Hi all,
I know some of you are experienced watch fans, and wanted to get your opinions as to the cost of a repair on my watch?
I have a 1976 5513 Submariner and have owned it for about 12 years and wear it everyday. I’ve never had a problem, and have never had it serviced, always meant to but kept perfect time and don’t use it for swimming or diving. Anyhow, it started losing time and sometimes stopped altogether, so looked at getting it repaired and serviced at an independent watch specialist. Cost of the service was quoted as £290 but when opened up, it needs a new bezel insert and has a bent shaft??( he told me what shaft but I’ve forgotten). So quote has now gone up to £430, for the bezel, the repair, and a service and clean.

Just to see if this is what you would expect to pay?

Got to sell soon, so hence getting it repaired and serviced too. If anyone is interested you can drop me a message 🙂

Hi. Firstly I’m glad you are going to an independent – Rolex Service Centre is no good for vintage watches. The tend to want to replace everything to make it ‘good as new’. Expensive and destroys the value of vintage.

Is the bezel insert damaged? No problem with the odd scratch and ding. Most folk buying vintage want one showing a bit of age so you’ll be paying 100 quid for this and losing a couple hundred in value. not worth it unless really toast. Even if the tritium pearl is gone from the 12 o clock position it’s no big deal.

So without the bezel insert I’d hope your price will be closer to 300 quid which is pretty good in my opinion. For comparison, I got my 2006 sub serviced by Rolex for about 400 quid in 2011. So a service and repair for 300+ is ok.

For selling or any other advice, post on Vintage Rolex Forum. Some good guys there.

My brothers shop used to take in service work for customers and send it to an indie service place and sub £300 sounds like a decent deal (if they know what they are doing obviously) I seem to remember anywhere between £300 and £400 being on the tickets.

Seems about right. Remember that watch is worth a few sheckles.

400 isn’t a massive amount compared to its value.

At least they let you know up front.

Mil works for Rolex service centre , will ask at the weekend .

My omega has started to play up. Movement has a “3yr” warranty, it would appear its not worth a **** if there’s a single mark on the bezel. They claim a knock has caused the watch to fault and it requires a full service to rectify. Cost is £300 which to be fair I expected to be higher as its gone back to omega but can’t say I’m impressed with the “warranty” 🙄

Its possible to get some stuff for Rolex watches off ebay…

The bezel spring and bezel itself for instance (mine started to rotate both ways). Genuine items and an easy self fit.

I wouldnt do any other stuff myself.

Last major service I paid £350 for a service and accuracy check. Think your watch will be away for about 10 days as well..

HTH

first world problems

Indeed, but a problem non the less.

first world problems

I didn’t ask to be born….. With a Rolex on my arm! 😉

Actually mines a family heirloom….. My dad kept that watch up his a……

Well you get the point!

Meanwhile I’m just about to commute on a 2.5k push bike

Piety, it’s not for me

First world bicycle p-m … have a good run in to work..

Cheers guys, might go back to him and ask him to be clearer about what he is replacing on the bezel. Tritium marker was missing, and the bezel wouldnt rotate. All good with the price then. I looked around and someone else I knew had used this company before. Its here and the owner Martin seems like a very nice guy.

Thanks for all the advice guys, and I know its a first world problem, but finances dictate that I need to get rid. Gutted as it has sentimental value 🙁

I know its a first world problem, but finances dictate that I need to get rid. Gutted as it has sentimental value

It can’t have that much sentimental value, if you are just selling it to fund some of your wedding…, buy less champagne?

Don’t sell it. You’ll never have another.

I had my 2002 Sub serviced at Rolex St James Sq last year, the costs I was quoted by WoS / Goldsmiths etc all seemed to vary plus as it was serviced by Rolex I would have the paperwork should I decide to sell it on.

Service was £440
Bezel insert – £30
New crown (winder) – circa £60

All done within a month and watch like new, all costs are agreed beforehand no surprise bills.

SELL IT!!!!!!!

You’ve had it how long and you want to sell it!!!!

Don’t be daft man, you’ll regret it!

Sell a kidney… You have two of them!!!!

If you are getting married that’s the watch you want on your arm. That’s the watch that gets handed down the family.

DON’T SELL IT!!!

Just had mine serviced by the St James Sq centre as well. £460!!! I’m sure it was ‘only’ £220 for a service there in 2009. Feel like I’m paying to make sure they can keep the amazingly fit receptionists in bling…

LOL, not for a wedding unfortunately. I bought the watch from a friend who was upgrading to a newer rolex way back then, and bought it with money my Granny had left me when she died 🙁 Hence the sentimental value….
As for the reason I need the money, we have a bit of a financial lull at the moment, and we have a very limited time window to have our next IVF cycle. A bit personal I suppose but hey ho. Our first cycle gave us our beautiful daughter, and we feel we would like another to complete the family, and have to go private unfortunately as the first was private so no other option.
I sound like a sado, but this is more important to me than a watch, my priorities have changed as I got older! lol

Got my eye on a Seiko SNZG15J1 with a tan leather strap as a consolation prize 🙂

That Seiko’s a nice little watch, beautifully clear dial, and the Lumibrite is excellent at night. I honestly don’t think you’ll regret getting it.

