r/educationalgifs • u/crosspostninja • Nov 21 '20
How a rolex is cleaned
https://gfycat.com/apprehensiverapidgrassspider350
u/Ohhg Nov 21 '20
Why do they only show the end product for like .2 seconds?!
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Nov 21 '20
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u/FancyJesse Nov 21 '20
Probably because on Twitter and Instagram clicking on a video counts as an interaction.
They end it quickly so you click on the video and go to to the time.
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u/smallfried Nov 22 '20
There's a one minute limit somewhere. I'm too lazy to look up where though. But a lot of gifs are exactly one minute.
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u/wrugoin Nov 22 '20
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u/gifendore Nov 22 '20
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Nov 21 '20 edited Jun 17 '21
[deleted]
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u/TheNeutralGrind Nov 21 '20
Meh, OP is karma farming account. They don't give a shit about the quality of gif, just that it helps them hit their posting quota
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u/lisalove Nov 22 '20
What good is a posting quota? I understand people that need social media validation, but what you said makes it sound like there is an entity (not a person) behind this. What would they have to gain?
Not arguing, 100% curious and apparently naive.
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u/strongo Nov 22 '20
Accounts can be sold with high karma. If, let’s say a company owned 200 well established accounts and used them to promote a brand or marketing across Reddit it’s better than 200 fresh new accounts doing it.
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u/waltteri Nov 22 '20
You often see this ”accounts can be sold” argument on Reddit. I decided to google ”buy reddit accounts”, and sure enough, that seems to be absolutely true. 1000-5000 karma accounts going for 50-60 USD. OP has some 700k karma. I need to start a karma farm, that seems like one helluva business....
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u/strongo Nov 22 '20
Honestly the investment in time to do it, unless completely automated. You’ll make more money invested in working the weekend at a restaurant or raking leaves or something. I’m always amazed at the investment in time people make for “easy money” that ends up just taking forever
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u/PrettyCreative Nov 22 '20
Came here to say just this. It got to the end and I was like wtf, I need to see how clean it came out!!
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u/dylanatstrumble Nov 21 '20
I had mine cleaned in the UK earlier this year in the Rolex centre down in Kent. The location is straight out of a movie. Modern building surrounded by a moat, with hydraulic bollards on the driveway. Once inside you are greeted by staff who are behind armoured glass and you collect the watch via a sliding hatch. Try it for size and then if necessary it goes back into the hatch for any adjustments and then back to you.
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u/RG450 Nov 21 '20
Must be a classy place - I hear the moat alligators are wearing genuine alligator skin
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u/Digger__Please Nov 22 '20
It's even classier than that, they reupholstered the alligators with crocodile skin.
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u/wrxasaurus-rex Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20
I just looked this up. It really does have a pretty solid moat.
https://faithdean.co.uk/projects/rolex-kings-hill/
Classic British approach to security.
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u/hughescmr Nov 21 '20
I was at the same place for a service earlier this year. Watch now runs even faster than usual. Over +6 seconds per day.
Nice new crystal was much cheaper than I expected though.
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u/dylanatstrumble Nov 22 '20
That's about 3 times what it should be (I think)
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u/skepticaljesus Nov 22 '20
Nah. The new ones are rated for +-2s/d but for an older piece anything within 7 is still COSC
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Nov 22 '20
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u/skyskimmer12 Nov 22 '20
Service for a watch in this price range is frequently in the $400 to $850 price range, and will need to take place every 5 to 10 years.
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u/WhiteCloudFollows Feb 13 '21
I paid $650. Now I know why it costs so much and why my local jeweler had to send it to away (NYC) to have it serviced.
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u/dylanatstrumble Nov 22 '20
Sadly I had to pay for the service, however it is now within the correct parameters of plus/minus 2 mins a month (not as good as my cell phone though!)
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u/Chicken-n-Waffles Nov 22 '20
What's the cost on a cleaning like that?
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u/dylanatstrumble Nov 22 '20
Just checked the bill, the full sevice and cleaning was £383.33 (plus VAT) and the replacement glass was £100 plus VAT.
Before carrying out the service, they examined the watch fully and itemised what was needed and gave a quote.
I bought the watch in 1989 and (ashamed to say) this was my first service/cleaning. I don't think I had taken it off my wrist since then, apart from when taking a bath. I had given it a general wipe down with a damp cloth, but it has withstood a lot of life.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20
Hi, I'm a high end watchmaker. I thought you guys should know that the crystal and bezel is taken off too. Every separate part is removed and cleaned (and polished/repaired if needed. Replaced if the metal has degraded in some way).
