longest time one has not service rolex

[Ferrari308]

I bought my 1961 OP earlier this year and decided to have it sent out for service. I could hear the rotor grinding, so I knew it needed to be serviced. The repairman noted the date of the last service as 1979, so about 42 years with no service. I don't know how much it was worn or used during that time, but the interior lubrication was well gone at that point.



PDG

[Mike I]

It should be noted the Rolex website indicates a service interval of approximately ten years.

[ryangambrill]

Originally Posted by Mike I

It should be noted the Rolex website indicates a service interval of approximately ten years.

10 Years with 100% wrist time.


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[Dirt]

Originally Posted by ryangambrill

10 Years with 100% wrist time.


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It's a case of how long is a piece of string.
Note that Rolex has a nicely worded caveat attached to their 10 year statements.

Personally I don't get much more than 5-5.5 years before my daily worn automatics start to play up thus necessitating a service. So 10 years is utterly fancifull as far as I'm concerned.

[ryangambrill]

Originally Posted by Dirt

It's a case of how long is a piece of string.
Note that Rolex has a nicely worded caveat attached to their 10 year statements.

Personally I don't get much more than 5-5.5 years before my daily worn automatics start to play up thus necessitating a service. So 10 years is utterly fancifull as far as I'm concerned.

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[sazzymerlot]

hi rolex fans--

i wear a 1998 submariner -- 2 tone w/date -- it has never stopped running, going on 25 years -- non-stop

it has never been opened or serviced ---- so, after about 20 years of atomic clock spot on accuracy (scary accuracy), it started gaining seconds --

after 25 years, it gains exactly 6 seconds per day -- will likely have serviced if the 6 seconds fast becomes 10 seconds fast.

just like BMW's, they are built to run ---

[dgkula]

The GMT Master II that I bought new in 1997 and wore every day drifted out of COSC spec after 19 years so went in for a service in 2016. Running great now.

[chrissimons]

Originally Posted by dgkula

The GMT Master II that I bought new in 1997 and wore every day drifted out of COSC spec after 19 years so went in for a service in 2016. Running great now.

Has it been on your wrist everyday for every activity ? It sounds impressive !

[rmagoo57]

My sister has been wearing a lady president daily for 25 years without a service. I guess she'll send it in when it stops working?!

[dgkula]

Originally Posted by chrissimons

Has it been on your wrist everyday for every activity ? It sounds impressive !

Yes, pretty much everything.

[jchabalk]

My 16710 is from 2005 - I bought it second hand and it runs great and has never been serviced. I took it in a couple of weeks ago as it's been gaining about 12 seconds a day and that gets pretty annoying over the course of a week or so.

I took my 2005 16610 in after about 12 years of constant use, timekeeping was still <3s per day but for whatever reason the mainspring broke. It was out of commission getting serviced for maybe 3 weeks and has now been going again for another 5-6 years without issue.

[Casey VP-26]

1996 Sub Date 16610 Purchased New I wear and shower with daily has never been serviced or polished. Always did and still does run within 10 sec's a month.

[wilsonpepper]

My mom's ladies datejust has had no service in 25 years. Runs perfect !

[2bigalow]

Not a Rolex, but my Omega Seamaster 300 Professional turned 25 years old last year, had a hard life and just recently started losing time.
Will be going in for a lube and tune up this week. I figure any Rolex made in the last 40 years should be able to do the same.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by 2bigalow

Not a Rolex, but my Omega Seamaster 300 Professional turned 25 years old last year, had a hard life and just recently started losing time.
Will be going in for a lube and tune up this week. I figure any Rolex made in the last 40 years should be able to do the same.

I read some amazing stories around this issue from time to time and now a whole slew of them are coming in
I can only dream of such long service intervals before mine are going in due to showing some sign that something is not right inside.

[Oystersteel92]

It depends on use of course. Modern synthetic lubricants are great and I feel like you can go 10 years of daily wear if you say, work in an office and the only water it sees is the occasional dip in the pool.

On the other hand, if you're an extreme sports enthusiast and beat the pi$$ out of it or, you know, actually DIVE in a Sub/Sea-Dweller, then more frequent service is probably warranted.

I've known people that wore them until they stopped, THEN got it serviced. They're not cheap, and it's a high quality product. Most of us want to take care of them.

I often WISH I were the guy that could buy a Seiko 5 and wear it until it stopped or fell off my wrist, then simply buy another, but I'm not that guy. I do respect them though.

I know Walt Odets is a dirty name in Rolex circles, but his article about "Jessica's Cornavin Dolphin" is one I come back to yearly. I love machines that give years of faithful service.

[ExplorerGMT]

Explorer II 16570 13 years, Submariner 13 Years and Datejust 14 years.

[jedinite]

TT Blue sub 19 years

[GGGMT]

14 years. 16700


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[Mdpaint]

16710 26 years

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[atxwatch]

My 114060 is 7+ years old and still runs perfectly. (knocks on wood)

[Jim_GMT]

My partner had her 26mm DJ from new in 2004 and sold it last year, unserviced in 18 years.

Yet my BLNR stopped working in 2020 after 6 years of non-stop wear.

[Al Roy]

Ladies Date 21 yrs.. Sub Date 17 yrs

[911991]

1985 Sub-date, 3 services, most recent 11-2022, only inside service no cosmetic, runs great

[ade]

1997 SD16600. Worn regularly in rotation. Never been serviced. Still with a buttery smooth movement that is bang-on accurate. The 3135 movement is a legend.

[Idaho]

23 years on my 16610 Sub. Still keeping perfect time. Granted I don’t wear it often.

[Barada7]

Hoping for some 32xx examples.

[173rdabn]

My Datejust went from 1977 until 2001 without a service. Worked perfectly the whole time. The Jubilee bracelet, however, was pretty stretched out.

[BiG JeEzY]

My Explorer II went 13 years between 2001 and 2014. Ran fine but just wanted to service it anyway. Only paid $400 for a service back in 2014.

GMT went from sometime in the 1980s when my dad bought it all the way to 2004 when it was finally serviced and a service dial and hands were put in at the RSC. It was serviced again in 2018 for $500.

Considering how quickly service costs are rising these days, especially in the USA, I'm shifting more towards a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality for my watches. Because with how high the service costs are now, I almost don't see a benefit to a preventative maintenance approach anymore. I paid $400 10 years ago and now the lowest quote I can get around here is around $800 for the same watches. Pricing almost doubled in just 10 years, are you kidding me?

So what's the point of servicing so often as long as they run fine?

[RobCSSSub]

2005 16610 Sub. Running fine. I will not service until its stops keeping perfect time.
My first post.
Rob