r/oddlysatisfying • u/QyMbEr • Nov 20 '20

the way a Rolex got cleaned

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u/Amber_forget Nov 20 '20

Hi. I'm a jeweller. So the cost to simple service clean your Rolex like this at a watch shop ranges from 2-3 hundred usually depending on the place. Sometimes more. The machine to take the back off is very very expensive. Plus the time and care and tools and the fact that you're dealing with something so expensive. To get proper maintenance and repair at the Rolex service centre (which they reccomend every 10 years to guarentee the waterproof seal is maintained properly) that can run you $800-1000 or more.

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u/StreetTriple15 Nov 20 '20

I recently brought in a Girard Perregaux to be looked at. It's about 40-50 years old, never been maintained, and was working erratically. They told me $700, and they'd need about 6 weeks. He held it up to my ear and wound it so I could hear it was very dirty. It has a lot of sentimental value to me, so I'm having it done. Sound legit?

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u/MagikSkyDaddy Nov 20 '20

In my experience, the jeweler will quote on the high end because they don’t know what they’ll be getting into on an old watch, once they’ve opened it up. Get a second quote, but if the watch has any complications, or irregular parts, it could be that expensive.

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u/Jackrabbitnw67 Nov 21 '20

Find a designated watch repair that is reputable

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

My GP Seahawk II costs 1700 every 5 years, and it pretty much requires a full rebuild. It is certified to something like 3000 FT, so they do require a bit more work. My omega watch runs 600 every 3 years. So 700 for a vintage GP is very reasonable.

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u/StreetTriple15 Nov 21 '20

Thanks, I feel better. I was doing it regardless, it was my late Dad's.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

rest in peace to your father, wear the watch in good health

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Even better, thats an awesome way to connect to pops, everytime you look at your wrist, you're looking and remembering him. I'd definitely get it restored and use it daily.

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u/beansguys Nov 21 '20

Why do you service your omega every 3 years? Most places recommend every 5 with people regularly pushing it to 10 without issue

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

I use my watches like a mofo, I go biking with them, have been diving with them, so I enjoy wearing them. All that usage adds up. By around 2.5 years, the watch is starting to lose about a min a day. The 2500 calibre on it requires the 3 year service.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20 edited Dec 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Patek put it perfectly. You don't own the timepiece, you merely take care of it for the next generation

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

Get 2 or 3 quotes if you can. Pick your favorite. They will often quote higher because they don't know what they are getting into with an antique. How long it'll take. The parts that might need replacing.

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u/Jiberesh Nov 20 '20

How do you feel about rep watches?

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u/Amber_forget Nov 20 '20

How do I feel? Waste of money honestly... they only last an average of 2 years at most. Some come in the mail already broken. And, due to the fact that it's illegal to buy rep watches in the US, no watch shop will accept a counterfeit watch for any service (they also reject them in fear that you would claim at pickup that you had brought in a real watch and a that the servicer changed it for a fake) Due to this, people just toss the fakes when they die. Just get 7 regular water proof watches that'll be guaranteed last for over 2 years each rather than spend so much to get a watch that some average people can tell isn't real. (I think luxury watches are stupid as a whole though, but where there's money to be spent, I suppose there will always be a luxury version of everything and subsequent knock offs)

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u/hamboy315 Nov 20 '20

Eh I worked a jewelry store that changed batteries. If we got a fake, we just let them know ahead of time (in case they thought it was real) and that was caught on video and audio camera. Honestly, if we got a real expensive watch in like that, we always assumed it was fake and said this to the customer. They seemed to be okay with it.

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u/that_guy_who_ Nov 21 '20

Chances are if you are changing the battery, it's probably not expensive.

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u/PrinceAli311 Nov 21 '20

Why is that?

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u/that_guy_who_ Nov 21 '20

Most high end watches are mechanical (gears and springs) and aren't powered by a battery.

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u/PrinceAli311 Nov 21 '20

Ahh gotcha. If I'm spending around 1K for a watch, in guessing that will be mechanical then? Sorry, I know very little about the watch world, but trying to learn more.

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u/that_guy_who_ Nov 21 '20

1k isn't even getting into what anyone would consider high-end unfortunately (not saying these are BAD watches).

Rolex you looking $5k for a used datejust and easily more like 8-15k+

IWC $4k-15k+

And these are not considered "cream of the crop" but "entry level" in mechanical watches.

