How Can Rolex Stop Servicing Certain Watches????

[cmr]

cost prohibitive? you mean it lowers the quarterly report......


high end companies that sell high end products that are expected to last many years have a responsibility to provide parts for service or allow other companies to provide them, rolex does neither. laws were enacted for automobile companies to have parts availability for 10 years because they wouldn't do it on their own. they just want us to throw away the car and buy a new one.

that is a crap excuse. i work for boeing and i can assure you if we don't have the parts for your aircraft we will make them from scratch. it's cost prohibitive doesn't cut it with me or in my industry. that's no more than an excuse.

[cody p]

for some reason i have it in my head that rolex keeps parts for 30 years.

[frank gama]

Originally Posted by mike

It's always struck me as more than ironic that Rolex turns their back on many of the very references upon which their heritage was built.

In many ways it has fallen to the collector to become the caretaker of a rich and wonderful history.

youve summed it up brilliantly.

[DadsWatch72]

I have a Double Red on my hands that needs a bezel. I am right there with all of you. I should buy another Rolex just like the one I have now so I will always be able to part it out if need be. Buy everything in 2's I guess.

[Andad]

To blame Rolex for their inability to service watches they made 30 or 40 is, IMO, not fair. Companies grow and change over the years as does management. I don't think that when HW's Company was making a DJ in 1965 he imagined his Company growing to the size that it has.
I don't think the more recent Rolex watches, say from the 90's, will have the same problem with parts and maintenance as Rolex moves into the 21st Century.
As we all know it's easy to be smart with 20:20 hindsight.

[MrCowboy99]

Originally Posted by Z-Sub

I wouldn't let this discourage buying a Rolex watch that you like. Like vintage car collector, one wouldn't expect to get parts from the manufacturer and many independent watchmakers either have the parts or they can source them. this would not be a real issue for most people who buy current modern Rolexes.

Can you imagine taking a Model A to a current Ford dealer and getting it repaired?

[cmr]

Originally Posted by MrCowboy99

Can you imagine taking a Model A to a current Ford dealer and getting it repaired?

can you imagine ford not letting other manufactures make parts for it? that's the problem, rolex don't want to mess with it and won't allow anybody else to do it.

they have taken companies to court and won for doing it. calling it altering from original, the whole auto parts aftermarket thing was presented in court and rolex still won.

[allanofcalifornia]

So, does Rolex have a policy of not servicing a watch after so many years (i.e. 30 years) or is it just when they run out of the parts?


Allan

[Wildwing]

I thought it was strange that Rolex would not service an old watch, until I took (at the time) a 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue to a Chrysler dealer in 1998 to work on the carberator. Fact is, they didn't work on carberators then, even on their own cars. Only ten years later!

I wouldn't be so surprised that Rolex doesn't service the vintage watches. Rolex production and service is, after all, although high quality, somewhat mass production. You want that vintage piece restored? The woods are full of craftsmen for this task. Just search the board. That's their niche. It's not Rolex's niche.

[Widows Son]

Originally Posted by boa2

Many companies in a variety of industries have a cut-off point. Take your shovelhead Harley to a dealer and see if they'll service it. They won't...and with good reason. It's too expensive for the company.

With Rolex, a good percentage of that service time would be spent telling a customer that their watch doesn't have original parts. Or explaining why it only costs $450 to service their 1998 Submariner, but servicing the piece from 1968 is going to cost $3500.

I don't know why we whine about this so much, when quality service for a vintage piece is a mere phone call away.

The HD dealerships are looking at Evos the same way. I guess the yuppies are all buying up the new blockheads.

[Z-Sub]

Originally Posted by MrCowboy99

Can you imagine taking a Model A to a current Ford dealer and getting it repaired?

I'm sure the dealer would praise the car but decline to even touch it

[DanP]

This is a great thread guys n gal's. I wonder if now in current times if Rolex will keep the parts for current timepeices on hand like patek VC e.g?

They sure as hell better or it's off to Omega I go

[boa2]

Maybe we need a letter campaign...

"Dear Rolex,

Can't you be more like Patek or Vacheron?"

[mborkow]

I was waiting at the RSC in SF behind a man who had owned his watch for 30+ years and never had it serviced! He was only there that day because his clasp would no longer remain closed. The manager/owner advised that he be allowed to service the movement as well (though he promised to call before doing any repairs he found required). So, at least in SF they do seem to be willing to work on older watches.

[chicagowatchman]

I think that current Rolex owners from the 90s on wont have to worry as much since the number of watches produced far exceed the watches sold in the 60s and before....and if you look at say the DD the movement, dials and hands have had very minor changes since the late 80s....my guess is that if you have a popular Rolex such as the DJ or DD you will hve parts available for many years into the future.