service problems

[rondo]

Hi everyone,
This seems like a wonderful site with a lot of good resources, and I apologize if this topic has been covered.
I have a 1970s datejust, picture attached, which stopped working after about 15 years with no service!
I received it back from service last night.
I wore it for about three hours, and went to bed taking it off my wrist, as I usually do, and after 8 1/2 hours it stopped running...
After a short wrist movement it started working again, but considerably fast: about 8 seconds in 4 hours....
Should I wait for few days before going back to the dealer?
Or these signs point to poor service?
Thank you.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by rondo

Hi everyone,
This seems like a wonderful site with a lot of good resources, and I apologize if this topic has been covered.
I have a 1970s datejust, picture attached, which stopped working after about 15 years with no service!
I received it back from service last night.
I wore it for about three hours, and went to bed taking it off my wrist, as I usually do, and after 8 1/2 hours it stopped running...
After a short wrist movement it started working again, but considerably fast: about 8 seconds in 4 hours....
Should I wait for few days before going back to the dealer?
Or these signs point to poor service?
Thank you.

Did you fully manually wind your watch first about 40 full crown turns will do,I would set time with a reliable source after a full manual wind.Then wear as normal check time daily for say 5 days with same time setting source.Check loss or gain over those 5 days average loss or gain if still not keeping good time return for regulation might be a tiny bit of oil on hairspring after service.

[rondo]

thank you padi56!
I didn't know that I had to do that! I will monitor it for few days, and report back...Thanks again for the quick answer.

[rondo]

Hi again,
One other thing: I was hoping to get some documentation from the dealer with my watch's serial number and the description of part changes that were performed on the watch. Aren't they supposed to give you anything of sorts after the service?

By the way, the manual winding seems to have worked: I found the watch running in the morning! (thank you padi56) But after 16 hours, my watch is 1 minute fast...I will wait for few days and do some more monitoring before heading back to AD, but I am pretty much sure it will need additional service.

[Tridor]

If it just came back from service, it may have to settle in a little bit. I'd give it a couple of weeks before considering bringing it back for a regulation.

[Watch Professor]

Did you keep the watch close to a magnetic source? If it continues to run that fast, it needs to be de-magnetized.

[rondo]

maybe i should have waited. but 93 secs a day (two days in a row) was way too much off-it is already back in service. maybe some patience would have been wiser. anyway, i shall keep you posted. by the way, no magnetic fields whatsoever...unless the pc monitor qualifies as one-but i had it on my wrist all day long. thank you for your responses.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by rondo

maybe i should have waited. but 93 secs a day (two days in a row) was way too much off-it is already back in service. maybe some patience would have been wiser. anyway, i shall keep you posted. by the way, no magnetic fields whatsoever...unless the pc monitor qualifies as one-but i had it on my wrist all day long. thank you for your responses.

Well if its just simple regulation it takes around 30 minuites start to finish like I
said its posible there is a bit of oil on hairspring

[rondo]

padi56, don't know why but i am told it would take few days...maybe he wants to monitor it before returning it.
i actually did mention your idea, and was promptly told that there could not be excessive oil! anyway, he seems a bit sensitive and way too proud, but a nice guy. at first he was claiming it was absolutely impossible to be that much off (which he seems to have accepted now)...i sure am eager to have my watch back. thanks for your input.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by rondo

padi56, don't know why but i am told it would take few days...maybe he wants to monitor it before returning it.
i actually did mention your idea, and was promptly told that there could not be excessive oil! anyway, he seems a bit sensitive and way too proud, but a nice guy. at first he was claiming it was absolutely impossible to be that much off (which he seems to have accepted now)...i sure am eager to have my watch back. thanks for your input.

Yes I would expect him to keep it for a few days just to make sure its running to spec.

[rondo]

Hi again, I thought I should tell you that after some more fine tuning (to be exact twice more) the watch is running perfectly: approximately five seconds off per month. I wanted to give an update after a year...thanks to those who responded.

[Grissom]

Wow.....almost to the day, from the last post. And, 5 seconds a month!

How thoughtful of you to follow up like this! And nice to see how accurate these watches can be, when properly serviced!

Enjoy your Rolex!

[kenhiraihnl]

Originally Posted by rondo

Hi again, I thought I should tell you that after some more fine tuning (to be exact twice more) the watch is running perfectly: approximately five seconds off per month. I wanted to give an update after a year...thanks to those who responded.

Great followup report. I had an identical experience, only my watch is nearly 50 years old. My watchmaker asked me to send it back, and he would do whatever was necessary to correct the timing, which was irregular. I'm glad that I didn't give up and accept the condition as "old age." Here's a pic of the timing record that the watchmaker included with the watch.