This is absolutely amazing, as a jeweler myself, I see so many people tossing away their old or older watches (Yes including Rolex), because they need some work or a service because they'd rather put that money towards geting a new watch, and seeing someone like yourself taking such good care of their watch makes me so happy, I respect your actions so much, good luck and may the watch serve you for another 30 years
I had a two tone datejust 36mm for donkeys years and it broke so I traded it in for a newer two tone sub bluesy and made over 1k in profit on my broken old rolex
Think of a Sea-Gull watch where it is cheaper to buy a new on every five years or so, instead of incurring a higher cost of properly repairing the watch than the initial purchase cost! Beside which the Rolex watches are made by machine production and Rolex is having a lend o it's gullible customers.
I took my Explorer 14270 bought in 1997 to an indipendent watchmaker after 24 years(of wich 8 of daily use)...it cost me only 400€ for a total servicing and polishing...now its accuracy is 3 seconds a day (before was 9 seconds)...sounds good for me...in Rolex AD they asked me 650€ plus spare parts to change, i keep all my watches for the memories of the moments i lived with them.Cheers from.Italy
Here in Buenos Aires the Rolex Service Center , serviced my Explorer II ( ref 16570 ) in 29 days . Complete service and also asked to replace the bezel and the crystal . For a total of $1450 ( no tax here ) . You have the chance here to chat with the the technician that’s going to service your watch , and from the desk you’re attended you see all the other technics working . And in the between time the technician check your watch until call’s you back , twenty minutes or so , they serve you a coffee and a little chocolate ! 😀
Well done for keeping the original dial. The reason that the new dial cost so much is because all of the hour markers and the hands are solid (yes solid) white gold. Gold at the moment is about $1800 per ounce. I'm pleased for you, it's a great watch!
Having broken a 1935 Hamilton, twice, I’d say you got off lightly. The reality of servicing a mechanical watch can be an eye opener. Well done sharing that reality with the RU-vid watch community.
Great video - great touch point for those wanting to get into the vintage arena. 3 months isn’t bad. I was guessing $1200 before the price reveal. I sold a 1991, 16610 Sub back in 1998, when Rolex told me it would take 7-8 months for its first service. No regrets / no Rolex since. Disappointed that you didn’t get the original hands set back with the original tritium dial. Note to self - send all pre-Luminova watches to Rolex, after first removing the hands and dial (as I have all the Bergeon tools to do that). 😎
Honestly, for the reliability, movement robustness, brand recognition, and durability of a Rolex, and considering the watch is 30 years old, this is quite reasonable. The only issue I have with this personally is the turn around time. And for those of you bitchin about the price, you should see what Patek charges for just a servicing, not even talking parts replacement and cosmetic overhaul.. I’m a 3 piece Rolex owner and I’m beyond happy to be part of this respected club. I know what I’m paying for.
I wore a 1996 Air King daily for about 12 years before sending it in for service. It was heavily worn with many chips on the sapphire and scratched up case and bracelet. It cost about the same to get it back like new. I bought a new sapphire and a $600 bracelet. It was worth it especially with the appreciated value. Now it sits next to the Kermit, yet another watch that now is rarely worn.
I live in Phoenix. I took my rolex (which is almost 50 YO) in today to get serviced. I have owned the watch for 30ish years. I had it serviced once when I got it and now. It is the same man who owns a little jewelry store. He is not a "rolex certified" dealer but Most of the ones in my area farm all their stuff to him. I am paying 400 (well 395) for servicing .The great thing about taking it to him and speaking with him... is I know he understands my watch is old and beat up but all original and he is only going to use hand tools on the case for polishing and will not be able to remove the big scratches, but just refresh. I get sending it off, but man, you need to get your old hands... they are worth something.
@@ronaa9073Rolex doesn’t service your watch for free regardless if it’s under warranty or not..the warranty only on the movement not on the case bracelet itself..
I've been waiting for the update. Very interesting! 3 months is a long time, but I guess that's pretty common in the watch world. Glad you got back the OG dial. However, I'm sorry for the cost. Haha. Ouch! Looks great though! I think it's well worth it considering that's now going to last another 30 years or more (and of course considering the sentimental value).
