What Does Rolex Service Include? Complete Guide
A Rolex watch can last a lifetime. As a matter of fact, it can last for generations when maintained properly.
Whilst Rolex watches are considered some of the most robust and long-lasting timepieces, they occasionally need to be serviced. All Rolex watches, with the exception of a few models following the quartz crisis in the 1970s, are mechanical. This means that they are powered by mechanical movements containing hundreds of small parts that work in harmony to create a functioning movement. And like all mechanical machines, they need to be serviced and maintained to function properly and accurately. Just like you service your car, you need to service your watch.
Due to the complexity of mechanical movements, and in particular Rolex movements, servicing a Rolex watch requires expertise, know-how, and the right equipment and tools.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about Rolex servicing.
Rolex service VS independent watchmakers
Before we begin, we need to highlight the fact that there is a difference between a Rolex service and having your Rolex watch serviced by an independent watchmaker.
Rolex has so-called service centers around the world. Most of these are authorized dealers who also have watchmakers and a workshop in-house. But in some places, like Texas and New York, Rolex also owns service centers that are dedicated to servicing Rolex watches.
According to the retailer agreement that official Rolex retailers enter, they are required to have Rolex-trained watchmakers on-site as well as their own workshop. In Rolex’s own words:
“Every Official Rolex Retailer and Rolex affiliate is authorized to receive your Rolex watch for servicing.”
Rolex service centers are only awarded this status if they have professional watchmakers who have been educated by Rolex and gone through different types of educations and tests to learn the ins-and outs of Rolex watches and how to service them. Rolex puts utmost importance in these educations to ensure that official Rolex service centers have the proper know-how to service a Rolex watch properly and consistently.
As such, you can expect that when you have your Rolex serviced by a Rolex service center, the watchmaker knows what they are doing and will make sure to correctly and properly service your watch.
Independent watchmakers, on the other hand, are watchmakers that are in no way affiliated with Rolex. Different types of watchmakers have received different levels of training and in different places. As such, their skill levels may vary a lot depending on where you have your watch serviced. Whilst some independent watchmakers are ex-Rolex watchmakers (meaning that they have received education from Rolex), most of them aren’t. Some are even self-taught.
With that said, independent watchmakers are generally less specialized when it comes to Rolex watches and may do a less good of a job. However, we say maybe because this is not always true. In fact, some independent watchmakers are better and more experienced than Rolex watchmakers. The most important thing is therefore to make sure you find an experienced and reputable watchmaker with the proper expertise if you choose to have your watch serviced by an independent watchmaker.
In general, the main benefit of having your watch servied by an independent watchmaker is that the service cost is usually lower than if you have the watch serviced by a Rolex service center. You can read our complete guide to Rolex servicing costs here.
Rolex service vs Service center
Most of the time, your watch will be serviced by the local Rolex service center to which you leave your Rolex watch for service. However, in some cases, your watch will actually be sent to Rolex in Switzerland for servicing.
The most common reason for this is if you have a complicated Rolex watch for which the watchamakers that are there don’t have the required training.
The Rolex watchmaking training is done in multiple steps and a Rolex watchmakers becomes certified to work on different (and more complicated) movements the more training they take part in. Therefore, if the service center doesn’t have the required training to work on your watch, it may need to be sent to Rolex. If this is the case, a highly experienced and trained in-house Rolex watchmaker will carry out the service of your watch according to strict Rolex servicing standards.
Another reason why your watch may be sent to Rolex in Switzerland is if you have a very old Rolex. If you have a very old Rolex watch, the level of difficulty in servicing it is greatly increased. As such, the only watchmakers that have enough know-how and expertise to ensure that the service is carried out properly may be Rolex’s own in-house watchmakers.
What does Rolex service include?
Rolex describes the service process in 12 different steps. Naturally, what a Rolex service includes depends on your watch and the condition of it. Similar to a car, one may have to replace a bunch of worn-out parts, whilst another car may only need a maintenance check and oil change. But in general, Rolex watches go through a 12-step process when they are serviced. Some of the steps may be omitted in sme cases, if requested by the client.
In addition to the 12 servicing steps, the first step is the receipt of the watch where the staff notes any requests you may have. For example, you may specifically mention that you don’t want the watch to be serviced, or you may request to have the bracelet exchanged for a new one. Following this, the watch is taken to a watchmaker.
The 12 Rolex servicing steps include the following:
- Assessment of the watch
- Preparation for servicing (removal of bracelet and movement)
- Dismantling of the movement
- Cleaning of the components
- Assembly and lubrication of the movement
- Refinishing of the case and bracelet
- Assembly of the case
- Casing of the movement
- Precision test
- Waterproofness test
- Final control
- Returning the watch
“Rolex has a worldwide network of service centres dedicated to maintaining the watches it produces. The watchmakers in our cutting-edge workshops are trained according to strict excellence criteria and assessed regularly by Rolex.”
Rolex servicing step by step
Let’s go through the Rolex servicing step-by-step in detail.
