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Retired LTC USAR

Retired LTC USAR

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In November of 2011 I posted that my Rolex was running fast. Fast enough that I couldn't wear it.

Fast forward to last weekend. Got it out of the safe to see what the model was. Wound it up and it took off like it was brand new. First I set it to the time on my computer and the next day it was spot on.

I then set it to the time on my phone and for the past two days it has been spot on.

Somehow, after sitting in my safe for 8 1/2 years, my watch runs like it did when it was new.

Still trying to decide if I want to send it off and have it cleaned or should I just wait till something else happens? It has been at least 15 years since I have had it serviced.

Feels nice to have it back on my wrist again.
 
I had a 1980's Presidential Oyster day/date with Jubilee band. I took it to a small jeweler to have it cleaned (His wonderful little old watch guy died) and they said they sent it out to be cleaned. Turns out when the son inherited the jewelry shop, he ended up snorting the inventory and high value repair items, up his nose!

I filed charges, he is doing time, but I'll never get my watch or the value back. I feel bad about my watch, but a woman was having a broach made with real family jewels (7 karat Ruby, 15 karat Emerald, and several good sized diamonds!) They are all gone now! I hate what drugs and addictions have done to our country!

As to your watch, aside from mine there are several in the family. Mom had two; a ladies 2 tone with diamonds and a 3/4 presidential oyster all stainless. Her problem on the ladies was the spring does not hold a lot of energy, and as she grew inactive during the day/evening it wouldn't have enough energy to run all night. Had it checked at a dealer, nothing wrong. Just wined up before bedtime. The 3/4, was big enough that an active morning, would self wined enough for about 30 hours. My full size would last a whole weekend and still be running come Monday. (same with all of my brother's, but his wife's Rolex [a ladies] had the same issues as mom's!)

Dad didn't like Rolex watches, he said they were too gaudy! He had Padik Philipee. (I know he wasn't buried in his good watches, but my brother & I won't ever see them, or the guns either! Second wife is such a pain!)

Ivan
 
Retired LTC said:
In November of 2011 I posted that my Rolex was running fast. Fast enough that I couldn't wear it.

Fast forward to last weekend. Got it out of the safe to see what the model was. Wound it up and it took off like it was brand new. First I set it to the time on my computer and the next day it was spot on.

I then set it to the time on my phone and for the past two days it has been spot on.

Somehow, after sitting in my safe for 8 1/2 years, my watch runs like it did when it was new.

Still trying to decide if I want to send it off and have it cleaned or should I just wait till something else happens? It has been at least 15 years since I have had it serviced.

Feels nice to have it back on my wrist again.
Click to expand...

Extreme temperatures may affect a mechanical watch precision.
 
Retired LTC,

The watch will run perfectly until the
day you absolutely must be on time
for a wedding, meeting your wife,
getting to court on a legal matter,
keeping a promise to a child or
whatever in your personal life.

And then it will run late and so will
you! (Keep a Timex as a backup.
You've got two wrists.)
 
One of the best Rolex repair guys and a good friend of my wife lives in my home town and been on the cover of watch magazines. His initials are C.M.
 
I picked up and unused Pulsar watch ca 1980's and was told it didn't run.

I put a new battery in and nothing, but after leaving it in the sun all day on my kitchen windowsill the watch started running and has been doing so ever since.

Good to hear about yours,

Kobsw
 
Wear it until something major happens or the time is just wildly off. Careful on sending it off. Understand who is doing the work and where. Be sure to explicitly define what you want done. Request any replaced parts be returned. Many a valuable Rolex has been devalued due to replaced parts. Worn a Submariner for 30 years, tick tick. Great watch
 
Only an authorized Rolex Service Center can get replacement parts, so beware.

I had two (mine and wife's) serviced last year. Yeah, it cost a lot, but well worth it.

I use the San Francisco Rolex service center at 210 Post St.
 
Those "high-end" watches need to be cleaned and serviced once in a while by Company authorized professionals.. I had my 30 year old Omega Sea Master serviced last year. $$$$$, but worth it.:eek::D
 
I bought my Bulova Cleveland Indians watch back in 1994. It is on my wrist at this moment. I've probably put a boatload of batteries in it because I've worn it constantly since I bought it. Now I wish I had bought another at the same time. It has Chief Wahoo on the face, which should made it a collector's item today. I'm not letting go of it until they take it off my cold, dead arm.
 
I wore a Rolex Submariner daily from 1982 until 2003. Good watch, but required resetting the time every week, typically off by 2 or 3 minutes per week. Purchased it new, really good deal at the time, about $1100.

After 21 years it needed a new crystal, the band was very worn and needed replacement, and it was certainly due for cleaning and servicing. Rolex service center wanted ~$600 and quoted 8 to 12 weeks.

Sold the Rolex to a dealer for $1800 and purchased a new Seiko for about $200. The Seiko required resetting the time twice per year, when changing to or from Daylight Savings Time. Extremely accurate and trouble free. Wore it until my final retirement in 2015, took it off and put it back in its original box. Now I just don't worry about the time so much.
 
I could afford a Rolex (at least a lower end one) but I would feel very strange wearing one, and in fact I am a bit suspicious of those who do. I am still wearing the same Swiss Army watch (Victorinox with a Ronda 515 movement) I bought NIB at a garage sale sometime in the mid-1990s for $10. Never had to do anything to keep it running for the last 25 years except doing a battery change when needed, and I think it is on its fourth expansion band (Timex makes very good expansion bands). I doubt that could be said of many Rolexes.
 
