Will parts for servicing a vintage Rolex ever become impossible to find?

[whatches]

Morning gents.
A thought that occurred to me, and forgive me as I am not the most informed guy with regards to the engineering inside the movement of a Rolex.

I was just wondering, as I should understand that servicing a vintage watch that for example has not been serviced in 10+ years would need quite a bit of an overhaul.
So I would imagine, new gaskets, some new components, maybe main spring, a new crown if needed, etc.

I wonder if it may become that these parts are not available with watch makers and thus a service cannot be done anymore?

As ridiculous as it may sound, I am just curious if buying a vintage rolex will eventually become a lost cause.

Forgive the new guy venturing this world.
Greatly appreciate the responses, and thank you.

[ref1655]

yours is a legitimate query...replacing the inner workings of the watch along with regular replacement parts like gaskets & acrylic crystals shouldn't pose a problem but certain specialized exterior components (i.e. hands/dial) may not be readily available over time.

[whatches]

Originally Posted by ref1655

yours is a legitimate query...replacing the inner workings of the watch along with regular replacement parts like gaskets & acrylic crystals shouldn't pose a problem but certain specialized exterior components (i.e. hands/dial) may not be readily available over time.

Totally understand and helpful response.
I don't see to why a dial will need to be replaced if it has lived long enough to be in very good condition today say 30/40 years from production? Do enlighten me please however.
Assuming pressure tested, not used for swimming, maintained well without moisture.

Matching hands won't be easy, but I see it is very easy to color match lately.
Just a back up solution this one.

[madmax21]

Personally I think it's a recipe for disaster I wouldn't touch the vintage Rolex and by this I mean pre-70s. You should be fine with anything 80s but eventually you will not be able to get parts. I was at RSC Toronto and a customer walked in with a Quartz watch The watch needed a new roommate but he was out a luck, be careful because you could wind up in a debacle

[Richard Carver]

Well, people service 100 year old timepieces all the time, it can be done just a matter of expense. There are so many Rolex in the wild it will always be profitable for someone to tool up and and make whatever parts become unavailable at least for the 15xx series movement and up. Possibly for the 10xx as well. You sports guys should be happy there are millions of Dates, DJs and OPs to cannibalize. :)

The older movements have already become a bit difficult.

[wildaxlrose]

I'm guessing the same , to source for parts will be very difficult in the future and metal especially in a working mechanism suffers fatigue.


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[Dr.Smellody]

I'm not worried.

[R.W.T.]

Well...impossible...I doubt that. I mean certain parts of certain watches will be hard to find.

Sure...depending on what you are talking about...let's take the 15xx series movement. Pretty much every men's automatic watch Rolex made from 1960 to 1979 had a variant of that movement in it. Some even earlier and some much later.

How many automatic watches in oyster cases did Rolex produce during that time...in full size 34 mm and up? 4 Million Plus....? That's a lot of parts spares that they had to make to keep those watches running....and what about the ones that are parted out every day...there are zillions of spare parts for 15xx movements. You won't LIVE long enough to see those parts completely dry up.

I'd be more worried about 3035 parts.

You know...Rolex are very robust...they go a long time with very little maintenance. Rarely do you really need to replace something...I mean sure there are levels...you could toss every wheel in the thing at each service interval but really unless it has run dry for a long period of time you're not going to have much need to replace things. They will run to spec. Every series movement has its weak points and those parts...sure they might become more difficult, but I'm servicing Rolex from the 1930's. The only parts I've ever had a problem finding...are parts for what is a unique adaptation of another movement to include a chronostop mechanism that it is estimated that 50 existed. Otherwise...I've not found a part that I can't find SOMEWHERE....mostly it depends on how rare and how bad you need it. It might be expensive...but you can find pretty much anything. if it's a common enough part and is necessary enough and difficult enough to come by...someone will repro the part. And let's not get all bothered by that. Very often a good reproduction part for anything be it a watch or a car MAY be better than the original. I have a perfect example. 1030 crown wheels. New in the package these days...275.00 They were always brittle and prone to breakage. I know of a domestically produced reproduction that is still expensive...but certainly less, that was purposely made by a knowledgeable watchmaker, who purposely made them and pulled some of the temper out so that they wouldn't break the teeth under pressure. You can't tell them from the original. Identical. Better.

Let's be practical...live for today. Buy what you like. Enjoy it now. If it breaks someone can fix it. If they can't...you enjoyed it while it worked. If you don't buy one because you are worried that it might become impossible to service...you are sacrificing years of enjoyment.

I can't live like that.

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by whatches

I don't see to why a dial will need to be replaced if it has lived long enough to be in very good condition today say 30/40 years from production? Do enlighten me please however.

it's more of a cosmetic preference/decision. on some of the pre-tritium dials, the radium breakdown can create small hairline cracks on the dial surface.
some say it adds character, others find it distracting. the dial markers can also get a bit crusty/rusty looking over time due to this deterioration.

[droptopman]

Collecting vintage Rolex is not for the faint of heart or the uninformed...