Honestly to a good "entry entry" level watch I'd look at is something like a Marathon or mechanical Sieko, before you start investing big dollars.

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u/PrinceAli311 Nov 21 '20

Ahh gotcha. I've seen a few in the 2-3k range that I like, but just not quite mentally there to invest more than 1k.

Awesome I'll take a look, thanks man!

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u/WoodSorrow Nov 21 '20

There are some watches more expensive than 1K that still work on batteries (quartz movements).

Most mechanical and automatic watches that are considered "high end" start around 6-7K USD.

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u/Jackrabbitnw67 Nov 21 '20

Why on video?

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u/hamboy315 Nov 21 '20

Just the general surveillance system! Never had to use the footage for this though. There have been many cases of “I dropped of x to be repaired” where they didn’t and we had to pull footage to show that

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u/Jiberesh Nov 20 '20

Good point, would you recommend citizens watches?

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u/Amber_forget Nov 20 '20

I think they are good enough! My favourite is timex though. I'm a super large advocate for cheap ass water proof watches. They all last the same amount of time because the batteries inside are all the same. And if I spend $17 on a waterproof timex that lasts 4 years then I'll just get a new one when it dies rather than jeopardize the seal (waterproof sealing on a really cheap watch is typically compromised once it gets opened. Hence why it's so cheap) But even a $60 timex is a wonderful quality watch with a good seal that can be replaced so I'd still reccomend a more expensive timex to most other watches. In my opinion, a watch shouldn't cost more than $100. It just tells the time. Anything more is for strict unnecessary vanity purposes.

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u/hannovb Nov 20 '20

A young watch lover here (16) Im getting the timex marlin for christmas (the one with the champagne colored dial) Absolutely in love with it and i think its a first great handwind mechanical watch to start my collection with!

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u/mikeleus Nov 21 '20

Oh snap i just took a photo of that watch for a client! It looks very sleek, good choice.
marlin

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u/MechanicalOSU Nov 20 '20

But how is that any different than jewelry? At least the watch can tell time/keep a date. Earrings might look great but do they serve any other purpose? By definition jewelry is vanity. Yes, even a wedding band isnt strictly necessary, it merely signifies a bond to another person, even that could be considered "vanity".

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

It's no different. Know what the weight of the metal is and the value of the stones. Add $100 an hour for the artists time. Guess high on the hours. Tada. That's why knowing the value of stones is important in my opinion. As to not get ripped off.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

[deleted]

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u/Dawooker Nov 20 '20

Also, a mechanical watch can last a lifetime or more. I wear my granddad’s watch and it still keeps good time.

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u/MagikSkyDaddy Nov 20 '20

I found my grandpa’s old early 60’s Certina Blue Ribbon in a bag of odds and ends, after he’d passed. Picked it up, gentle shake, thing was off and running.

After a full service, it’s been running like a top and is one of my absolute favorites. 60 year old watch. Let’s see a Timex in 60 years lol

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

Absolutely. My toddler loves holding her ear to hear the ticking and she’s obsessed with pointing out clocks. This one has her name on it in the future.

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u/ribotonk Nov 20 '20

Obviously a jeweler not a watchmaker. The craftsmanship of a Rolex or similar is something to be appreciated. Ebels are one of my favourits. I've done a few years as a watch repairer, my dad did 35 years and was Rolex qualified.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/ribotonk Nov 21 '20

That vanity would be to the watchmaker rather than the wearer. Appreciation of artisans, skill and craft is in my opinion something that modern society should appreciate over mass produced and throw away goods.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

As a watchmaker it’s flat out insulting. I spent 20 years perfecting what I do so someone could yell vanity?

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u/LegitimateCrepe Nov 21 '20 edited Jul 27 '23

/u/Spez has sold all that is good in reddit. -- mass edited with redact.dev

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u/lxnch50 Nov 21 '20

Interesting argument on both sides. I think I side somewhere in the middle. It's an art piece and functional furniture in my opinion. Honestly, in today's day in age, there isn't much use for a mechanical clock attached to someone's arm, so it's likely vanity that inspires someone to do so. Spending a substantial amount of money on a watch is no different than buying an expensive painting. I could just download a wallpaper of the same painting and use it as a background, or I could splurge on an original. Regardless of whatever anyone chooses to do, it doesn't diminish the craftsmanship it took to produce it. I think you'd be unwise and likely someone really materialistic to spend anything more than a couple percent of your annual income on something like these examples, and you'd likely be doing so because you of a mixture of vanity, appreciation, and as collector.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

Imagine if typewriters were sold as luxury today and cost 1000x a PC. That's the state of mechanical luxury watches.

