An Argument For Routine Maintenance...

[cody p]

reg maintenance makes sense. end of story. although, it does fascinate me how long some of them keep running without any intervention.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by cody p

reg maintenance makes sense. end of story. although, it does fascinate me how long some of them keep running without any intervention.

Some do run longer than others...but how do you know if you have one of the longer runners..

Or put another way... If you were going to buy a used watch, what would you put more value on.... an old warranty cert being marketed as "original paper", or a watch with a recent, or within the past couple of years old service paper.

[B. Doggy]

This is certainly one of the more informative threads!!

[GradyPhilpott]

My AD suggested service after the first seven years and every five years thereafter.

To have the watch serviced is going to cost money no matter what. I'd rather Rolex service it, just for the peace of mind.

This reminds me of the old Fram commercial: "Pay me now or pay me later."

It's a Rolex. It deserves proper preventive maintenance.

[ttannert]

I have a dumb question about this. Most of my watches I wear often and plan on servicing them at the 5 year interval. However, I just bought my GV and I plan on not wearing it and keeping it in the safe. If the watch is not warn and just kept in the box how long would you push back the service???

[Z-Sub]

Originally Posted by cwru32

may be some watchmaker can tell me why they need to disassemble the watch before putting it back together n lubricating it?!?! why they dont wash it enbloc?

Well, since parts are small, I don't think it's possible to have "fittings" for grease like there are many in most cars.
It's like rebuilding engine, entire engine is disassembled, cleaned, worn or torn parts replaced and repacked.

[Z-Sub]

Originally Posted by ttannert

I have a dumb question about this. Most of my watches I wear often and plan on servicing them at the 5 year interval. However, I just bought my GV and I plan on not wearing it and keeping it in the safe. If the watch is not warn and just kept in the box how long would you push back the service???

I thought about the same question and would suggest that you let the watch run from time to time and change the position it's sitting in the safe.
Secondly, I would also get it serviced 5-7 years after you start wearing it. Many watches sit in AD for 1-2 or longer before it's sold and it's like having it sit in your safe for that same period of time.

[ttannert]

Originally Posted by Z-Sub

I thought about the same question and would suggest that you let the watch run from time to time and change the position it's sitting in the safe.
Secondly, I would also get it serviced 5-7 years after you start wearing it. Many watches sit in AD for 1-2 or longer before it's sold and it's like having it sit in your safe for that same period of time.

That is what I was thinking as well. Does everyone else agree?

[Tools]

Originally Posted by ttannert

That is what I was thinking as well. Does everyone else agree?

I've been saying that for years..........

[Alcan]

Originally Posted by Tools

Al...

Post our Rolex Lubrication Chart over on the Reference Library board..

...............

Hi Larry, I can't post there. Maybe only accessible to the Mod Squad?

[nko51]

Yes! I will have mine serviced every 5 full years, I bought mine staggered so I will always have another one to wear while one is getting serviced.

[Jimbits76]

Every five years I'm just gonna prise the back off mine with a chef's knife and spray the insude with WD-40 followed by some MTB chainset wetlube.

Jobsagoodun!!!!!!

J

[Quicksilver]

I thought once every 3 years for a watch that was being worn regularly - but I see now that might be a little excessive and the consensus is 5 years. Suits me

[2th Dr]

A few observations based on what has been said already,

1) seems like an awful lot of work to take the watch completely apart, clean, lubricate, and put back together, along with testing, and refinishing the watch, so I think it would take a lot longer than an hour to do this, ie Rolex is not getting $500/hour for this service, in reference to Ross's post.

2) I recently checked with Omega to see how much it would cost to service my Omega De Ville, and it was $480.00, so Rolex is not much different than Omega in that regard.

3) As a dentist, I would not recommend forgoing routine dental check-ups and waiting until something is wrong. Yes you may save a lot by not paying for preventive maintenance, but in the end, if something does happen, it may be too late to repair, at any cost. I would think it would be similar with a fine automatic watch.

