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Old 21 February 2025, 07:14 PM   #5564
mato123
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: current life
Posts: 148
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amy_Moses View Post
After nearly three years on the wait list for a 124270 Explorer I gave up and bought one from Watchfinder London in Feb 24 with Aug 23 on the card. It looked unworn. I wore it 24/7 and it ran a ~0.7 secs per day slow.

After about 6 months it started losing time almost in step changes - I tried to post a chart but can't. I haven't got a timegrapher. Timings were done by setting it against a GPS clock and then tracking the indicated vs actual time in a spreadsheet and calculating the secs/day loss.

I didn't knock or drop it, I had no lifestyle changes, I didn't stop or start any sports or other activities, I don't do manual work and I didn't change the measurement method. After the first step change I occasionally gave it a full wind to see if there might be a power reserve problem, but it made no difference.

It was losing 15 secs/day when I took it to RSC London, St James' Sq. in Feb 25 - almost a year to the day after I bought it. Their email said they would carry out a movement service under the guarantee. It was with them for 14 days and I've had it back a few days and it's gaining about 0.5 sec per day.

This was meant to be my retirement and last-watch-purchase-ever-honest-no-I-really-mean-it-this-time watch but now there'll always be that nag in the back of my mind that I've got a lemon and it will start losing time again - probably just after the warranty runs out. I'm contemplating flipping it for a 114270 or maybe the black lacquer Aqua Terra.

Also, when I was doing my pre-buying research the warranty card seemed to be an absolute necessary pre-requisite yet no one asked for the card at any stage in this repair. Neither was I given a service card or any paperwork when my watch was returned. If it hadn't been the London RSC I'd have been worried by this - is this normal?
Similar situation here. I wanted a new watch with a 5-year warranty from an AD because of these issues but got tired of waiting. Then, I found a pre-owned one in my city from a reputable grey market dealer for €2,500 under retail. My thinking was, I could set aside the savings for a service if needed. I’m happy to give Rolex a chance to get it right, but if this becomes a recurring problem, I'll sell it right after the second service and buy something with 31xx movement or a different brand. It's sad that one has to think like this about a new watch. It really affects your enjoyment.
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