New seriel number assignment on a 1680 overhaul?
 

Hi all,

My title probably sounded extremely weird. Let me elaborate a bit on the scenario and my actual question.

I brought in a 1680 Submariner into Rolex NY for a full service. On top of the full service, I also purchased a complete set of case (case frame, bezel, bezel insert) to replace the existing one that's been heavily polished down. The 1680 is a 5.4 mil series, upon asking how the purchase of a new case would affect the original seriel & model number that's already engraved on both ends of the watch case, I was told that a "different" seriel number will come onto the new watch case I'm getting. This really bothered me as I was not aware of such practice by Rolex and I can just tell this would only devalue my 1680 that came with complete paper work from '78 when I took it over. More importantly, what kind of seriel number am I getting assigned to my watch now?

What should i do?

Replacement cases follow a different serial sequence and are 47xxxx, unless those too are gone...

It will affect the value of the watch slightly, but probably no more so than a ruined or over polished original case...:cheers:

On a re-case it is important that you keep the original papers and the re-case papers for provenance of the piece........

Thanks Larry, always a pleasure !

Just curious Elliott. What did the new case cost?

$975 + tax

That's honestly not as bad as I thought it might be.:cheers:

Elliott, that should not effect the price... the watch will have a 4 million serial and that is know in the market for all the recased watches for now... the watch will also have paper work from Rolex that is equal not to say better then the older ones...
at one point there was lots of open papers that were filled or punched to match the serials on watch and when buying vintage you have to keep that in mind ... but now with the new serial and the papers that comes with it that will asssure the buyer that it is what it is and that it was not put together...
IMO I think that should add a little value to the watch by doing that...

Thanks Tony! I guess I will be getting one more of those int'l guarantee card :thumbsup:

Not bad at all.

Dumb question...

The 1680 case is one that Rolex had in "moth balls" just in case someone wanted one? I.e. the case was made when the original watch was made and then stored???

I don't think that anybody knows the true answer..... However, the old re-cases used to be 44xxxxx serials and now they are 47xxxxx serials. That would indicate that they keep a set baseline of cases on the shelf for repair. When that number gets low, they load their CNC machines up with a software program, stamp out and generate a batch of new replacement cases..

So, I would guess that they have some in stock, but also you could have had a new replacement case stamped out last week........

Thanks Larry...Fascinating.

So the old case style / case back etc. could just be waiting for someone wanting a recasing - or as you said, they stamp out a new old-style one.

This is good info in the event I ever get an old Sub 5513 or 1680 with lugs beyond recognition. For about a grand I get a new case machined just like an original...but not.

Of course resale must take a hit, but if I wanted to keep the watch for my pleasure it would look new.

Larry,
Another question, so let's say I have a v-serial 116710 gmt2c to be recased, do I still get a 4.7 mil case number? In other words, does the same recase serial number rule get applied to all "modern"(currently available style) rolex?

You ask a question that nobody knows the real answer to.. However, Rolex uses a specific batch of numbers so that whoever works on the watch knows that it is a re-case - without question.

That would lead me to believe that if you did somehow destroy an 116710 case, the service case would be a unique number.. either 4.7mil as is now known, or whatever the next sequence that Rolex already has determined..:cheers:

Thanks Larry :cheers:

That is why I love TRF I learn new things every day

Yeah seriously. Everyday I learn something new here.

even you changed the sapphire crystal for the new watch, the laser crown at 6 o'clock will add the "s" inside the crown of the laser.

Please see below, need very high concentration on the laser crown: