Good News
126600 Sea-Dweller from Dec. 2017 to Jan. 2021
Decreasing performance after purchase and recovery after Rolex repair.
The 3235 rate as a function of amplitude, measured during three periods from 12/2017 to 01/2021, are displayed in the graph below.
Data 2017/2018:
- After purchase in 2017, a very good performance (rates, amplitudes) was measured for the first 13 months.
- The timekeeping was extremely good, i.e. the position-averaged rate was close to 0 s/d.
- There was absolutely nothing to worry.
- Therefore, I continued to wear the watch without any accuracy check or timegrapher measurements.
Data 2019:
- 10 months later, the next measurements showed a significant change.
- As one can see from the figure above, all amplitudes and rates were reduced, timekeeping (accuracy) also became much worse than before, despite full winding of the caliber.
- I decided to give it to Rolex within the 5-year warranty period.
Data 2019/2020
- On return from Rolex, the watch was repaired, without any information what was done.
- This "fix" cured the problem, i.e. the amplitudes and rates jumped up again to expected values, where it remains now since about 15 months.
- As one can see from the graph, amplitudes > 280 degrees are always obtained for positions DU and DD.
- For all other positions (6U, 9U,12U, 3U) amplitudes are between 243 and 260 degrees, after each full watch winding.
- For an early 3235 caliber these are good values for me.
- Data points below 200 degrees were measured only at 46.7 h and 58.7 h after full watch winding, but the accuracy did not drop dramatically as before.
Conclusion
- The good news is, that by end 2019 this 3235 was very well repaired by Rolex.
- Problems did not come back until February 2021.
- The averaged rate slowly increases, it now is about +4 to +5 sec/day, which only is a question of regulation.