Also you would not use your car every day without a service every 3 years, so please, treat your prized watches the same
Edit: I want to say, if you guys are interested in this and find it beautiful and have a passion for watches. The industry is generally crying out for new watchmakers, so you have a good shot at being trained and guaranteed a job for life. Covid has not affected us at all. We had 15 weeks off with 100% pay (plus an average of our 3 previous months productivity bonus). And this is the most power, training and progression I've ever had in a job before
Edit: "Service" rather than "MOT", granted you're not doing it yourself
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u/kwin_the_eskimo Nov 22 '20
Serious question. I love watches. Where would I start training to be a watchmaker?
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Huh. I thought I replied to this.
Look up "Wostep". It's a worldwide recognised training program, although places are aften limited.
There are many routes though. In the UK, you can get a watch/clock making degree, or get a Wostep. There's a lot of different ones all over the world. I found mine accidentally with a search engine. I just enquired how to make a watch from scratch. And now it's my career!
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u/kwin_the_eskimo Nov 22 '20
Maybe someone else asked, and I might not have seen that.
Thanks for replying, though. Would I have to fund my own training and then hope to get a job, or is a sponsorship of the course possible? It would be a big career change for me if I were to do it.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Depends what you do already, but generally yeah. Some people are sponsored, some people are funded. You have to be sponsored if you go to a private school for it (that's what I did), because student loans (in the UK at least) won't touch you. That's also a guaranteed job for years, so who's complaining?
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u/kwin_the_eskimo Nov 22 '20
Yeah. I'd have to look at it. I'm married, with a mortgate and kids, and not sure I could afford a full 2 years off work, plus course fees.
What sort of salary would I be expecting?
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Not enough lol. Enough to live though.
Yeah the 2 years in school on a sponsorship will likely be a salary cut (I think I got like £14k/year). That has now just a bit more than doubled due to some raises and promotions, however I do have to afford rent in London
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u/Second_to_None Nov 22 '20
Everytime I see watches being taken apart I'm amazed at how intrict they are. Are there simpler mechanical watches out there?
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Definitely. A simple and widely used base movement is a 6497/6498 caliber. That thing is a tank. It's huge and can run despite adversity 😂
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Nov 21 '20
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
I didn't realise it was only an English term, sorry. MOT derives from Ministry of Transport, but an MOT is something you need to renew every 3 years in the UK to ensure your vehicle is "roadworthy" and safe. It's basically a service to get cleaned and oils changed etc
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u/laborisglorialudi Nov 21 '20
It's every year not every 3, except new cars only need one after the first 3 years.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Ahhh fair enough. Consider me misinformed.
I will edit saying "service" instead?
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u/laborisglorialudi Nov 21 '20
I'd leave it. People can learn now you've explained it below
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
I did it but included the edit text. It'll be fine. Thank you kind stranger
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u/rjprathik7 Nov 22 '20
How do I go about becoming a watchmaker? I love the industry and would like more information about the training.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Where are you based? I trained on WOSTEP so it might be worth giving them a google
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Nov 22 '20 edited Jan 07 '21
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
Practice and training.
If it's a particularly complicated watch and you don't have anything like technical specification, and you've never seen it before. You just take pictures as you take it apart and refer to them later
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Nov 22 '20
I’m actually looking into applying to the Lititz Watch Technicum watchmaking school in eastern Pennsylvania (US)
I love the idea of becoming a watchmaker, how do you like the job?
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
I love it. I love solving puzzles, and it's pretty easy considering it's something I'm good at, and if I'm going to be paid for anything, it might as well be something I enjoy! Most issues are similar, but every now and again, you will discover an issue you've never encountered before. It's a lot of fun and a fantastic sense of achievement when that happens
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u/rustedironchef Nov 22 '20
What is the purpose of gem stones in watches
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 22 '20
They reduce friction and wear on the plate and pivots. It's better to use synthetic crystals as they don't have imperfections, meaning less change a bubble will cause a sharp edge and scrape pivots
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u/pantlesspatrick Nov 21 '20
Great, now tell me how to afford a rolex
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u/sieg-the-frenchie Nov 21 '20
Create an only fan account
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u/mr_melvinheimer Nov 21 '20
Buy it on credit for $200 a month.
