Rolex charges over $500 to be serviced?!

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#31
leonietje said:
I would be very careful polishing it every 6-7 months! A watch should only be polished two to three times in a lifetime. Polishing will take away material from the watch and will alter the shape of the case. The watch will not only look different, but it will decrease in value a lot.

Most watch manufacturers say a watch should have service every 4-5 years (except for Omega, the new co-axial calibre has a service interval of 9-10 years!). Personally, I would only take a watch to service if it is running slow or over 10 seconds to fast every 24 hours. It is more likely the watch will not perform as good as before if you take it in when nothing was wrong.

Also, it is better to frequently wear your watches or at least have them running. Mechanical watches that don't run often are more likely to gain or lose time.
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+ 1

Was told exactly the same thing by SA & a friend who collects watches. Only bring in for servicing when the watch is not running well. That's why I don't mind the high servicing cost cos it rarely happens!
 
#32
I had mine serviced 2 years ago shortly after my mom had hers done and she warned me they would 'suggest' other repairs that aren't necessary. Just as an fyi, you can decline the extras- I did and when I got mine back it looked brand new. Definitely worth the cost.

For those of you who polish yours- do you do this yourself or have someone do it? I recently scuffed the clasp and it's driving me nuts.
 
#34
Rolex will only sell parts to jewelers who have gone to their school in Pennsylvania and it is expensive to go! You don't need to take your watch to Rolex as long as it has been serviced by an authorized jeweler. This is how they make sure that not just any watch repair can service it. Rolex requires that they replace the little winder thingy and it has to be submerged in water for 24 hours. My brother in law went to the school a couple of years ago and it cost about 90,000 although he had no prior experience so maybe they have different levels of training based on your experience. I know a watch maker that has been repairing watches for 60 years and he used to service Rolex watches but can't now.
 
#35
jmcadon said:
Rolex will only sell parts to jewelers who have gone to their school in Pennsylvania and it is expensive to go! You don't need to take your watch to Rolex as long as it has been serviced by an authorized jeweler. This is how they make sure that not just any watch repair can service it. Rolex requires that they replace the little winder thingy and it has to be submerged in water for 24 hours. My brother in law went to the school a couple of years ago and it cost about 90,000 although he had no prior experience so maybe they have different levels of training based on your experience. I know a watch maker that has been repairing watches for 60 years and he used to service Rolex watches but can't now.
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Good to know.
 
#36
Valentinegirl said:
As with all high end watches, it's never recommended to bring them to service centers, other than their own brand. Even Tourneau has screwed up watches and several brands have stated they cannot service their watches and to return them to the company. You are taking a big chance on bringing it elsewhere than Rolex. A Rolex should be serviced by Rolex or you can ruin your watch. If it's a gold watch, you can get professional polish, such as red rouge for Yellow Gold and ggeet a jeweler's polish cloth. Just polish it yourself gently and that will remove tarnish and make it sparkle. No watch should be professionally polished every 6 months. Gold is removed each time and the watch can be ruined after several years. Rolex should tell you that.
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+1 With all high end watches, there's going to be a substantial fee to have it serviced & it's best to take it only to dealers authorized to service them. My husband's Breitling has been serviced once in the 10 yrs he's had it & I only take it to an authorized Breitling jeweler. I don't remember exactly how much the fee was but I think it was around $3-400. He's had his Rolex for about 5 yrs & we haven't had it serviced yet. I do take it in to have it checked in case it does & to have the band cleaned. The same jeweler is authorized for both brands & they will clean & wipe down the bands for free.
 
#37
I had my rolex serviced after about six years. I went to a highly recommended local guy (from Rolex forum). He warranties his work for two years. Now a few months after having it serviced I have to take it back. It's basically almost stopped. I'm kinda having second thoughts about whether I need a high end automatic watch or would I be just as well off with a mid-range quartz watch like my old Movado.
Of course, even though retail prices are going up you don't get retail when you sell as an individual.:sad:
 
#38
This is a very old thread.

About six months ago I took in my gold Rolex for cleaning and maintenance at a certified Rolex dealer. Why anyone would take one to a non-certified dealer is beyond me. It was working fine, but I just wanted it done. Service was $1,200. That's like 8 visits to my hair salon, and I was OK with it.
 
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