Rolex have condemned my bracelet

[penfold]

Just put my 116520 Daytona in for service and Rolex want to charge me £1400 for new bracelet or they won't service the watch. Total service would be almost £2.5k. Is it really worth it? Not sure whether to cancel the service and try and get the bracelet stretch sorted or bite the bullet.
Would it be detrimental to it's value to have a new service bracelet despite the full service as I may end up selling the watch? Interested in opinions as to my dilemma.

[Andad]

You have to decide if bracelet is safe for use or could fail.

If it is safe then have the watch and bracelet serviced by an independent?

You are not obliged to accept their quote or conditions.

[Rocket launcher]

Depends on your age
If your 40 years old you will get over 30 years service from your new bracelet
So will work out cheaper in the long run

If your 68 .......I would not bother your just not going to get the wear out of the thing

[dcash0615]

If it were me I would have them send the watch back to me without service and get it serviced by an independent watchmaker that is familiar with the 4130 movement. If you want the bracket replaced I would still request the watch back without service and then send back to RSC for service without the bracelet. This way you get a replacement bracelet and can keep the original bracelet. Other option is to have an independent watchmaker service the watch and have the original bracelet repaired.

[DP63]

"They WONT service the watch"?

I've never heard of a refusal to service from RSC before. They recommend and wont guarantee if you refuse their recommendation ... along the lines of we wont guarantee it will be safe on the bracelet, or wont guarantee the depth rating on a corroded case for example, but to outright refuse to service the watch is news to me.

[AdamG]

Originally Posted by DP63

"They WONT service the watch"?

I've never heard of a refusal to service from RSC before. They recommend and wont guarantee if you refuse their recommendation ... along the lines of we wont guarantee it will be safe on the bracelet, or wont guarantee the depth rating on a corroded case for example, but to outright refuse to service the watch is news to me.

this

[rambo99]

if I detach the bracelet from a rolex and take it to RSC, will they service it?

[SS Oyster]

If you don’t service (replace) the bracelet and then lose your watch from bracelet failure where will you be?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ian Macdermott]

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

If you don’t service (replace) the bracelet and then lose your watch from bracelet failure where will you be?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Making a claim off his insurance company.

[rudestew]

I had my dssd in for a full service on a nato can’t you do that ?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by DP63

"They WONT service the watch"?

I've never heard of a refusal to service from RSC before. They recommend and wont guarantee if you refuse their recommendation ... along the lines of we wont guarantee it will be safe on the bracelet, or wont guarantee the depth rating on a corroded case for example, but to outright refuse to service the watch is news to me.

My guess is because a service includes a service warranty after its finished. And if they are not offering a warranty for the bracelet then how can they give a warranty at all? I guess it makes sense.

Its probably less about not fixing the rest of the watch as much as it is about it not being worthy of a warranty afterward if they dont fix/replace everything that needs it.

Full service + warranty = fully functional watch to Rolex specifications unless they are giving "partial" service warranties but IDK if they do that

[T.Mas]

If Rolex thinks the band will break soon, there is no way they are giving their 2 year guarantee on the service. The result is refusing the service. I find their point of view understandable in this case.

[penfold]

I've been in touch with Rolex. They will service the watch without replacing the bracelet although this was not an option in the estimate.

[toolr]

Originally Posted by penfold

Just put my 116520 Daytona in for service and Rolex want to charge me £1400 for new bracelet or they won't service the watch. Total service would be almost £2.5k. Is it really worth it? Not sure whether to cancel the service and try and get the bracelet stretch sorted or bite the bullet.
Would it be detrimental to it's value to have a new service bracelet despite the full service as I may end up selling the watch? Interested in opinions as to my dilemma.

A stretched beyond use bracelet on a 116520? Don't think I've ever heard of that, it has solid links.

[swatty]

Originally Posted by penfold

I've been in touch with Rolex. They will service the watch without replacing the bracelet although this was not an option in the estimate.

Good news, make sense

[faimag]

how did you manage to need a replacement bracelet on a 116520?

[Muxi]

How bad can it be?

[DP63]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

My guess is because a service includes a service warranty after its finished. And if they are not offering a warranty for the bracelet then how can they give a warranty at all? I guess it makes sense.

Its probably less about not fixing the rest of the watch as much as it is about it not being worthy of a warranty afterward if they dont fix/replace everything that needs it.

