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Old 17 March 2018, 07:17 AM   #1
Walts
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Restoration of a Rolex Double Red Seadweller

Watch is currently not running . I'm not sure if it was ever serviced. Who would the forum members recommend Rolex ? Or an independent ? Thanks in advance.
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Old 17 March 2018, 07:19 AM   #2
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Use LA Watchworks. http://www.lawatchworks.com/

NOT Rolex!
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Old 17 March 2018, 07:21 AM   #3
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Don't take it to Rolex.
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Old 17 March 2018, 07:25 AM   #4
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Independent.
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Old 17 March 2018, 07:26 AM   #5
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Never send a vintage watch to Rolex, use an independent.
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Old 17 March 2018, 07:34 AM   #6
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Old 17 March 2018, 08:27 AM   #7
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Bob and Phillip Ridley have my vote. Very pleased with work and attention to customer.
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Old 18 March 2018, 12:53 AM   #8
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bob and phillip ridley have my vote. Very pleased with work and attention to customer.
+1
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Old 18 March 2018, 01:19 AM   #9
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Unless you want your watch looking like new, I would go with the Ridley’s.

Good luck! Please post pictures, when completed.
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Old 18 March 2018, 06:51 PM   #10
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There you have it ! Mr Ridleys
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Old 18 March 2018, 10:36 PM   #11
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Watch is currently not running . I'm not sure if it was ever serviced. Who would the forum members recommend Rolex ? Or an independent ? Thanks in advance.
I see your in New York. If that was my watch I would take it to the rolex service center in NY. You will have a 2 year international warranty from Rolex itself something nobody else can offer. Before you take it there i would highly advise you to get educated on what you want done and not done. Don't listen to the horror stories some will tell you the bottom line is that Rolex is the best place to go if you have that option. They will not destroy your watch as some might tell you. You have to tell them exactly what you want done. If this is not an option to you theres 100s of qualified watchmakers that can fix that very basic movement that your watch has. The important thing is for YOU to know what you want done and not done to your watch. Post pictures of it if you want and describe whats going on. Keep in mind you have a valuable watch and the last thing you want is somebody to devalue it or take advantage of you and overcharge you.
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Old 18 March 2018, 10:45 PM   #12
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I see your in New York. If that was my watch I would take it to the rolex service center in NY. You will have a 2 year international warranty from Rolex itself something nobody else can offer. Before you take it there i would highly advise you to get educated on what you want done and not done. Don't listen to the horror stories some will tell you the bottom line is that Rolex is the best place to go if you have that option. They will not destroy your watch as some might tell you. You have to tell them exactly what you want done. If this is not an option to you theres 100s of qualified watchmakers that can fix that very basic movement that your watch has. The important thing is for YOU to know what you want done and not done to your watch. Post pictures of it if you want and describe whats going on. Keep in mind you have a valuable watch and the last thing you want is somebody to devalue it or take advantage of you and overcharge you.
That’s interesting advice Nick, and certainly does run contrary to what the majority here would say. I think it’s good to see varying opinions

I also thought that I read somewhere here, that Rolex offers a special “vintage” restoration service. I probably have the terminology incorrect, but it basically sounded like a special service to restore vintage pieces ... perhaps you need to send the watch to Switzerland
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Old 19 March 2018, 03:58 AM   #13
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Rolex servicing and care.These are my personal observations of over 25 years collecting and trading. They may help you also. Having bought 1000s of watches and sat in numerous shops over the years the majority (90%) of people always want it done fast and cheap. Most will say can you just get it to work i don't want to spend much money, im selling it etc.
When it time to get your watch fixed your faced with these options. Do you take it to a Rolex service center or have somebody else fix it? Rolex made the watch and carries all spare parts tools and trained personnel to service it. Rolex during a service will replace any suspect parts and uses only Rolex parts. Rolex gives a Rolex warranty. If you have access to a CW21 trained watchmaker with a Rolex parts account its your next best place. 3rd will be a watchmaker who may not be a cw21 or does not have a parts account but has the experience and can find parts. Cost is usually the #1 concern with people. There nothing hard about servicing a rolex movement same work goes into servicing a Seiko more or less. Ive seen watchmakers charge anywhere from $200 to several thousands for exactly the same work. There is usually the fear factor about servicing a vintage watch at rolex and this is usually do to a customer with no knowledge of what he has sending it to rolex and telling them to make it like new. Then he is told it devalued it or they replaced old and valuable parts with current service parts. yes this has happened and i would venture to say at a much higher % with watchmakers not belonging to Rolex. This fear factor usually leads people saying use such and such instead of Rolex. When it comes to restoration work you may have to use more than one place. At the end of the day go with who you trust and spend the time to educate yourself on all the factors involved. This will limit any disappointments and save you from being taken advantage of.
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Old 19 March 2018, 04:02 AM   #14
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Bob and Phillip Ridley have my vote. Very pleased with work and attention to customer.
Just be prepared for sticker shock!
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Old 19 March 2018, 08:11 AM   #15
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Restoration of a Rolex Double Red Seadweller

