Rolex service evaulation for authenticity

[headlessfish]

I recently purchased a 2024 rootbeer two tone through a family friend. I’ve never met this friend, but my aunt vouched for this person because she has many friends who have gotten watches through him. I was tired of waiting for the call, so I pulled the trigger.

I took the advice of several people to bring my watch in to the rsc here in nyc for a service evaluation as a way to check if the watch is genuine or not. I brought it in and told them that my watch was running a little slow and if they could perform a service evaluation. The person at the front desk said they’ll test it. Fast forward 15 or so minutes later, the person came back out and handed me a paper and said that it was running a little slow and that they could service it, but would take 6-8 weeks. I kindly turned down the service, and she brought my watch back out. Since they were willing to service it, I’m assuming that it’s real, or else they would have told me. However, how could they have opened the back of the watch to check it that quickly. I’m wondering if they just looked up the serial.

Does anyone know how they evaluate a watch that is running slow or what that service evaluation would be comprised of? I know I should have probably asked, but I wasn’t thinking at the time.

[Tools]

They likely didn't open anything. They put it on a timeograph to check if it was, indeed, running slow as you said.

Apparently, they agreed with you that it was running slow and they could service it for you - nothing more.

[Tim Plains]

I'm guessing they just put it on a timegrapher. That's not an authenticity check.

Edit: beat me to it.

[Calatrava r]

How slow is it running? It may need service.

[saxo3]

Originally Posted by headlessfish

Does anyone know how they evaluate a watch that is running slow...

RSC measured the movement with a timegrapher, it was not checked for authenticity.
For "running a little bit slow" they could regulate it. Why did this person offer a service? Your "2024 rootbeer" is a new GMT-Master II Ref. 126711CHNR with a 3285 caliber?

[Jeevesbond]

Just following this thread but ive seen others say this check is a surrogate for authenticity (ie they can offer service?). Is that not the case?

[Easy E]

How slow are we talking about here? What was the piece of paper they gave you? Any chance that was the results of the test?


Depending on how slow, I would just go ahead a get it serviced. The last two I sent in were right at a month.

[joli160]

Congrats, your watch is fine and not stolen.

Most certainly at an RSC they would find out if anything wrong with it and they would have told you.
Stop worrying and enjoy your watch, the CHNR is an excellent choice

[herefortheattachment]

Not good enough for me, this was not an authentication. It’s fully possible an apprentice simply put it on a Witschi and they handed it back to you.

I‘ve seen many fakes that fooled experienced Rolex-trained watchmakers at first glance, such that one could easily slip by during a timing test at an RSC - it’s naive to assume they would’ve caught it. I remember a fake Day-Date with a genuine ETA movement and real solid gold case that looked flawless on a timegrapher (the beat rate perfectly matched the Rolex caliber it was supposed to have). It had two Rolex-trained watchmakers fooled until they opened the case and saw the ETA movement!

An apprentice watchmaker told me a few years ago about a fake Panerai getting completely serviced BY PANERAI (I think he said they somehow caught it after servicing, but before returning to the customer). Obviously Panerai is not as put together as Rolex — but the point is the fakes are good enough these days to slip by even trained watchmakers, at least until they can proplerly inspect the watch.

[Andad]

You will read about some horror stories as described above but if the RSC offered to service it then it is authentic.

Enjoy wearing it.

[Onikage]

I thought the one about the Panerai was a myth.

[joli160]

Similar stories on every watch forum

Imagine if Rolex offers to service a wrong watch…
OP rest assured, not going to happen, ever.
Time to enjoy

[Little machines]

Yes! congratulations your Rolex is all good !

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Onikage

I thought the one about the Panerai was a myth.

Like many are but if they read it on the net it must e true that's how much of today's Rolex watch and other brands hysteria starts.

[fooey]

Surely, if it's a 202, it doesn't need a service!
They would just regulate it for you....and they would not charge you either!
It's a new watch for god sake!

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[fooey]

2024

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[brandrea]

Welcome to the forum

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Jeevesbond

Just following this thread but ive seen others say this check is a surrogate for authenticity (ie they can offer service?). Is that not the case?

Some do believe this. However, they do not go inside to inspect for counterfeit parts unless you pay for a true authentication.

In this case I'm pretty sure Rolex would have let the owner know if their watch was not authentic as they see it at that time.

[sgt10p]

Of you're that concerned about authenticity accept the service, it will run better and you can rest easy. A no brainer really.

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[worldofoyster]

welcome to the forum.

it's still under warranty if the watch is 2024, rsc will service it for free.

[omar-rye]

Originally Posted by sgt10p

Of you're that concerned about authenticity accept the service, it will run better and you can rest easy. A no brainer really.

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

Yup

[Tools]

Originally Posted by worldofoyster

welcome to the forum.

it's still under warranty if the watch is 2024, rsc will service it for free.

They won't service it for free unless they are addressing an actual warranty verified claim.

[headlessfish]

I would love to, if only it didn't take 6-8 weeks haha.

Assuming they looked up my serial at the time I made my inquiry, they would have said something if my serial was not valid or else they wouldn't have offered to service it.

[headlessfish]

Originally Posted by joli160

Congrats, your watch is fine and not stolen.

Most certainly at an RSC they would find out if anything wrong with it and they would have told you.
Stop worrying and enjoy your watch, the CHNR is an excellent choice

Yeah, you're probably right. They probably looked up the serial, or else they wouldn't have offered to service it for free since it is still under warranty. I mean is a real serial on a fake watch even a thing?

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Tools

They won't service it for free unless they are addressing an actual warranty verified claim.

Isn’t running slow a legitimate warranty claim? I don’t think they would have told him that, if it was running within spec.

Kat


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[joli160]

It’s a 2024 watch, assuming that OP meant a regulation instead of a full service

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

Isn’t running slow a legitimate warranty claim? I don’t think they would have told him that, if it was running within spec.

Kat


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“Running a little slow” per the OP’s description of the RSC’s conclusion could still be within spec, hence the offer of a paid service instead of a warranty service.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

“Running a little slow” per the OP’s description of the RSC’s conclusion could still be within spec, hence the offer of a paid service instead of a warranty service.

Oh, I see. Thanks, Kevin.

Kat


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[SearChart]

I can easily open a watch, check the movement and run a quick sequential test on the timegrapher, run the serial through WSA and close it back up and test it for water resistance in 15min... It's not rocket science.