Full service + warranty = fully functional watch to Rolex specifications unless they are giving "partial" service warranties but IDK if they do that

I had a similar scenario with my SD, they want to replace the bracelet at £800+ .. Michael will repair it for a fraction of that and it will still be the original 35 yr old bracelet, so I told them thanks but no thanks, they simply dont guarantee the bracelet.

Rolex will guarantee the service on the movement, and supply the papers etc .. which is why it goes for a service in my opinion ... the bracelet replacement is their "opinion" or their advice, and lets be honest, its a business, so an £800 sale is nothing to be sniffed at.

[penfold]

Didn't think it was too bad at all. Tend to wear the watch these days on leather with smarty end links. Will post pics on its return.

[strafer_kid]

Originally Posted by rambo99

if I detach the bracelet from a rolex and take it to RSC, will they service it?

Was wondering that myself. Presumably Rolex could go ahead with the service, with the caveat or record that the bracelet was not present?

Would also be interested in what their approach would be if the OP asks for it to be returned to him, then sent it back in for a service without the bracelet but asks to purchase a new one during service. Maybe Rolex would have been willing to return his old one in any event...who knows? They are definitely not the most straightforward company to deal with!

[penfold]

They said they will happily replace the bracelet at a later date but the watch must be present. It is an exchange so old bracelet would be retained by Rolex.

[DP63]

Originally Posted by penfold

Didn't think it was too bad at all. Tend to wear the watch these days on leather with smarty end links. Will post pics on its return.

I find it hard to guage Rolex criteria on their service recomendations, I had 2 different quotes come back (1 month apart) after my AD asked them to wait until he could get a hold of me after the first quote (it took 3 weeks for me to return his call as I was out of the country). The first quote was to service the watch and a recommendation to replace the bracelet ..... on returning the second quote (I assume they revisited the watch due to the length of time for my return), it needed a new crystal, dial, hands, crown, case, case back and bracelet.

I am under the impression that they set out to return the watch to the owner in as new condition, so I assume, if there is a miniscule deviation from perfect, they will replace or repair.

For example, the new crystal, recommended as there were multiple chips and scrapes on the existing one ... neither the AD's watch maker nor myself could find a single chip when we inspected the crystal upon its return.

FYI ... the service and recommendations on my 2nd quote total was almost a new SD cost .... basically they scrapped the whole watch, apart from the movement .... the AD's watch maker agreed with my call to return the watch (in my opinion, it wasnt my watch they were quoting on, even though the serial numbers matched on their quote) and on his inspection I could see he was as confussed as I was with their recommendations. After our inspection we had further discussion with RSC they agreed to service the movement only when the watch is returned to them.

Take from that tale what you will ....

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by DP63

I had a similar scenario with my SD, they want to replace the bracelet at £800+ .. Michael will repair it for a fraction of that and it will still be the original 35 yr old bracelet, so I told them thanks but no thanks, they simply dont guarantee the bracelet.

Rolex will guarantee the service on the movement, and supply the papers etc .. which is why it goes for a service in my opinion ... the bracelet replacement is their "opinion" or their advice, and lets be honest, its a business, so an £800 sale is nothing to be sniffed at.

always shocking to me that you can buy a Royal Oak offshore bracelet from AP for less than a Rolex bracelet. pretty sure its less than £1400 last time i checked. Its close but considering the watch it goes on is many multiples more expensive the price rolex charges is ridiculous.

[1William]

Without pictures to see the bracelet I would do what they say. A new bracelet would make it almost a new watch unless the case can not be cleaned up. I understand the money issue about a new bracelet but you have a great and valuable asset so why not do what they say. If the new bracelet last 10-30 years what is the cost per year?

[rootbeer7]

resend on a nato strap.

[THC]

Take the watch back, send the bracelet to Michael Young, while that is going on send the watch head in for RSC service. Boom, you have a brand new watch in 6 weeks ish at a fraction of the quoted price

[DP63]

Originally Posted by THC

Take the watch back, send the bracelet to Michael Young, while that is going on send the watch head in for RSC service. Boom, you have a brand new watch in 6 weeks ish at a fraction of the quoted price

Bingo.

Thats precisely what I'm doing after being recommended to by TRF members when I first posted about my RSC quote.

[ltmgeller]

That happened to me. I refused the new bracelet and just had them servicer the watch head. They did the service and left the bracelet untouched.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by faimag

how did you manage to need a replacement bracelet on a 116520?

I'm curious as well.

[penfold]

It's down to 13 years of hard wear as a tool watch.