How much were you thinking for the rolex sub should you choose to sell, once serviced?

Can’t argue with that scottyjon!

Shame to flog your watch but kids come above everything else.

Best of luck!

Scottyjohn, where are you looking to get the Seiko? I’ve been mulling over one for about a year, and you just reminded me about them! Seen them on Amazon.

This ones £85.70: http://www.sports-watch-store.com/snzg15j1/?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse

wrightyson – Member

My omega has started to play up. Movement has a “3yr” warranty, it would appear its not worth a **** if there’s a single mark on the bezel. They claim a knock has caused the watch to fault and it requires a full service to rectify. Cost is £300 which to be fair I expected to be higher as its gone back to omega but can’t say I’m impressed with the “warranty”
+1. I thought it was just me that they tried that with. They did give me a warranty repair “just this once”, but there was a sermon that came with it about how it wasn’t covered etc etc.
Bit like “lifetime warranty” on bikes, really…

As for the watch/ IVF thing, as you say it’s very personal. But, I dunno – the value of older Rolexes is unlikely to drop, so you wouldn’t be able to buy another for the same money down the road. Obviously your priorities are different, but I’m also in the ‘don’t sell it, find another way to make it work’ camp. IM(v)HO, obviously

Ok, not really sentimental then.

Fix it only if its worth more and you’ll get all your money back. As for telling the time, don’t you have a phone?

As for telling the time, don’t you have a phone?

Wristwatches were developed because of the hassle of extracting a fob watch from a pocket, flipping the case open, looking at the time, then reversing the process. Fine for the leisure classes and landed gentry, but for troops and working people, a real pain.
It seems we’ve gone back a century or more, where it’s deemed that a second or so to glance at a watch to read the time is boring, dragging a fancy piece of technology out of whatever pocket it’s buried in, pressing a switch to wake it up, turning it around so you can read the time, then reversing the process is so much cooler… 🙄
Unless you’re the sort of tit who has their bloody mobi clutched in their hand all the damned time…

Aha that site for the seiko looks good. Might do a bit of research and check them out. Other than that have been looking at ebay UK sellers. Im not sure of the value, the repair shop is going to give me an appraisal with the watch when I pick it up. That should give me a rough idea to start from.

Having just spent the most I have ever spent on a watch last week:
http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Lots/179138.aspx

I am quite astounded that people think that £400 is reasonable for the service of a watch.
That’s just like the rant earlier this week about 4×4 cars. It is the same thing, people have cash, and like to show off, watches or cars, or diamonds, its the same thing.

Of course it is. Perish the thought that people might choose to do stuff for other reasons <sigh>

Unless you’re the sort of tit who has their bloody mobi clutched in their hand all the damned time…

Idiots.

If you know your stuff, and don’t mind looking a bit cooler than your average smart phone user, then you’ll wear it round your neck.

What condition is the bezel in?
Any chance of pictures?

Having just spent the most I have ever spent on a watch last week:
http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Lots/179138.aspx
I am quite astounded that people think that £400 is reasonable for the service of a watch.
That’s just like the rant earlier this week about 4×4 cars. It is the same thing, people have cash, and like to show off, watches or cars, or diamonds, its the same thing.

When a watch is 4 to 6 grand 400 quid every now and again for service ( including parts) isn’t really that expensive.

One of my cars isn’t worth much more than one of my watches buts just cost me 2 grand in service and repairs. The car definitely won’t go up in value and won’t be handed down to my kids.

It’s all relative.

Having just spent the most I have ever spent on a watch last week:
http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Lots/179138.aspx

I am quite astounded that people think that £400 is reasonable for the service of a watch

Good luck when that needs servicing!

Having just spent the most I have ever spent on a watch last week:

It’ll be very interesting to see what you’ll be charged to service that, should it ever need it. I really wouldn’t be surprised to find it’ll cost you as much again, if not double. Most of the value in that watch lies in the silver, it’s an H. Samuel movement, so probably fairly average.
My Seiko ‘SPORK’, which cost me £350-ish, will probably cost around £150 for a service, should it ever need one, despite being a fairly standard Seiko automatic movement.
For me, it would be worth it, I bought the watch with money left me by my mum, so it’s already got special meaning, it’s exactly the sort of watch I like to wear, and, now I’ve spent some time (ha!) tweaking it, it’s so far keeping very good time; five seconds out over the last month.