servicing a DD

[franky2222]

how do i know if my dd needs service,i bought it used its from 1985 but its runnnig great.the guy i purchased it from says it doesnt but when i got the watch checked out a the AD the guy new i was a rolex noob and told me it needs servicing?i dont want to waste money and i only wear the watch on special occasion =,,any advice or tips would be great.thanks


ps sorry if this is a dumb question

[BOA]

A mentor once told me there are no dumb questions, and I agree with that.

Couple of schools of thought here:

1) Running great = No need for service.
2) Five years without a service = Needs a service.

If it winds smoothly, keeps time accurately, and the day and date change properly at midnight, I wouldn't think it needs a service.

My advice would be to service it when it's absolute necessary, and when people start a discussion on how long they waited between services, trying to break the record, maybe you can chime in with some high number. I met a woman at an AD who proudly declared her 30-year-old ladies president had never been serviced and was still running great.

Whenever you send your DD in, whether it's now while it's running great or after it stops dead, a full service is going to bring everything back to perfect running order, with all parts replaced that need replacing, so fixing it when it's running great seems like bad advice except that with a service you won't have to worry that it will need a service anytime soon, which is not such a bad thing. So don't listen to anyone making you feel like a noob and acting like there's only one way to do things. It tells the right time like it should and can be made perfect again when it doesn't. End of story. Enjoy your DD.

[franky2222]

BOA THANK YOU for your time i fell much better now great help,as for winding smoothly i dont really have nothing to compare it to.

[BOA]

You're welcome.

The reason I mentioned winding because I've noticed that winding has gotten much rougher when one of my Rolexes needed service, but since it has a rotor, the AD suggested I don't wind it but just shake it and let the rotor do the work. At the time, it was really hard to wind, which I didn't like at all, so I sent it in. It happened again five or so years later, but I wasn't so worried as the first time, so I wore it until it didn't keep good time and then had it serviced.

In very general terms, a Rolex has a unique feel and sound when it is being wound. The word "grind" has often been used to describe it, but that might be misinterpreted as being harsh. If you hold to your ear and listen, it is the sound that would lead me to use the word "grind." The word I would use while winding a Rolex to describe the feeling would be "smooth" when it is in good working order. When it needs a service, I would have to say that the winding is harder to do. I actually feel like there's an excess of friction, and that there may really be a "grinding down" of metal inside the watch.

So, it is good if the watch winds easily and smoothly, relatively speaking; and it is not so good if it fights back and really seems to want to resist your effort. Since you don't wear it all the time, you probably need to wind it. If it gives you trouble, you can always shake it gently and let the rotor wind it, or you can keep it in a watch winder. But again, as long as it continues to keep good time, servicing is optional, not an absolute necessity.

One important thing to realize about a full service is that sometimes there is an additional cost added by replacing a part that isn't routinely replaced; e.g., the crystal. I'm not sure if winding a watch that is very hard to wind could cause internal damage that would add to the service charge, but if so, that might be a reason to have it done sooner than later.

[franky2222]

thanks again for that boa its a good read

[SPARTAN2161]

Definitely agree with the winding. I think it deals with amount of lubrication. hard=not much lube=Needs a service. Good advice BOA

[Keeperoftime]

+1 Very right!

[franky2222]

soo my date a day changed at 11:59 not 12:00 is that normal guys?

[Jagatai]

I bought a NOS condition 5512 from 1967, it was keeping great time. I didn't need to wind it it would just run whenever I handled it in my hands. When I tried to wind it the crown was a little rough when I tried to screw it back into the case. So I sent it to Bob Ridley. He opened it up and said it had never been serviced and that the oils n gaskets were all dried out. Now it's keeping excellent time. Worth the peace of mind IMHO.

My 2 cents
Pick a watchmaker who is great ie bob Ridley
Try not to change dial n hands n day date wheels
Don't polish or over polish the watch
If crystal needs to change ask for a period correct one n get the old one back.

[franky2222]

the dial is not original i want to swap it for an original black with roman or plain lines.but is it normal for the date and day to switch a little b4 midnight???thanks

[crowncollection]

it is completely acceptable for your date to change anywhere from a few minutes before to after midnight, it is often how the hands are set and nothing to do with the actual movement anyway.

[franky2222]

ahh ok thanks

[jjmcd]

Another reason for service is to ensure that it's still waterproof and water/moisture can't get in and damage the movement and discolor the dial, hands and day and date wheels. You can have a watchmaker perform just a "pressure test" on the watch and, if it fails, get it serviced.