Why should I get my Rolex serviced?

 

                                                                     

 

 

If you own a luxury car no doubt you have it serviced on a regular basis. You probably have it cleaned and detailed regularly too.  Each service is recorded and dated in the official paperwork so there’s a accurate service history of everything that has been done to the car. 

 

Somehow, because watches are often worn on a daily basis, we tend to forget that these are high precision machines too, and as such, they also need servicing to keep them in tip-top condition. Like cars, the date of service is logged into the paperwork for the watch so should you ever decide to sell your watch, you have a full history. 

 

A vintage Rolex watch can have a similar monetary value to a luxury car.  For instance, a Rolex can be worth £120,000.  Meanwhile, a 2016 Bentley Bentayga can be had for around the same price.  So while you would be very unlikely to skip servicing your Bentley, you may never have thought of servicing your watch. Or perhaps you have, but it’s been a while.  

Reasons to get your Rolex serviced

Keep your watch ticking along in perfect time 

With a mechanism as intricate and delicate as a good watch, you want to keep it in tip-top condition.  Within a Rolex movement there can be upwards of 175 moving parts, and as many as 220, all of which play an important role.  

Keep your watch looking fabulous

Don’t wait until it looks a bit dull and worn!  Like getting a car washed but not detailed, you could just get your Rolex cleaned.  This will keep the sheen of the steel and the brilliance of the crystal at their best and keep it looking good on your wrist.  

Retain or up the value of your watch, depending on the model/year

As a Rolex is an investment, it’s worth the small cost of keeping it in great condition so that if you decide to sell, it will command the highest possible price available at the time. 

 

 

Why you shouldn’t try to DIY a Rolex service

It might be tempting to try opening your Rolex watch and service it yourself.  You may well find a YouTube video that talks you through it.  However, this is a very bad idea that could potentially increase the cost of servicing your watch if the plan goes wrong.  You only need to lose one tiny screw or not be able to get it back together to start regretting your decision.  

 

Unless you have a background in watch repair, it’s not a good idea.  One little slip of a screw driver could result in a deep scratch in the casing that will devalue your timepiece.  Or some other mishap that will require you to submit it to a professional to repair it at a greater expense than it would have cost to have a professional service in the first place. 

 

There are several benefits that come with a professional service from a certified Rolex dealer.  To start with, you'll get a guarantee of up to two years.  Should you have any problems with it after the servicing, you have an easy way to rectify it.  Secondly, they will fix your watch up to such a high standard that you will probably be amazed and thrilled.  Let’s say you do it yourself and manage to fix a problem, you’re still very unlikely to get your watch into the nearly new condition that a pro will. 

 

The third thing is that your Rolex is a valuable asset and it’s worth taking the best care of it you can to maximize its value if and when you decide to sell.   Just as you would your luxury car. 

 

                                                                                 

 

 

 

What does it cost to get a Rolex serviced?

The price of servicing depends a lot on the age and condition of your watch but generally a full service can start at around £350.  If your watch has a value of around £50,000, this is a really good investment to make once every few years. 

 

Some service centres offer the option to just have the case and bracelet cleaned, so if you know that the movement is in tip top condition (because it’s quite new, or because it was recently serviced), this might be a good option and will help the watch to retain it’s high quality Rolex sheen. 

 

What do you get for the cost of a servicing?  

A pro service is very thorough and includes: 

Take apart the casing and the movement 

Removing the bracelet, the back and the movement is fiddly and requires particular tools and knowledge to do safely.  Rolex service centers are set up to do this with special tools, soft gloves for handling the timepieces, and all the spare parts they might need. 

Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing 

The ultrasonic cleaning of your Rolex watch removes all traces of grease, grime and dirt, bringing the sheen of it up to a level that makes it look like new.  

