Tudor Repairer suggestions, UK.

[Percival007]

Hello all,

I'm new here so hello to everyone.

I have purchased a Tudor Prince Oysterdate from ebay recently. I believe it is from the early nineties. I have allways aspired to owning an example of this type of watch ever since drooling over them whilst on lunch-break from college, wandering the shops in my local town centre! So now, years later and having saved up i bit the bullet, so to speak!

It has not got the original papers with it and has not got the original strap. The hands and the minute markers no longer illuminate in the dark. Other than that the watch is beautifull and keeps time perfectly.

Because of the little niggles listed above and i thought a service would not go amiss i took it to my local Jewellers (a Rolex agent). I was told that because it did not have the papers they were unable to ascertain whether the watch was genuine or not and if sent to the Rolex service centre it may be returned to me "smashed" if discovered to be a fake watch. I was reasonably sure that the watch was a genuine Tudor so asked if they would send the watch off.

I was telephoned by the Jewellers on Friday (29th Feb), 6 weeks after Rolex had sent notification of receipt of the watch and was told that Rolex had returned the watch unrepaired. There was a covering letter.

I won't quote the whole letter, but basically i am informed that the watch was "manufactured many years ago" and if opened and they were "...to find worn or broken..." parts, a repair to a satisfactory standard would be impossible, so nothing would be done. The watch was not smashed though, so i assume the watch to be genuine, at least some good news!

This i find a little surprising on a watch that i presume would have cost perhaps £500? when new.

Would any of you care to comment on my experience and perhaps offer any suggestions. Perhaps you could offer suggestions on an independant watch repairer with Tudor experience in the U.K. where i can get the watch serviced and perhaps the faults sorted.

Sorry to "go a bit" on my first post.

All the best, James.