servicing experience by watchmaker who is not rolex trained (uh-oh!)

[Iceheller]

can share more information?

first how do you know third party use preown parts?
second how do you know third party use preown parts as replacement?

Well, not to create any controversial discussion here but ask yourself two qns. 1st is does anyone know if Rolex sell blank watch movement to other brands or third parties like swatch ETA does in recent years( let exclude grey market here)? 2nd is has anyone seen Rolex blank watch movement in it sealed unopened package before? My ans to both is no for myself so far. But I do see unopened ETA watch movement in it sealed package when I visit some watch repair shops.

[taxico]

Well, not to create any controversial discussion here but ask yourself two qns. 1st is does anyone know if Rolex sell blank watch movement to other brands or third parties like swatch ETA does in recent years( let exclude grey market here)? 2nd is has anyone seen Rolex blank watch movement in it sealed unopened package before? My ans to both is no for myself so far. But I do see unopened ETA watch movement in it sealed package when I visit some watch repair shops.

Q1. no.

Q2. i don't know if rolex ships watch movements individually (they probably do, but in very small quantities) but ETA seals them in a foil pack so it is ready for immediate use without any work/service. since individual rolex parts come in a sealed package, i assume an assembled replacement movement will probably be the same.

[Iceheller]

Q1. no.

Q2. i don't know if rolex ships watch movements individually (they probably do, but in very small quantities) but ETA seals them in a foil pack so it is ready for immediate use without any work/service. since individual rolex parts come in a sealed package, i assume an assembled replacement movement will probably be the same.

So you meant that you seen individual sealed rolex parts package before in a watch repair shop in sg (not in RSC)? Just curious here as i never come across it( I am a toad looking through the water well mouth).

[taxico]

try this google image search link

https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=s...MIL5rQfSyZ3kAw

note also that newer made parts have RFID tags inside the package...

[Iceheller]

Tks for the web link. Swiss Hq authorized? I am not sure about that but I do know Swiss watch manufacturers have factories that produce watch parts in Malaysia...

[Iceheller]

What to do, we are all sucker for "Swiss" watch... If i have more time, I will update my interesting statistic thread in kopi talk. Hahaha

[Iceheller]

Not just Malaysia, Swiss watch companies source parts from all over Asia. Go to www.fhs.ch and look for "Swissness" and some info will appear.

[seiko.citizen]

heh heh, actually all my cars get serviced at third party workshop once warranty up.....

is it necessary to service car at dealership to keep new car warranty?

i ask because in oz, new car warranty cannot be voided unless it is proven that unauthorised parts were used contributing to the failure component. ie. substandard timing belt used causing the timing belt to snap and engine damage.

[Dfive]

Thats something new... Malaysia parts in a swiss watch...

Tks for the web link. Swiss Hq authorized? I am not sure about that but I do know Swiss watch manufacturers have factories that produce watch parts in Malaysia...

Lets just remember the term SWISS MADE .... what does it mean? Keep Reading:

The 50% Rule for Swiss Made Watches
Use of the Swiss Made label for watches is covered by an ordinance of the Federal Council dated 29 December 1971. The Swiss standard is often pejoratively referred to as the 50% Rule. However, it has its basis in real life economics. Again, the law merely sets forth a minimum standard. The famous or infamous Swiss Made Ordinance has, for a number of years, been subject to many criticisms, particularly inside the industry, because it is considered too lax, but also in legal circles, where the view is that it no longer fully meets the legal mandate specified in the companion law on trademarks (SR 232.11).

“It is not generally known that quite a few Swiss companies have watches assembled in China for export to North America, Asia and even Europe, where the brand name is more important that the “Swiss made” label. Such watches may consist of a Chinese case and a Chinese crystal, a Taiwan-made dial and metal bracelet and Japanese hands. If the movement is to be considered Swiss, 51% of its value must be Swiss and at least the last wheel must be added in Switzerland. Swiss watch brands without the “Swiss made” label are usually equipped with a Japanese movement. The “Swiss parts” label means that the movement is assembled in Asia using kits consisting at least partially of Swiss made components.”

From time to time namely in 2003 and more particularly in 2007, there are efforts made to strengthen the definition of "Swiss made." These efforts are normally spearheaded by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH(FH) a trade organization.

In 2007, the FH got political action on a proposal which introduces a new aspect to the definition of Swiss made, in the form of a value criterion.
Accordingly, any mechanical watch in which at least 80% of the production cost is attributable to operations carried out in Switzerland would be considered as a mechanical Swiss watch. For other watches, particularly electronic watches, this rate would be 60%. Technical construction and prototype development would moreover need to be carried out in Switzerland. Raw materials, precious stones and the battery would be excluded from the production cost. The Swiss movement in the existing ordinance already has a value criterion, namely the rate of 50%. Considering that here, too, the definition needs reinforcing, the draft amends these value criteria. For mechanical movements therefore, the rate would be at least 80% of the value of all constituent parts. For other movements, particularly electronic movements, this rate would be 60%. Technical construction and prototype development in Switzerland would also be a requirement in this case. The draft also stipulates other provisions concerning the definition of Swiss constituent parts and assembly in Switzerland.

[Dfive]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...pagewanted=all

This is also an interesting read....

" Mondaine, which produces about a million watches a year, relies on imports of watch cases and dials from China -- products that are expensive because they are labor intensive in Switzerland, without adding much value to a timepiece.

''The parts we buy in China would require at least six to 18 months of lead time if they were to be made in Switzerland,'' Mr. Bernheim said. ''Our market is trend-sensitive, we cannot afford to have orders in the pipeline for that long.''

Low labor costs in Asia allow a large number of Asian-made parts to be legally included in a ''Swiss Made'' watch, without breaching the value threshold.

If required to increase the Swiss ''value'' of its watches, Mondaine would have to raise the prices for its basic Railway model to 300 francs, from 160 francs, without any improvement in quality, Mr. Bernheim said.

That would put the brand's market share in jeopardy. ''Our new factory in Solothurn will be inaugurated in June. We will be forced to close it and leave if the new law is passed,'' he said.

Erich Mosset, chief executive of Ronda, a producer of quartz analog movements with production facilities in Thailand and Switzerland, said that most Swiss brands ''buy their cases, dials and hands in the Far East.

''We do not have the kind of production capacity in Switzerland for the size of our industry,'' Mr. Mosset said. "

[taxico]

if you have seen rolex parts, you will note that each individual item will be labelled SWISS MADE outside each package.

i'm not sure if the XX% rule applies to individual parts (eg, made in china but finished in switzerland) but if it does, it's good to know at least it was QC'ed and sealed in switzerland, probably by rolex themselves - we know they are control freaks when it comes to service/spare parts...

although some older parts are outsourced, eg nivarox springs and kif shocks, i believe that rolex now produces all their parts themselves within switzerland.