Does servicing make you love a watch more?
Just picked up my 1986 GMT Master II from local AD servicing. Purchased new, this is heirloom watch for me as I flew with it in the Air Force and plan to pass it down to my son (namesake and also retired AF pilot). I winced at the servicing cost, but DID NOT want it to go to Rolex/Dallas as they would want to polish, replace the crystal etc. plus last time Rolex service was not good... Watchmaker did a beautiful job and has it regulated to average of +2sec/day. So after $1300 service, do I love it more? Yes, I think so!
What's your experience after servicing? More "love" or why did I spend all that money?
I’m a retired Air Force fighter pilot and have been a watch lover for 55 years. My first “good watch” was an Omega Speedmaster MKII I bought with my college tuition money and then took out a loan to g...
After restoring an old Movado from the 90s myself, I love it more. Almost looks brand new. Before restoration, it looked terrible. I like the story behind your GMT. Your son is one lucky person. Kudos for keeping the original, desirable parts. Smart man.
Thank you for your service, airman.
This is a gorgeous piece. Thank you for your service
Looks great! Where'd you have it serviced?
Very nice piece, guess you hated the cyclops enough to remove it 👍
Beautiful timepiece. Did you replace the crystal at some point?
I mean, the only watch I had to really send in for servicing was an Oris I had a few years ago. The movement was dry and jacked up. It was free because it was still within warranty lol.
I had an old Tissot PR516 serviced & im definitely of the opinion that watch is now a keeper.
Beutiful patina on the lume and the color of the bezel looks amazing! Thanks for your service and love tgat u plan to pass it on!
A little off topic but I am considering of attending local Rolex Service Centre and buy - while servicing my timepiece - newer two tone jubilee bracelet for my DateJust so that I have easy glide clasp... my timepiece is from 2009 so I don't know if I am able to or not...
After many years being hardly worn, I got my TAG Heuer Carerra chronograph serviced. It was my first watch over $500 dollars bought in 2000. I wore that watch almost daily until I got my GMT M2. I dropped it a bunch of times, then it finally messed up the chronograph hand (around 8 years ago), which didn’t return to zero when I’d reset it. I tried a couple local watch makers and they could never fix it. I still wore it occasionally, though not COSC rated it’s always been pretty damn accurate.
Finally I sent it into TAG about a year ago, about the only thing they didn’t do was polish the case and bracelet. New crystal, dial, bezel and I think a new rotor. It’s practically new and I love it again. I’m more careful with it than I was previously. Even though I really liked how it look when I first bought it, it’s a rather plain looking watch, so it goes great with colorful straps. I have it on a ZuluDiver NATO with their Octopod clasp currently. I got a ton of compliments on it, more the strap though. 😊. But I love it again.
Oh, people always talk about how expensive a Rolex service is, the Carrera was about $400 bucks more. More than what the watch is worth or at least what Crown and Caliber would pay for it.
US$1,300 is a good price, especially if you got your watch back in recognisable shape and not a factory reboot.
Looks great! Where'd you have it serviced?
Lee Michaels San Antonio TX
Looks great! Where'd you have it serviced?
Lee Michaels, San Antonio TX
Very nice piece, guess you hated the cyclops enough to remove it 👍
Cyclops is the stupidest thing ever on a tool watch aimed at aviation... You cannot read the minute hand accurately between about 17 and 23 minutes after the hour. I had it removed and it was a wonderful flyer's watch after that. And it looks way better...
Beautiful timepiece. Did you replace the crystal at some point?
Had it removed. Its only glued on and it makes it useful as an aviation watch. What was Rolex thinking?
Looks great! Where'd you have it serviced?
Lee Michaels, San Antonio TX
It certainly means your overall investment in it has gone up... literally.
So you'd better love it, LOL.
Yes and no on certain pieces. Some I couldn’t wait to get scratched back up and some felt like a new revitalized love affair.
Lovely patina on the markers btw. I thank your family for their service!
Gorgeous watch. It looks amazing without the cyclops. That patina is a cream dream. It also doesn't hurt that I'm a Coke over Pepsi guy. 🥵
Its always nice to get a watch back after it's been away for months!
Gorgeous watch. It looks amazing without the cyclops. That patina is a cream dream. It also doesn't hurt that I'm a Coke over Pepsi guy. 🥵
Best mod you can do to any watch Is removing the one eyed creature.
Hell yeah
I feel lucky mine only cost $1000 to service a few months ago. Took about 2 weeks. It's 20 years old and this was its 3rd service. It was a gift from my wife.
Wow! Stunning!
Sharp lines, great lume - Stunning watch.
I've 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 preferred the coke insert to the pepsi - red, black and (formerly) white is rarely not the correct choice.
Paying for a service is never fun but reaping the benefits is.
Enjoy it - Rollers don't get a lot better than that.
Cyclops is the stupidest thing ever on a tool watch aimed at aviation... You cannot read the minute hand accurately between about 17 and 23 minutes after the hour. I had it removed and it was a wonderful flyer's watch after that. And it looks way better...
meant to say "between 13 and 17 minutes past the hour"...
It certainly means your overall investment in it has gone up... literally.
So you'd better love it, LOL.
Paid $1000 usd for it in Hong Kong 1986. Seemed like a lot of money back then.
Beautiful story. Relationships deepen with time. Beautiful watch.