For me the sentimental value trumps everything else. For me that is what makes watches special, they are personal items, part of a person's personality...been with him through the good and the bad. In the scheme of things that cost every 5 years is worth it
I hope you enjoy your new watch and you enjoy the peace of mind you’ll get from having a newly serviced movement and all the seals updated and fixed. These watches are made to be worn, so enjoy it and best of luck!
Context for anybody that may be interested: I had a regular service performed by the Tag Heuer US service center on my modern chronograph in early 2016. Only the standard parts replaced (seals, etc.) and it was $470. I also received a nice service box when it was returned. Edit: Based on my records I believe that it took approximately 2 months for the service to be completed.
This is GREAT information to have for context. Thank you so much Billy for this, and glad you were able to get your watch serviced at what seems like an incredibly reasonable prices.
@@Watchcastage Looks like my previous reply was lost. No kidding. I have no idea what anything costs these days and the prices for everything seem crazy lately. Maybe I'm just getting old. I looked on the Tag Heuer website and their price list shows $435 for a complete overhaul (mine must have included tax or something?). Unfortunately it's dated early 2017, so whether it's still current is unknown.
Great Info Bandrew. A dial replacement is certainly going to cost an arm and a leg. A “standard” service (which btw Rolex recommends every 10 years) is about 700 euros here in Italy for an explorer I or a no date Submariner Like I have. FYI I own a Tudor Prince date Chrono from 1997 that I had never serviced , until 2019. It was no longer reliably keeping time. That service (which included a very light polish since the watch was in good shape) cost me 500 euros. Keep it up buddy and welcome to the Watchfam! Gigi.
Thank you for that service information, that is a lot of money to service a watch.. I am now having second thoughts with purchasing a Rolex Submariner 😲
Used to work at a multi-brand watch retailer. Service by the Rolex service center is pricey, but on par with similar tier brands. The $1100 base price on a service is due to the older movement (classified as vintage now). The older a certain model gets, the costlier the service, so no surprise there. Rolex turnaround times are among the best in the industry. Yours is a little slower than usual, but I think it’s due to the backlog of work they have. They used to not return original dials, so I’m surprised you were able to get yours back - that policy must have changed since I left (you’re lucky!). Good overview of the process and I hope your get a lot of life out of the Explorer. True classic.
Money well spent. Average resale prices appear over $7K, so it was an investment, and then would expect that you’ll get many more years of reliable service and piece of mind of owning a Rolex. I recently had an 80s DateJust serviced and it was about $1K, but it had been serviced before so perhaps didn’t need as much to be done.
That's why you never get Rolex to service your watch, they rip you off as your prices show. An independent watch maker could have re-lumbed the hands and dial for a fraction of the cost and you'd still have the original parts on the watch and $1,100 for the service, a new movement would be have cheaper.
Just found your channel and enjoying. I need to service a 35 year old Rolex, but no way in hell sending it to greedy Rolex. A lot of AD"s give out some bad advice. I'm in LA with a lot of service options and I have been quoted $300 for a new dial and these are at high end Newport Beach and Beverly Hills trusted locations.
Great informational video! This was a perfect video for me. My 90’s Sub date needs service plus I need hands and dial. I have been wondering about the cost of the dial and hands from Rolex for a while now. I have had the watch serviced a couple of times in the past, but by independent watchmakers: once in London, UK and once in Northern California. The guy in London either relumed or replaced the dial and whatever he did didn’t look quite right ( I suspect he relumed it - the dial looks correct otherwise). Your cost breakdown was very timely and just the information I was seeking. Thank you for relating your experience.
I'm about to send my 26 year old Rolex Datejust in for routine servicing and maintenance. 10 years ago the cost was $1,000 and I am fully expecting $1,000-$1,500. Meaning the cost really hasn't gone up that much over decades even. My wife's Rolex cost for repair was about $1,500 and hers wasn't working whereas mine is working. Periodically I'm waking up and the watch has stopped so I'm guessing the mainspring is getting corroded just enough to cause issues. Had some dampness inside enough to slightly fog the crystal. Also the time over the last few years has gone from a little too fast to a little too slow. Bottom line, any other watch that I would have had would have been in the trash years and years ago and I really enjoy my Rolex.