[Wooddog44]

Originally Posted by RsqVet

I see a few things here:

1. Tools is 100% correct, the modern watch is more "technical" than an old pocket watch, as we make any system more critical the upkeep becomes even more important. That being said I would never neglect an old watch either....

2. I have zero question in my mind that rolex has priced their service not based upon cost but based upon what their studies show we will pay. Welcome to the joy of marketing; because of this others in the market price lower than Rolex but perhaps higher than they would otherwise. My guess is that a service should be 250-300 for an automatic watch, the rest is just "extra" mark up

3. When it comes to service I'm more likely going to be loyal to rolex.... in other words I have no real issue with GM dealers and if you are not dumb it's hard to get screwed in the GM, you pay a price and get something that is relitivly easy to verify the value of. With service, I can not accurately access an orginization or the job they do servicing the watch. So unless I am in a pretty big market where there are independent shops that are well know, (i.e. NYC), more than likely I will turn to rolex.

There is one factor to consider here, IMO, that no one has yet mentioned - The use of certified (or non) Rolex parts during the service and Rolex standing behind the work.

From a dollars and cents perspective 500 bucks over 7 years is just under 6 bucks a month so that is what it is. For me, as with getting my cars worked on at the dealer, it's not so much about whether they may charge a bit more - they almost certainly do – for the same work as a local mechanic/watchmaker. However in the event there is a problem after the warranty period is up showing that you had all the work done by the dealer and no one else touched the car/watch can and has resulted in them correcting a problem despite being outside the warranty period.

Letting any machine run until it breaks down and then fixing it is one way to go but if that happens you will certainly be on the hook for whatever it takes to get that watch going again. On the other hand if the watch had been seen and serviced on something of a regular basis, by Rolex with Rolex parts, an argument can be made that they should assume some/all of that financial responsibility in the event of mechanical failure. You might not win but at least would have an argument.

[jasper]

When I bought my 16750 last year it has a chipped crystal, it knocked a bit when I "shook" it, and it wouldn't wind manually. I sent it in for service and all of it was fixed for $500. I chose to not have the case polished, but that would have been covered by the $500 service cost as well.

Excellent value in my opinion. A bargain almost.

[Rolexsd4000]

Hi all, but what about the old saying "If it ain't broke don't mess with it!

If My Rollie is losing time by all means have it serviced depending how old it is.Both my Sub-Date "z" and Sea-dweller a "P" series are right on + or - 3sec.s amonth..

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Rolexsd4000

Hi all, but what about the old saying "If it ain't broke don't mess with it!

If My Rollie is losing time by all means have it serviced depending how old it is.Both my Sub-Date "z" and Sea-dweller a "P" series are right on + or - 3sec.s amonth..

It is an old saying........just not a very good one..........

After the oils are moved out of position by continuous movement, then you start metal-to-metal wear...

At that point, you have a ticking time bomb.............the metal will continue to wear out (erode) at the contact points until eventually the tolerances are so loose, or the parts are so thin, they will easily break with the slightest jar, or they will simply grind themselves to dust...

At that point, you can slap in a new movement, or replace all those worn out parts at a fairly high cost, and be good to go until it too wears out.............

.....But, with routine maintenance, the watch and it's moving parts will last for more than a lifetime......

[Lion]

Tools and everyone else this thread has been very informative and explains why preventative maintenance is critical to the proper performance of Rolex watches!!!
THANX!!!

[Rolexsd4000]

Larry

I agree with you on that part. This is my James bond collection sorry for the firearm .I know some people get alittle peeved about them , but that is a 1959 sub my dear departed grandfather gave me. It was redone in 2003 because me the idiot dropped it on the bathroom floor tile. It ran great till I dropped it. New plastic crystal , cleaned , lubed , rotor shaft , seals pressure proofed. told not to swim with it . I wouldn't. Its a keeper . I only wear it on special occasions only.

Mike

[Rolexsd4000]

Sorry wrong picture ..here it is..

[Imtiaz]

My wife's Tudor was purchased in 1978. The first service was done in 2008, exaclty 29 years and 10 months from purchase.

