Bringing vintage Rolexes back into the fold: First update
By Straight-Six, published on 13 March 2010
Straight-Six recently brought in a vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller from 1980 and a rare Rolex 1530 from the late 70s to the largest Rolex dealer in Brussels to get them serviced following some, ahem, issues with the wrinkled chaps. Here’s the first update on how Rolex reacts to older watches and their servicing.
Well, the dealer called several days after the watches were first dropped off to inform Straight-Six that his in-shop technician had opened them both and found nary a trace of their having ever been serviced within the Rolex network. Not a great start.
It turns out that Rolex are very particular about the servicing of their babies, leaving a mark on the inside case back indicating where it was serviced, when it was done and the actual job number (thanks to James Dowling, aka Mr. Rolex, for the info).
And here once again it turns out that Rolex can be very fickle, with some national Rolex Service Centres agreeing to service older watches – without touching the visible valuable bits, like dial, hands, bezel – and others refusing to go near them. Apparently, the UK’s Rolex Service Centre is the most welcoming toward vintage watches.
With regards to non-standard parts or the watch having been out of the official network for too long, well, Rolex simply turns these pieces away. This has created a huge demand for quality independents to service not only Rolexes, but many other watch brands that are being shunned by their makers – a missed business opportunity if you ask us, and incredibly detrimental to maintaining a brand’s link to its customers. Lastly, it appears that only stolen watches and fake parts (more often bezels and altered dials with, say diamonds – thanks to Omega564 on www.watchtalkforums.info) are actually confiscated. So authorized dealers need to get up to speed here…
Well, we’re in standby mode now, having obtained as much info as we can before an actual response comes back from Rolex, hopefully with a detailed list of their observations of what’s not right and what needs repairing/replacement.
It’s a little like waiting for a telegram from God. Except he’s parked in Geneva, not Heaven…
Bringing vintage Rolexes back into the fold: First update
Straight-Six recently brought in a vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller from 1980 and a rare Rolex 1530 from the late 70s to the largest Rolex dealer in Brussels to get them serviced following some, ahem, issues with the wrinkled chaps. Here’s the first update on how Rolex reacts to older watches and their servicing. Well, the dealer [...]
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6 Responses to “Bringing vintage Rolexes back into the fold: First update”
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Oh, and by the way, I’d prefer if you didn’t use The Prodigal Guide to post your family photos.
That last photo has nothing to do with your post has it? Come on admit it…
Delightful though it is to see your uncle Gustav again (his moustache is now looking very distinguished but I do wish you could talk him out of wearing that pen in his shirt pocket – actually, shirt pockets in general should be avoided), is our blog really the place for him!?
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Straight-Six
15 March 2010
Fool,
I remember you giving Uncle Gustav that shirt, so don’t try and shun him and your questionable sartorial tastes now!
And I think that’s exactly the kind of look I want from a trained watch-smith…:)
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[...] seriously worked up, particularly since Straight-Six recently embarked on the momentous mission of trying to get Rolex to service 30 year-old+ vintage pieces that are normally refused by the Rolex service [...]
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[...] Bringing vintage Rolexes back into the fold: We’re tucked in! 23 March 2010 tags: Rolex 1530, Rolex Sea-Dweller, rolex vintage by Straight-Six The Prodigal Guide’s love-affair with vintage Rolexes took a slight turn for the worse recently, when Straight-Six heard a rattling sound inside his 1980 Sea-Dweller and experienced loose link-pins on his rare 1530. There was only one place to go: the Rolex dealer. [...]
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The Prodigal Sub returns… « The Prodigal Guide
8 February 2011
[...] the Sea-Dweller, all of the pieces were brought to our favourite Brussels Rolex retailer, Yvan’s, for servicing. The jubilence of the Sea-Dweller and 1530 being successfully serviced and authenticated was [...]
The Prodigal Fool
13 March 2010
Let me say publicly what I’ve already told you in private: you have nothing to worry about. Even if Rolex did find ‘non-standard’ parts inside either of your watches, there’s no way they would or could do anything other than simply refuse to service them and return them to you.
Legally, the watches are your property. They have no right to confiscate them. Owning counterfeit goods is not a crime.
That’s not to say I think you have counterfeit parts on your hands. I actually think that the very worst news you’re likely to get is that some of the parts may be non-original, i.e., official but newer Rolex parts that have been fitted as replacements at a later date. Not the end of the world but, earth-shattering for a vintage nut like you!
Hahaha!
Well, I – along with our other three readers – await the latest update with baited breath…