In 2013, I sent my 15 year old Datejust and 14 year old Explorer 2 in for service and I paid approximately $1,200 for both of them. Last week, I sent my Explorer 2 for service-it is running about 9 seconds on my wrist and 6 seconds laying flat, the AD confirmed it was running 6 seconds slow-I was quoted $1,000 for the work. Since the Datejust is working properly(+1 fast a day which is a combo of wearing and watch winder), I decided to wait on servicing that one.
@@DJaquithFL Just to be clear, the repair cost for my two Rolex watches in 2013 was $1,200 for both of them ($600 each). The service cost in 2023 was quoted as $1,000 for the Explorer2. I was trying to give you an example of the change in service cost over the last 10 years. For me 10 years ago it was $600 and now it is $1,000. Unless something is broken, you should be OK with $1,000.
@@DJaquithFLit encouraging to hear your 26 year old watch looks brand new after the servicing, my 2002 model SS Submariner date is currently being serviced and can’t wait to get it back looking new! Honestly it looked new when I sent it, only thing noticeable was the bracelet had some very light blemishes on it. Did you get yours back in the nice leather pouch like in this video?
Interesting video. Cost was around what i expected.. with the exception of the dial, no idea what to expect there. Difficult choice re to replace hands, dial and crown. On the one hand (no pun intended), definitely an improvement, on the original..but those are the original parts and part of the character of the watch. Everyone is different, if was me the choice of changing those parts would have been a very difficult decision to make. I would also like to congratulate the author on his character, it's a certain type of person who owns the explorer 36mm, non show off, refined and sentimental. It's such a great watch
$1800? You could buy 30 Vostoks with that pack of dough! 🤣 (but in all seriousness, congratulations on getting your beautiful Rolex back after three months!)
Thanks for the breakdown, The cost of the replacement parts are actually good. (in watch geek world.) To a normie, it would be crazy but on the second hand or grey market , you could not buy a genuine crown these days for $45 dollars and a service dial and hands are also alot more than you paid. Like someone mentioned earlier, the indices are white gold. so that adds to the value. You're quite lucky You dont hear many stories of people receiving their original dials back. I would put that away for safe keeping because that will certainly add to the value of your watch when/if the day you ever decide to sell it on to .
One thing to consider as well, next time it won’t be as much. The explorer is categorized as a sports model so it has a fixed cost, same as a sub. I service both my Subs, and Explorer at the RSC exclusively. I’ve had painful issues using local, “qualified” watch repairmen. Standard price for a sports model service in 2020 was 750 USD. Your $1100 was probably because there were a bit of parts to be replaced.
Great video, thank you so much. I am also planning to send my year old Submariner to RSC for a service. The reason is, I purchased this watch as new on grey market. So I want to make sure that the watch and all the parts are legit.
Yeah. A nice watch roll and a pizza dinner date should be expected. They didn’t deliver on the pizza data and I’m kind of disappointed. I’m going to Switzerland now to demand it!
I thought the hands and crown (steel) are part of the service cost. It is a bit expensive for a non complicated movement. However, you can sell the dial that you have for a good price. This watch could have been serviced by a competent watch maker for half the cost. Rolex movements are so good and are relatively easy to work on.
That’s kind of a shock, but if I had a Rolex, I think I’d consider shelling out the cash to have things done correctly & within Rolex specs. That’s a beautiful watch!
Honestly when I saw the dial and hands replaced I thought it would be north of 3k so That’s not bad at all honestly! But I wouldn’t know haven’t taken my 04 sub in yet doesn’t need it really
Replacing the dial because the lume is degraded is uneccessary. Any decent watch repairer can relume a dial and hands, with supe r luminova, at a fraction of the price of new parts. Rolex may try to justify that in order to recover the original condition but it doesn't. It's like premium car servicing, the dealers take advantage of the situation. Their is nothing particularly special about Rolex movements that warrants high servicing costs, they are high quality and well made but not especially complex. They make it difficult for independant repairers to service Rolex, by restricting parts availability, that is all about keeping prices high. I have a datejust which was a gift to me in 1982, it has had one official Rolex service in that time, which cost about £70 in around 1994. I have a number of watches so it doesn't get daily wear, and it is working fine, but it really should have another service. I won't be going Rolex official though, I will use an indendant who is more than capable of carrying out the work to Rolex standards. And it won't cost anywhere near the official Rolex price. Ok, so it won't have an official service record but I have no intention of selling it so that is of no consequence to me.
