1570 movement noises

[MrDoug]

Hey gang.

So here a video of the noise my 1570 movement rotor is making. It is moving somewhat smoothly, but the noise is godawful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p54eEuNTU6w

Now, the watch is 40+ years old, and the dates scratched in the caseback show 1981 as the last time it was serviced. I'm sure that has something to do with it.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

Hey gang.

So here a video of the noise my 1570 movement rotor is making. It is moving somewhat smoothly, but the noise is godawful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p54eEuNTU6w

Now, the watch is 40+ years old, and the dates scratched in the caseback show 1981 as the last time it was serviced. I'm sure that has something to do with it.

Well the Achilles heal in the 15 and 3 series of movements are the rotor shaft,its because Rolex still don't not use ball rotor bearings rotors for most of there watches (now present in the new 4130 Daytona).Instead, there use a plain sleeve bearing,which is very efficient in winding and quiet compared to some movements but still can be heard if you put ear to case, but it still has its weak points, and proper oiling is critical so important to service every 5-7 years. When the lubricant evaporates or migrates, the metal axle experiences wear against the rotor shaft jewel bearing.Replacing the axle if worn will solved the problem,most Rolex watches have rotor axles with different size pivots at the ends. The one nearest the rotor is usually fairly large, but the one nearest the movement is relatively small,IMHO this is a Rolex movements weakest point.Today Rolex lubricates this with special grease,now this grease tends to dry-out especially in warmer climates and when it does, the rotor pivots are left without any lubrication.When the pivots become worn,or from lack of grease the bearing is able to move excessively from the normal plane of motion that makes the very slight rattle noise,and sometimes rubs on the case back.But in general the sleeve type Rolex rotors are quite problem free but yours needs a service as soon as possible otherwise it could be a very expensive fix.

[MrDoug]

Yeah, I'd read that in another post, but was hoping there would be a simple fix that I could do. Like a drop of oil or something.

I'm going to take it to my local dealer here in Cleveland and see if there's anything they can do in-house. I'm hesitant to send it anywhere, as I've heard horror stories recently about people having vintage movements "fixed". This is a relatively high-dollar piece.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by MrDoug

Yeah, I'd read that in another post, but was hoping there would be a simple fix that I could do. Like a drop of oil or something.

I'm going to take it to my local dealer here in Cleveland and see if there's anything they can do in-house. I'm hesitant to send it anywhere, as I've heard horror stories recently about people having vintage movements "fixed". This is a relatively high-dollar piece.

Am I correct in thinking the watch in question is a DJ if so I would not worry you must have it serviced or the shaft will damage the shaft bearings.The rotor is not a huge cost item as these are often changed at normal service time and would doubt if your DJ would be thought of as being collectible watch even if vintage.And a service would not effect its value in any way whatsoever, and there are still plenty of parts available for the 15 series movements.

[greeny]

Just out of curiosity, what cost are we talking about if the shaft bearings are damaged?

[MrDoug]

I called the local dealers today and one of them has a watchmaker on-site with a lot of parts for a 1570. He's going to take a look at it while I'm there tomorrow and let me know.

I'll let you know.

[Donjoh]

A new rotor axle should be included in a service if it needs it, its punched out and the new one riveted in place with a special punch, not a big or expensive job.
The rotor itself would normally only be replaced if the spring is cracked and that can and does happen.
The axle itself rotates on jewelled bushings so they shouldn't wear out.

[pollus23]

It means you have to again repair your watch.

[DateJust74]

Question. My 1601 with a 1575 movement has no weird rotor noise, but if I swing the watch up and down I can feel the rotor go in a non circular motion (up and down) inside the watch. Should I worry?

[estorlie]

Originally Posted by DateJust74

Question. My 1601 with a 1575 movement has no weird rotor noise, but if I swing the watch up and down I can feel the rotor go in a non circular motion (up and down) inside the watch. Should I worry?

If you can feel the rotor moving in any sort of way other than a circular motion, then the rotor axel is worn. If it's not scraping against the automatic bridge, then it isn't at its worst yet but it still needs to be serviced and replaced.