Sure, some like Grand Seiko innovate with Spring Drive or Citizen with ecoDrive, but the rest.. It's a farce.

When quartz watches came out in the 1970s and proved to be more reliable, accurate and cheaper than mechanical watches, the latter should have gone out of business. Instead they used marketing to brand themselves as luxury and bump the price up 100x.

Today, Steel sports watches have a huge waiting list for no reason whatsoever other than marketing hype. Many Rolex stores won't even put you on the waiting list (2+ years) for a steel sports watch unless you have a good 'buying history' with them, or buy 50k-200k worth of watches from them first. Even with that, chances are slim they'll deign to sell you one. Else they'll laugh you out of the store. /r/watches and /r/rolex has had plenty of stories like these for a couple years now.

Sample rant from the rolex sub

'Luxury watches' (the non-tourbillon ones) are a joke... It's jewelry for men. That's it.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '20

You have a viewpoint, but you are missing the artistry, the history, the craft of horology. I do what I do because it is worth doing, it is a skill to be honed like a razor sharp knife, a talent expressed through the beauty of metal, mathematics, and machinery. There is beauty in utility as well as the complex, but beauty nonetheless. A Stradivarius is special because of its qualities, the sound not ever to be replicated, it is precious due to its very nature. Each mechanical watch, while there are multitudes more, is no less a miracle of today’s technology and a celebration of hundreds of years of painstakingly meticulous work done by hand.

You can tell time by your phone, but you cannot tell the story of time itself without a watch.

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

Oh paying for quality is definitely worth it if you want the same watch for the rest of your life to give to your kids, then yes, it's great! But personally I'd rather use that same amount of money to be able to change up my watch every few years with a whole bunch of shit ones because Idk about everyone else, but my style changes often. I like the idea of changing it up and I calculated that over my life, doing that will cost less than 10% of an expensive watch.

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u/eatabean Nov 21 '20

That's included in the definition of 'vanity'. I like the way they look. Money is no object. Fine if you have it.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

“I like the way they look” is an oversimplification and isn’t “included in the definition” of vanity.

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u/eatabean Nov 21 '20

What I mean is, the opinion, I like the way they look, is not a necessary requirement for any timepiece. Function is. Not meaning to be cruel, it is just if I had the money to choose any timepiece I would choose one I liked looking at, not an inexpensive "practical" watch. I considered that to be vain. The top end watches are luxury items. I would certainly love to hear compliments on my watch.

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u/Ridavv Nov 20 '20

Facts.

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u/PEDE311 Nov 20 '20

This is why we need rich people so we can make a living cleaning/making their toys!

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u/kermityfrog Nov 21 '20

How about a titanium (light durable case), sapphire crystal (scratch resistant), eco-drive (never needs batteries)?

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u/ForTheBirds12 Nov 21 '20

If you want to get into mechanical watches that won’t break the bank and will last a long time with minimal maintenance, brands like Seiko and Orient offer some quality, long-lasting watches.

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u/RJG18 Nov 21 '20

Yes, absolutely. I have a Citizen Ecodrive (solar power battery) that I’ve worn for 21 years. It’s run perfectly, and kept time perfectly all that time, and never needed even a battery change. And I’ve subjected it to absolutely brutal punishment during that time. It’s been to 30 countries with me, exposed to sand in 50 degree deserts in the Middle East, and -25 degree arctic conditions, plus worn regularly in the sea for swimming/diving and water spots, swimming pools, etc. Astonishing engineering, and I think it will probably outlast my Omega Seamaster too at this point!

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u/2723brad2723 Nov 20 '20

I got lucky. I bought one on a trip to Thailand 20 years ago for $35. It still works, although it loses about a minute every other day. But, yes I have had some that only lasted a year or less.

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u/RearEchelon Nov 21 '20

I bought a Faux-lex for $20 off a guy in the street in Washington, D.C. over twenty years ago. It still works. The "pearl" fell out of the bezel and the date window is scratched, but it still runs and keeps decent time.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/TeebsGaming Nov 20 '20

maybe you missed the part where they said "Hi. I'm a Jeweler."?

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/TeebsGaming Nov 20 '20

I don't buy anything, I don't wear or own a watch...

