Was handing my 14060M (Submariner) into the Rolex AD yesterday.
The assistant asked the age of the watch and I said I think it was a 2010 model.
She then informed me that as it was over 10 yrs old that it would maybe be liable to the higher service charge of £930 as opposed to £630.
As I've had a couple of other older 5 digit models serviced in the last year(at a different AD) at £600 it seemed a bit odd.
She said they require preauthorisation of the amount of money needed to cover the service. I said I would be happy to authorise the lesser amount but that I was not going to authorise the higher price .
Not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Will await the estimate with interest.
I put a 14060 in for service earlier this year and because of the age it’s in the so called ‘classic’ price banding which added a few hundred.Originally Posted by Hood
In my case they said it needed new hands and Crystal. I didn’t have any choice about the work so had to authorise. I don’t know if not having a choice on hands replacement is a feature of the classic pricing as I’ve previously had the option on additional works.
This was the email I received from. Rolex in response to my quote earlier this year.
“We kindly advise that our service prices are dictated by the calibre inside of the timepiece. Your Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer 14270 has a movement calibre 3000 which falls into our Classic category and the cost of service is £900.00 including VAT. Due to the age of the calibre, the services require more specialist technicians and servicing does typically take longer than it would for a Modern category service.
Your Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explore II 16570 has a modern movement calibre and the price of service for this model is £600.00 including VAT.
Typically a plexiglass model would fall into the Classic category, however there are some sapphire crystal models which do fall into the same category due to the age of the calibre.”
Dave
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I understood it was dependant on the movement number.
A 14060M has the 3130 which were used in various models up until recently so would be surprised it falls into the classic movement cost.
Last one I had serviced (14060M - 2010 model) came back from Rolex 27/06/2022 and was based on £630 service cost.
So - 12yrs old when serviced (via LAINGS in Edinburgh).
That's pretty annoying. Who are the best Rolex specialists for servicing these days? I want a good service but don't want parts replaced.
Rolex is good for convenience and I think they provided an extended warranty. Anything other reasons to give it to them?
Why is it annoying. You are no doubt happy that your Rolex is appreciating in value, so why do you begrudge a service that once amortised over the service period is relative peanuts. Allowing non franchised repairers to service a watch means that you could end up with non original parts being fitted and it is unlikely that some parts will not be replaced.
Annoying as I had a couple of watches serviced by them earlier this year at the lower rate without question or insistence that the hands and glass be replaced. If they are now insisting that parts be replaced (when you don’t want them to be), that is annoying.
This has nothing to do with whether the watch is appreciating or not, it’s about getting the service you want if you are paying. There are plenty of good specialists who do a great job and use genuine parts where needed.
From having two serviced earlier this year, the extras were a crown on the 16570 and glass and oscillating weight on the 14270. I suspect it was the Explorers first proper service in a very long time, so I don’t begrudge it.
For a relatively modern watch, and I would include late 90s as modern, I would always use RSC. Their service is first class.
If I had something vintage like a matte maxi dial 5513 or a 1016, then preservation of dial and hands matters, and I would use an independent.
Dave
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^ He just regurgitates the same old.
I'd be interested in how much longer the older movements take to service (i.e. how close to 50% longer).
Simple fact of life is that if you want your Rolex serviced you have 3 options. Take or send it to RSC, take it to an accredited repairer or take it to someone else.
Only RSC or an accredited agent has genuine parts available. More importantly, they both charge the same price so there is no price advantage in using one over the other.
The "someone else's" may have the ability to repair a Rolex but they cannot get genuine Rolex parts so you could end up with non genuine parts.
So do you want your watch to be a frankenwatch?
OP, my 2006 YM 16622 (3135 mvt) was approx £750 including mandatory glass and crown change via Laings in Glasgow last month
A
I don’t really understand why a watch with a movement that’s been around for 30 odd years can be subject to a 50% increase in service costs when it’s only 12-15 years old as it’s now considered a classic. Especially if it has been serviced previously.
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The premium is for older movements. The 14060M doesn’t have a classic movement, so there is no premium. The 14060 does, it’s the same movement as my 14270. The youngest 14060 is 1999, so that’s not far off a quarter century.
D
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When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
They don't take any longer or require more specialist skills or tooling, if anything it's the opposite.
It all looks like a blatant cash grab to me.
Total bullshit from someone who has zero technical or practical knowledge of watch servicing.
Yes, fake/aftermarket movement parts are available, but why bother when new genuine movement parts are available from Ebay and other sources? You can build a 100% genuine 3135 movement from the parts available out there if you know where to look, but hey, keep beating that drum...
So you believe that items listed on eBay as genuine Rolex parts are really genuine or not knackered.
You are very trusting.
Rolex have been restricting parts for at least two years, so the real genuine parts must be like rocking horse poo.
Yes, when the parts are sold in the correct blister packs and you know what you're looking at then it's not hard to separate the fake from genuine. Knowing who the seller is also helps in this regard.
And Rolex have been restricting parts since long before I became a member on here, but the watches are so common that it's been impossible for them to prevent spares from filtering down to Ebay and the like.
There is a thriving industry faking blister packs and by doing so the selling price of the packed item goes up through the roof. Blister packing means nothing in anti counterfeiting circles.
Also if you had a load of Rolex spares, you would be safer selling to independents who badly need them.
Basically, Rolex have you over a barrel and can charge what they like because they’re increasing in value so you should be grateful. Is that my understanding? - if you are only interested in watches as a commodity I guess it’s fine. In the world of common sense it is absolutely ludicrous. They made millions of watches with millions of movements, it can’t be that hard to keep manufacturing spares and servicing the watches they’ve produced. These are cogs and wheels. The fairy dust nonsense around this brand is hilarious.
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Isn't this just an extension of your 'fake box and papers' wailing?
It's not impossible that someone would take a batch of fake 313x escape wheels or whatever and think they could add 3x to the price if they were supplied in fake blister packs, but is the market really there? I've yet to see it but I'm happy to be proved otherwise if you have the evidence.
Erm, that's exactly what's happening via Ebay and various parts houses with their own websites.
The problem with answering your questions is that I will get accused of repetition so I am pulling out of this.
If you really want to know more detail, you can pm me your number and I will answer any question as long as you respect commercial confidentiality.
Well, to put things in to perspective, I got this email from Longines for a simple automatic watch from the 1970s, the watch itself is likely worth less than £1k:
A typical vintage watch service starts at £400 and can go up to £2,500 depending on what is required. This will need to go to our vintage service department in Switzerland. It can take up to 6 months to be repaired, again depending on what needs done. You can of course bring this in here to be sent off.
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