Service parts on rolexes

[eatt_river]

Hello everyone
... Out of curiosity from a newbie that is me, I would like to hear from knowledgeable members here RTF if in vintage Rolex world we can expect (comparatively, with Omega ones for example... ) more often GENUINE serviced parts on these timepieces than with other watch brands.

Reading threads in TRF I am somewhat enclined to believe that vintage Rolexes - due to their high value? - were back then more frequently serviced by Rolex herself instead of independent watchmakers, that Rolex parts (proprietary ones) are not floating out there...
Is my assumption correct please?
Thank you and nice weekend

[Dan S]

No, I wouldn't say so. Just look around the internet and you will see endless DJs with aftermarket bezels and dials. If you look at LiveAuctioneers, for example, the majority of Rolex listings have gaudy aftermarket parts.

There are a few Omega references where AM parts are notoriously common, but not nearly as much as on vintage Rolex watches. There are huge high-volume sellers that mainly sell Rolexes restored and rebuilt with AM parts. In fact, the only brand with greater AM parts availability than Rolex would be Seiko IMO.

Also, keep in mind that until roughly 10 years ago, it was not so difficult for independent watchmakers to get authentic parts from most brands.

[eatt_river]

Thank you Dan for quick reply.

Let me restate what you said previously to be sure I understood what you meant. So until a certain date (maybe it is always true nowadays) both Rolex and Omega as "hi-end" watch brands are keen to pursue the same servicing policy: when servicing their products , in order to preseve their reputation they can go as far as replacing the whole movement or case. In other hand sellers with less scruples can rebuild from third party watch parts a timepiece that Rolex or Omega never ever produced (put-togethers).

Customized bezel (diamonds inserted and so on) vogue is it more common in Rolex world than that of Omega?

[Dan S]

I guess I'm still not really understanding the question totally, but I'll try to answer what I can.

To my knowledge, it has never been terribly common to replace entire movements. They are generally repaired by replacing parts as needed. Service cases and case-backs are occasionally used, if there is bad corrosion. In the past, authentic parts were widely available, so it's not possible in retrospect to know whether a given watch was repaired by the manufacturer or by an independent watchmaker. Currently, all manufacturers are increasingly restricting the supply of parts; it's complicated, but probably a topic for a separate thread.

One finds "frankenwatches" of all types in the vintage watch market. Sometimes they are made deliberately to deceive, but in many cases someone probably just used parts that were on hand to make a watch usable again.

In my experience, customized bezels and dials are MUCH more common for Rolex than for Omega. No comparison. As far as fake/aftermarket parts for vintage watches, there are a few vintage Omega models (e.g. Seamaster 120) where kits and parts are widely available, but again, the replica world focuses much more on Rolex. I think we are straying into unacceptable territory for this topic.

[eatt_river]

Originally Posted by Dan S

I guess I'm still not really understanding the question totally, but I'll try to answer what I can.

To my knowledge, it has never been terribly common to replace entire movements. They are generally repaired by replacing parts as needed. Service cases and case-backs are occasionally used, if there is bad corrosion. In the past, authentic parts were widely available, so it's not possible in retrospect to know whether a given watch was repaired by the manufacturer or by an independent watchmaker. Currently, all manufacturers are increasingly restricting the supply of parts; it's complicated, but probably a topic for a separate thread.

One finds "frankenwatches" of all types in the vintage watch market. Sometimes they are made deliberately to deceive, but in many cases someone probably just used parts that were on hand to make a watch usable again.

In my experience, customized bezels and dials are MUCH more common for Rolex than for Omega. No comparison. As far as fake/aftermarket parts for vintage watches, there are a few vintage Omega models (e.g. Seamaster 120) where kits and parts are widely available, but again, the replica world focuses much more on Rolex. I think we are straying into unacceptable territory for this topic.

Thank you Dan. It exactly what I would want to know.