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Old 25 October 2013, 11:50 AM   #1
Brij
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What do Rolex Service Centres Do With Vintage Parts

Hello Everyone,

I have come across a number of vintage Rolexes that have been sent to Rolex Service Centres for servicing and these watches arrive with replaced dials, hands, inserts, and polished up. All of the things that vintage collectors, and those of us who just like the looks of the originals, want.

The question is, what do these Service Centres do with the old parts? Rolex must know (a) that these old parts are worth a lot of money; (b) that they devalue the watch when they replace external and internal parts; (c), that they lose their own heritage in doing so.

I could easily see someone who is unscrupulous taking these parts and selling them-do the Rolex techs have to shower and go through scanners before and after they start work?

Apologies if these things have been covered before.
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Old 25 October 2013, 12:33 PM   #2
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Well, the Rolex model is this: they want to keep your watch running and in the best condition possible. A collector values a different set of ideals. Rolex wants the watch to look as factory fresh as possible. They don't care what the watch is worth. If you send in a beat-up red sub they'd chuck all of the important collectible bits to give you the newest looking watch possible.

I really doubt Rolex employees steal parts and resell them. That's a bit of a stretch. I'm sure working at Rolex offers some great perks and opportunities but taking company propery without permission isn't one of them.
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Old 25 October 2013, 12:54 PM   #3
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Well, the Rolex model is this: they want to keep your watch running and in the best condition possible. A collector values a different set of ideals. Rolex wants the watch to look as factory fresh as possible. They don't care what the watch is worth. If you send in a beat-up red sub they'd chuck all of the important collectible bits to give you the newest looking watch possible.

I really doubt Rolex employees steal parts and resell them. That's a bit of a stretch. I'm sure working at Rolex offers some great perks and opportunities but taking company propery without permission isn't one of them.
What that means is that the companies techs are robotic. They can't be unaware that they are taking a 20,000$ watch and turning into a 3,000$ one by doing that. Seems awfully strange to me.

Do companies such as Patek do this as well?
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Old 25 October 2013, 01:08 PM   #4
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According to the RSC in Dallas, I was told that all the parts removed during a service or replaced are sent back to Switzerland. I've heard through the grapevine that many of the vintage parts are used on restorations and or repairs for some of the big spenders/friends of Rolex.
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Old 25 October 2013, 01:10 PM   #5
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Rolex service management told me the old parts are sent back to the watch's birth place and buried.
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Old 25 October 2013, 01:22 PM   #6
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Well, the Rolex model is this: they want to keep your watch running and in the best condition possible. A collector values a different set of ideals. Rolex wants the watch to look as factory fresh as possible. They don't care what the watch is worth. If you send in a beat-up red sub they'd chuck all of the important collectible bits to give you the newest looking watch possible.

I really doubt Rolex employees steal parts and resell them. That's a bit of a stretch. I'm sure working at Rolex offers some great perks and opportunities but taking company propery without permission isn't one of them.
The basic human instinct is to survive; put food on the table for their wife and kids. Somewhere later comes greed. People sell people for money; It's not a stretch for me to believe that a tech would sell parts that he/she has been able to take out of a service centre.
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Old 25 October 2013, 03:15 PM   #7
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most interesting parts are supplied on exchange basis only but even the ones that aren't are gathered and the old ones are sent back to geneva periodically…


….where i would guess like when bexley closed…someone sits destroying the common ones, and anything special is filed away as rolex tries to broaden its own understanding of its heritage.
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Old 25 October 2013, 05:59 PM   #8
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Remember, for the longest time (and to some extent, still so today) people WANTED new service parts. Imagine you sent your iPhone* in for "servicing" and you had the option for about the same price to either A) retain all the original parts or B) replace what needs to be replaced and get a new battery. Of course you'd pick option B.

So, in that sense, when servicing a watch, you are actually increasing the value of the watch. The current owner is happier with a shiny, practically new watch. Future resale value may have diminished, but the owner wouldn't have known that.

Of course these days, with vintage watches being all the rage, the tables have turned and now many people want to keep all original parts. But even still, lots of people just want shiny, new watches.

