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Fredrik · 9 March 2020, 06:07 AM

A relative of mine has a nice ladies Rolex, mid 90's approximately. Historically it had no problems, but after a service last year it just stops sometimes and it is not possible to get it going again. It has gone back to the RSC a couple of times already but they never really said what the problem was. It has a two year service warranty and they fixed it within that.

Now it has stopped again, this time in the middle of the night on the night stand, so no shocks involved which the RSC sort of implied the last time.

So, does any watchmaker here have any clue of what could be acting up? The RSC implied problems with the balance spring getting tangled up, but you would need a really hard shock for that to happen? Wrong balance installed? Balance not properly, uh, balanced?

I am very thankful for any insights or suggestions, I am the one bringing it to the RSC every time and I need to have a serious talk to them this time.

joli160 · 9 March 2020, 06:20 AM

Try manually winding it, 30 full 360 turns.

Perhaps the wrist activity is not enough to keep it charged

c41006 · 9 March 2020, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joli160

Try manually winding it, 30 full 360 turns.

Perhaps the wrist activity is not enough to keep it charged

This

mnbookman · 9 March 2020, 07:14 AM

Has your wife recently retired or changed jobs?

Fredrik · 11 March 2020, 06:16 AM

It is not possible to get it going when it stops. No manual winding no nothing. The RSC said the last time that the hair spring was entangled which sounds rather odd after stopping in the middle of the night on the night stand.

Both she and I tried everything including winding it before sending it back.

So something is up with the movement, I was curious to know if there are any known problems with the ladies movements. Before the service there were no problems at all, suddenly it randomly stops and can only be started again by a wathmaker.

enjoythemusic · 11 March 2020, 07:10 AM

yeah, sounds like HS. Did Rolex untangle or replace during last service try?

mnbookman · 11 March 2020, 07:19 AM

A watch can stay running with a tangled hairspring. This problem used to be more common, because hair springs were more delicate in lower beat watches. As beat rates increased hairsprings became more rigid - and thus more difficult to tangle.

The 2035 had an updated balance specifically for this problem. That should be automatically updated at the service center. They will charge for it.

What reference is your watch?

Fredrik · 12 March 2020, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnbookman

A watch can stay running with a tangled hairspring. This problem used to be more common, because hair springs were more delicate in lower beat watches. As beat rates increased hairsprings became more rigid - and thus more difficult to tangle.

The 2035 had an updated balance specifically for this problem. That should be automatically updated at the service center. They will charge for it.

What reference is your watch?

Thank you!

I have yet to receive the watch (again), she lives in another part of the country. As far as I remember it is a 5-digit ladies, I will check the papers when I get it.

The service what not cheap and they usually do a stellar job on my vintage sport watches. I will try to have a chat with one of the watchmakers when I hand it in the next time.

Fredrik · 12 May 2020, 04:54 AM

I am bumping this now since I have some more information. I will receive the watch next week and I intend to have a talk with the watchmaker on site at my AD/RSC.

The watch is a model 78273 and has a K serial, so manufactured approximately in 2001.

I do not know if that means it has a 2035, 2135 or 2235 movement?

Does anyone have any tech sheets or similar describing the problem and the fix?

Speaking to the watchmaker can be a hit or miss in my experience, sometimes they will just not listen and I need all information I can possibly get to have them address the problem. I can not accept a watch that needs to have it's hairspring untangled every two weeks because you looked at it in a funny way...

Fredrik · 15 February 2021, 05:38 AM

Well, after sending it in a couple of more times with a confirmed tangled hairspring, even following a complete service again, I got to speak to a watchmaker at the RSC. He promised to service the watch himself and make sure it was working as intended. I picked it up and send it to the lady just before Christmas and it actually seems to be working now.

They never told me what they screwed up in the first place and I really do not like that it took them almost two years to just service it. I only paid for the first service (or last...) but still.