Quote:
Originally Posted by greekbum View Post
Rolex servicing and care.These are my personal observations of over 25 years collecting and trading. They may help you also. Having bought 1000s of watches and sat in numerous shops over the years the majority (90%) of people always want it done fast and cheap. Most will say can you just get it to work i don't want to spend much money, im selling it etc.
When it time to get your watch fixed your faced with these options. Do you take it to a Rolex service center or have somebody else fix it? Rolex made the watch and carries all spare parts tools and trained personnel to service it. Rolex during a service will replace any suspect parts and uses only Rolex parts. Rolex gives a Rolex warranty. If you have access to a CW21 trained watchmaker with a Rolex parts account its your next best place. 3rd will be a watchmaker who may not be a cw21 or does not have a parts account but has the experience and can find parts. Cost is usually the #1 concern with people. There nothing hard about servicing a rolex movement same work goes into servicing a Seiko more or less. Ive seen watchmakers charge anywhere from $200 to several thousands for exactly the same work. There is usually the fear factor about servicing a vintage watch at rolex and this is usually do to a customer with no knowledge of what he has sending it to rolex and telling them to make it like new. Then he is told it devalued it or they replaced old and valuable parts with current service parts. yes this has happened and i would venture to say at a much higher % with watchmakers not belonging to Rolex. This fear factor usually leads people saying use such and such instead of Rolex. When it comes to restoration work you may have to use more than one place. At the end of the day go with who you trust and spend the time to educate yourself on all the factors involved. This will limit any disappointments and save you from being taken advantage of.


Nick, I do agree 100%. With vintage I use option 2 only. Because my watchmaker has such a great work ethic and we work as a partnership. That’s on both Omega and Rolex watches. He is working on a 50+ y.o. Omega of mine for a year and has started a new project on my Dad’s 60 y.o. Seamaster. He had no parts for a couple of items needing attention so I bought a 550 movement as a donor. He has a parts account with Swatch and is Omega certified but none are available. Don’t think the Omega center would allow that.

As I write this, the 20 y.o. Ladies OP my wife used to wear is finished at the RSC - I’m not too worried about a new part here or there. The bill came in just under $1000 - but it is being passed down to her/our daughter with the full 2 year warranty. And I know it has been done 1000% correctly. The damage the thief did to it has been fully corrected. I hand it down “like new”. If it lost any value she won’t know or care. It is her Mom’s Rolex - that is what it is in value. And she will hand it down to her daughter some 40 years from now.

Now to this topic - ironically at Road Atlanta yesterday one of my Senior Stewards told me about his DRSD - bought in Geneva in ‘70’s. I asked if he knew what he had - and he said “oh yeah”. I asked if it was still 100% original. Yep, he said, but he quickly added that 10 years ago the hands were replaced by NY RSC during an overhaul. As I sighed he said “what the hell do I care, I’m not selling it and these high valuations are ridiculous - I’m handing down to my son anyway.”

So it really does depend on your perspective and you future outlook.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Old 19 March 2018, 08:40 AM   #16
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Restoration of a Rolex Double Red Seadweller

I Trust Tom! http://www.dstimeservice.com/

He gives 2-year warrantee and you can ship to him, he looks it over, gives you an estimate, tunes up/repairs and ships it back!
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Old 19 March 2018, 09:14 PM   #17
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@Walts post some pics
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Old 20 March 2018, 12:37 AM   #18
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@Walts post some pics
I'm with this guy... Share some "before restoration" pics. We love seeing these things in their found condition.
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Old 20 March 2018, 06:33 AM   #19
Walts
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Don't have the watch yet . I'm hoping I will be able to purchase it . It is up to the seller. He is a great guy and I'm not gonna pressure him. If I can get a picture of it I will post it here. I wanted to know what options there are available. Thanks to all of you who have responded. The information is greatly appreciated
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