Bezel Issue with GMT Master (1675)

[BKantor]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and hoping I can find assistance here from those of you who are Rolex experts (versus me who simply just wears one!).

For the last couple of years, the entire bezel assembly has been popping off my watch whenever it lightly catches on something. I am not sure if "Bezel Assembly" is the proper term, but I am referring to the serrated ring with the insert along with the flat "gasket" that sits below it on the watch. At least a dozen times over the two years, this assembly has popped off and I was always lucky enough to find the pieces and pop them back onto the watch . . . until a few months ago! Now the watch is "bezel-less" and looks like the GMT Master Brando wore in Apocalypse Now! While it looked good on him, I don't want my Rolex to be without a bezel!

Last week I was in NYC and made an appointment at the Rolex Service Center (RSC). I was floored when they informed me that I would have to have the watch serviced (for $700) before they would replace the bezel assembly (for an additional $300). No matter that it was serviced just a year ago! What a bunch of nonsense! How they can blackmail a customer into an un-needed and unrelated $700 service that has nothing to do with a bezel is just beyond me. They lost a ton of credibility with me.

My deceased father purchased this watch in 1972 and I have been wearing it since 1991. It has incredible sentimental value and I want to repair it, but there is no way I can stomach $1,000 simply to obtain the bezel. Maybe the next time the watch truly needs a maintenance service, I would be willing to pay the additional cost for the bezel assembly, but I'm not willing to give Rolex a $700 tip just to get the bezel!

I have been looking online for a fix to last me until the time that I need to do a full service again on the watch. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for me. I did find a non-OEM kit online that I was considering, but was also wondering if there is a way to work with the RSC to get them to replace the bezel without doing an unnecessary and expensive service. Has anyone had any luck working with them on these types of issues?

I would love any productive suggestions that any of you might have.

Bruce

PS. Also, I did view a GMT II video on how to replace the Bezel. The video showed a spring attached to the watch casing. I never saw such a spring on my earlier model GMT. Of course, it is ENTIRELY possible that my watch actually did have this spring and the first time the entire assembly popped off, I did not find the spring and erroneously thought I had found all the parts. Does anyone know if my GMT model #1675 had this spring?