Service Options?

[vesnyder]

I have a 35+ year old OP Datejust and am looking for service options. It has been almost 20 years since I've had this watch serviced and it is losing almost 20 seconds per day. The path of least resistance is to take the watch to the local AD and have them service the watch - whcih they shared, because of the age, they may have to send it back to Rolex. Can I send it directly to Rolex and save money bypassing the AD? Can I get a better price and good service by some of the third party service providers? Any service recommendations and options would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Meyrin]

Just my own opinion, but I would let the AD deal with the hassle of sending your watch to Rolex (packaging, insurance etc.) IF they have to. This is assuming, of course, that you maybe already know the AD in question and have a good feeling about them! I have a very good Rolex AD where I live, and just had my 23+ years old Sub 14060 serviced by them (NO polishing!). They did an excellent job in-house, but told me before that, if for whatever reason, they had to send it to Rolex they would deal with everything. That would have suited me, because I'm lazy!! Good luck!

[Dan S]

If you want to preserve the originality of your watch (e.g. tritium dial and hands), you may want to send it to one of the experienced independent watchmakers that are often recommended in the many threads where this question is asked and answered. This will also probably save you some money. Depending on the condition of your watch, Rolex may require the replacement of parts.

[Robtayham]

Not factoring in your opinions of whether you think your watch wil ever be a collectible vintage watch, I’ll tell you what I do for my 1984 TT DJ: I let RSC NY service it. I deal directly with them for any and all issues. And yes, I’ve replaced the dial, hands, crown, crystal and bezel over the years. For me, that’s fine.