Repairing your Vintage Rolex at Rolex Service Centre

New Policy set–up over the past ten years had been taken places.

By all means to deny vintage Rolex servicing at Rolex Service Centre.

They seem do not like to take care of their products shipped from the door of Rolex Factory…

In my interpretation Rolex is the Last four of the Top Four Brand in Swiss watch…

My Choice of preferred brand

Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audmars Piguet and Rolex…. 

Patek Philippe can take care of their products shipped out from the factory back to 1880….

In fact you can send any Patek Philippe watch to them, they will do service for you regarding of price. At least they have Intention to maintain the Satisfactory of the watch that had been passing down through generations, but with exception on enamel dial which Patek Claims they have lost that technique many years ago though I doubt as they still making watch with Enamel dial.  Same For Vacheron Constantin, recently the have recalled some of the old vintage watches form 1930 to 1970 and fully restored and selling it into the market at his HK Boutique. Those are beautiful watches Vacheron Constantin made in that Period of time.

 

I had the first Royal Oak Jumbo 39mm in Solid Gold wit S/N 075. I was offered by the AP manager offering a full service for me… Well, that was the first generation Gerald Genta Design Royal oak made in 1972….Can you see the difference?

 

Whereas Rolex is trying to say there is not such parts anymore to your GMT that you bought in 1984? Not even mention watches from 1972 or 1956.

What is Vintage Rolex VR?

1. Anything  beyond year 1989 would likely classified Vintage in the eyes of Rolex (T<25)
2. Model number Ref of 4 digits such as 6542, 6539, 1675, 1655, 1665, 1016, 1019, 1503, 1501, 1803…
    
   So what shall we do about our Vintage Rolex?
   If you want to take these to repair, they will give you a lots of questions or dump all the responsibility to you such as there is no liability in case the dial, hands and are accidentally cracked, lume fallen out, cracked, you have to agree by signing on papers that Rolex will not shoulder those liability before they consider service your watch.
    
   There are no more parts for you on your vintage watch and if there is only the Replacement Dial or hands to be used whilst the original rare and expensive dial hands will be confiscated.  Replacement dial mean the dial that is available on that Model of Watch but of the latest available version, and or dial that had been reworked or restored as replacement purpose… That your Vintage Rolex value would be depreciated.
    
   
   True case
    
   I had a friend who took his non-vintage Day Date Coral Dial Ref 18038 for services, I don’t know what made him doing this and service what. End result was the coral dial was cracked after the servicing…he came home with a heavy heart and sad for weeks
    
   My Friend was though a lucky guy and after 1 year and a half , Rolex called him that they found a Coral Dial asking him if he liked to install on the watch or nor? Of course he has to say “Yes”, then he paid HK$15,000 for the dial and got a Service paper on this Watch…. Congrats, this isa exceptional rare cases my friend!
    
   
   There is recent a case friend of mind took a Submariner Onyx watch for checking and in fact wanted to get the service paper. Note that this is recent watch X series, (1991), the watch smith says that the watch bezel is not Rolex and said that there is no such watch under that S/N carrying the Onyx….
    
   And the lady called my friend saying that Come to get the “GMT master II, what GMT master II?” That is a Submariner… later they confirmed that S/N is actually been installed with Onyx Dial on the watch. Friend of mine asked me should be proceed to open and take out the dial and check, I told my fiend Don’t do that…. As there is 50% they will break your dial, don’t know why, this always happen on certain expensive watch dial, maybe I am too much spook on the paranoid that someone may make it as purpose…coz they may drooling on the dial.
    
   A watch Submariner 16618 with Onyx dial may be US$50,000, a Submariner with ordinary dial is US$20,000!
    
   My friends Day Date 18038 with Coral is now worth US$60,000, if ordinary Day Date is Just US$10,000!
    
   Next time if you really want to take the watch for Rolex for servicing, Please make sure you will prepared not to see the watch coming back as it was before…. You may be getting a new replacement dial from them.
    
   So what should we do with our VR, bring to some private watch expert to repair, they will exercise with utmost care on your watch. And normally minimum damages would be happened on it.

HK Snob