Boopie · 24 February 2021, 07:44 AM

This happened to me. I have a 169622 29mm Yachtmaster. I got it new 2/01 (it’s 20 years old). I wore it every day with absolutely no problems, but figured I’d get it serviced in 2007. I took it to the RSC where it got the full interval service including a new crown. Ever since then, it’s had an intermittent problem with the whole movement completely stopping when I screw the crown back in (yes, it’s fully wound), whether it’s a <31 day month date change or a time zone change.

Rolex has been very good about servicing it at a RSC since then several times to address the problem, but it still persists, and has worsened. When I screw the crown in, it’s a crapshoot as to whether the movement will start again or not. The only way to restart it is to give it a vigorous shake. I’ve never been given an explanation for why it does this. A spring issue? Replacement crowns are slightly smaller than the original crown? Perhaps the tech savvy members here have an idea.

Again this was never, ever a problem in the first six and a half years of ownership and daily wear, until literally it had its first interval service.

It’s now a 20 year old watch and is due for service (it’s been six years). It’s been having big problems the last few days with restarting, as in, it won’t restart at all but if I put it on my wrist, it may or may not restart; and if it does, it’s only after 15 minutes of my wearing it (again, yes, it’s fully wound). Then, it stops again once I take it off.

I have no idea what’s going on with it, but its now totally unreliable, and I’m taking it in for service (it’s been 6 years). I’m toying with perhaps taking it to an independent for service versus the RSC.

Fred48 · 25 February 2021, 07:42 AM

Expertise and reliability are Rolex selling points, so these experiences with RSC are pretty ridiculous. You shouldn't have to send a watch back multiple times to the "experts", told nothing about what was done, and still have the problem. It's not a rocket ship, it's a mechanical watch made by Rolex. Their people should be able to fix it the first time.

But then again, maybe the watch does not go to the experts the first time.

Fredrik · 26 February 2021, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred48

But then again, maybe the watch does not go to the experts the first time.

This, is what I suspect happened in my case...

Fred48 · 26 February 2021, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredrik

This, is what I suspect happened in my case...

Yes, and it astounds me that it has happened multiple times!

9 March 2020, 06:07 AM	#1
Fredrik 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Sweden Watch: 1680 Posts: 1,825	Ladies Rolex, keeps stopping after service A relative of mine has a nice ladies Rolex, mid 90's approximately. Historically it had no problems, but after a service last year it just stops sometimes and it is not possible to get it going again. It has gone back to the RSC a couple of times already but they never really said what the problem was. It has a two year service warranty and they fixed it within that. Now it has stopped again, this time in the middle of the night on the night stand, so no shocks involved which the RSC sort of implied the last time. So, does any watchmaker here have any clue of what could be acting up? The RSC implied problems with the balance spring getting tangled up, but you would need a really hard shock for that to happen? Wrong balance installed? Balance not properly, uh, balanced? I am very thankful for any insights or suggestions, I am the one bringing it to the RSC every time and I need to have a serious talk to them this time.

9 March 2020, 06:20 AM	#2
joli160 2024 ROLEX DATEJUST41 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: NL Watch: Yachtmaster Posts: 14,340	Try manually winding it, 30 full 360 turns. Perhaps the wrist activity is not enough to keep it charged __________________ Day Date 18238, Yachtmaster 16622, Deepsea 116660, Submariner 116619, SkyD 326935, DJ 178271, DJ 69158, Yachtmaster 169622, GMT 116713LN, GMT 126711.

11 March 2020, 07:10 AM	#6
enjoythemusic 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Real Name: Steven Location: Glocal Posts: 19,398	yeah, sounds like HS. Did Rolex untangle or replace during last service try? __________________ __________________ “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a Ride!'” -- Hunter S. Thompson Sent from my Etch A Sketch using String Theory.

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9 March 2020, 07:14 AM	#4
mnbookman "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 79	Has your wife recently retired or changed jobs?

