Reply With QuoteBe interesting to see what responses you get to this, firstly is it possible and if so wouldn't every dodgy dealer up and down the land send their dogs in to be restored to an appearance that resembles unpolished.
Does anyone know of anywhere that does case rework as well as, or even better than Rolex themselves?
I’m looking for an independent that can reinstate the correct surface finishes, apply the chamfer and maybe even replace lost material where lugs have been overpolished during the years.
Does such a place exist?
Many thanks in advance.
Be interesting to see what responses you get to this, firstly is it possible and if so wouldn't every dodgy dealer up and down the land send their dogs in to be restored to an appearance that resembles unpolished.
I believe Rocco at WatchWorks does this.
+1 after much research I've seen Rocco mentioned multiple times on at least two different watch forums. That is where I'd go, just can't believe there isn't someone of this skill closer to London.Originally Posted by Dave O'Sullivan
A few years ago I was reading a very worried thread on another forum about a company, I think it was in Italy, that was doing incredible cosmetic work exactly like that, adding steel not just to fill in, but to build up, something that official service centres would never do. I've never seen a reference to them since, but I've seen thousands of ultra sharp unpolished vintage Rolexes on Instagram....
You are looking for someone with a lapping machine and access to a laser welder.
Rocco definitely ticks the bill and his work is great - but he does have a long wait list normally.
I think STS have the ability to do this too.
Rolex have and use the lapping machines, but don't normally do laser welding as a replacement mud case is easier and cheaper for them.
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Rocco.
"A man of little significance"
Rocco can certainly laser weld but not sure he would go all the way of adding metal to get lugs etc to original dimensions.
LAWW in the US do the full refurb to pretty much original dimensions though I seem to remember them saying they couldn't fully restore thinned down lugs.
Also Rocco would want the watch serviced at the same time as you put it in for a refurb.
You need someone who can do laser welding and has a lapping machine. Rocco is probably your best bet.
Unfortunately this type of equipment is expensive, and there’s still a high degree if skill required to get good results, that’s why very few people offer this service and the ines who do aren’t cheap.
Considering the current misguided obsession with original unpolished cases it’s little wonder that people are faking them. Get an old case, add some metal, refinish it like new then add some patina...........simple!
What’s the point in busting a gut to produce high quality refinishing when folks prefer scruffy crap, may as well give ‘em what they want.
Do you tell everyone you know over the age of 40 to have facelifts or is it just watches? Or is it just a general fear of the natural ageing process?
"A man of little significance"
A new GMT case from Rolex is £2,200 so maybe some see it as worth the effort.
I am not surprised, having seen the equipment he uses.
It presents the case to the finishing discs at incredibly precise (settable) angles, to create the right shape and grain. However, there is no ability to remove a certain amount of material, no scale on the movement towards the discs, that movement is under the hand-eye control and skill of the operator. As such it would be impossible to restore lug widths using this kit.
When you appreciate that the start process for repairs is filling using laser welding and suitable wire (Rocco buys 904L wire for his welder to use), laying a whole surface over lugs using this process would be very onerous, and likely to need returns once the lug had a first pass at polishing back. If you hadd to do this several times, and you were still likely to get 4 lugs of 4 different widths, I can understand Rocco would pass.
I see that with the value of vintage Rolex being what it is, there is significant scope for such processes to be viable, and in demand. But it is my belief that it would require proper chuck-mounted machining processes to "re-establish" over-polished lugs, rather than just lapping, which is hand presentation of the case to machining surfaces. Gap in the market??????
Dave
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