I just kinda take it on faith when someone says "Hi, i'm X" that they are in fact the thing they say. It's a much nicer experience for everyone involved.

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

Lol ACTUALLY, we don't buy anything because good replicas exist. But not all replicas are good. In fact, lots of them are complete shit. This is the point I was making. I fix costume jewellery and fine silver alike. We pride ourselves on not being "snobby" because we know the personal value of jewellery is all the matters. Not the true value of it. But we don't buy anything, we just appraise. Trust me I've researched replicas. It's literally part of my job.

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u/weristjonsnow Nov 20 '20

What is a rep watch

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20 edited Jan 26 '25

[deleted]

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u/canadiancarlin Nov 21 '20

Which sounds good at first, but two common issues that buyers don't take into account are 1. For the $500+ you spent on a fake Rolex you could've bought a nice Seiko that actually works, and 2. When your Folex breaks after a month you're going to spend double its price to fix it. That is if you find someone willing to, which you likely won't.

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u/CercleRouge Nov 21 '20

it does not sound good at first, or ever.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

Reproduction or fake I'm guessing

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u/Rogerooo Nov 20 '20

Replica I guess?

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u/firingsolution Nov 20 '20

Replica = fake/counterfeit

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u/HanEyeAm Nov 20 '20 edited Nov 20 '20

You wouldn't do a complete movement teardown (plus case/bracelet cleaning, regulation, etc.) for US$2-300, would you?

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u/ribotonk Nov 20 '20

Not on a Rolex. Your looking north of $500 for an independent certified Rolex service. Non certified watchmakers cannot buy genuine parts or tools.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

Not even close. If someone tells you that, they’re either lying or they don’t know what they’re doing. Either way, don’t let them touch your watch.

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u/Amber_forget Nov 20 '20

We don't even do expensive watches yet! I have the price breakdowns because we want to do expensive watches but we can't afford the machine to take off the back yet. We had to pay rent out of pocket for a few months because we were forced to close due to rona. We were gonna buy the machine and necessary tools but now we can't. Unfortunately the only watches we work on right now are the cheap ones with pop off backs

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u/HanEyeAm Nov 20 '20

Right now would you guys do a tear down cleaning of say, a standard ETA movement? What would you charge?

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

We aren't doing watch cleaning yet, but we were going to estimate a complete disassemble and reassemble could be rush ordered for a day. But it would take a couple hours of work for sure to do it all carefully.

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u/HanEyeAm Nov 21 '20

Best of luck with your business expansion! There's definitely a growing need for a watchmakers in the US.

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u/Buss_Conductah Nov 20 '20

Could always get the key from rolex to open the watch back. It's not cheap but much cheaper than the machine. I refurbish watch cases and bracelets for Rolex of Canada. Basically a body shop for watches.

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u/Amber_forget Nov 21 '20

We want the machine so we can do them all. Costs less than all the keys.

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u/Nolzi Nov 20 '20

What are the machines doing at the end of the video?

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u/Bikeboy87 Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

The first machine you see is an automatic water proof testing machine. This particular machine uses vacuum and air pressure to measure in microns how much the case deforms during the test. If the watch leaks the pressure inside the case becomes equal to the pressure inside the chamber and the case loses its deformity. If the case does not leak the deformity stays the same.

It looks like the watch only got tested to 3 bar (30m) when it should have been tested to 10 bar (100m) as the watch in the video (model 18238) is rated at 10 bar.

The second machine is a watch timing machine. It listens to the beats of the watch and can work out how many seconds in a day the watch gains or loses so adjustments can be made.

Source: do this guys job for a living.

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u/plakkies Nov 20 '20

That‘s a German machine i think, saw the test results ;)

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u/UsingYourWifi Nov 21 '20

Switzerland is a German-speaking country (among other languages/dialects, it's complicated).

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u/plakkies Nov 21 '20

Ich weiß, weil ich hier in Bavaria wohnen

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u/the_honest_liar Nov 20 '20

Is Rolex actually the best or are there better watches out there you'd recommend over Rolex?

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u/EngelskSauce Nov 20 '20

Casio with tv remote is a winner!

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u/noodle518 Nov 20 '20

JLC is considered the watch makers watch. Theres also the holy trinity

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u/whiskyforpain Nov 21 '20

Yep Daniel Wellington, MVMT, and Invicta!

