(425) 747-1211
2176 - 148th Avenue NE • Redmond, WA 98052
(Located on 148th next to Sears in the Overlake Plaza)
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm • Saturday 10:00 pm to 4:00 pm
During the past several years there has been an increasing demand for used wrist watches. Especially high-grade mechanical watches. Rolex is high on the list of most requested used watches; as they should be: they are well made, accurate, and durable. An old Rolex should be around for years to come.
Over fifty percent of the Rolexes that come in for service were inherited or purchased used. I am often asked if I can tell the age of the Rolex, and as every Rolex has a serial number it is not difficult to date. The following is a list of serial numbers with the production date. To find the serial number on your Rolex you will have to remove the band at the 12:00 side. Printed between the case lugs is the serial number. This is the case serial number and not the movement serial number which is on the movement inside. Most watches are dated using the movement serial number but for Rolex use the case serial number. The number between the lugs on the 6:00 side is the case number, used for ordering crystals, gaskets, crowns, bands, bezels, and anything to do with the case.
From 1955 through 1958 Rolex changed the continuation of serial numbering but got back on track in 1959. In 1987 they switched to a fraction, letter and numbering system. The fraction should tell you the time of the year the watch was produced.
| 1925 - 25,000 1926 - 28,500 1927 - 30,500 1928 - 33,000 1929 - 35,500 1930 - 38,000 1931 - 40,000 1932 - 43,000 1933 - 47,000 1934 - 55,000 1935 - 68,000 1936 - 81,000 1937 - 99,000 1938 - 118,000 1939 - 136,000 1940 - 165,000 1941 - 194,000 1942 - 224,000 1943 - 253,000 1944 - 285,000 1945 - 348,000 1946 - 413,000 1947 - 478,000 1948 - 543,000 1949 - 608,000 |
1950 - 673,500 1951 - 738,500 1952 - 804,000 1953 - 950,000 1954 - 999,999 1955 - 200,000 1956 - 400,000 1957 - 600,000 1958 - 800,000 1959 - 1,100,000 1960 - 1,401,000 1961 - 1,480,000 1962 - 1,557,000 1963 - 1,635,000 1964 - 1,713,000 1965 - 1,792,000 1966 - 1,870,000 1967 - 2,164,000 1968 - 2,426,000 1969 - 2,689,000 1970 - 2,952,000 1972 - 3,478,000 1973 - 3,741,000 1974 - 4,002,000 |
1975 - 4,266,000 1976 - 4,538,000 1977 - 5,005,000 1978 - 5,481,000 1979 - 5,965,000 1980 - 6,432,000 1981 - 6,910,000 1982 - 7,385,000 1983 - 7,860,000 1984 - 8,338,000 1985 - 8,815,000 1986 - 9,292,000 1987 - 9,765,000 1987 - 1/2 - 9,999,999 1987 - 3/4 - R00,001 1988 - R999,999 1989 - L000,001 1990 - L999,999 1990 - 1/2 - E000,001 1991 - 1/4 - E999,999 1991 - 1/2 - X000,001 |
What functions do you need? Do you want a calendar, a stopwatch, a watch that gives time in more than one time zone, an alarm?
How much accuracy do you want? Do you time sporting events or is accuracy within a minute or two a day close enough for you?
Do you want a mechanical watch or a quartz watch? A quartz watch uses a battery that needs replacing every one to three years but usually does not require as much maintenance as a mechanical. A mechanical watch uses a mainspring for power and requires cleaning and oiling every four years or they are subject to wear. Quartz watches are generally more accurate but many people prefer the “art,” shall we say, of the mechanical watch.
Are you looking for a work watch that you need for the time function only, or are you looking for a watch that will be passed down in the family? I repair many watches that came from fathers and grandfathers.
Are you looking for an investment? Watches can be a good investment if you are careful and study the market for used watches.
How much money do you want to spend? Are you prepared to spend thirty dollars, three hundred, or three thousand? You might spend one hundred and twenty dollars on a work watch or several thousand on a precision high-grade watch. There are watches available on today’s market that sell for seventy or eighty thousand dollars.
Do you want a gold plated case or do you need stainless steel? The thickness of gold plating today is measured in microns; stainless steel wears forever but only comes in white. Titanium watches are available but band replacement might be a problem.