*this isn't the greatest analogy, but it sort of works. Also of note, you can sell an sealed original iPhone for 2K these days.
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Old 25 October 2013, 06:31 PM   #9
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most interesting parts are supplied on exchange basis only but even the ones that aren't are gathered and the old ones are sent back to geneva periodically…


….where i would guess like when bexley closed…someone sits destroying the common ones, and anything special is filed away as rolex tries to broaden its own understanding of its heritage.
It would be fantastic if Rolex would share some of their info, it is such a shame the there are so many passionate Rolex collectors and it would appear that Rolex snubs their nose at them. Maybe I am wrong here, but one would think that everyone could benefit with a more collaborative effort from both sides.
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Old 25 October 2013, 06:41 PM   #10
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It would be fantastic if Rolex would share some of their info, it is such a shame the there are so many passionate Rolex collectors and it would appear that Rolex snubs their nose at them. Maybe I am wrong here, but one would think that everyone could benefit with a more collaborative effort from both sides.
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Old 25 October 2013, 09:14 PM   #11
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According to the RSC in Dallas, I was told that all the parts removed during a service or replaced are sent back to Switzerland. I've heard through the grapevine that many of the vintage parts are used on restorations and or repairs for some of the big spenders/friends of Rolex.
Brutal. Cronyism strikes again!
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Old 25 October 2013, 09:19 PM   #12
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Sounds like some dumpster diving might be in order outside the mother ship in Swissland!!
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Old 25 October 2013, 09:57 PM   #13
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Sounds like some dumpster diving might be in order outside the mother ship in Swissland!!
Can't wait for this new vintage post "dumpster diving Rolex HQ"
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Old 25 October 2013, 10:06 PM   #14
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Sounds like some dumpster diving might be in order outside the mother ship in Swissland!!
A job for DanP.
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Old 25 October 2013, 10:44 PM   #15
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that's funny! wonder how the Swiss would dumpster dive? white lab coat and gloves while filling a BMW M5 :-) I have the utmost respect for our Swiss friends, they made most of my watches! m
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Old 26 October 2013, 12:18 AM   #16
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Here is how I see it:

Rolex replaces parts and charges FULL for the new parts.
So with any other company, the old parts will be the customer's propertsy and of course would be handed out after the replacement.
Rolex started the silly policy of bagging the old parts - I fail to see the legal substance for this - but if they collect them and restore watches from privileged friends with them, they are using customer's property. IMO of course!

The only reasonably fair way to treat these old parts would be to destroy them.
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Old 26 October 2013, 12:46 AM   #17
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I have yet to send a anything in to a service center, cant seem to hang on to one long enough I was just thinking that you should be given the opportunity to have the old parts that are removed sent back to you if you want them, will Rolex do this?
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Old 26 October 2013, 12:47 AM   #18
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I have yet to send a anything in to a service center, cant seem to hang on to one long enough I was just thinking that you should be given the opportunity to have the old parts that are removed sent back to you if you want them, will Rolex do this?
No
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Old 26 October 2013, 01:01 AM   #19
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Here is how I see it:

Rolex replaces parts and charges FULL for the new parts.
So with any other company, the old parts will be the customer's propertsy and of course would be handed out after the replacement.
Rolex started the silly policy of bagging the old parts - I fail to see the legal substance for this - but if they collect them and restore watches from privileged friends with them, they are using customer's property. IMO of course!

The only reasonably fair way to treat these old parts would be to destroy them.
It is apparent that Rolex USA is run buy lawyers IMO. For parts the require trade in/swap they give the customer trade in value. If customer is does not agree, no service. The last thing Rolex wants is for bezel rings, dials and such ending up on counterfeit watches.

Destroying old parts is what Rolex states as policy, reality though???

Where issues occur like replacing hands/dial without customer approval (either fault of Rolex or Rolex AD), opens another issue as you refer.. Or in the case where Rolex damages a dial during service and will not return the part. In the end, this can tarnish Rolex integrity if Old parts end up on Rolex's preferred customers watch then at an auction house..
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Old 26 October 2013, 01:39 AM   #20
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For parts the require trade in/swap they give the customer trade in value.
In the earlier days, replaced parts have been returned to the clients.
Then that policy changed but prices for the parts still increased.

If you where correct with the "trade in value", prices for spare parts would have dropped at a point - but they haven't
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Old 26 October 2013, 02:15 AM   #21
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In the earlier days, replaced parts have been returned to the clients.
Then that policy changed but prices for the parts still increased.

