My first Rolex service centre experiance

[T5AUS]

I was in Sydney last week working and thought I would take my vinatage 16750 GMT in to the Rolex service centre there for a service since it gains about a couple of minutes a week. I dropped it in on Monday for a quote telling the charming young lass in reception that I only wanted the movement cleaned and regulated and did not want the hands, dial or bezel replacing. I went back on Tuesday to see what they thought and was given a written quote which came to a staggering 1,314.50 Au.!!
They had totally ignored my request about me wanting to keep the original hands, dial and bezel and insisted that if I went ahead with the service it would only be done if the hands and bezel were replaced but I did have the option to keep the original dial although they didn't recommend it, which would save me $341.00 Au. and thus bring the price down to a mere $973.00 for the service. They insisted that the hands had cracked lume and that it could drop out during service, perhaps it could, but I was happy to take that risk. To me the bezel is fine, I can replace that myself when I locate a good original one of the period.
Needless to say, I declined to leave it for a service and was glad to be on my way with my baby back on my wrist.
(but wait, there is more)
The following morning in my hotel I noticed my watch hands were out of sync.!, (see pic) when the hour hand was on the hour, the minute hand was down at the half hour mark, not on the hour, ahhhh, what had happened.
I took it straight back to the service centre to see what they thought might have happened, all very odd. The service guy who actually did the quote said via the receptionist that it was nothing to do with him, all they do when doing a quote is to take the back off just to see the movement. I could not believe it, it was just too much of a coincidence, my watch had been working perfectly up to this point then straight after the quote it's wrong, very strange. I asked to speak with the technician, I needed to hear it from his mouth, and that's exactly what he told me, it could not have happened here.
By this time, we were all getting a bit excited so it was decided to send for the boss!! A nice enough lad, he explained to me exactly as the other guy had, no way it could have happened here, they don't touch the hands when quoting, just take the back off to examine it, you must have bumped it. So that was that, what could I say. He said as a show of good faith he would sort the hands out for me for $50.00 which I agreed to, accepting that I must have bumped it, cant possibly imagine what I did to cause them to jump out of sync. guess it WAS just a coincidence, it certainly left an odd feeling in my gut for my first ever visit to a Rolex service department though. I finally received my watch back the next day, hands all back as they should be and it's still going fine.
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced their GMT hands jumping out of sync, how common a problem is this?

[Nick Stenov]

Very bad service. Like most servicecenters in USA.

First of all it´s amazing that it gained 15 - 17 sec. every day. When was it last serviced ??



The hands might drop out but proberly not. Here in Denmark my AD repair 3 - 6 Rolex that is 40 - 60 years old, and all the orginals parts are keeped. IN USA and perhaps Australia, such an old watch would be refused to get a service.

If your dealer insisted new dial and hands, then I hope you would get to keep the old ones.

Anyway. You have with 99 % guarentied not bumb the watch so the hands were like they were. It´s the dealer who did a poor job. And then he charged you $ 50 for correction.

You have 1 year or at least 6 mounths warenty on your service.

Now watch looks beauteful. Even with new hands. If I were to keep the old dial, I might have had a new dial. However in Denmark these things are never in question. The custemer always gets his way. I have had 5 watches for service all the way from a guy from Hong Kong. 1 Daytona 6263, 2 Tudor Rangers. An Explorer 1016 and an Orangehand 1655 Explorer.

The movement was overhauled and the case polished. That´s it. 1 exception was the Daytona, that turned out to be partly fake, but that is anouhter story.

They others watches my AD took good care of over a 5 - 6 weeks period.

I am sorry to hear have the Rolex dealers don´t want to follow specific wishes.





Regards


Nick

[Lol-x]

I'm sorry to say it, but that Rolex assessment and those conditions are just stupid

Moreover, goodwill $50 just to fix some had alignment, what is that about

Take it to the dude in Pitt Street Sydney, he has all the stuff and will do the service for about $400. He will be very sympathetic to your watch and do exactly what you want.

[StanGMT]

From your pics, your existing dial and hands look ok to me. I'm attaching a pic of my 1675 GMT which was taken in oblique lighting to show up the 'aging' of the hour markers - and you will see that mine is worse than yours. I've always insisted on keeping my original dial and hands and have not suffered as a result (yet!).

As for the sudden misalignment of the hands - it's stretching it a bit to say it's a coincidence - the AD opened the watch up so it's highly likely that it was them that somehow knocked the hour hand.

Stan.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by Nick Stenov

(...)Here in Denmark my AD repair 3 - 6 Rolex that is 40 - 60 years old, and all the orginals parts are keeped.(...)

Regards

Nick

Is Klarlund your AD, Nicholas?

[T5AUS]

This photo shows the hands a bit clearer, as can be seen, the lume looks fine

[sherwin]

that sucks.... my AD in perth will regulate for me FOC even if i didnt buy a watch from them (I did get my watch serviced by him many times tho). he has even given me a free minor service, such as oil, clean up.

maybe RSC melbourne is trying to pull a fast one on you. take your business elsewhere and maybe even write to their HQ in switzerland.

[T5AUS]

It was RSC in Sydney and I am not so sure they were trying to pull a fast one, but their service attitude was certainly bizare.

[T5AUS]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

I'm sorry to say it, but that Rolex assessment and those conditions are just stupid

Moreover, goodwill $50 just to fix some had alignment, what is that about

Take it to the dude in Pitt Street Sydney, he has all the stuff and will do the service for about $400. He will be very sympathetic to your watch and do exactly what you want.

Thanks Steve,
I shall be in Melbourne in August, anyone you recommend there

[bgriz]

Thats bad service.....this place sounds like

[StanGMT]

Originally Posted by T5AUS

This photo shows the hands a bit clearer, as can be seen, the lume looks fine

Hey Phil - your GMT looks magnificent. Those hands and dial have got many years left in them yet. I would recommend that you find a good Rolex -trained and -approved independent watch technician and get him/her to service your watch. I've been using a good local independent for the past twenty years and have had excellent service. Good luck with it!!

Stan.

[T5AUS]

Thanks Stan,
I certainly wont be changing anything on this watch. The problem I have is it's very hard to find a good Rolex trained independent operator in this neck of the woods.

Are there any locals here (Brisbane) who can point me in the right direction?

[rc42]

Sorry to drag this thread up from the depths (actually found it in a Google search) but does anyone know a good Rolex approved watch technician in the Brisbane area?

[T5AUS]

Originally Posted by rc42

Sorry to drag this thread up from the depths (actually found it in a Google search) but does anyone know a good Rolex approved watch technician in the Brisbane area?

Hi and welcome.
There is Brisbane Vintage Watches down in the City, talk to Ron he is a great bloke and they have a comprehensive workshop there and a high standard of workmanship, not sure if they are Rolex approved but I am sure they could do a service no problem.

[rc42]

Thanks, I've had a good long look (drooling slightly) in the window of the BVW shop and also looked through their online selection. It looks like a quality place but their prces are a little high (especially compared to the prices available here).

I'll give them a try when service time comes :)

[OTE200]

I'm in Brisbane, and I just read the last two posts before lunch, so I decided to go for a walk...

I agree that it looks like a quality place. Nice collection of Rolexes too. Some nice vintage Subs.