Red Sub - Bob Ridley & Watchmakers International

[C101]

Hello All,

In mid-2012 my Father passed away, leaving me the watch he had worn for the past 40 odd years.

Purchasing the watch in the early 70’s as a diving watch, it never left Dad’s wrist - whether that be renovating the house (adding new rooms; concreting the driveway; replacing the roof and the like); doing a little light gardening (removing down 80ft trees; levelling the backyard by good old pick and shovel due to limited site access; planting the odd vegetable patch; mowing the lawn); or anything else that would have him outdoors at 6:00am on the weekend. Hence, it might come as no surprise that when I inherited his watch it was looking a little worse for wear missing its bezel; having the case extremely scratched; and sporting a non-genuine bracelet.

At the time in Sydney there was no Rolex Service Centre so whilst on a trip to New York in August 2013 I visited the RSC in Manhattan. Upon showing the watch to the staff I was taken back when they asked “Do you know what this is?” to which I replied “Ah, yes, it’s my Dad’s watch” only to learn that it was a “Red Sub”. Still that didn’t mean much to me at the time as all I was keen on doing was getting my Dad’s watch properly serviced and back in working order. After carefully inspecting the piece, RSC advised that they could fully get the watch into perfect working order but would be unlikely to save the hands and that new hands would not match the patina of the old dial. I found this rather disappointing but with no option to ‘properly’ repair the watch in Sydney I decided to leave it at the RSC with instructions to keep the work on hold until I did a little more research on ‘servicing’ watches.

Digging around online I soon discovered that what I was looking for was to have the watch properly restored to vintage specifications. I then set about having detailed conversations with several watch makers recommended on this site about how the restoration process would proceed. Eventually I decided to that Bob Ridley at Watchmakers International in Texas would be the right man for the job. Bob assured me that he would have the piece properly restored to vintage specifications.

Advising RSC of my decision not to proceed with their service I asked them to send it to Bob, however, their policy would be to insure it for only the cost of a replacement piece. Being a little paranoid that I would lose the last physical reminder of my Dad if it went “missing” in the post, I left it at the RSC for a few months whilst I waited for colleague to collect and then Fed Ex it (insured for its full value) to Bob’s workshop. Sounded simple at the time. Day 1, Fed Ex comes a day early. Day 2, Fed Ex comes 6 hours early, watch still hasn’t been collected from the RSC. Day 3, colleague goes to RSC just after midday. RSC shut early due to Christmas holidays and wouldn’t re-open till after my colleague had well and truly left NY. Despite the hassle, I wasn’t giving up on getting this watch properly restored. Another 4 months pass and then another colleague’s sister agreed to sort out shipment of the watch whilst she was in NY and so finally, after 10 months it arrived in Bob’s workshop.

Upon receipt, Bob called me to itemise each of the repairs he planned to carry out to maintain the watch’s value (both actual and sentimental) and approximate prices for each. He also stated upfront that it may take a little longer than planned (ie. 3 months) due to the difficulty in sourcing the correct vintage parts. Four months and numerous email exchanges later the restoration was complete (see before and after photos attached). Great, except it was only 14,000km from home. So once again, paranoid it would get lost in the mail I decided to wait until there was someone who could actually collect it in person.

Luckily for me, two weeks ago my employer required someone to visit Dallas on short notice and I jumped at the chance to finally collect the watch. After a short 16hr flight and 45 minute drive (with only a limited time on the wrong side of the street - first time left hand drive…) I arrived to find both Bob and his workshop exactly as I had imagined. Bob, a polite, articulate man who takes great pride in his business, and his workshop meticulously organised with a well-worn workbench at its centre

Following a detailed discussion on the how the restoration process proceeded, finally, after almost 18 months, Dad’s watch was on my arm. It was flawless. Bob’s extreme attention to detail was clearly evident and I was very thankful I had made the right choice in Bob completing the work. I can see the smile on Dad’s face now.

I know a few of you will point this next matter out, so I’ll say it upfront, yes, in the past Bob has been a little slow replying to emails but he does reply. So my suggestion would be to leave a voice message if you are looking for a super urgent reply.

Forum recommendations are invaluable, however, having met Bob in person and experienced firsthand the passion and dedication with which he restores vintage pieces, I would without hesitation recommend Watchmakers International to anyone wishing to receive the best the industry has to offer.

Craig