 

Many people have an ultrasonic cleaning machine in their home for regular cleaning of their everyday jewellery.  However, the home machines are usually quite small and designed for rings, bracelets, necklaces and the like.  The professional watch service centre has a much more powerful machine designed especially for watches.  This does a much better job than any home machine, is safer for the timepiece, and you don’t have to go through the anxiety of guessing how long to put the watch parts in for.    

 

The casing and bracelet get buffed by large machines which are capable of removing all scratches and marks, leaving a glowing sheen. 

Testing of gaskets  

Gaskets seal the casing thoroughly so the watch is waterproof as well as protecting against dust and grease.  They are crucial to the integrity of the watch and can wear out over time.  Not checking and replacing when needed could cause damage to your Rolex and devalue it over time. 

Replacement of parts as necessary  

If any parts of the movement are found to be in poor condition or not working as well as they should, they will be replaced.  If you’re worried that the service centre might replace costly parts that you don’t want replaced, discuss this with them before they do the work and ask them to check in with you if they need to replace something significant - for instance, the crystal or the bracelet.  

 

Replacing the bracelet can cost a lot of money, and you might only want them to focus on the mechanism and case for now. 

Cleaning and oiling of the movement 

A professional will magnify the movement and have a good look to see how it’s performing.  They will clean all the moving parts and give them an oiling with the correct type and amount of oil to keep the mechanism moving smoothly so that the watch keeps accurate time. 

Tests to measure the resistance from water and pressure 

Finally, if you have a watch that is waterproof, they will do some tests to see how well it performs in water and make sure it’s as watertight as new.  It will give you peace of mind to know that your timepiece is going to be up to the job should you find yourself in a swimming pool or high up a mountain! 

 

Finally, they will place the watch on a “simulator” for several days to see how the watch performs.  This is a device that simulates a person wearing the watch. 

 

                                                                                         

 

 

 

How long does a Rolex service take? 

Because of all the different stages of the full service, the whole process can take as long as six weeks.  This is because everything is done very precisely to an incredibly high standard, with the final “simulator” test at the end taking several days.  

How often should I get my Rolex serviced? 

This depends on several things.  The age and current condition of your watch is obviously crucial.  But also it depends quite a lot on how much wear your watch gets.  If it comes out once a week or once a month it probably wouldn’t need a service as often as if you wear your watch on a daily basis. 

 

Generally speaking, approximately every 4 to 5 years is a good rule of thumb.  

 

Where’s the best place to get my Rolex watch serviced? 

Take it to a service centre

Make sure you use a certified Rolex servicing centre.  You can find this by going to the Rolex website and using their service centre locator.  

 

Post it to service centre 

If there’s no service centre near you, there are good service centres that you can post your watch to (very carefully and insured, obviously,) and they will examine it and give you an estimate of the cost before they do the job.  This would be the point at which you would discuss which parts you’d be happy for them to replace without consulting you.  

 

If they need to replace any gaskets, for instance, this is crucial to the smooth working and protection of the watch and costs very little.  If they want to replace the crown or bracelet, you might want to find out how crucial it is to the functioning of the watch, and what it will cost before they go ahead with the work. 

 

                                                                                 

                                                                                   

 

 

Should I get my old Rolex repaired? 

If you have an old Rolex rattling around in a drawer - it’s most definitely worth getting an estimate to get it repaired.  With the value of Rolex watches steadily increasing, it’s likely that the cost of the repair would be a very good investment.  

 

Rolex watches are so well made that even if they’ve been forgotten for a long time they can usually still be repaired to a very high level.  

Conclusion 

Servicing your Rolex is a very good investment, not only to keep it telling accurate time and looking great, but also so that if the day comes when you want to sell, you can get the maximum value for it.  Or, if you want to keep it as a family heirloom to pass down to your grandchildren, you want to keep it in great condition for them. 

 

If you’re interested in selling your Rolex - or just want to get an estimate the value right now, contact Chrono Hunter.  Put in the details of your timepiece to get a fast, no obligation valuation.  

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