3235….disappointed

[SublimeZ06]

I’ve been out of the loop with Rolex for some time. My last couple of purchases were an 116710 in 2007 (which has been outstanding) and then a 14060M in 2015. Tuned out after that until very recently when I got the bug for a datejust 41 and a Sea-Dweller.

Just a couple of days ago, I discovered the tons of documented issues with the 3235 movement. I’m disappointed to hear of all of the problems and feel like if I were to purchase a new piece with this movement, I would never fully trust it. Has anyone else been turned off from buying new due to the many concerns with the 3235?

[Subshark1861]

I have a 2023 Submariner with 3230 calibre. Admittedly, I have only had it a few months, but it's been under +2 spd averaged over the 3 months I have owned it.

It also has a five-year warranty, so any problem will be Rolex's problem, not mine. Even if it goes 'bad' after the five years, I can get it serviced and have another two-year's of warranty. And if then I don't want it, I can probably sell for what it cost me.

[brandrea]

How are your watches with the 32xx movements running?

From my perspective, I’m not concerned and I own 3 with the 32xx movement.

[SublimeZ06]

Originally Posted by brandrea

How are your watches with the 32xx movements running?

From my perspective, I’m not concerned and I own 3 with the 32xx movement.

I don't own any 3235s. My AD had a Datejust 41 for me and I was going to pick it up yesterday, but had a change of heart due to the concerns. Love the new Sea-Dweller and wanted that also, but now in limbo on those.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by SublimeZ06

I don't own any 3235s. My AD had a Datejust 41 for me and I was going to pick it up yesterday, but had a change of heart due to the concerns. Love the new Sea-Dweller and wanted that also, but now in limbo on those.

Well then you've answered your own question.

Sounds like Rolex isn't in your plans and that's ok. Plenty of other brands to choose from.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by brandrea

How are your watches with the 32xx movements running?

From my perspective, I’m not concerned and I own 3 with the 32xx movement.

Also wondering the same.

My money is always on reality vs. what the internet thinks.

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by brandrea

How are your watches with the 32xx movements running?

From my perspective, I’m not concerned and I own 3 with the 32xx movement.

Me too. Numerous 32xx watches. It’s a fab movement. No issues. All within spec


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[garyk]

Originally Posted by brandrea

How are your watches with the 32xx movements running?

From my perspective, I’m not concerned and I own 3 with the 32xx movement.

I’ve got two subs, 2020 blue TT and 2022 LV. Have not noticed any substantial slowdown and these are the two I wear the most.

[amh]

Originally Posted by East of Eden

One of whom works for a RSC and is getting a half dozen 32xxs a week to be fixed

Actually he admitted it's far less than that when I extrapolated his reported number over an entire year. We don't know the exact number but I'm going to guess the Bas figures have been misconstrued.
- What is the annual total? (100? 200? 300?)
- What is a bad week? (Five?)
- A good week? (One? none?)
- How many watches typically come in for "service" during the week during normal times?
- How many 31xx series come in?

We need discussion on these topics before we can simply say "half a dozen a week." It's not enough information and currently per Bas himself it is not true.

Originally Posted by East of Eden

He says it more or less has serious problems, which some are in denial about

Not in denial, but skeptical of the wild rumor-mongering, such as the ludicrous 25% failure rate pulled from the uncontrolled internet poll or the even bigger 60% failure rate inferred by experience of one user.

Originally Posted by Barada7

Because even with its potential (inevitable?) failure within what most of us would consider an unacceptable period (5 years? - have any of them gotten that far?) it’s still an incredibly accurate movement.

My SD43 still is GrandSeiko-like in accuracy after 6 years, FWIW.

Failure is actually very unlikely, otherwise Rolex would be overwhelmed with broken watches. Instead they're increasing adoption of their groundbreaking movement.

[East of Eden]

Originally Posted by amh

Actually he admitted it's far less than that when I extrapolated his reported number over an entire year. We don't know the exact number but I'm going to guess the Bas figures have been misconstrued.
- What is the annual total? (100? 200? 300?)
- What is a bad week? (Five?)
- A good week? (One? none?)
- How many watches typically come in for "service" during the week during normal times?
- How many 31xx series come in?

We need discussion on these topics before we can simply say "half a dozen a week." It's not enough information and currently per Bas himself it is not true.

Sorry, he was the one who said half a dozen 32xx problems a week, waay more than other movements.

[Rolexken]

All good for me so far with a 2019 and a 2022 watch.

[slide13]

I understand you on the concerns. I was in a similar mindset recently. I was "on the list" for a few watches but had been wearing my Tudor BB58 for the prior year or so and loving it. It also ran a consistent -0.5 spd that whole time pretty much. Fantastic watch.

I got the call on an Exp II and a DJ41 and passed on both, concerns over the 32xx movement were definitely a part of that.