1.Assessment of the watch
The first step of the Rolex service process involves assessing the watch. This means that the watch is examined in detail by the watchmaker to define what work needs to be done. They assess it to get a good understanding of the condition of the watch and how extensive the service and repair will be. If the watch is in overall good condition, there will be no need to exchange external components and perhaps only a few movement components. In this case, the cost of the service will be the standard cost. However, if the watch is in a poor condition, more parts need to be exchanged which will naturally add to the service cost.
After the watch has examined, the watchmaker will make a cost estimate of the work that need to be done. The client then needs to approve the estimate before the watchmaker can get started with the service.
2. Preparation for servicing
Once the watchmaker has gotten the approval from you that they can proceed with the service, the servicing process will begin.
The first step of the service is to remove the bracelet to access the case back and in turn the movement. The case back will be screwed off and the movement will be removed from the case. At this point, the dial and hands are still fitted to the movement.
The movement is removed to make it possible to work on the movement separately. But during the service process, the case and the bracelet will also be worked on separately, predominantly cleaned and polished.
3.Dismantling of the movement
Once the movement has been removed from the case, it will be completely disassembled. Because most Rolex movements consist of hundreds of tiny and delicate part, this is a tedious task that requires a steady hand and great patience. Note also that lastly, the movement needs to be assembled again. These two steps explain why Rolex watch services are not cheap, because they come with a great deal of complexity that requires the proper skills.
When the movement has been completely disassembled, each part will be carefully examined to determine their condition and whether certain parts need to be replaced with new ones. Or in Rolex’s own words: “Those that no longer meet Rolex requirements are systematically replaced. ”
4.Cleaning of components
Following the disassembly of the movement, the components are cleaned in an ultrasonic bath. This is done to remove all traces of impurities such as dirt and old lubricants.
5. Assembly and lubrication of the movement
When the movement components have been cleaned, it is time to reassemble and lubricate the movement. This is the most difficult part of the whole servicing process. A watchmaker needs to know exactly where all of the tiny components should go and need to reassemble the movement with utmost precsision. During the reassembly process, the parts that need to be lubricated (parts that are subject to a lot of friction, including jewels) get new lubricants. Here, it is important that the watchmaker applies just the right amount.
Following the reassembly of the movement, the watchmaker makes the first adjuments to the movement’s accuracy and precision.
6. Refinishing of the case and bracelet
Now that the movement is reassembled, the case and bracelet need to be polished before the movement can go on to be mounted into the case. If you have requested that your watch is not polished, the watchmaker will skip this step. Rolex watchmakers are educated to polish Rolex watches back to factory finish to make them look just like new. Achieving a like-new look with the polishing is a tedious task that requires a great level of precision. It also requires that the watchmaker has access to the correct tools and polishing equipment for the task.
Before polishing the watch, the case parts are disassembled, if applicable to the model that is being servied.
7. Assembly of the case
Once the case has been polished and all components are ready, the case components are reassembled. This includes reassembling things like the rotating bezel (if applicable) and putting new seals in place. In this step, the case is also tested for waterproofness.
8. Casing of the movement
When the case has been reassembled and tested for waterproofness, the dial is fitted to the movement. After this, the hands are added.
9. Precision test
Following the casing of the movement, the watchmaker performs a series of tests to ensure the proper functioning of the movement and that the movement is running accurately. If necessary, the watchmaker will perform final adjustments. Once the watchmaker is happy with the performance, the case back will be screwed back on. Each timepiece will be checked and tested for at least 24 hours to reassure that it functions the way it should.
10. Waterproofness test
With everything reassembled and the movement has been cased, the whole watch is pressure-tested in water to ensure that the case is hermetically sealed and is watertight. Once this has been confirmed, the bracelet is refitted to the case.
11.Final control and inspection
Now we reach the final step of the service process and it is time for a final inspection. Here, the watchmaker checks that the watch is functioning properly and also that the watch looks flawless and perfect. They check so that the polishing was done correctly and that the watch doesn’t have any scratches.
12.Returning the watch
Last but not least, once all parts of the service are complete, it is time for the watch to be returned to the owner. When your watch has been serviced by a Rolex service center, it will be accompanied by a 2-year international guarantee which covers “replacement parts and labour.”
How often should you service your Rolex watch?
Rolex advises that you should service your watch every 10 years. However, how often you need to service you watch ultimately depends on how you wear it. If you wear the watch carefully and only occasionally, 10 years is likely a reasonable estimate. However, if you wear it in harsh environments and consistently subject it to shocks and bangs, you may need to service it more frequently. The way you wear and use your Rolex watch will ultimately affect the level of wear and tear you put on the watch and the movement, which will affect the service intervals.
However, Rolex advises 10 years because over time, the gaskets will dry out and so will the lubricants inside the movement. As such, even if the movement is running well with good accuracy, dried out lubricants will ultimately lead to near friction to the components and potentially a more expensive service further down the road as more components will need to be replaced.