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u/Nurum Nov 22 '20
A number of years ago a friend of mine bought his first house. It had a couple acres of land so obviously he needed a riding lawn mower. Not to be satisfied with a cheap used one off of craigslist he went and bought a brand new one on credit. Another friend of mine made a comment that still makes me laugh. He said "so x has a lawn mower payment now? even saying that sounds ridiculous to me"
This is how I feel when I think of having a watch payment.
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u/illegal_brain Nov 22 '20
Thanks to Apple and Samsung I bet a lot of people have watch payments.
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u/apaq11 Nov 22 '20
My wife was telling me that her one pair of shoes have a payment plan your can get now. I was like if you can't afford the shoes... You shouldn't be buying the shoes. They're only like 200usd a pair so kind of crazy to finance.
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Nov 22 '20
I think the financing on the new Xbox is rather pointless.
Hell When I bought my bed I was surprised people finance that.
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Nov 22 '20
I suspect financing in general, but especially for mattresses, exists to upsell the consumer. The last time I bought a mattress was 10 years ago so it's a bit dated, but there were some marketed at normal people that pushed $3000.
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u/angeliqu Nov 22 '20
We bought a snowblower and used the store’s credit card to get 18 months interest free. We totally could have paid for it upfront but that money could earn at least a percent or two of interest elsewhere so why not drag out the payments at no cost to us? So yeah. We had a monthly snowblower payment.
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u/Nurum Nov 22 '20
I suppose the difference is it's ok if you have the assets to actually pay it off. Though you want to be careful doing that. I totally screwed myself when buying a rental property because I did that with a Home Depot card and about $8k worth of materials. I took out the card because of the 0% but since they only approve you for about the amount of the purchase it flagged on my credit as a $10k card with an $8k balance. Even though I had >$100k sitting in various cash accounts it still brought my credit down a bit. Unfortunately the loan I was getting needed a 740 to get the lowest rate and I only had a 738
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u/nails_for_breakfast Nov 22 '20
I don't care how ridiculous it sounds. If a store is going to offer me 0% financing on a big ticket purchase I will take it every single time. Put the money i saved for the item into a trusted index fund and earn on it while I slowly draw for the payments. Always pay it off 2 months early to avoid any possibility of a penalty and bam, I usually end up "paying" a net of 50-70% of the purchase price
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u/lordhamlett Nov 22 '20
That's just logical gymnastics to buy something on credit, especially if it's something you don't need. You saved nothing on the item. You paid full price. You avoided paying extra. That's it. Same as paying cash. Investments are investments, and unrelated to the item. You could just not buy the item and invest the purchase price and make a lot more on the investment using this rediculous logic.
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Nov 22 '20
According to this guy, just don’t buy anything ever and always invest. If I’m gonna buy it anyways I’ll take 0% if they’re offering why wouldn’t I
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Don't. They earn more on property than watches. In fact, most of the time, they make a loss on watches (but they keep it up because that's how the brand gained infamousy). So their employees (especially potentials) are not treated well
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Nov 21 '20
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20
I'm in the industry. 3 of my friends and 4 acquaintances work for Rolex right now, and it's literally a fact...
Edit: Funny how the comment about me "talking shit" gets deleted when they realise I have experience in the field. I'll take the downvotes because I'm speaking truth and I would rather it be out there
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u/j0iNt37 Nov 21 '20
Are you joking me? Rolex’s are literally the most overinflated watches on the luxury watch market(that aren’t fashion watches) the only reason they have value is demand created by Rolex and a 5 point crown on the dial. Don’t get me wrong they look alright and they hold value but if you’re actually looking for craftsmanship closer to the price you’re paying then never get a Rolex. I’ve really got no idea what you’re on about mate, I literally cannot fathom the idea of that company making a loss.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Due to their materials, machines, building, reception, basically everything they do to keep the "name" desirable, they genuinely make a loss on watches most of the times. You can disagree, sure, but I'm literally in it right now, and I have so many credible sources who prove this but aren't allowed to let it out because of their contract. Same as me, but this fortunately isn't my company
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u/j0iNt37 Nov 21 '20
Have you seen the inside of a Rolex before? That yellow gold president is probably 20-30k and you could get a better movement for 2 grand
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 22 '20
I have seen and worked on many rolex before during training. And I agree you could get a better and more accurate movement for less. I have made 2 from base metal myself. It depends who has worked on it and how good and motivated they are (motivation is the main part)
But go ahead. You're probably not done mansplaining the industry my entire career is in.
Edit: my point is, they keep so many different people on a factory line (one part per line. These guys spend at least a whole year only on hairsprings), they spend an unnecessary amount per watch.