But then I got the call on a Sub Date 126610LN. The Sub has always been my favorite Rolex model but I just never loved the larger blockier case of the 11xxxx (had an 114060 for a whlie). The new 12xxxx series Subs just fixed everything in my mind and so when I got that call I decided I just couldn't pass it up.

I've only had it for about a month now. It's currently at +5. Not seconds per day, just a cumulative +5 over the last 4 weeks. It's as accurate as any mechanical watch I've ever owned at this point.

I do know it could develop problems down the road. I've seen those thread and read those posts and really dug into them when I first considered a new watch with the 32xx movements. I'm comforted by the fact that there is a 5 year warranty to take care of issues and the fact that Rolex is putting out probably around a million watches a year with this movement. I think it's documented fact that some have issues, but I also imagine it's only a percentage of the total movements out there.

I also have some small hope that things have gotten better as time has gone on. While there are reports of more recent watches with issues it seems to be a problem that peaked around the first to second year of the movement being in use. I'm guessing Rolex has been quietly tweaking things to try to address the issue.

When I decided to purchase my Sub I was initially concerned the potential movement issues would bother me and distract from the wearing experience but surprisingly I haven't found that to be the case. I love wearing this watch and I'm very happy I purchased it. I keep an eye on it's time keeping like I do any watch and we'll see how it goes. Fingers crossed it ends up being problem free for me.

[puma1552]

This movement has been out what, 8 years now? I would hope Rolex has made some silent improvements/fixes over that time as they've had plenty of time now to get the watches out in the wild, discover issues, and perform R&D to make silent updates. Maybe they haven't fixed everything, but hopefully the 32XXs they are shipping now are at least better than the originals from 7-8 years ago.

And if they haven't fixed anything yet, let's hope to god that they will get there before your 5 year warranty is up. I would hope that they do fix/alter the movement as a rolling service update as watches come in for service and I hope they don't just drop the ball, not do anything, and go to a new movement entirely for new models while leaving the 32XX owners holding the bag to get serviced over and over with the same problematic parts.

[robinmgb]

Yes, I wouldn’t touch one again
Had issues with 2 out of 3 32 series movements, even after being returned to Rolex under warranty and supposedly fixed the low amplitude issue returned within 6 months
I’d advise if you have to buy Rolex choose older 31 series movements or first choice would be buy another brand, there’s so many better/higher horology options

[trf2271]

My sub with the 3230 is a few days out from being a year old and hasn’t deviated at all. If it does I’ll send it in. That’s what the 5 yr warranty is for.

[MeteorR]

There are two sides of views on every issues on luxury products that I have been observing for years. I am also active on other forums like Leica (I own 3 different models).
Like Leica, Rolex has its own issue, and customers’ views are highly polarized with regards to qualities.
One side is dismayed and disgusted that an issue is so profound.
The other side simply dismissed any issues by saying that online stats are highly skewed because people without issues don’t complain at all.
Both sides have their own merits and I don’t know which one to believe.

I just live my life, rotate my Rolexes and take my Leica’s out for fun.
When an issue arises, I deal with it, treat it as isolated case, get it fixed and move on

[drrd]

Originally Posted by SublimeZ06

I’ve been out of the loop with Rolex for some time. My last couple of purchases were an 116710 in 2007 (which has been outstanding) and then a 14060M in 2015. Tuned out after that until very recently when I got the bug for a datejust 41 and a Sea-Dweller.

Just a couple of days ago, I discovered the tons of documented issues with the 3235 movement. I’m disappointed to hear of all of the problems and feel like if I were to purchase a new piece with this movement, I would never fully trust it. Has anyone else been turned off from buying new due to the many concerns with the 3235?

You’d trust the five year warranty though, wouldn’t you?

If it starts slowing then send it to RSC. You get a service and check that it’s within spec after the rebuild, all for free. Anything that slipped through the net from the factory set up is probably gonna get found after a service.

Bear in mind that Rolex quote a precision for their time keeping and they seem happy for people to hold them to it. Some high end brands don’t do this, so I guess you just have to argue your case if you’re unhappy with the time keeping with them.

[SublimeZ06]

Originally Posted by drrd

You’d trust the five year warranty though, wouldn’t you?

If it starts slowing then send it to RSC. You get a service and check that it’s within spec after the rebuild, all for free. Anything that slipped through the net from the factory set up is probably gonna get found after a service.

Bear in mind that Rolex quote a precision for their time keeping and they seem happy for people to hold them to it. Some high end brands don’t do this, so I guess you just have to argue your case if you’re unhappy with the time keeping with them.

Looks like there are plenty of reports of slow 32XXs getting serviced and coming back fine for variable periods of time but then having issues again at a later time. After 5 years it's on your dime and you're out a watch for many, many weeks with how backed up the RSCs are.

