Rolex Service Centre Experience

[relac88]

Is it? Thought is own by rolex sa

[kohym]

luckily so many non-AD svc ctr we can choose from.

if not broken, don't mend it.

go to one within your comfort zone and budget , lidat less stress and we will be happier in the hobby

just my.02

[badass09]

Is it? Thought is own by rolex sa

Yup me too... How come it's privately owned...???

[Atomant]

Utterly disappointed in RSC Singapore

I have to start this thread out of disappointment with RSC Singapore.

I have purchased a used 16710 ‘Z’ serial Rolex GMT Master II 3 weeks ago. Watch and bracelet seem ‘polished’ to a shine from daily use and watch is running a +10 seconds a day.

Bezel insert is 0.5 seconds off center alignment from 12 o’clock crown and date magnifier is slightly off alignment from date window, hour hands don’t line up with hour markers as well.

When the crown is pulled all the way outter most position, there seems to be some kind of uneven resistence (dryness of the movement?) when adjusting the minute hand.

So I thought since this is a 5 year old watch I might as well send it in for a ‘full overhaul’ as what RSC Singapore stated that they will remove everything down to the bare case, oil the mvt, replace all necessary parts and re-polish the case and I can expect a ‘like new’ watch.

Please note when I was at RSC, I made sure the watch reception staff jot down(reluctantly) the basics I want my watch fixed, i.e ‘to align bezel insert to 12 o’clock mark’ and ‘align date magnifier to date window’. And it’s been written on the service pouch the watch is placed in. Well why pay much attention since the watch will be stripped apart and when it’s put back together everything will be back in alignment, right?

After 2 weeks of waiting I got a call from RSC Singapore today saying that my watch is ready for collection.

When I was at RSC and look at my watch I was disappointed because it seems like the only work done to my watch is a ‘satin polish’. Everything else is still out of alignment!?

My question, is it possible for a watchmaker to miss a mis-aligned date magnifier and a mis-aligned bezel insert if he were to strip everything apart, inspect for signs of wear, do the necessary tests and assemble every part together again in a craftsman like manner?

Because the watch was given back to be with the bezel insert and date magnifier still mis aligned just like how it was before I brought it in to RSC. Which led me to assume that the watch is only partially disassembled possibly with the crystal still attached to the case, bezel insert attached to the bezel? Watchmaker only removed back case to work and oil movement? Finish it off with a satin polish with only bezel removed?

Can any watchmaker in this forum shed some light and tell me what’s really going on? Please feel free to PM me.

I am utterly disappointed with RSC Singapore and felt ripped off of my S$850 for ‘full overhaul’ and bezel insert swap.

I have yet to inspect the watch thoroughly. Wasn’t in the right frame of mind. They told me my watch will be ready in half an hour but I told them not to call me until the watch is READY FOR COLLECTION.

What am I suppose to do now? Is this common practice in watch making?

[cck1609]

how can the "date magnifier is slightly off alignment from date window" in the 1st place?

[Dfive]

did you or they write down the things you wanted fixed on a service request form ( if it exists? ) or similar.... did they give you an estimate quote on what you say above.... if no to the above I dunno..... ???

Other bros will be more expert here.... hope you get your answer.

But also try politely asking RSC about it.... and good luck bro

[Erick]

Should u talk to the manager?? For your concern before paying up?

[Oceanklassik]

That's a long message. I empathize with your situation

Whether it's consolation to you or not, your situation ain't unique. Once (not very long ago) I accompanied a friend to the ROLEX Service Centre (RSC) because he discovered a long and vaguely visible scratch on his ROLEX watch bezel. The said watch was bought new and was only about a couple of days old and he swore by it that the scratch was not any result of his mishandling whatsoever.

It took them (technicians and even the counter staff) quite a long while to actually see the long scratch as described by the owner. Though convinced (that it's a manufacturer's defect) but reluctantly, the watch was accepted for a full replacement of the bezel F.O.C. It's the new ceramic bezel which explains why they couldn't just change the insert only.

A week later my friend returned to collect his watch and as I could not make it to follow, I cautioned that he MUST check and re-check before he collects it and he acknowledged. Well, he didn't and thought the RSC should be professional enough. Happily (or so he thought), he showed me the watch (thankfully on the same day he collected it) only to discover that the bezel was not properly fixed on the watch case. The result was a 'bouncy' bezel and a gap in between the bezel and case

This subsequently resulted in a third and fourth trip to RSC over the next few days - 3rd was to re-send in the watch and fourth to recollect back the watch. Reason (I learnt from my friend) was because the "chief did not do a proper check" before the watch was released back to the customer . Can ah?!

The watch was soon sold away not because of the watch per se but simply, the aftersales service and the probable high cost of future service and repair of a ceramic bezel ROLEX watch. My friend was told that if the watch was to be one of the old, steel bezel, it would only be the bezel insert that needs to be changed and not the whole bezel in the case of a ceramic one. So, can you imagine if this watch is not under warranty and you have to pay to change the whole ceramic bezel?!

I rest my case

[glennyuen]

SOrry to hear about your misfortune mate.. hope that everything will get better...

After hearing this leds me to ask where else can we service our watches other than RSC.. any recommendation ?

[Rolex01]

If RSC that equip the right skillset can have this type of lousy professionalism, I seriouly doubt any 3rd party watch repairer can do any better job unless it's so lucky to find one with the right skill and professionalism.

Guess, it's time to complaint to the top management to get things right.

[angsu]

So sorry to hear about your predicament. If this happens to me, I would too be really pissed off. The 'aunties' at the customer service desk better be super apologetic and better not be 'yaya papaya' like they always are. Hope that you get your watch fixed soon...

[116520]

Seriously it is also not those aunties' fault, they didn't fix the watch also... be nice to them, they will be nice to you... I am sure RSC will straighten things up... cheers!

So sorry to hear about your predicament. If this happens to me, I would too be really pissed off. The 'aunties' at the customer service desk better be super apologetic and better not be 'yaya papaya' like they always are. Hope that you get your watch fixed soon...

[Atomant]

It doesn't matter if RSC straighten things up or not. I need to post this to share with you guys what really happened. Prior to this, when I brought in my 16610 LV in for warranty regulation and to clean off a speck of dust on the dial, the watch was returned to me with the top side of the bracelet scratched (negligence of watchmaker while removing bracelet resting it on a hard surface). I kept quiet about it until this morning when my GMT Master was returned to me with everything still as mis-aligned as before!!!!!!!!!

[angsu]

Never said they were at fault...just hope they know how to be apologetic on behalf of the watch technicians, as they are customer service officers. Personally, maybe it's just me....I find them a 'little' arrogant. I certainly hope for the better....as RSC is still a reliable place to send your rolexes for servicing on the whole, could just be a one off. Cheers!

Seriously it is also not those aunties' fault, they didn't fix the watch also... be nice to them, they will be nice to you... I am sure RSC will straighten things up... cheers!

[Atomant]

Never said they were at fault...just hope they know how to be apologetic on behalf of the watch technicians, as they are customer service officers. Personally, maybe it's just me....I find them a 'little' arrogant. I certainly hope for the better....as RSC is still a reliable place to send your rolexes for servicing on the whole, could just be a one off. Cheers!

Apologetic??? Is that all you expect/want from them? Just an apology? THey better be fixing the watch right in the first place for $850 bro!!!