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Old 11 January 2019, 06:39 AM   #1
andy66db
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Rolex 1680 Question

I have a 1979 1680 with an early tritium service dial and matching hands that have turned a nice creamy shade, which needs a service (or at least a visit to a watchmaker — the whole crown and stem pulled out when I was setting the time) and I have two questions:
1. Will the London RSC service a watch that old and will they guarantee water resistance?
2. If they offer me a dial and hands replacement, which they almost certainly will considering the tritium lume has long ago faded, would a new luminova service dial and hands affect the value of the watch, considering the dial was a service dial in the first place?

I look forward to hearing [reading] your thoughts...
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Old 11 January 2019, 07:34 AM   #2
stevedssd
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Hi Andy, can you post some close up photo's of your watch including the dial with hands (with hands set at 10 and 2 so the writing is not obscured), as well as the bezel insert and case. It would also be helpful to know the first two digits of the serial number.

Service dials were made with tritium and then later with both a "toothpaste" dial that has the appearance of tritium but isn't and a white luminova dial. It would be helpful to see what you have.

Rolex UK do service 1680's and they will only replace what you authorise them to, you won't necessarily have to have parts such as dials and hands replied because of age and if they are original you will want to avoid replacing. I can't answer the bit about waterproof guarantee although others will.
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Old 11 January 2019, 10:54 PM   #3
andy66db
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The first two digits are 61. I couldn't set the time to 10 and 2 because the crown and stem's come out. Last time I had it serviced, at an independent watchmaker about 8 years ago, they replaced the crystal, gaskets, crown and tube and water resistance was to factory spec.

Here's a pic. Hopefully it's clear enough.

Thanks for your help.

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Old 11 January 2019, 11:36 PM   #4
VonSlingshot
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I can’t help with your questions, but wanted to comment on how clean that insert is for 40yrs old! Wow
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Old 11 January 2019, 11:52 PM   #5
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If you are planning a dive trip or if it is running badly then why does it need servicing?

i recently bought a 1987 dd and it runs great but i wouldnt trust it near water as the back was taken off to show me the movement,

i have no plans to service my watch, i will if it starts running poorly or stops.

Keep the watch totally original.
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Old 12 January 2019, 12:15 AM   #6
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When was the last overhaul? Is it losing/gaining time?
Securing the crown/stem is not a heavy lift.

Drop user LeeFowler a PM, he is near you and may recommend a watchmaker to help you out..
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Old 12 January 2019, 12:21 AM   #7
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That’s a replacement insert vonslingshot
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Old 12 January 2019, 12:21 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VonSlingshot View Post
I can’t help with your questions, but wanted to comment on how clean that insert is for 40yrs old! Wow
I’m afraid that’s because it’s a service insert (probably installed at the time the dial and hands were replaced).
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Old 12 January 2019, 01:31 AM   #9
andy66db
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Just for extra info: the dial and hands glow very faintly without charging and the pip on the insert glows very brightly when charged, which would suggest that it's Luminova, unlike the dial and hands, which I imagine is old tritium.

I have a watchmaker who I could take it to to get the crown stem refitted — I'll make sure he does a WR test while he's at it.
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Old 12 January 2019, 02:16 AM   #10
nigelUK
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Crown & stem recently came right out on my 1680 ..

Took it to an AD who popped it back in again in 5 minutes. There's a retaining screw of some sort (can't remember the proper name) that holds in the stem. Quite common to come loose as it only takes half a turn.

Your watch may not actually need a service. If it's within 15 secs/day, for a vintage I wouldn't bother for now. imo
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Old 12 January 2019, 07:31 AM   #11
stevedssd
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Lovely 1680, as you said originally it has a service dial and the insert is also service. The dial looks fine condition wise so on the face of it shouldn't need replacing. As you have a watchmaker you can take it to, if the timing is still good and there are no other issues, I'd be tempted to see if they can sort it as a simple fix as per Nigel above.
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Old 12 January 2019, 09:11 AM   #12
andy66db
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Thanks everyone. Off to my watchmaker it goes.
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Old 24 January 2019, 10:01 PM   #13
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So I actually ended up taking my 1680 to the London RSC. My brand new Tudor GMT had the date problem, so I figured while I was there anyway, I'd see how much they'd charge me to fix my crown/stem issue.

I was immediately told it needed a full service and they'll send an estimate through in the next couple of days. I was willing to pay a small premium for Rolex service papers. But then I got the estimate.

£3280.

Apparently it needs a new mid-case and caseback to guarantee water resistance. Now I'm not a vintage expert, but when you have a 40 year old watch with a service dial, hands, bezel, crystal, crown, mid-case and caseback, it's not really a vintage watch any more.

They told me I could refuse the new case, but they wouldn't be able to make the watch water-resistant due to some corrosion inside the case and caseback and therefore it would come back without a full warranty.

So essentially I'd be paying the best part of £800 for a watch service without full warranty.

Oh well. I tried. Off to the independent (as originally planned) it goes.

One question though — if there's no damage to the movement, could the corrosion be historic? In which case, bearing in mind I've had the watch pressure tested in recent years and it's passed, are the guys at the RSC being overzealous?

I suppose this is something that can we answered by my watchmaker, but I was hoping to get the opinion of some experts :-)
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Old 25 January 2019, 01:40 AM   #14
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With corroded cases, Rolex can be a little cagey. They would have offered to change the case middle to cover themselves. Perhaps the watch is still waterproof, but they aren't going to guarantee it just in case something does happen.

Vintage watches that are not waterproof can sometimes be made waterproof again by re-machining certain case parts in a lathe.

It is similar to old lume in hands, etc. That can be made perfectly safe, but Rolex refuses to use them as the RSC aren't vintage watch experts and they don't understand restoration techniques for the most part.

Your best option is to always go independent for vintage, new watches are a different story.

You always have to be very careful though, as not all watchmakers are created equal. Do your research and pick someone who understands sympathetic restoration.
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Old 25 January 2019, 03:58 AM   #15
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Corrosion in the caseback area sometimes can be "patched"/waterproofed (pass pressuretest) by using double silicon rings but preferably have the corrosion area permanent repaired/laserwelded by an experienced watchmaker.
There are some really dodgy independent watchmakers in London that promised quality work and didn´t deliver. Have cost me a lot of money and headache, watch out!
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Old 25 January 2019, 07:59 PM   #16
andy66db
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Quote:
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There are some really dodgy independent watchmakers in London that promised quality work and didn´t deliver. Have cost me a lot of money and headache, watch out!
I've used Russel Talerman in the past — he serviced the watch last time, so unless anyone has some horror stories, I'll take it back there.

What I don't know is whether the corrosion has happened since it was serviced there (6 years ago) or whether it was pre-existing. I've been swimming with it since. Surely the movement would have been damaged as well if the corrosion occurred since the last service...?
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Old 26 January 2019, 01:28 AM   #17
Dan S
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If you're not going to dive with it, maybe a full 200m pressure test is not necessary. Just ask your watchmaker to do a 100m test. Even with minor corrosion, the watch may well pass the test, and you'd be confident the watch can be submerged.
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Old 26 January 2019, 02:07 AM   #18
andy66db
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I've just picked my watch up from the RSC. They'd partially dismantled it to do the service estimate. When I refused the estimate, they put it back together, fixing the problem I took in in for (the crown and stem pulling out completely).

I've set the time and date and it's now back on my wrist — I'll keep it away from water until I have a chance to get in pressure tested.

Thank-you RSC for fixing the problem for me without having to pay for a full service.

They even gave me a new green pouch :-)
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