Reply With QuoteHave you got a picture of how it looked before they changed the date wheel?
I sent my lovely Rolex 1803 Day Date from 1975 under warranty back to Rolex to have an issue with the date jumping two dates at a time. Happened 3 times in approximately a month.
Hopefully they fixed the issue, but in doing so they replaced the old Date wheel (Original one)with a new black numbers on white background. Which is good because it makes the date easier to see.
But they didn't replace the old Day wheel which is how both looked prior to being sent to Rolex.
Question is:
Does it look ok as it is?
Or should they also have replaced the Day wheel to match?
I spoke with a lovely lady at Rolex, who confirmed that the Date wheel had been changed but not the Day wheel, as it was not required under the warranty.
I explained that imo, it altered the appearance of the watch.
She asked for some photos, which I have sent, to show the watch repairer and see what they think.
ow it clear enough.
Before:
Afterwards
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Last edited by Topcat30093; 25th April 2022 at 17:54. Reason: Updated Title
Have you got a picture of how it looked before they changed the date wheel?
first 2 pics above, the wrist shots.
Originally Posted by FazerBoy
Last edited by ben4watches; 9th April 2022 at 14:20.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
This is exactly why i wont send any original vintage watches back to Rolex for fear they will replace something and devalue the watch. I understand that if you provide written instructions when you send the watch in eg no casework etc, that will protect you but I'm sceptical. Others here will correct me if I'm wrong.
Yours is a fine looking watch btw The change would drive me a bit mad but I'm sure other people could live with it.
Last edited by Scrubnut; 9th April 2022 at 14:24.
I wholeheartedly agree with Chris, however with the OPs watch the date disc had to be replaced to repair the fault, so would appear unavoidable in this case.
A do think that Rolex should have replaced both day & date though so at least they would match.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
First of all what a beautiful watch… I had a similar Tudor date day which I stupidly sold a couple of years ago and regret every day.
I’d agree with the last reply that they should have at least changed both wheels so they matched.
Saying that though, you probably won’t notice it after a while as the watch is so stunning.
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Yes, they should have changed both dials to match. Is it a big difference? Not to my mind, but still rather inconsiderate of Rolex I feel.
If it were mine, I would accept a change over if offered by Rolex, but leave it if they wanted to charge for it, or outright refused to make the change.
It is a beaut.
Main difference looks to be the thickness of the font. But that’s still a gorgeous piece nonetheless
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I'm a fussy bugger but TBH that wouldn't bother me.
I'd rather have the day a bit subdued than it saying FRIDAY.
Cheers,
Neil.
Thank you for all your thoughts.
Certainly having the date more legible is a plus, as I get older.
And I understand what you mean by not having the day look quite so bold.
But does it give the piece an odd appearance?
Would it devalue you the watch as it is?
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I can't see any difference between the before and after and they didn't match before to my eyes. Lovely watch though.
Agree, can't see any difference either.
Edit - Is the second one whiter, the first slightly cream colour?
Last edited by Kingstepper; 9th April 2022 at 16:47.
Was about to say the same…I can’t see any difference!
I am also struggling to see the difference so why lose sleep over it.
I suppose an originality purest would argue - the least new bits the better, so either way you win and lose.
The strap certainly sets it off better than the bracelet.
I would say the white is quite a bit more brighter now on the date wheel.
Too bright for the dial.
Last edited by sprite1275; 9th April 2022 at 18:19.
Probably my poor photo skills.
The last three photos show the new black on white date wheel. And older Day wheel, which looks more golden in colour
Where as the first two photos both the day and date wheel were gold ish in colour
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It’s quite difficult to judge from the photos, but if the background colours of the date wheel and day wheel are now different I wouldn’t be happy with that.
Its sounds like you're not happy with it. Others' opinions are unlikely to change that, even if they're telling you it's ok! If it's not ok to you then have another word with Rolex?
Or if that's unsuccessful, could you find an indie with stock of an old, aged date wheel to fit?
Ah, now I see it. Probably wouldn’t bother me but I’m not a vintage watch person.
I would leave it as is. I can’t see enough of a difference from the pics to make it worth it and I’m always nervous having a watch opened up again in case it comes back with another fault, dust under the glass, something else, etc etc
I'd leave it personally, if it's a watch you're going to keep, just let age take its course, all part of the genuine history of the watch.
Very nice watch too by the way
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Thank you for all your replies and lovely compliments.
It’s good that some of you didn’t even notice the difference. It’s very noticeable when looking at it.
However I do agree with most about it not being an issue.
It certainly makes the date easier to read.
I will wait and see what Rolex say about it.
If they offer to change it then I will have it done. If they don’t then will leave it.
I can’t say that I shall never sell it, based on my track record!!
Should I decide to sell it.
Would it affect both the sale price and make it more difficult to sell?
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Count yourself lucky that Rolex didn't send it back recased with modern bioceramic instead of old fashioned gold
I wouldn't stress about the 'originality' as ultimately parts wear out and it sounds like this was a necessary change to fix the date issue.
However I would stress about the day and date not matching. I'd absolutely push Rolex to change out the day wheel so the watch is consistent.
It would annoy me, but then I am really fussy about these sort of things.
