Last Autumn, my wife had her midsize datejust from 1993 serviced via WOS. All done including a polish for a bit less than £700.
My son recently bought a 2008 year Explorer 1 (114270). Today he asked for a service but no polish through Pragnells to be told £1,000 and WOS quoted £1,300.
Please can anyone explain what it going on here? Why is there such a difference, the Explorer is non date and no polish required? Surely there must be a mistake somewhere?!?
Sounds very expensive. Suggest that you call Rolex St James Service Centre or take it in personally for an estimate.
I had my 2001 Sub Date serviced there in November. Complete overhaul including light refinish was £583 plus Vat. Plus any parts that needs replacing.
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Last edited by NigeG; 28th January 2025 at 21:15.
It’s the age of the movement I think, not reference number. Takes it into classic status which costs (you) more, but one of the pros will be along soon to confirm.
Agreed, but a 2008 Explorer with a 3130 movement should be similar in cost to servicing a 3135 movement in an older Submariner Date.Originally Posted by wileeeeeey
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Thanks for your thoughts so far.
Perhaps there are some costs for a new crown / crystal / etc that was not included in the DJ - try asking for a list of mandatory repair items. I can’t see why the AD adds an additional £300 via WoS compared to Pragnels - though I presume it’s because it’s not going to Rolex UK with WoS.
A 2008 watch isn’t vintage (has to be at least 30y).
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 28th January 2025 at 23:14.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
It should, but it's just something they do. Omega are at it too - own a watch that's a year past the cut-off date but identical to what they were still selling five or ten years later and suddenly it has to go to Switzerland or whatever with a hefty surcharge.
ETA: 17 years old is really taking the piss if they're treating it as vintage, or it could just be a dealer surcharge...
Last edited by Dynam0humm; 29th January 2025 at 04:05.
Stupidly expensive quote, would be interesting to see what actual work was quoted for, did they offer this info ?
Genesis, Watchworks or Stephen Hale is where I'd be sending it if you were after the accredited feeling.
The crystal was perfect and we agreed to the replacement crown cost as the DJ was booked in. Speaking to the assistant, I was concerned that doing that would mean the old crown would be automatically discarded. I had a note put on the booking that the crown would only be replaced if really necessary. Apparently, agreeing to crown replacement on booking in speeds up the whole process as there is no back and forth with communication if a problem is found.
No reason was given but this was all from a phone call. My son is calling Rolex St James to try to gain clarity.
Thank you for those names, I’ll pass them on.
A friend of mine was quoted EUR 850 for a 5 digit Daytona service last week at a (Dutch) Rolex AD.
I would always opt for a crown replacement, crown threads can wear and you’re expecting the crown to be good for another 7 years or more. Same argument applies to seals in the crown.
Wouldn't go to Rolex UK with Pragnell's either, they have an accredited Rolex service centre upstairs at their Leicester showroom. I've had a tour round it. It's a clean room with mental watch tinkering toys, amazing to see it.
My son would have a new crown on the Explorer but my wife’s DJ has a gold crown so at £130 we let that pass. She does not wear it that often and when we bought it preowned it came with a full Rolex service.
I had my 2004 Submariner 14060M serviced via Pragnells last November.
I had already spoken to RSC to ascertain service cost and was told £700.
When I took it to Pragnells I was asked what price I would pre authorise so I said I had already spoken to RSC and was told the srvice price so pre authorised to £700.
Funnily enough that was the price I was charged.
I suggest a phone call to RSC could be helpful.
Here is an update with clarity.
My son called Rolex St James and had a more sensible conversation. The price for a full mechanical service for the 114270 Explorer, not including a polish will come to £575.00.
He could take it to Rolex St James or much more convenient according to the person he talked to will be the new Goldsmiths store in Birmingham where apparently, they have a Rolex service centre on site. I had no idea they can do this there and as I may be in B’ham next week, I’ll go in for confirmation.
The suggestion is that the original people he spoke to in order to get the original quotes put on older incorrect model number into the quote system.
Sounds more like it.
Not so good that supposedly trained dealership staff possibly managed to put the wrong reference number into the system, twice, in two unconnected dealership groups stores. Hmmmm!
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I agree with this but I can guarantee my son gave the correct model name and age to the operatives he originally spoke to.
When I booked in my wife’s DJ there was uncertainty from the model options available as exactly which one it was. When we went to pay the bill was reduced by about £100.
A final update in that even Rolex St James quoted the wrong price!
On Friday my son went the Goldsmiths in B’ham to book the Explorer in for a service to be quoted the same price as suggested by Pragnells at over £1,000.
It appears that once a Rolex reached 10 years old a different price is quoted. Never mind if it has just been gently used, it’s on the age.
So he came home again with the watch and will look to make use of an independent.
Also, Goldsmiths in B’ham do not service the professional models, they are sent to the main service centre.
Having an Omega Seamaster diver serviced seems so much easier!
Personally I’d have little faith in getting sense out of any dealer group service centres on pricing, especially WoS group.
Who told him that once it gets to more than ten years old a different price is quoted?
Take it to St James where they will give you an actual itemised quote rather than an estimate.
My 24 year old Sub Date was £583 plus vat for the service. I also had it refinished, new crystal and a new oscillating weight. Total bill of £903 inc vat
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The 10 year rule was told by the operative in the B’ham Goldsmiths store.
I think he needs to check with Rolex St James again but they quoted ridiculous transport costs to return the watch home again.
Figures re Goldsmiths staff
Yeah they quoted me some crazy figures for sending my watch back by carrier - £170 from memory.
I had a day out in Town for a lot less going on the train, met up with some friends for lunch, collected my watch and a relaxing journey home.
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One of these, either RSJ or Goldsmiths, is wrong about the correct standard service price.
Why you would assume that Rolex's own HQ is wrong, and Goldsmiths is right, leaves me puzzled!
I think you are making heavy work of this, you have a price from Rolex to service your Rolex. That’s the end of the matter.
If you go to a third party expect errors and mis information.
The prices Rolex gave you sounds correct to me, I took my 114270 to Rolex a few years ago and the fee was £550. It’s a 2002 year watch so was well over 10 years old.
Just been quoted £730 for a gold Lady Datejust for service by Rolex watchmaker at Rolex AD.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
This.
And given that Rolex suggest a ten year service interval these days, there should be no need for two tier pricing as the first service would be at the ten year plus price.
It never ceases to amaze me how various watch shops - because that’s what they are, can’t bear all this AD stuff - try to pull the wool over the eyes of Rolex owners, like they’re all mugs with more money than sense. It’s been going on for years and is a racket imho. Not Rolex’s fault but another thing that puts me off the brand in 2025. All the BS!
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This. I would take a trip to RSJ - would save you maybe £500 and next time show the invoice to WoS and see what they say
as you say
23PeterT
Here is an update with clarity.
My son called Rolex St James and had a more sensible conversation. The price for a full mechanical service for the 114270 Explorer, not including a polish will come to £575.0
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
Could try Charles fox in Bournemouth. They are an approved Rolex AD and service centre downstairs.
Or yes, try RSC St James
The Goldsmiths price is their price for their in house repair team. It maybe Rolex accredited but they are not sending it to Rolex.
Be warned. And their staff so (possibly purposely badly) trained give the impression it’s going to Rolex. So you get screwed on the price and also the quality of the work
I have the experience with them and they were rather embarrassed after having a Cartier of mine for months and no updates then came back in shoddy condition when I rang Cartier who had no record of having the watch. Guess what. I got full refund and they paid for it to go to Cartier for sorting out
Not to be trusted.
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