Advice on what to do with grandpa's datejust

[victurchen]

Hey all! I just got started in my watch journey and I'd like to have some input from you guys on what to do with the Datejust my grandpa left me.
Would you guys recommend taking it to a Rolex service center? Or is a third-party watchmaker good enough?

Here's some pictures of the watch:

 

[Storm.]

Third party as Rolex would only replace the parts that make it special. @Oascom would probably love to work on this oldie Goldie.

 

[victurchen]

So it appears this model is vintage? I don't know what that means but I'm not able to set the date independently.

@Storm. What are the parts that make it special? Sorry for the noob questions lol

 

[Storm.]

So it appears this model is vintage? I don't know what that means but I'm not able to set the date independently.

@Storm. What are the parts that make it special? Sorry for the noob questions lol

The old movements do not have quickset for the date.

It's most likely a hand wound and not Automatic movement.

Vintage means very old. Hands and dial indicate early 70s i believe.

 

[Feefo]

I'm not sure if anything similar applies to rolex, but I can tell you my experience with my grandfather's patek. Since it was a pre-1975 model patek does not "service" anymore (read: through an accredited more or less local watchmaker), but "restoration". That's also because the parts may not be available anymore and in that case will be actually manufactured anew. That means that the watch had to go to Switzerland. Well, to Munich first, for the assessment and then to Switzerland. After the assessment, if you refuse the quotation, they will send it back to you, but via insured value mailing service which you would have to pay (around 400€). I went the whole nine yards and they actually changed the hands, which had a nice patina, alas, but there was some humidity inside. Enamel dial remained thank God.
Now to your case, I don't know what rolex policies are, and probably rolexes are simply more widespread and it's easier to source spares. In your case I would simply go to a watchmaker that knows his craft. A patek would be another matter, I don't think many actual watchmakers have ever seen the movement inside my grandfather's patek.
Not to mention the cost...

 

[Hesekiel]

A watch like this you never send to Rolex for service, even if you were a multi-millioinaire. First, they replace everything on your dime, and secondly they charge you an arm, a leg, and a pint of blood for it. For regular service, even polishing if you like, or a new crystal you send it to an independent watch maker that's specialized in Rolex and doesn't take advantage of you. I second the recommendation to send it to @Oascom .

 

[TESLA760]

As has been previously noted, make sure you have someone with experience in vintage watches work on this. The last thing you want is some hack getting their hands on it and ruining the watch. Do some research on what your options are.

 

[victurchen]

Thank you guys very much for the input!!

When finding a watchmaker, are there things I should look for in a good and reliable watchmaker? (And how not to be bamboozled hahah)

There is a small watch store next to my job with a watchmaker that has (supposedly) 20 years experience at Rolex. Good reviews on Google as well. I'm considering having them quote a service for me

As for sending it to @Oascom, do you guys think shipping it overseas and back is a fairly safe thing to do? I live in Brazil and I assume the store is in the US

 

[tripdog]

Thank you guys very much for the input!!

When finding a watchmaker, are there things I should look for in a good and reliable watchmaker? (And how not to be bamboozled hahah)

There is a small watch store next to my job with a watchmaker that has (supposedly) 20 years experience at Rolex. Good reviews on Google as well. I'm considering having them quote a service for me

As for sending it to @Oascom, do you guys think shipping it overseas and back is a fairly safe thing to do? I live in Brazil and I assume the store is in the US

You're not in the US, I wouldn't be shipping genuine Rolex across borders if I were you. Just find a good, well qualified watchmaker in your country who can service the movement. Do not use a Rolex service centre as they will change the dial, the hands and probably several other parts too.
If you want it polished, just ask the watchmaker to lightly restore the case, you don't want him removing half the metal of the case trying to remove every single scratch.

 

[victurchen]

Update: took the watch to a local watchsmith with a lot of good reviews. Getting there, despite his shop being very humble, I saw a few expensive watches and he showed me another women's rolex he was working on, which gave me a little more confidence to work with him

He started examining the watch to evaluate what needed servicing, but couldn't open the back of the case. He told me he needed to take it to his other shop where he had the proper tools and maybe the case needed some grease in order to open. He alleged the grooves were worn out and the rubber could've aged and made it hard to open

I left the watch there Friday (4 days ago) and he still hasn't been able to open the case. Do you guys have any clue if this is something that happens to old watches at all? I don't think he's scamming me, but I kinda wanna drop by tomorrow and take it back. Might just end up taking it to a Rolex service center to see what they have to say, idk

The weirdest thing is, I took it to another watchsmith before him and he said he opened it without a problem. He even said his service would be US$470 (2.5k brl) for replacing the acrylic, cleaning the movement, polishing the case, and fixing the cracked part of the bracelet.

Doesn't make sense to me that this first guy opened the case with ease and now this guy I'd having such a hard time. Seems off...

Here are pictures the 2nd guy took the day I left the watch there:

 

[tripdog]

Maybe the 1st one lied when he said he opened it without problem, or maybe he cross threaded it when he screwed it back in place.

 

[Procurator]

Id bet on the latter.

 

[victurchen]

If that's the case, is there anything I could do besides curl up and cry?

 

[Procurator]

If he stripped the threads, crying is honestly your only option, because short of changing the case and caseback, its not possible to repair. Welding and retapping is sort of an option, but I know of maybe 2 watchmakers with tools, skillset and balls big enough to undergo such an operation. That said, they do exist and some even specialize in this sort of “resurections”.

I presume, that the 2nd bloke has enough experience to know, not to go over a certain torque (even tho the RLX tool allows you to go full force), which is likely the reason, he didnt open it up yet.

But if he didnt strip it and just lied about opening it up easily, then your guess is as good as mine and until your 2nd watchsmith opens it up, we have no way of knowing whats the culprit.

 

[Tommy’S]

Easy, come back to the watchsmith that open the watch and ask him
If he could openit again…ask and pay for the price of the opening!!!

 

[Procurator]

Solid advice.
That way any liability is on him. I would not mention, that you had the watch by another watchsmith.
Even tho, it does not save you the damage of a vintage piece, which likely has some sentimental value.

 

[victurchen]

Thank you so much for the help guys

Unfortunately for me, I have already told watchman 1's assistant about watchman 2, so I'm not sure I can pull that one off.

A few other reasons why I don't wanna take it back to watchman 1:
a) If he actually lied about opening it, that's not the type of person I wanna be back with.
b) If he caused the cross threading, that's also a reason for me not to go back there.

The only other possibility would be W#1 opened it and closed successfully and W#2 is just incompetent, which I think is not very likely.

I think I'll just leave the watch with W#2 for now, as it seems like he knows his stuff better. Do you guys think it makes sense? Sigh

 

[Procurator]

For the service job, 100% your thinking is correct.

However, you run the risk of paying for watchmaker #1’s mistake with no compensation from him.
That being said, now its a guessing game, you really need to get the watch opened to see if theres any damage and its severity and decide the next steps accordingly.

 

[leonduchateau]

My goodness, just read all above. Think we’ve all been in similar situations - will light a candle for a good outcome

 

[Rx4Time]

Looking at the pictures above, especially the one from the side between the lugs, the caseback looked pretty even and flush. I'd think there would be some visible ofset of the caseback if it was cross threaded? I'm holding hope for you that the first watchsmith didn't open it up and just gave a generic quote of cost to repair.