800 CDN for my gmt 1675 and 900 CDN for my day date president diamond. It's a drop in the bucket considering their value and my 1965 gmt is within 1 second per day, same as the day date which is an 84.
Nice video . I would have bought the new hand of eBay and lived With lovely old dial . Did you buy the watch new or second hand as the hand may have been non original ?
I got this from a family member. The reason I was okay with going this route was that I was able to get the original dial back. That way if I have the desire to revert to the original, I can go on ebay and find an original hand set with tritium lume, and repalce the dial and hands and be back at the start. But in the mean time I have watch with functioning lume which always comes in handy.
Great video, were you able to request for specific services or did you have to do all that is recommended? From what I understand the value of the watch will be affected if it does not all have the original parts. Some would argue that they rather have a good functioning watch but then you can also applied that cost to another newer Rolex or other time piece. Cheers
That’s a beautiful Rolex. Handwriting isn’t that bad. 🙏👍🏼 money well spent on a Masterpiece. Your family, or friends will appreciate it, if you leave it to them… 🙏
I recently serviced my Explorer II 1655 for a whopping $1400. While I did have the router and plexi replaced there wasn’t really any other major work required nor polishing required. This is by far the most I’ve had to fork out in an RSC but could t argue as I was expecting an eminent call for a new Submariner from the same AD which I did receive shortly after. All in all, pretty happy.
@@Watchcastage thanks dude 🙏🏼 the service is certainly another solid step towards building a ‘rewarding’ relationship. It’s clearly telling them I also am a watch person and I keep and care for my watches. A trader/flipper is very unlikely to part with over a thousand dollars towards servicing a watch he’s gonna sell anyways. The usual pleasant conversations with their watches on my wrist (prior purchases include a bunch of Tudors and a 216570 Explorer II ) are little positive steps towards the ‘destination’. It’s working so far😇
It's a lot of money; but it's a lot cheaper than a new watch. Vintage is expensive I should know I've got enough of it. Those prices are very close to the prices I receive on most of my watches as well. No matter where I take them. So after many years of collecting I made the decision not to buy anything over 20 years old! The service just kills your wallet no matter what brand of Quality vintage watch. Look at it this way it was three months and under 2000 USD; I think you came out smelling like a rose.You got a - basically new watch that you can wear versus a paperweight that you can't wear. Best of all it is Rolex: Certified Rolex.. Remember it wasn't too long ago we were paying $7.50 for gas. It sucks, but life's expensive. I looked at your Watch,and it is stunning ! You can't get better than that.
The result is great. the price is high. but if you don't have it serviced every 5 years. it fits. the watch is 100% disassembled and rebuilt by hand. only one question at such service maintenance they polish the entire watch as new. did this happen here too??? if not that's weird
They basically took a massive chunk out of the value of your watch by keeping the original hands. I would be super pissed if they did that. I would rather go to an independent specialist instead, and get to keep everything.
I’ve serviced my 16570 recently as well for 700 eur (told them no polish but they polished it anyway). Since the service the watch will start by winding the crown and shaking it a bit to get it started. How is your experience with the movement winding?
All of the parts are actually cheaper than I thought they would be except the dial. And even that was only 100ish more than I would have guessed. My 70s OP date fights me if i try to manually wind but all other functions/parts are o.k. But I'm still dreading sending overseas for the estimate. AD said $700 minimum but i know it won't be close to that.