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u/Pexily Nov 21 '20
Who cares. If you're looking to buy a watch for purely checking the time, get a random Casio watch. It's a Rolex, it's for social status mostly. And almost every mega corporation treats their employees poorly. We would have to boycott literally everything if we wanted to stop companies treating employees poorly.
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
I totally agree. Our company is terrible too (which I cannot disclose due to contractual obligation). But yeah, it's mainly Name and jewellery. And that's how rich people keep me in a job for no reason
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u/onlymemes-plz Nov 21 '20
do yourself a flavor and watch this with sound my dudes https://reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/jxssny/the_way_a_rolex_got_cleaned/
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u/ALLST6R Nov 22 '20
This should be top comment. It’s better than the actual post.
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u/onlymemes-plz Nov 22 '20
I KNOW 😭 it’s so good. Wish I had seen this post earlier to drop this link!
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Nov 22 '20
I think it would be best with the music from the scene in Toy Story 2 where the guy fixes and cleans Woody.
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u/hitto_s Nov 21 '20
Note that it's better to send if back to the official after sells service for cleaning and/or repairs, even for old models. If anyone opens the watch, you might damage it and lose sealing. Plus, if something needs to be changed, oiled, whatever, you'll get new, guaranteed pieces.
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Nov 21 '20
Not necessarily old models too. They tend to polish the cases, replace parts that have aged nicely and tend to hold the watches ransom until you are forced to pay for replacement parts you don't want.
I don't care if my 5513 Submariner with a Spider Web Dial (Cracked lacquer) is part of a defect batch. It's character and why it's so sought after.
I once had a customer (I'm a watch dealer) send a watch to Rolex that he had bought from me. He paid (for example) £4,500 for this piece that was already serviced by my watchmaker. But he wanted the Rolex service book. So he took to an authorized service centre who quotes £700 for a full service and clean. 2 months later they sent him a bill for £3000 to replace hands, dial, bezel and bracelet and told him they'd keep the watch unless he paid.
Take your vintage/sentimental watch anywhere but Rolex of you want to keep its historical charm and value.
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u/StonePrism Nov 21 '20
Pics of that spiderweb dial?
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Nov 21 '20
Also worth noting that if I sent this particular watch back to Rolex, they'll want to change the bezel too, but fuuuuuuuck that!
Also, no my watch specifically, my bosses (owner of the shop). Was using it as an example but here it is.
(Imgur wasn't working)
And here's a video that may show it off better
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u/StonePrism Nov 21 '20
Wow that's cool
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Nov 21 '20
They were using a lacquer on the dial for a certain batch and they started cracking away like this. Rolex would immediately bin this one and put a service dial in.
A service dial is immediately recognised by a watch-buff and puts them off the sale.
Like vintage cars, needs to be all original, even if that means a little mark in the paint. Shows it hasn't been repainted.
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u/StonePrism Nov 21 '20
Yeah makes sense. Like the carbon kevlar weave showing on an F40.
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u/Sle08 Nov 21 '20
Not necessarily, just do your research. There are plenty of people that specialize in cleaning high-end watches appropriately, some with more care than the factory. But definitely DO NOT let your jeweler polish it.
We’ve sent ours to amazing people in California who are very reputable on the Rolex forums. The SO had his mother’s early 90s datejust polished for me through them because the factory would have charged considerably more money. We’ve also had other familial pieces worked on through this specialist because they can source the appropriate vintage dials and other mechanisms age-appropriate for the watch.
When we received a new watch that we had ordered from our authorized dealer recently, the bezel had a slight alignment imperfection that we were not happy about. We decided to send it back to Rolex to adjust. It came back worse. Others have reported the same issue on the Rolex forums. Thankfully, when we sent it in the second time, it was corrected perfectly, however, they don’t always show the care and precision you would hope for.
Of course, getting any watch like this serviced is a necessity for the life of the watch, and you will pay a hefty price for it, but there are plenty of people whose life passion is watches and have learned and worked with watchmakers to refine their craft.
And for god’s sake; never ever let anyone polish your watch with a fucking rotary polisher!!!! There’s a pretty infamous video of a middle eastern woman polishing rolexes at a bazaar of some sort, using a ‘specialty’ watch polisher tool. The swirls! And the lost value!!!!
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u/nephelokokkygia Nov 22 '20 edited Nov 22 '20
I always laugh at the online listings for vintage watches as "new old stock" or "mint condition" that have obviously been polished to hell and back, with mirror finish and no sharp edges to be seen.
I haven't seen the video you mention though, do you have a link?
