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Old 5 July 2011, 06:27 AM   #5
OysterDavid
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: S F Bay Area
Posts: 621
Terminology

In the USA, there are 3 tiers of Rolex servicing...the first and perhaps the most 'official' is the Rolex Service Center...NY and Dallas. These two facilities are owned and operated by Rolex USA, have the full compliment of parts, including bracelets, dials and bezels, keep the secrets and integrity of the Rolex line.

The 'second' tier is the 'Authorized Service Center' and there are two of those...San Francisco and Chicago. These two facilities are owned and operated independently and harken back to an earlier era when Rolex only had NY and allowed a very small number of independent watchmakers to take the franchise. These too have access to the entire parts catalog and also, and this is important, have the freedom to work on older Rolex watches that are refused at the RSC's. Judging from what people here quote in the way of prices, these two Authroized facilities can and do charge a bit more than the standard pricing of the RSC. People here and on other forums love these facilities because they can meet and greet the actual owner/watchmakers and interact through the service process.

Finally, there are the watch repair people who've acquired the credentials and pass inspections to have access to the Rolex parts, with some notable exceptions such as dials and bezels and bracelets...but full movement parts. Often in the forums, these people are referred to as 'Certified', but in fact, there have been no official Rolex certifications for many years...what they do have is the proven knowledge, the expensive equipment and approved facilities that are regularly inspected so that when Rolex sells them a part, the watch owner and Rolex have the assurance that the job will be done to factory specification and reflect well on the brand and the watchmaker. This category of repair/service facility can service other brands of watches, whereas the RSC and the Authorized places only service Rolex & Tudor.

So, when you ask about "Authorized Rolex Repair" in Southern California...there isn't any such animal...there are the RSC's which will require either a boxed and shipped watch or an expensive plane ticket or the true Authorized Service places in SF and Chicago or an independent watch repair person deemed proficient enough to buy from Rolex the factory approved parts.
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