If it's been serviced and to your satisfaction, be grateful as my experience with a top model I.W.C. was at it's guarantee service after owing it six months was a watch returned which did not keep time in any way shape or form, when I complained about this the shop I had bought it at told me it would now cost Aus$ 800+ to repair it. I told them what they could do and went elsewhere to have it inspected. The new watch repairer found a broken piece if crystal in the workings which had damaged the regulator spring and one half of the auto winding gear train as well as two train gears. These where repaired at half of what I.W.C. quoted and the watch is keeping smack on time. My advise is that stay away from the manufacturers service/repair facilities and use a trusted independent watch maker. Cheaper and happier all round.
You're a brave man. Super video though but expensive toys means expensive bills . I went for a tudor bb 41 steel for that reason. A watch for life and easily serviceable. Having said that, I am on a waiting list for a rolex now because they offer a 10 year guarantee. for the brand cachey, new hands and dial with better lume for a 30y old luxury watch, i consider it a reasonable. I think a full service is about 1k anyway
Good on you . Looking at your video did Rolex polish your watch ? It looks scratched and unpolished. My Rolex service experience involved an overhaul but the watch came back beautifully polished as new! Just wondering if they did yours ?
Thanks for the video. I’ve been holding off on servicing my late father’s Rolex. I knew it wouldn’t be cheap but this gives me some idea what it will cost. Question though. I’ve heard here and there you have to show ownership that the Rolex is yours. Anything you encountered like this? That won’t be a problem if I want it serviced?
Thank you for checking the video. I took my watch to my local AD and they sent it to the Rolex Service Center for servicing and repair. I didn't have to bring in any paperwork or anything to prove ownership. I imagine that at some point the serial was run through some system to make sure it's not stolen, I can't say for certain though. I hope you get the watch running and get years of joy out of it remembering your father through it. Best of luck James.
I brought my SS Sub date in to an AD to send for service and was not asked for any paperwork at all, I have everything that came in the box when purchased new, I brought it with me in the event I needed it.
I just caught the first video so my comments will be directed towards others with the question on how to proceed in this scenario with a pre 1997 tritium model which was the last year for tritium before Rolex switched to luminova "SWISS" 1998-99 and then superluminova "SWISS MADE" around 2000. First and foremost DO NOT send a older tritium vintage or neo vintage model to Rolex. RSC will push (or even flat out refuse service unless replaced) to replace the dial and hands with superluminova service parts which devalues the watch. In time, and I'm already seeing it with pre 1997 tritium models, they are being sought after and there are those willing to pay a premium for good untouched examples like myself. They will not be produced by Rolex ever again due to new mandates regarding radioactive material regulations pertaining to a non-encapsulated (i.e. vs modern tritium tubes such a Ball uses) applied radioactive lumincesnts which was a mix of radioactive material and zinc sulfide. What I recommend is to send it to someone who specializes in vintage and yes even 1991 applies. These watchmakers are focused on preserving historical originality and in this case would have likely attempted to source out a NOS or used tritium hour hand which is sill relatively easy to come by currently and then would have done a routine service at the customers request. RSC telling him that the dial \ hands are not far behind just shows their ignorance and lack of knowledge. There are many 60's - 90 with their original hands and dials perfectly intact. Remember, RSC has no interest in horology preservation. Their goal is to return the watch to the customer as functional as possible to current useful modern specifications where service parts are available. On a side note the rather eye opening $1,100 general movement service which consists on disassembling the movement, cleaning and reassemble with lubrication with regulation and pressure testing is about double of what many independents charge. While it's true that the RSC $1,100 general service charge includes any worn movement parts, it is less common to need to replace them during a general service. So instead of $1,808.00, if he sent to a few vintage specialist I am aware of, the bill would have likely been $750 or a bit less.
This is all great information. I was able to get the original dial back from them which apparently is very rare. So I’m thrilled with that. And being that this was my fathers watch it’s never leaving my possession, so getting a more functional watch is great for me. And if in a crazy situation if I needed to, I could source original tritirum hands and get it back to original. Thank you very much for sharing so much information, this is all super useful and I know people looking at a similar situation will get benefit out of what you’ve provided. Cheers.
