Repairing & Overhauling Rolex Watches
Rolex, and other watches, should be cleaned (this is called overhauling) about every five years. If a watch is under warranty it makes sense to take/send it to an authorized dealer’s repair facility, as they can address problems and provide parts as needed under the warranty.
For watches out of warranty, or simply needing a professional cleaning, there are a myriad of alternative shops offering this. Rolex overhauling and repair is a huge internet business, with many reputable outfits offering this. You ship them the watch, they open it and tell you what needs to be done and how much they will charge.
The Overhaul
A complete overhaul via a Rolex authorized dealer (AD) will take at least a month or two and cost around $600–700. They will replace parts they believe are nonfunctional or worn (automatically for watches under warranty) and polish the watch back to new before returning it. You have to specify if you do not want these things done on a vintage watch, as will be described in more detail below under History.
Out-of-warranty watches can certainly be serviced by an AD, but there is no reason not to consider a reputable non-authorized repair facility. A complete overhaul is described below by Mark Sirriani, the Watch Doctor, who has 40+ years of experience:
For watches out of warranty, or simply needing a professional cleaning, there are a myriad of alternative shops offering this. Rolex overhauling and repair is a huge internet business, with many reputable outfits offering this. You ship them the watch, they open it and tell you what needs to be done and how much they will charge.
The Overhaul
A complete overhaul via a Rolex authorized dealer (AD) will take at least a month or two and cost around $600–700. They will replace parts they believe are nonfunctional or worn (automatically for watches under warranty) and polish the watch back to new before returning it. You have to specify if you do not want these things done on a vintage watch, as will be described in more detail below under History.
Out-of-warranty watches can certainly be serviced by an AD, but there is no reason not to consider a reputable non-authorized repair facility. A complete overhaul is described below by Mark Sirriani, the Watch Doctor, who has 40+ years of experience:
- Disassembly of the watch & movement.
- Ultrasonic cleaning.
- Inspection for corrosion/friction fatigue.
- Proper Lubrication .
- Replacement of all gaskets and seals.
- Water-pressure test to Rolex specs.
- Timing calibration.
- Polish case, band and crystal.
- -4/+6 official COSC timing test
- One year warranty
Most vintage watch collectors form a relationship with a watchmaker, ideally on a local basis to ease dropping off time pieces as shipping them with insurance can run around $100 each way with insurance. This writer’s go-to “repair guy” is the WatchDoctor (Mark Siriani) who works with his son, Tom. He is very responsive typically answering my emails within hours, he turns my watches and those of friends around in about two weeks.
His shop is in the middle of nowhere in Pennsyltucky (where this writer also grew up), and he ascribes his low rent as part of why he can offer low prices on watch cleaning ($200) which is the lowest you’ll find anywhere for a complete overhaul of a Rolex or other quality automatic watch. Beware, he will not work on chronographs. He offers an entertaining blog on subject of interest (most recently Wood Watches) you can subscribe to which shows up monthly in your mailbox and is always worth reading. You can keep up with Mark’s beloved Labrador Retriever, Charlie on the blog as well.
His shop is in the middle of nowhere in Pennsyltucky (where this writer also grew up), and he ascribes his low rent as part of why he can offer low prices on watch cleaning ($200) which is the lowest you’ll find anywhere for a complete overhaul of a Rolex or other quality automatic watch. Beware, he will not work on chronographs. He offers an entertaining blog on subject of interest (most recently Wood Watches) you can subscribe to which shows up monthly in your mailbox and is always worth reading. You can keep up with Mark’s beloved Labrador Retriever, Charlie on the blog as well.
A History and Issues for the Vintage Collector
While of fine quality, there is really nothing special about a Rolex movement as compared to another good quality automatic watch. Any experience jeweler or watch maker can make repairs. The issue is all about parts. In the 1950s Swiss manufacturers attempted to control the post-sale repairing business as they dominated the fine watch industry. The US Dept. of Justice filed an antitrust suit alleging a conspiracy between various Swiss and US businesses to fix prices and sales of watches so as to control the manufacture and exportation of watches in and to the US. In 1960 12 watch companies, including Rolex, entered into a consent decree to prohibit US Swiss watch and parts importers from acting in an anticompetitive manner in the US.
J.P. Ficklin notes (in a 02/25/21 opinion piece on ProfessionalWatches.com) that Rolex was violating the consent decree for years in the early 2000s and when the DOJ brought Rolex to court, Rolex argued the consent decree was no longer relevant due to changes in the prior 45 years in the watch industry. They paid a small fine, but won the case in that the consent decree was repealed. An official Rolex jeweler (ORJ) could get any part needed, but there were limits; some were only available on exchange, like dials. ORJs will only service watches based on their terms and they may refuse to work on a vintage Rolex not bought/serviced from or by them, and they may automatically replace bezel inserts they believe have faded and become nonfunctional, and/or will routinely polish watches to look like new before returning them. This is a disaster to vintage watch owners who value unpolished and faded watches; although you can ask an ORJ to not do these things, which this writer hears is usually obeyed. Mr. Ficklin, a non-Rolex jeweler (NRJ), says he has watched the universe of NRJs (who have access to a parts account with Rolex) decline in size; he estimates there now to be only around 50 NRJs in the US.
This affects the vintage watch collector, as now your repair facility will likely have limited options to find and buy original Rolex parts. ORJs retiring may sell their stock of parts and many NRJs have to purchase parts on eBay (often used) at greatly inflated prices.
BTW, Mr. Ficklin is associated with the Cincinnati Watch Co. which originally started as a Build Your Own Watch company. Very cool! They sold kits, but it appears they now concentrate on offering their own-designed watches which range from about $280 to $1100 and this writer believes are very attractive and well priced. Jordan Ficklin also offers repair, service and restoration services and seems like a nice guy.