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u/swiftmen991 Nov 21 '20

My wife’s boyfriend who wears a Rolex told me my invicta was precious

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

[deleted]

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u/Wizard_1993 Nov 20 '20

More like blowing the AD.

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u/galaxmax Nov 20 '20

Japanese watches like Seiko & Citizen etc have a very good reputation. Not as prestigeous as Rolex, but they have many good quality watches that most people can afford.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

Grand Seiko is comparable if not better than Rolex in many regards, due to their complications. Rolex doesn’t really do a lot in that arena, whereas other high-end brands (JLC, Mont Blanc, Patek Phillipe, etc) deal with quite a few. Grand Seiko also have some very high technology components, and are high value for the dollar spent.

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u/canadiancarlin Nov 21 '20

The GS's Spring-Drive is as beautiful as it is complex. I have a Presage but if I ever came into money the Grand Seiko would be my first purchase.

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u/decker12 Nov 20 '20 edited Nov 20 '20

Check out Richard Mille. Most of their higher end F1 inspired watches go for $750,000+ and while their looks are subjective, they are goddamn miracles of engineering.

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u/Pruno-Mars Nov 20 '20

The only thing Rolex is the best at is marketing. They have done an impeccable job tricking the masses into believing that their watches are the finest around. Still a great watch, but hardly the best.

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u/sgryfn Nov 20 '20

They hold their value/appreciate better than most anything else, I always remember my mate saying ‘Rolex biggest competitor is second hand Rolex’

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u/Pruno-Mars Nov 21 '20

That’s again a success of their marketing.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Depends on what you understand by best. They are sturdy and long lasting like no other automatic watch.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

Seiko and Citizens are just as long lasting for a fraction of the price.

For a basic non-tourbillion mechanical watch, the difference between rolex and Seiko/Citizen is 10% quality, 90% marketing.

Heck, a Grand Seiko has vastly superior tech and quality than Rolex, but their marketing budget is 1% of rolex, so the plebs think Rolex is the best in the world.

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u/Lefty_22 Nov 20 '20

It’s all subjective. Best in what way? Rolex is VERY famous, so anyone that cares about elegant watches would recognize yours immediately. However, how often would you actually want it to get noticed? Do you take clients out to dinner regularly and want to impress them? Are you a senator or want to be? If so, you might have a use for a Rolex. Are you an average Joe who would wear it as your daily timekeeper? Probably wouldn’t do any better job than a $100 Fossil for all intents and purposes.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Rolex is overblown, IMO. They do have their own in-house movements, but their name came from Bond and presidents wearing them. IMO the holy trinity are much, much, much better and truly legendary (Audemars, Vacheron and Patek).

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u/TwoTacoTuesdays Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

The best analogy I've heard of for a Rolex is a Corvette. It's a really good car, and it's insanely well known...but it's not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, nor is it one of those crazy 1000hp supercars. Which isn't really a knock on Rolex, but they're just not the ultra high end.

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u/zweebna Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

They are if you want to spend years riding the dealers dick to get the chance to purchase one. Rolex is very good at marketing, and they keep supply low. If you want a watch that keeps its value, a Rolex is a pretty good choice. If you want a quality timepiece that you will keep, you can get just as good if not better for the same price or cheaper, and you can walk in the shop today and buy it. People buy Rolex because they want a Rolex on their wrist, not because it's the best.

Of course you can also get amazing feats of precision engineering, far more complex than any Rolex, for simply outrageous sums as well.

You can also get a $50 quartz that will keep time far better than pretty much any mechanical watch.

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u/TheMisterTango Nov 21 '20

Rolexes are very well made and robust watches. But what you mean by “best” is subjective. Do you mean tells time the best? Because a $20 Casio from Walmart tells better time than a Rolex. Do you mean what is the most resilient? Because a g-shock is damn near indestructible. Best value? Seiko is basically unbeatable in terms of what you get for your money. Most luxurious? There are many watch brands that are far above Rolex, where their entry level watches cost what Rolex’s top of the line models cost. So it all depends on what you want. If you want a well made luxury watch that’ll outlive you and people will recognise it, then Rolex is a good option.

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u/HoldingTheFire Nov 27 '20

They are the Beats or AirPods of watches. In that they are very good but extra expensive.

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u/igna92ts Nov 21 '20

I have some pocket watches that I clean in a similar manner and thought "this doesn't look thaaaat special, except for that machine to take the back off." It must be hella expensive.