@@Watchcastage You did get the tritium dial back which is major so that's good. Someone like myself who collects and services watches could source out tritium hands and return it back to it's original state. There has been a recent policy change from what I'm hearing were before RSC which prior to last year would never return the old parts back to the customer. It now seems they've relaxed that policy. I'd say in the future when NOS \used tritium Rolex parts become impossible to find, reapplying missing lume on a hand with non radioactive zinc sulfide mix may be the only option for maintaining as close to possible originality. On another side note, even though tritium has a half life of 12.5 years and it appears completely dead, if you were to bring your watch in a dark room and let your eyes adjust, after a few minutes you would still be able to see some glow.
Were you given the option to say yes/no to specific repairs and replacements, or was it an all-or-nothing proposition? Like if you wanted the dial and hands replaced, could you have opted out of replacing the crown?
*Oh My Gosh! you took your Rolex into a Lamborghini Service center.* 🤦♂️ Good Video I just took my 2000's S/S Sub in for service, they estimated return of 2 months, price is what it is I guess, I'm guessing $1K?
I would be interested to hear what kind of service costs a more modern watch has that might not be considered vintage by them. I imagine it would be a bit less expensive.
@@Watchcastagemy ‘02 SS Sub date is getting serviced as we speak, $850 if it doesn’t need any major parts, as you know several wearable parts are included in that price as well, by the way, great video and gorgeous watch!
When Rolex service there watches , it is at a loss for Rolex , they dnt make money from servicing,rest assured they do a amazing job, nothing more to do then to enjoy your explorer 1
Still running properly after forty years? I sent my SS Sub date in for service, it was a wedding gift from my wife in 2002, cost is $850 with several new parts included in that fee as well as buffing the case and bracelet. The most difficult thing for me was being without my watch for a couple months, I’m three weeks into the process and am anticipating the call that it’s done! Best of luck if you send your watch in for servicing!!
Unfortunately, I recently inherited my dads "Clint Eastwood" Rolex from 1971(Root Beer?) and, since it had not been serviced since 2009 and was running really badly, took it to the AD to book a service. Standard turnaround currently quoted at 12-14 weeks. God knows what it will actually cost me for the service. I fear the worst but HAVE to do it. Thing is, I am not even a Rolex fan and prefer my Omega Aqua Terra.........
So, $1100 + Tax divided by 3. Service every 10 years is not bad then. They would have picked up the faults along the way. Q. Did they polish the case etc. seems like there are a couple of small blemishes there. Nice watch by the way.
That's a lot but not bad for a 30 year old watch. While we know the lineage of ownership within your family what's not clear is how frequently it was serviced. I've owned a piece for 18 years from new and it's only been serviced once out of necessity like you because the clasp was dented and damaged. It all came to maybe $700 but that was in 2011. Plus you have the two year warranty which now is part of your Rolex service history should you ever decide to part with the watch.
rolex rips you off i use my watch maker for my rolex he been fixing watches for over 30 years and he gets real rolex parts if needed ect and and does the work for a 1/4 cost what rolex charges
Let me see, $8,500 for a new Rolex Explorer, $11,000 for servicing once every 5 years over an estimated 50 year lifespan (of course they last longer), which is $19,500 over 50 years or $390 per year or about $32 per month, the cost of a reasonably decent bottle of wine. Of course servicing cost would increase over the years, but lets face it, who would not want to own a Rolex for $32 a month ? Guess I had better go and get one for my son !
Really unless this fix the Rolex and service this Rolex was for an investment or to pass onto a loved one. I would have bought a high end Replica, and a high end Homage. These would have worked for years,Rolex is greedy, and it was be great to know how much profit Rolex make on each watch they sell. I am sure we would be shocked.
Wouldn't it be great if Rolex would supply independent watchmakers with parts? That would likely cut the costs for the end consumers substantially. Rolex restricting access to parts is likely illegal, just as it would be illegal to restrict access to original parts for cars, but no one seems to care. For this reason, I will never own a Rolex.
I was thinking that as a watch worth $2,000 is selling for $8,000 retail ( before the idiots in the aftermarket get involved, buying a million a year mass produced fashion watch, Daniel Wellington on steroids for stupid prices), the service cost will probably be 4 times more than it should be too. 🙂