Several years ago watches appeared on the market with the band integral to the case. When the band wears out, as bands do, will you be able to replace it. Seiko has a policy of discontinuing parts, bands included, after the watch is ten years old.
Is the crystal – the glass covering over the face of the watch – easy to replace or will it have to be specially cut? Round and flat crystals are readily available but a faceted crystal might not be available a few years from now.
Is the crown – the part used to set the watch – easily replaced? Rolex crowns, for example, are easy to replace but are lock-down crowns that require the threaded tube to be replaced at the same time. They require more time than a dress watch that can usually be repaired in a day.
In the last few years some watch manufacturers have decided not to supply watchmakers with the parts to repair their watch, so the watch must go to the factory; sometimes for something as simple as a new gasket or a crown. Sending a watch to a repair center means packing and shipping and waiting six weeks or more for your watch to be returned. There are several local watchmakers competent to repair and seal any watch available but are constrained by the lack of a part.
To summarize:
Decide what you want and purchase a watch that has only the functions you need and no more.
The parts that are most subject to damage or wear are the BAND, CRYSTAL, CROWN, and GASKET. You should be able to replace the band with whatever type of band you want; expansion, leather strap, or bracelet. The crystals, crowns and gaskets should be available locally.
I am often asked this question by my customers. Before a question like that can be answered, I have to ask for what type of watch you are looking. What purpose will the watch serve? There are many different watches made for many different purposes and you need to know how the watch will be used. What do you need the watch to do?
First, you need to know if the watch will be a dress watch worn only on evenings out, or will it be a watch you will wear while working in the garden? A dress watch can be slim and elegant, more like a piece of jewelry; a work watch should be more durable and easy to read.
Do you need the watch to be water-resistant? Will you wear it in the shower or diving? There is a big price difference between a water-resistant watch and a professional diver’s watch. Do you want a watch you can wear in the shower or a watch that will be used for scuba diving? Gaskets should be coated with a silicon-based lubrication when the watch is opened and available locally if they are damaged.
When a watch is water-resistant it will be so specified on the dial or on the case back, usually on the dial above the 6:00 position. If there is no depth specification and the watch is marked water-resistant, then the watch is made to general water-resistant specifications.
Water-resistance is not permanent. Gaskets around the case back, the crown and the crystal are subject to wear. They can deteriorate in time and should be inspected periodically. For deep water diving watches I change the gaskets if there is any question and water test them in a pressure chamber. This involves more time and expense than a general water-resistant watch. Checking the gaskets in a general water-resistant watch can often be just a visual inspection. The application of silicone lubrication can extend the life of the gaskets and can be done when replacing the cell.
International Standards Organization (ISO0 2281:
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Non-water-resistant. These watches will leak if any water gets on the case or crown.
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30meters/100feet/3BAR: General water-resistant watches can withstand minor moisture from spashing but should not be worn for swimming, diving, bathing or showering. These watches are the most misunderstood. Most people believe that water-resistant printed on the dial means the watch is sealed for swimming, diving, showering, etc. Not true. General water-resistant watches should not be used underwater.
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50meters/164feet/5BAR: can be used for swimming in shallow water, but not for snorkling or other water sports.
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100meters/328feet/10BAR: are often called diver’s watches and can be used for snorkeling, swimming and other wter sports, but not for high board diving or sub aqua diving.
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200meters/662feet/20BAR: is suitable for high impact water sports and aqua diving not requiring helium
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300-1000meters are professional diver’s watches and can be worn for deep-water diving.
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm • Saturday 10:00 pm to 4:00 pm
(425) 747-1211
2176 - 148th Avenue NE • Redmond, WA 98052
E-Mail: watchrepairetc@msn.com
Water resistance is the term used to indicate the amount of pressure a watch can withstand under water at a specific depth without leaking or losing accuracy. Water-resistant is a term approved by the Federal Trade Commission, they disallow the term waterproof. Water resistance and depth are not the same. A watch is tested at the specified depth at a temerature of 18c-25c and stationary. Any movement through the water changes causes pressure changes.
There are several degrees of water-resistance. Note that no watch should be worn in the shower or bath as the chemicals in soaps and shampoos will damage the gaskets.
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