[drrd]

Originally Posted by SublimeZ06

Looks like there are plenty of reports of slow 32XXs getting serviced and coming back fine for variable periods of time but then having issues again at a later time. After 5 years it's on your dime and you're out a watch for many, many weeks with how backed up the RSCs are.

There may be tons and plenty of reports but Rolex make over a million watches a year.

On your dime after five years? Wish everything was like that.

What’s your alternative now Rolex is off the menu?

[East of Eden]

Originally Posted by drrd

There may be tons and plenty of reports but Rolex make over a million watches a year.

On your dime after five years? Wish everything was like that.

What’s your alternative now Rolex is off the menu?

Pre 32xx Rolex

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by SublimeZ06

Looks like there are plenty of reports of slow 32XXs getting serviced and coming back fine for variable periods of time but then having issues again at a later time. After 5 years it's on your dime and you're out a watch for many, many weeks with how backed up the RSCs are.

That's it except people are also missing or are in denial of a few other key points.
Firstly, a good number of these new movements aren't getting out of warranty without serious problems, with some recurring multiple times within warranty. This was never a thing with the older movements back in the day.

Secondly, Rolex are claiming a 10 year service interval that people are keen to be subscribing to.
So what about the reliability factor if these new movements aren't getting anywhere near their promoted service interval before going haywire?
What about the value for money component given the purchase price?

Thirdly, the older movements were also held to the "Superlative Chronometer" standard from the point in time where Rolex changed the colour of the Chronometer hangtag.

In summary, most newer Rolex watches aren't what they used to be and Rolex keep implementing revised movements that are suspect by nature of key design elements.
The whole thing is utterly questionable if one may be able to expect a Swatch Watch to give better performance with the exception of water resistance

[SublimeZ06]

Originally Posted by Dirt

That's it except people are also missing or are in denial of a few other key points.
Firstly, a good number of these new movements aren't getting out of warranty without serious problems, with some recurring multiple times within warranty. This was never a thing with the older movements back in the day.

Secondly, Rolex are claiming a 10 year service interval that people are keen to be subscribing to.
So what about the reliability factor if these new movements aren't getting anywhere near their promoted service interval before going haywire?
What about the value for money component given the purchase price?

Thirdly, the older movements were also held to the "Superlative Chronometer" standard from the point in time where Rolex changed the colour of the Chronometer hangtag.

In summary, most newer Rolex watches aren't what they used to be and Rolex keep implementing revised movements that are suspect by nature of key design elements.
The whole thing is utterly questionable if one may be able to expect a Swatch Watch to give better performance with the exception of water resistance

Beautifully said. Exactly my concerns and couldn't agree more.

[PekWatchGuy]

" Has anyone else been turned off from buying new due to the many concerns with the 3235?" >> yes.

[Wcdhtwn]

I had issues with my SD43 and sent it in to RSC and it came back fine. Yeah, kind of a pain but the enjoyment of the watch is much higher than the temporary inconvenience.

[Cassidyanne]

It’s not for you, move on!

[Ollie1982]

I’ve owned 3 Rolex with 32** movements.

First and this one is still with me, a 2021 124060 Submariner that I got my from my AD. Was all good for the first year and slowly started losing time. It’s losing around 15-20 seconds a day and I need to get around to sending it in.

Second, was a 2019 126710 BLNR, bought grey in 2021. It was slow right out of the gate, around 25 seconds a day when I eventually traded it in.

Third, is a 2023 Mint green DateJust 36 I bought for my wife. We only collected it in April and so far is performing as it should.

In my experience, 2 out of 3 have gone ‘bad’, and the third isn’t old enough yet to show any issues. I do worry about my Sub, this is my ‘forever’ watch and it it comes back from RSC and goes bad again, it’s going to give me a tough call to make.

I bought a 114270 Explorer from 2004 in March this year, it was serviced recently by RSC and it keeps wonderful time. I’d happily take the old 31** movement in my 12 series sub if it meant a lifetime of reliable timekeeping.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[joli160]

I bought one and it got infected.
Will buy no other Rolex with this movement.

Not so many options left, don’t really like Daytona’s and own a SkyD already.

Most interesting alternative for me are classic 4 digits, love the look but lack the knowledge and with even the most respected dealers describing obvious scrap as perfect condition I stay away from that as well.

Nothing wrong with taking a break

[travisb]

I have multiple watches with the 3235 movement and zero issues at all. The oldest is from 2018. Most recent is less than a year old.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Robf52]

Originally Posted by travisb

I have multiple watches with the 3235 movement and zero issues at all. The oldest is from 2018. Most recent is less than a year old.

Ditto.

[JRell]

Not one issue had about 10 of them. Of course you are going to hear some bad things here, only place to go and talk about your Rolex.