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I like mechanical watches. I know they are not as accurate as your phone or a quartz watch, but then again, I am not doing noon sun shots with my sextant much anymore. I've got a 25 year old sea dweller that keeps as good a time as one can expect from a mechanical watch (about two minutes per month) and at this state of my life "pert'near time"is good enough for me. My Rolex looks like a 25 year old Rolex. The watch guy calls it scratches but I call it patina. I had it serviced last year for the first time in about 15 years(because it just flat assed stopped) and my explicit instructions to him were to do NOTHING regarding any outside cosmetics. When asked why,I told him,I've been wearing this watch for 25 years and it ought to look like it has been worn for 25 years. That's what they were made for,not sitting on a winder in a display case. But I do not miss the sextant-loves me some GPS :D
 
Oil thickens as it ages - thicker oil creates more resistance and has probably caused it to slow down slightly. Leave it alone if it is working properly.

I purchased mine (18K yellow gold President) back in the mid 90's and never had any issues with it. About 10 years ago (first service in 17 years) I sent it in not because I had problems - but I could no longer read the champaign colored dial and same color hands! I had the dial changed to black, had a new sapphire crystal installed, had a couple of links repaired and had a full service performed. Got it back and it's been fine, I DID send it to Rolex (NYC) Rolex Factory Service Center and they did a great job and the watch came back looking new again. I'd never bring it into a local dealer who is just a generic watch repairman as Rolex does not sell their parts. Since I wear it every day, it does tend to get a bit scratched and nicked up. The Factory charged me $1,700.00 at the time, but since it had never been serviced in the prior 17 years I divided the cost by the years I had owned it at the time - $100 per year! :D Not too bad for a watch that has always been reliable and water proof! BTW I have even been Scuba Diving, water skiing, swimming, and shower every day with it - never failed me. I also shoot with it on. :)
 
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Rolex does have certain watch repairers that they certify to work on Rolexes and order parts. My guy gets the parts from the Rolex repair facility in Dallas.He doesn't advertise-it is all word of mouth but he is as busy as he wants to be. He takes care of my sea dweller and my wife's watch.
Helful hint. Do NOT buy the wife a ladies model unless she is really tiny. Get the mid sized model-they keep much better time.
 
I have had 2 submariners. Sold both of them. Other than bragging rights I’ve found much more practical and accurate options for telling time.
 
I've had 5 Rolex Subs now. One I bought new from a well-known jewelry store and the darned thing started, stopped and generally didn't work. I took it back and the sales lady said it tool a couple of weeks for the mechanism to become adjusted to my pulse.

I got my money back and got my rear end out of that place.

Three of the other four were typical Rolex Subs, worked okay, needed to be reset for time about every two weeks.

The fifth one, and the last one I had, was perfect in every way. It kept about as close to perfect time as any automatic watch will, and I loved it.

Then, in 2015 I got that throat cancer and was concerned I was about to personally see what Heaven looked like so, not wanting to burden my wife with this and other "stuff," I sold it.

And then, much to my chagrin, I didn't die!

So I ain't got no Rolex no more.

Bob
 
When I was an investment banker living and working in NYC, my wife bought me a Rolex self winder so I'd fit in. I wouldn't wear it on weekends when I was doing various chores. Every Monday morning it had run down and had to be restarted....I hated it! I bought a Seiko look-alike and wore it for years. I used cheap Timexs for rough use.

I now never wear a watch since my phone takes care of every calendar or time need. The Rolex and Seiko are put away somewhere.
 
I will say this.......

I have had at least a dozen "Divers Watches" over the last 50 years and by diving watches I mean they were actually designed for use up to 300 feet or more. Other than my 27 year old Rolex, there isn't one of them that didn't leak. Once you get salt water inside they are toast! The Rolex I have hasn;t been babied in the least and has never leaked, failed or stopped.
 
We ave had both our Rolexs sent back to Dallas Tx for cleaning and repair, mine cost close to what I paid new for it hers was just cleaning and was not nearly as bad as mine was, I wear it about one day a year. Jeff
 
Bought a 16800 Sub Date in 82, wore it every day through thick and thin, good times and bad, extreme sports and extreme sports biffs.

Bought a Yacht-Master in 03, had the Sub serviced at RSC. Looks and operates as new.

Wore the Yacht-Master the same way I did the Sub, beat it like a rented mule, Serviced last year, looks and operates like new.

Rolex is more like the Lexus of watches, no where near the best, but decidedly high quality AND made to take a beating and looking good doing it.

They can be regulated, mine were always +1 min/month after regulation.

I plan on giving the Sub to my daughter's fiancee after they marry.

My daughter will eventually get the YM, after all, she picked it out for me. :)
 
Before my Swiss Army, I had a Seiko 5 (mechanical self-wind, I think 21 jewels) I bought cheap when I was working in Colombia in the early 1970s. A great watch, but it quit running sometime in the mid-90s. I didn't think it was worth the expense to have it repaired, which was much more than what I had originally paid for it. If I wanted a mechanical watch today, that is definitely what I would buy, assuming that Seiko makes something similar today. I have an inherited mechanical self-wind Invicta. OK, but too large and heavy for me to want to wear it. To me, smaller and lighter is better.
 
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