 5 years experience to take the test. People coming out of wostep taking the test pass rate is slightly higher maybe 45 percent. So much has changed in the last 5 years alone materials oils quantities that you really have to take the prerequsite courses in order to pass the test. That's about all I got. Best thing I have done for myself and my business. Rikki
Question @Cavediver: Hi RIk, Are there any restrictions on how a watchmaker advertises the certifications? For example, can a watchmaker that is certified cw21 or cmw21 have a staff of non certified watchmakers that do the majority of the services while the certified watchmaker mostly does the management part of the business? I figure that is how Rolex operates.
Thanks
Answer @Rikki: I believe the Rolex service center in Dallas has approximately 40 or so certified watchmakers and about 60 or so watch techs who do most of the grunt work and the certified guys do the final adjusting. I do everything soup to nuts. I believe that Rolex requires anyone who does mechanical work as an Independant be certified not so sure about detailing and case work. My actual title is Rik Dietel CW21 and can use my certification as I see fit for advertising or whatever. There are many stores or workshops where the owner is not even a watchmaker and subs the work out like most of the jewelry stores on the planet. Some of the subs are certified some are not it's up to the consumer to ask and because certifications started to be swept under the rug in the early 80's so jewelry stores didn't have to pay a watchmaker to change batteries lobbyied by the big jewelry store chains education for watchmakers went down the tubes. Now that more mechanical high grade watches are being produced than at anytime in history the need for qualified watchmakers is needed more than ever. If any of you out there have a genuine interest in becoming a watchmaker there's no better time, the amount of work out there is generational,and I mean really generational. Okay enough of the soapbox you'all have a nice evenning. Rikki
Question @cruvon: are there any certifications that especially cater to vintage watches and their restoration (do any of the above mentioned certifications include that?), that would be the icing to the cake since though you'll know how to, many watchmakers out there have no clue about how a vintage watch needs to be handled!
Answer @Rikki: That all comes with experience and trial and error hopefully more trial than error hehe. You see vintage to me and Bob are the watches we cut our teeth on. We both have serviced more vintage than probably the next 20 guys put together just because we have been around longer. We lost a local watchmaker and friend some months back and he was working full days at 84 years old imagine what he has seen and the advancement and changes in technolgy. I believe Wostep in switzerland has a highend vintage course where they give you 10 projects to complete in 9 months it's pretty intense you're making parts drawing them out lots of machining work.
Barbara/Bob Ridley
"In light of industry developments we..now require that all spare parts accounts maintain a membership in the American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute (AWCI)....AWCI is currently the only resource for obtaining the new industry-supported Watchmaker Certification, which will become mandatory for all existing Rolex spare parts accounts within the next three years."
Since January 2011, AWCI certification is required in order to be eligible for a spare parts accounts. Further requirements exist, involving on-site inspection and equipment specifications. Watchmakers must maintain premium qualifications and shop standards in order to be eligible for a spare parts account. Without this account, a watchmaker cannot purchase genuine Rolex parts directly from Rolex.
It is our understanding (in agreement with Rik) that an independent watchmaker with a Rolex account must have approval by Rolex (verified certifications) in order to perform mechanical services to a Rolex watch.
Question @cruvon: are there any certifications that especially cater to vintage watches and their restoration (do any of the above mentioned certifications include that?), that would be the icing to the cake since though you'll know how to, many watchmakers out there have no clue about how a vintage watch needs to be handled!
Answer @Barbara/Bob: Bob's perspective is that "most U.S. watchmaker curriculum focuses on current/modern watches (expected within a market-driven industry). This benefits vintage repair, given thoughtful and well-considered application of some newer techniques. Overall, though, vintage repair/restoration is as unique a niche as vintage collecting - both require passion for the watches, patient acquisition of the knowledge, and pursuit of the elusive. "
NB: While this list serves to collate all vintage watch repairers forumers have possibly dealt with (from fellow forumers comments in the various threads) in one place, it in no way is a measure of the quality/originality of the work they might perform. Please conduct your own due diligence before you send in your beloved watch in for repair by asking questions on the forum, posting pictures, getting references, etc. Also please notify us of any concerns and if the forumers agree I can take them off this list.