The parts are still out there, they just cost a premium for original parts in good condition. Movement parts seem to be easier to find than original external parts (crowns/tubes, plexi's, hands, inserts). This process will continue. Parts will continue to increase in value, just like the value of vintage watches will increase.

Just a few years ago you could buy a nice fat font insert for a few hundred bucks. Now it is hard to find a decent one for <$1000. I saw a nice NOS MKII the other day for 3K!!! Certain parts are almost impossible to find now at any price. For example an original T-19 Super Dome plexi. It took me several months to find a T-38 plexi for my 1675. Price was crazy for a little piece of acrylic...but I wanted it so paid it

In the end the you have to pay to play

At some point I believe we will see more aftermarket parts enter into the market place. May take years, but at some point there may be a paradigm shift for collectors on their view of using anything aftermarket. The T-19 super dome is a good example of this. I would rather have an aftermarket T-19 super dome from MY than use a Rolex service plexi. I just prefer the profile so much more. The last resto project I did was a 5513 Maxi and I could not source a T-19 SD so I used one of Michael's plexi's.

[themaninblack]

Try finding an original and correct profile Tropic 16. A few float around the internet for about $1000 and I'm not even sure that they are genuine.

[77T]

A few thoughts...
I make a differentiation between a vintage watch and an antique.
Vintage might be a watch where it's hard to find parts; Antique is the label I use when no parts are made anymore.

Vintage is worn and expected to work.
Antique is admired under glass and no longer works.

Vintage could have some aftermarket parts if the originals are no longer made.
Antique should be all original even if that means it'll be non-working.

I've had vintage and never worried - but I'm not ready to spend on antiques yet...

[crowncollection]

Yes it is already the case sometimes. This is why we must support old school watchmakers who can truly build a watch part by part. My father was one he could build a balance a hairspring and other parts not just replace them l. They are a dying breed. RWT ( tommy) a member appears to be able to do this and we should support these true masters.


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[R.W.T.]

You're too kind. No, admittedly sadly not a parts maker.

I kind of started in the middle and am working both ways backward and forward.

It was never my intention to BE a watchmaker....it just sort of happened. :-)

I'm pretty resourceful and I've learned a lot from teachers and through LOTS of experience. I had worked on a lot of my own watches under the supervision of a Master and certified Rolex Watchmaker before I ever responded to a request to work on someone else's watch. He, in his prime, could make a lot of things. Balance wheels and hairsprings...probably not from scratch. I won't say couldn't but probably never did. It isn't practical generally. What I did learn from his was adaptation. If you can find something close...to a part that you can't source...you may be able to modify it to work as the original did or into something identical to the original. Many parts for many watches are also interchangeable. So it may be less time consuming to try and find a part rather than make one.

There are many levels of watchmaking and watch repair.

While most watches basically work the same way...each has its own quirks and unique aspects. I guess I kind of specialize...I know most Rolex pretty well. There are very complex and wonderful watches being made today that I wouldn't have a clue how to repair if something was wrong. Luckily at this point it's not necessary. What I know about Rolex in general combined with my watch repairing skills makes for a pretty good arsenal. I'm always learning. I'm always ready to learn if a good source of information is available. The neat thing about watchmaking is, it's generally not a competition. Most watchmakers know something that someone else doesn't and they do often share that information openly.

[RobK]

I have a 6610 with a 1030 movement, and the pallet fork is bent. The only one i have located thus far was priced reasonably, but rusty. The search continues...

[watchgroupcorp]

If Swiss watch sales keeps moving in a downward trend (down 30% in March year over year), then, in my opinion, Rolex will need to make some policy adjustments regarding parts availability and servicing of vintage Rolex watches in order to encourage consumers to purchase new Rolex watches. And frankly, they need to lobby a lot harder for Law Enforcement regarding trademark infringement which has to hurt sales. If a guy is forced to spend a couple of hundred a month on his credit card to own a Rolex and doesn't have the option of going onto craigslist or canal street or some of these Chinese websites to buy a fake, then that will boost sales and will bode well for those of us who want Rolex to continue to provide service, repair, and parts for vintage models.

[Loevhagen]

For some it's a win-win.

Either your vintage Submariner will keep OK and (probably) do not decrease in value. If it should at some point need a service that can not be done; it will serve it's purpose as a watch sold in bits and pieces to others needing parts.

[watchgroupcorp]

Keep in mind, too, that there are those of us out there who have the skill, equipment, and software to re-make broken parts if they become impossible to source. The pool of machinists and CAD designers out there is only growing stronger every day. The CAD and CAM software continues to get better and better. Pretty much any part can be re-made by somebody with the proper equipment and reverse engineering skills. Of course, then, the watch would no longer be original nor completely authentic if a reverse engineered gear were put onto it. So that should be taken into consideration if the day ever comes in which parts for vintage Rolexes become completely unavailable. And Gibney, Anthony, and Flaherty might have something to talk about with you if you are building replacement parts for 100 year old Submariners (hypothetically 40 or 50 years from now).