New Explorer/Submariner 3230 Movement Rotor Noise

[llvhhui]

Seen some people saying the new 3230 movement rotor is ball bearing therefore you can hear the rotor noise when you shake the watch, comparing to the older 3130 movement which is silent. Is that true?

[tenementhall]

Yep

[llvhhui]

That's disappointing.

[s7horton]

I took my 126610 to the AD and they put a new one in it after the part arrive from Rolex. Apparently a number of people have been complaining. While it’s not dead quiet, it is quieter than before.

My AD has a certified Rolex watch maker on site, so the swap was painless for me. I realize not every AD operates this way.

[Roli4life]

I have 3 watches w/ the 32xx movement, and while it is more audible, you literally have to hold it near your ear,and give it good shake to hear it.

Not a big deal if it makes the watch movement more durable.

[DCheeta]

I have the 3230 in my 124060 and don’t hear a thing, but I also don’t hold the watch to my ear and shake it.

Rotors with ceramic ball bearings will always make more noise. I had a few JLC chronos with super loud rotors. I kinda dig it.

Do you also dislike the ticking noise of the palette stones hitting the escape wheel?

[PekWatchGuy]

Just bought bretiling avenger with valjoux 7750 based caliber. That is loud rotor and you can feel it. At first it was strange, but i kinda dig it too

Originally Posted by DCheeta

I have the 3230 in my 124060 and don’t hear a thing, but I also don’t hold the watch to my ear and shake it.

Rotors with ceramic ball bearings will always make more noise. I had a few JLC chronos with super loud rotors. I kinda dig it.

Do you also dislike the ticking noise of the palette stones hitting the escape wheel?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by llvhhui

Seen some people saying the new 3230 movement rotor is ball bearing therefore you can hear the rotor noise when you shake the watch, comparing to the older 3130 movement which is silent. Is that true?

Originally Posted by llvhhui

That's disappointing.

Yes they do sound a little bit especially when you put them near to your ears, simple answer don't shake the watch close to your ears. And cannot understand why you think its disappointing, movements like say the Valjoux 7750 range you can actually feel the rotor winding on the wrist but again quite normal.But the main Achilles heel in most all of the Rolex 31 series movements like the cal 3135 Cal 3155, cal 3185/6 is the rotor shaft bearings, and IMHO its the 31 series movements weakest link the rotor winding sleeve bearings. Now these need proper lubrication and its very critical its done right, if it dries out especially in warm climates you will get severe wear in the bearing jewels. Looks like to me Rolex has sacrificed a bit in the engineering department for better winding efficiency. IMHO the small diameter winding post don't offer enough support to the rotor weight, but again some go on for decades without service, but many fail for the lack of. So although they might sound a bit more nosier the ball bearing rotor should give better long time wear with correct service intervals.

[ffscala]

Life's too short. I've had 2 watches with the newer movement and you can only hear it if you're sitting in the quiet and putting the watch up near to your ear. As I say, life is too short to worry about such things.

[llvhhui]

I’ve always considered a silent rotor to be one of the reasons Rolex sets itself apart from other brands.

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by llvhhui

That's disappointing.

Why? You have to hold the watch to your ear to even hear it. Every other company from AP, etc… uses ceramic rotor bearings for extended durability. It’s a non issue. The only models still silent and use a different form of roller bearing for their rotor is the Daytona and Yachtmaster II.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by llvhhui

That's disappointing.

It's reassuring that the rotor's ball bearings will last longer. These bearings are higher wear item within a timepiece. Of course if it bothers you that much, am sure you could hire an engineer to downgrade the ball bearings to more silent type of you insist. They'll probably wear faster and need service more often, yet they'll be quieter.

[llvhhui]

Personal preference. Not everyone has to like the same thing for the same reason.

[AJMarcus]

Truly a first world problem. Take your Rolex away from your ear, place it back on your wrist, and enjoy it.

[jpwv]

Originally Posted by AJMarcus

Truly a first world problem. Take your Rolex away from your ear, place it back on your wrist, and enjoy it.

[Oxfordian]

It must be 45 years since I last owned a watch that made a noise I could hear when on my wrist, that would have been an old digital watch with 101 functions that I could never get to work properly, including turning the beep off which sounded every hour.

[WBaileyii]

I love my 16610 sub with the 3135 movement, but honestly even if the rotor did make more noise, how could you hear it over the noise from the bracelet/clasp?!

It is just different, and different doesn't mean wrong...

A colleague gave me a great quote for this just yesterday (and I'm adapting it to Rolex owners... poetic license)...

There are two things that Rolex owners hate more than anything:
1. The way things have always been with Rolex.
and...
2. Any change that Rolex makes.

Have a great weekend!!

[Lesnerelli23]

First thing I noticed about my Speedmaster 40mm. It didn’t bother me but I was worried I got ripped off or it was broken. So I read about it online and learned about ceramic bearings. Now that I know why, I like it. The whole reason I’m into watches is appreciation of the mechanics. It’s cool that my SubC11 is silent too, I appreciate the differences in design! My Tudor BB58 I can feel very slightly, it’s right in between the Rolex and Omega. I enjoy the nuances :)

Have some fun out there!

[Langeholic]

I believe even my Lange has ceramic bearings in the rotor. It certainly is noisy, as well, and I can even hear the rotor noise coming out of my DSSD JC2 with the 3235 inside, despite the chunky ring lock system assembly!

It doesn’t bother me because I’m more of a form-follows-function kind of person and am happy to see a “better” type of bearing being used.

[mattedialdoc]

Originally Posted by llvhhui

I’ve always considered a silent rotor to be one of the reasons Rolex sets itself apart from other brands.

Omg


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