If you where correct with the "trade in value", prices for spare parts would have dropped at a point - but they haven't
The sad part about "trade-in parts" is, if you go to the RSC in Dallas and tell them you lost your bezel and insert from your 16710 GMT II, they will replace it, at double the normal replacement cost since you do not have a trade-in bezel and insert.
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Old 26 October 2013, 02:27 AM   #22
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In the earlier days, replaced parts have been returned to the clients.
Then that policy changed but prices for the parts still increased.

If you where correct with the "trade in value", prices for spare parts would have dropped at a point - but they haven't
Last I checked, (2011) bezel rings had a trade in value, bracelets had a trade in value. Trade in values are less than open market values.
For example from 2010: bezel-s/st, rotating, blk ins, lumi cost with trade $180 US without trade in $215 US.

Same type of deal with bracelets and other. If they give you a trade value, parts are their's to with as they wish.
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Old 26 October 2013, 02:30 AM   #23
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The sad part about "trade-in parts" is, if you go to the RSC in Dallas and tell them you lost your bezel and insert from your 16710 GMT II, they will replace it, at double the normal replacement cost since you do not have a trade-in bezel and insert.
Is this recently? Double? In '12 they jacked prices like double what they were in '11 for no trade. Not sure what they did with trade in value.
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Old 26 October 2013, 02:38 AM   #24
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The sad part about "trade-in parts" is, if you go to the RSC in Dallas and tell them you lost your bezel and insert from your 16710 GMT II, they will replace it, at double the normal replacement cost since you do not have a trade-in bezel and insert.
Same thing as core charge in the automotive business.
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Old 26 October 2013, 03:35 AM   #25
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I think Rolex realized original parts we're be resold and ending up on watches sold as original but were frankenwatches. In my opinion they believed this threatened the brand as the average Joe could not tell the difference between a Rolex and something put together at a local jeweler.
Rolex also got rid of a lot of AD's and they have a tight leash on watchmakers with a parts account. This IMHO is also to control the brand and keep parts off the secondary market. Someone can correct me on this but don't all new parts come witha barcode traceable by Rolex? So in theory if a part ends up on EBay and the code is not removed Rolex could trace the source of the part.

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Old 26 October 2013, 03:47 AM   #26
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I think Rolex realized original parts we're be resold and ending up on watches sold as original but were frankenwatches. In my opinion they believed this threatened the brand as the average Joe could not tell the difference between a Rolex and something put together at a local jeweler.
Rolex also got rid of a lot of AD's and they have a tight leash on watchmakers with a parts account. This IMHO is also to control the brand and keep parts off the secondary market. Someone can correct me on this but don't all new parts come witha barcode traceable by Rolex? So in theory if a part ends up on EBay and the code is not removed Rolex could trace the source of the part.

Not sure about all, but many of them have a marker/bar code in the package.. And yes, if the part with code shows up on eBay, they could in theory trace it to the source they supplied it to.
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Old 26 October 2013, 04:32 AM   #27
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I'm sure it's possible to track the parts by codes, but, with the number of parts produced, I don't think the juice would be worth the squeeze.
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Old 26 October 2013, 05:06 AM   #28
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I'm sure it's possible to track the parts by codes, but, with the number of parts produced, I don't think the juice would be worth the squeeze.
I am not saying every part is traced but if Rolex wanted to they have the ability. This prevents watchmakers with parts accounts from selling stock or even an AD for that matter.
Rolex further limits the parts sold to watchmakers by requiring them to provide the serial number for every watch serviced and for most parts return them to Rolex. One could also argue this prevents the watchmaker from converting watches or installing anything other than the way the watch was originally sold.
Feel free to correct me on any of this but this is what I have been told by a Rolex watchmaker.
Rolex has somewhat of of a control complex!

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Old 26 October 2013, 06:30 AM   #29
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[QUOTE=Brij;4492802]
The question is, what do these Service Centres do with the old parts?

Rolex must know

(a) that these old parts are worth a lot of money;

They don't care

(b) that they devalue the watch when they replace external and internal parts;

They don't care

(c), that they lose their own heritage in doing so.

See (a) and (b)

[QUOTE]


They are in the business of selling new watches. Here's what basically happens to the old parts:
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Old 26 October 2013, 07:07 AM   #30
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A vintage watch does not have its "original" appearance. Rolexes did not originally have yellowed hands and faded dials. Replacement parts are actually more true to the original look. Also RSC does not replace any of your valuable vintage dials or hands or anything without asking first. Anyone who says otherwise probably hasn't had a watch serviced by RSC in the past three years.

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