# Repairing A Rolex



## Chukas (Aug 7, 2008)

Need some advice please on fixing a rolex for my Dad.

We were putting up some scaffolding in a church and he has managed to smash the face of his rolex datejust.

It's not the first time this has happend as he did the same thing when helping me renovate my flat a few years back.

Last time we put it to Ernest Jones and they sent it away and it cost Â£800 as they had to give it a full service as well.

Now to the Question,is he cheaper sending it himself to rolex or going through Ernest jones?

I think there is a Rolex repair center in London?

Not sure of the value of the watch,it's just a whitegold Datejust.

Thanks in advance for any help 

Brian.


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

It depends if you want the Rolex treatment and are willing to pay for that...

Any decent watch repair place could fit a generic crystal for a fraction of what Rolex would charge....

Sending it directly to Rolex is easy enough, they are at St James Square in London, they do a superb job but will take a while, for Â£800 they must have done a shit load of work or EJ put on a huge margin....


----------



## Chukas (Aug 7, 2008)

He will definately put it to Rolex,one way or another,just for peace of mind!!

Last time they said bits of crystal could of went into the movement so thats why it cost so much!

How much should i be looking at for a new face?


----------



## itsguy (Nov 16, 2009)

One can only hope that after the second time, he's learned not to wear a Rolex when putting up scaffolding! :bored:

Rolex St James is a pleasant visit, plus you can see some lovely overpriced vintage Rolex in the arcade on the other side of Piccadilly, and a fine collection of vintage Omegas in the last shop a bit further up (parallel to the bottom of Bond St). Hope someone else has more useful info about the price.


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Do you have the exact reference of the watch ?

There is a guy I know in the US that may have a dial

[email protected] super guy and a very trusted dealer ( Im sorry I read face as crystal when I read your post for some reason...)


----------



## Chukas (Aug 7, 2008)

It is the crystal Jase not the face,my mistake!!

He won't learn itsguy,he wears it all the time from golfing,going to the pub and even putting up scaffolding 

I will try and get some pictures up,even though my photography is diabolical!!


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Trouble with Rolex is they will try to press you into a full service at the same time as the new glass.... They will say the same thing as last time about the bits, I recon at a good independant you would be looking at Â£150-200 for generic glass and full service and probably what it cost last time at Rolex... There is nothing quite like the main dealer service and paperwork though, but it comes at a price.....

Is the glass shattered or just cracked? When I shattered a mineral glass on a RLT I didnt hack the movement and when the hands carried on moving it ruined the dial by dragging glass all over it :thumbsdown:


----------



## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

try andy at www.timeman.net he's a rolex expert and for sure has had to repair a few before flipping them...

he's based in hong kong/singapore/oz prices may be a bit more economical over there even for an official rolex repair.


----------



## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

Â£800???????? :jawdrop:

Avoid Ernest Jones at all costs if thats what it cost ya!

If the glass is a complete mess then most watchmakers will insist on performing a full service of the movement in case tiny shards of glass work their way through. Even so, how much is a service on a rolex, couple of hundred quid? Get yourself to an independant watchmaker. The turnaround at Rolex is horrendous, 8-10 weeks last I heard. If you can find a Rolex trained/accredited service centre you'll half that time and pay the same as if you sent to Rolex directly. I think there is an 'across the board' RRP, which prevents 3rd parties making ridiculous mark-ups.


----------



## Chukas (Aug 7, 2008)

This is the watch,it stopped at 3 mins past 12 and he never noticed until about 25 past so the second hand was hacking during this time.


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

EJs quote is about right. New hands, new dial, new datehweel and new crystal...all at MRP, plus whatever parts are damaged in the movt from the glass shards, and a full service after. A smashed glass is a watch killer thats for sure.


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Its worth noting that had this watch been one with an acrylic glass the outcome might have been different. Acrylic will crack but not smash/shatter quite like this, however it does mark easily. Sapphire is great at looking clean and nice, but less good at surviving impacts.

To get this fixed cheaper, find a new dial online or reuse the old one and live with the marks and then use an independent Rolex watchmaker, should be quite a bit cheaper that way.


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Ive been serching for this for you, http://nickhacko.blogspot.com/2009/06/repair-job-that-could-have-been-avoided.html


----------



## Chukas (Aug 7, 2008)

Thanks Jonw and Jase for your help!! 

Will show him the reply's and he will make up his own mind.

Does anyone know any independent rolex dealers in Aberdeen,Glasgow or Edinburgh??

Thanks again Brian.


----------



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

No worries happy to help.


----------



## Vieira (Feb 15, 2010)

Ouch! If it hurts when it happens with a cheap watch, I can't imagine with one of those!!


----------