11 March 2020, 06:16 AM	#5
Fredrik 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Sweden Watch: 1680 Posts: 1,825	It is not possible to get it going when it stops. No manual winding no nothing. The RSC said the last time that the hair spring was entangled which sounds rather odd after stopping in the middle of the night on the night stand. Both she and I tried everything including winding it before sending it back. So something is up with the movement, I was curious to know if there are any known problems with the ladies movements. Before the service there were no problems at all, suddenly it randomly stops and can only be started again by a wathmaker.

11 March 2020, 07:19 AM	#7
mnbookman "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 79	A watch can stay running with a tangled hairspring. This problem used to be more common, because hair springs were more delicate in lower beat watches. As beat rates increased hairsprings became more rigid - and thus more difficult to tangle. The 2035 had an updated balance specifically for this problem. That should be automatically updated at the service center. They will charge for it. What reference is your watch?

12 May 2020, 04:54 AM	#9
Fredrik 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Sweden Watch: 1680 Posts: 1,825	I am bumping this now since I have some more information. I will receive the watch next week and I intend to have a talk with the watchmaker on site at my AD/RSC. The watch is a model 78273 and has a K serial, so manufactured approximately in 2001. I do not know if that means it has a 2035, 2135 or 2235 movement? Does anyone have any tech sheets or similar describing the problem and the fix? Speaking to the watchmaker can be a hit or miss in my experience, sometimes they will just not listen and I need all information I can possibly get to have them address the problem. I can not accept a watch that needs to have it's hairspring untangled every two weeks because you looked at it in a funny way...

15 February 2021, 05:38 AM	#10
Fredrik 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Sweden Watch: 1680 Posts: 1,825	Well, after sending it in a couple of more times with a confirmed tangled hairspring, even following a complete service again, I got to speak to a watchmaker at the RSC. He promised to service the watch himself and make sure it was working as intended. I picked it up and send it to the lady just before Christmas and it actually seems to be working now. They never told me what they screwed up in the first place and I really do not like that it took them almost two years to just service it. I only paid for the first service (or last...) but still.

24 February 2021, 07:44 AM	#11
Boopie "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Beverly Hills, CA Watch: Yachtmaster Posts: 3,764	This happened to me. I have a 169622 29mm Yachtmaster. I got it new 2/01 (it’s 20 years old). I wore it every day with absolutely no problems, but figured I’d get it serviced in 2007. I took it to the RSC where it got the full interval service including a new crown. Ever since then, it’s had an intermittent problem with the whole movement completely stopping when I screw the crown back in (yes, it’s fully wound), whether it’s a <31 day month date change or a time zone change. Rolex has been very good about servicing it at a RSC since then several times to address the problem, but it still persists, and has worsened. When I screw the crown in, it’s a crapshoot as to whether the movement will start again or not. The only way to restart it is to give it a vigorous shake. I’ve never been given an explanation for why it does this. A spring issue? Replacement crowns are slightly smaller than the original crown? Perhaps the tech savvy members here have an idea. Again this was never, ever a problem in the first six and a half years of ownership and daily wear, until literally it had its first interval service. It’s now a 20 year old watch and is due for service (it’s been six years). It’s been having big problems the last few days with restarting, as in, it won’t restart at all but if I put it on my wrist, it may or may not restart; and if it does, it’s only after 15 minutes of my wearing it (again, yes, it’s fully wound). Then, it stops again once I take it off. I have no idea what’s going on with it, but its now totally unreliable, and I’m taking it in for service (it’s been 6 years). I’m toying with perhaps taking it to an independent for service versus the RSC.

25 February 2021, 07:42 AM	#12
Fred48 Banned Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Colorado Posts: 323	Expertise and reliability are Rolex selling points, so these experiences with RSC are pretty ridiculous. You shouldn't have to send a watch back multiple times to the "experts", told nothing about what was done, and still have the problem. It's not a rocket ship, it's a mechanical watch made by Rolex. Their people should be able to fix it the first time. But then again, maybe the watch does not go to the experts the first time.

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