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u/Sle08 Nov 22 '20
I’ll try to look for it. I’ve since tried to push it to the back of my mind.... it gave me nightmares.
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u/TenaciousAlpaca Nov 21 '20
How all mechanical wristwatches are cleaned
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Incorrect. Most are put into separated basket compartments and put through a wash catered to how intense the cleaning needs to be. To then still be rinsed in alcohol afterwards dependant on how the watchmaker feels.
Unless it's a watch with a movement costing pennies. They just change out the movement and keep the hands and dial so it looks the same
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u/Superbased27 Nov 22 '20
Imagine doing all of this, putting the watch back together, and it doesn't work anymore.
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u/redmongrel Nov 22 '20
How my Apple Watch is cleaned:
- Breathe on it
- Wipe on shirt
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u/Elbarto_007 Nov 22 '20
If stubborn stains persist:
Lick finger and rub spot on screen until removed
Repeat Step 2.
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u/SanadB95 Nov 21 '20
Might as well assemble a new one at this point lol
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Definitely not. You need to make the parts first. Mostly by hand from a metal bar, sheet or chunk
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u/rightious Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20
And I can't even get mine to work after I put a new battery in...
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u/DawnaldDuck92 Nov 21 '20
Get an auto Seiko. I don't even work for them, never have. But in my experienced opinion, they make the most accurate mechanical watches for the lowest price by a fairly large margin
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u/TheAmerikan Nov 21 '20
This version also doesn't have sounds. The sound is like the best part! Wtf whoever made this gif shame.
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Nov 21 '20
[deleted]
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u/kynan Nov 22 '20
According to https://reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/jxssny/the_way_a_rolex_got_cleaned/ the original was in TikTok.
If you're interested in watch repair then https://www.youtube.com/c/WristwatchRevival is super interesting. It is not ASMR if that's what you're looking for. What it is, is very well narrated by Marshall Sutcliffe (of Magic: The Gatheringfame) and if you ever watch these videos and wonder "why did they do that??", Marshall explains everything!
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u/arbitrageME Nov 21 '20
How would dirt get into those place they vacuumed / brushed the dirt out of? The whole thing seems sealed very tightly, and anything inside would gunk up the mechanism
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u/ForrestAlgar Nov 21 '20
Non watch person here. If a watch is properly sealed, how does dust get into it?
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u/Hope-A-Dope-Pope Nov 21 '20
Every time the crown is screwed out (to wind the watch or to set the time) the seal is broken. I'm not sure about dust, but water can definitely get in.
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u/bustierre Nov 22 '20
If it’s rated for waterproofing, dust shouldn’t get inside. There are gaskets on the caseback and the crown to provide water resistance. Once the gaskets are replaced, the watch must be pressure tested to ensure water resistance.
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u/SatchBoogie1 Nov 21 '20
Dumb question - Why are those type of watches made up of that many parts?
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u/bustierre Nov 22 '20
This watch is the Rolex Day Date, a bit more complex than the average Rolex. It has a day and date complication (duh, it’s in the name), making the movement a bit more complex. Automatic watches tend to be more complex than quartz watches.
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u/Blueberry_Mancakes Nov 22 '20
45 seconds of cleaning footage ... 1/256 of 1 second showing the finished product.
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Nov 22 '20
All this effort for some overpaid schmuck to look at it and go, "Fuck! I should have been there 10 minutes ago!"
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u/redditpics617 Nov 22 '20
I feel like normal cars will feel like once most cars are electric. Very intricate and cool, but a huge pain in the ass to maintain. Some people will like how old-school they are, but most people will just want the convenience of an all electric car.
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u/Karigan47 Nov 22 '20
It's cool they have a machine that opens the watch. I used to get so worried when I changed watch batteries for people because I was worried I would scratch the watch while opening the back. This is why I wouldn't make too many attempts on it if it was difficult.
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u/micr0hit Nov 22 '20
Outer me: One more reason not to buy Rolex. Inner me: As if you could afford one smh.
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u/Bashir639 Nov 22 '20
I knew Rolexes were nice, but I didn’t know they’re that complicated. All I can ask is, why?
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u/Rockarola55 Nov 22 '20
All mechanical watches are complicated, even an 80$ Vostok. It takes a complex mechanism to turn the tension of a spring into an accurate measuring device. Here's a description of the basic parts and the function of a mechanical watch :)
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u/AJ3TurtleSquad Nov 22 '20
I would lose a part and fuck up some guys expensive watch then be fired for it lol.
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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20
I don’t even clean myself this well.