Never gave any trouble, just ticked away. Summer of 2008 it started to lose minutes per day. The service guy found nothing worn or broken. Just a clean and oil and back on her wrist.

Totally amazing.

My Datejust went for 20 years without a service. My feeling is only service when the watch starts to show signs of abnormality.

Cheers Imtiaz

[Boopie]

I got my YM serviced at BH RSC after 6 1/2+ years of daily wear, including swimming in the ocean and swimming pool. It had been running perfectly. The RSC didn't tell me the condition of the movement, and the only component replacement part I was separately billed for was the crown.

Last year my father in law gave my husband a BNIB 1998-vintage Sub. Because it was unworn for 10 years (my father in law had received it as a gift himself), we brought it to the BH RSC to check out before wearing it. They told my husband just to wear it. They didn't want to service it first.

[bobernet]

All this talk of "metal on metal" wear makes me think of the 31 jewels in a Rolex 3135 that exist solely to act as a barrier between metal to metal contact. The fast oscillating parts are not metal to metal, but shaft inside a jewel bearing.

Also, the technology and metallurgical improvements allowing faster movements and stronger springs, also allow for higher grade metal components that are stronger and more resistant to wear.

I've seen lots of pictures of movement parts worn down after 15 or 20 or 25 years of use, but all the cases I remember, these parts were < $100.

$500 * 20/5 = $2000 in preventive maintenance. I wonder what it would cost to simply replace the worn parts in a 3135 after 20 years?

I wonder how many folks would be paying $50 for recommended rotate & balance service on their wheels/tires if the tire manufacturers recommended it every 2000 miles versus just replacing the tires for $800 after they wore out in 40,000 miles?

[abigsecret]

Originally Posted by bobernet

All this talk of "metal on metal" wear makes me think of the 31 jewels in a Rolex 3135 that exist solely to act as a barrier between metal to metal contact. The fast oscillating parts are not metal to metal, but shaft inside a jewel bearing.

The wheels touch each other metal to metal, we're not just talking about the pivots. The metal dust created by the metal-to-metal pressure and wear, will sit in the oil reservoirs of the jewels, and become like sandpaper, which then will cause the pivots to wear.

[Nods]

Originally Posted by ttannert

That is what I was thinking as well. Does everyone else agree?

No movement no wear, simple. So as long as it is airtight it could sit for 50 years no problem. However, if you sit it down for 7 or more years get it serviced before you wear it again as the lubes and oils would now be stuffed. (Tec term for no longer working as required) Also pray that that no air gets in as sitting metal tends to oxidize. (IE rust)

[snow_rocks]

Originally Posted by Tools

What I am saying is that the old days when a 50's or 60's Rolex is still ticking after no service at all, with little wear on the parts is gone..

What I am further saying is that Modern watches are operating at higher speeds and under more physical pressure (torque) than ever before.. Older watches had very little actual friction so could operate even without oils for quite a while.. The pull of modern mainsprings is considerably higher..

Larry, buying a '60s, '70s watch might be the ticket!

Have the watch reconditioned and then go for a decade or two without service!

I know, I know ... where do you get parts if needed?!!!

[pyxis]

Anybody knows how much Rolex would charge to replace the whole movement? The costs of servicing does seems to be getting abit out of hand.

Two days ago I sent my old Series 2000 Tag automatic that uses a common ETA for quote at the local (Malaysia) LMVH service centre and was quoted RM960 (USD1 = RM3.45) to service it! I'm sure thats a lot more than the price of a new movement! And to replace the dial would be RM610, and a set of hands RM510! The total is as much as a new watch!

As an aside, in one of the post on another thread discussing the cost to make a "good" fake vs what it cost Rolex, there was an estimate that it cost Rolex about USD500 to make a sub.

[Safetrends]

Originally Posted by RossInIllinois

Indeed and lets not forget what a Rolex really is. It's just a watch.

If a Rolex is just a watch then a Lincoln is just a car.
I do not think so.

[Skullring]

Great thread Larry.