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IMHO I think the champagne background of the Day wheel is now a clear miss-match to the white background of the Date wheel. TBH I am more surprised they did not put a champagne Date wheel in to match the existing Day wheel - which is the opposite of your concern they did not replace both wheels with the more 'generic' white background.
It seems a bit lackadaisical not replacing the day wheel as it's a clear mismatch colourwise and it has to be removed allow access to the date wheel anyway. It's not even like Rolex would have any difficulty sourcing parts for their own watches!
Certainly a lazy option.It seems a bit lackadaisical not replacing the day wheel as it's a clear mismatch colourwise and it has to be removed allow access to the date wheel anyway. It's not even like Rolex would have any difficulty sourcing parts for their own watches!
Though of course they don’t have to do it as it was a warranty repair.
But surely you would think that they are proud of their watches and the small details matter
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I’d go back and see what they say though if you have no luck, no stress, just enjoy what is still an amazing watch!
People complain if they change some thing and they complain if they don’t change something. It is a no win situation:-)
+1 - I really can’t see a diff in the date wheel. Could be the pics and screen? The first two pics (original) look like under artificial light and dim. Can you emulate this with the new?
edit: after looking closer yes the backgrounds are different shades. I would ask R to change the day wheel to match (if I were you)
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 12th April 2022 at 09:18.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
Just taken this one indoors as per Martyn’s suggestion.
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Of all the posts, this seems the one that best reflects my view.
They've left as much as possible of the watch as was, whilst restoring its functionality.
I can see why you might want wheels to be a perfect match, but someone else would complain that both were changed in the same situation...
I don't think many of the big brands really care that much about vintage examples of their watches and just treat them like something to get working and sent back, like a 5 year old watch.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Absolutely stunning watch. Personally, I would simply have to change the Day wheel too.
Rolex service is pretty shambolic, they will only do the bare minimum and charge you through the nose for it.
Yes it would bother me also , I can see the difference but admit to being a little ocd , but suspect Rolex wont do it under warranty so you will have to pay for it , so depends on whether it bothers you that much.
As an aside I have the same watch inherited from my grandad who bought it secondhand in 1981 i think, as a retirement gift to himself
It looks so nice on the brown strap (Mine is on a black leather) it might have to come out of the safe , I've only worn it once since 2001 :(
I must be missing something. Surely the bigger issue is that Rolex did not fit the 'right' part, i.e. a champagne coloured date wheel?
Did Rolex ever match date wheel colours to the dial?
I thought the original Day and Date wheels had just discoloured (in a nice way) over time rather than them being a specific 'Champagne' colour by design.
Hello TopCat,
Having now seen your indoor shot, I have changed my mind. The difference is much more noticeably than in your earlier photos. The day and date should match each other and in turn the dial. That's how they sold the watch and that's what should have happened when they replaced the date wheel at service.
I'd definitely hold out for them to put it right.
Best of luck.
At the end of the day, it is a question as whether it will bother you personally. The fact that you have noticed, taken pictures and made this thread suggests that it might always bother you. I would try and get it changed.
Is it that they are different colours, or just that the day wheel has yellowed with age or not?
If the date wheel will mellow with time I'd leave it be and enjoy the journey.
I'd keep everything original for as long as possible but replace worn parts as and when needed. I think thats the most honest approach when dealing with old mechanical objects.
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Hmmm, really good point, i.e. is it aging on the Day wheel?
+1, my thoughts exactly. Seems crazy not to replace both and keep them matching. At the very least the owner should be consulted!It seems a bit lackadaisical not replacing the day wheel as it's a clear mismatch colourwise and it has to be removed allow access to the date wheel anyway. It's not even like Rolex would have any difficulty sourcing parts for their own watches!
I would definitely want this changing.
Had an email from RSC earlier on Tuesday saying.
"Thank you for sending those images across, which we have passed on to our workshop manager and quality control manager for assessment.
We will come back to you in due course with their feedback"
Will be interesting to see what they say.
If it were mine I’d want the day and date wheels to match in colour and style. Good luck with the reply, I hope they find a resolution that you’re happy with.
I wouldn't be happy with e- mailing, I’d talk to someone!
It’s the best way if resolving these things. Sending the watch out with mismatched day and day- wheels was poor judgement, I would insist on discussing this with whoever made the decision.
I have been speaking with a couple of the staff.
But they needed some photos emailed to them.
Will chase it up next week.
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Well the decision was made for me!
Yesterday, I thought that the date wasn’t looking central in the window.
And today confirmed it, when I looked at the date.
So it’s on the way back to RSC for it to be corrected and to assess my previous concerns
Below are some of the latest photos I sent to Rolex who agreed to look at it.
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Wow that’s pretty significant. Will ye be asking them to change the day wheel while it’s back?
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Probably take another 47 years to for the date to age LOL
They did have Date and Day wheels that matched or were a similar shade of colour to the main dial.
RSC, have confirmed the safe arrival of just the head back with them and I spoke with the lady that I have been dealing with and she (hopefully) understands, that apart from the issue with the date, they are also to assess the overall finish of Day and Date wheels.
Will know more in about 6 weeks!!
It has spent more time at Rolex, than I have had to enjoy wearing it. ;-)
That's awful!
Get the date repaired and then it packs up shortly after?
I'd be pretty angry.
It's a lovely watch and deserves to be working properly and looking right.
Hope it all works out for you.
Cheers,
Neil.
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