Independent Rolex Repairs & Servicing
nottingham watch repair is a leading independent repairer of rolex watches. we take great pride in being able to maintain the highest quality of workmanship whilst also being able to offer a reasonable price for our service.
We have experience of all types of Rolex & Tudor watches. Ranging from the first vintage 1920’s Oyster watches right through to the Daytona’s and Presidents of today. We treat all these watches with the same high degree of respect and care.
Our business model is to keep our overheads low and pass the saving on to the customer. As a result we are able to vastly undercut a quote you will receive from an authourised dealer or high street jeweller. Our watchmaker is fully qualified with a First Class Degree with Honours in Horology from Birmingham School of Jewellery. In addition he has received training at the British Horological Institute (including an extensive course taught by a former Rolex workshop manager).
In addition our watchmaker has received several industry awards from the likes of Cartier, LVMH (Tag Heuer, Hublot, Zenith & Bvlgari) and the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
Combined with over a decades experience working on hundreds of Rolex watches. You can be assured of the highest quality workmanship. We work on one watch at a time giving it our full attention. We do not carry out batch servicing techniques or movement swaps so you can be assured that you will receive back your own movement, original to your watch.
what does a service involve?
A typical Rolex service with us will begin with an inspection. Performance feedback is gathered from the client, this is the first source of valuable information as no one knows a watch like it’s owner. Upon receipt of the watch an initial inspection is carried out. If the watch is running, the time is set, to the second, so accuracy before the service can be monitored. A timing trace is recorded and before photos are taken. Notes are taken regarding condition and working order.
The watch is then left overnight. In the morning the time displayed by the watch is noted. At this point the back is removed. Any faults found in the testing & client feedback process will give an indication of any potential problems and an internal examination is carried out to confirm any suspected faults.
At this point we contact the client, providing a list of essential and optional work. When the client gives the go ahead, work can begin. At this point any required parts are ordered, as well and a new mainspring, sapphire glass if required and replacement glass, crown and case back seals
It is time to fully disassemble the watch down to each component part.
All parts are carefully examined under magnification before they are placed in our cleaning machine.
This allows time to switch attention to the case and bracelet. this too is stripped down to each component part. The parts are placed in a powerful ultrasonic cleaning tank, which does a great job of removing dirt and grime, including all the nasties hidden inside the bracelet links.
The clean parts are removed and dried. They can now be re-finished. The bezel is rotated on a wax chuck and polished on a watchmakers lathe to ensure the polish is uniform. The case is polished to a mirror finish as is the bracelet. A finishing tape is now applied and a brushed finish applied to the relevant parts to restore the watches original two tone finish.
The case and bracelet are once again cleaned in the ultrasonic tank to remove any polishing compounds. They can now be rebuilt with new seals and the finest Bergeon sealing grease to ensure the watch will remain waterproof.
The movement can now be rebuilt. The finest Swiss oils are used as specified on the Rolex technical sheets for each calibre. The escapement is examined under a microscope and regulated using a microstellar adjustment tool. The new mainspring and fully serviced movement should vastly improve the amplitude of the balance wheel and along with regulation of the escapement ensure accuracy, reliability and reduced wear on the bearing surfaces until the next service is due in 3-5 years.
The movement can now be reunited with the case. The back is sealed using a special tool designed to tightly seal Rolex Oyster case backs. The watch is then pressure tested to it’s stated depth. This is a responsibility we take very seriously as we have in the past serviced Submariner watches for professional divers who may need to use their watch at depth to time their dive and oxygen supply.
The pressure test is complete and the watch signed off as waterproof. Now the testing period begins. The watch is placed on an automatic winder which is designed to mimic the human wrist. The watch will now be checked for accuracy over a 1 week period. Once this is complete the watch will be left to run down without winding to ensure it’s correct power reserve is maintained. This rigorous testing period, combined with rigorously following best practice, helps ensure an extremely low return rate and hundreds of satisfied customers.
Our work is backed up with a 1 year warranty.
A typical Rolex service with us costs £380. Our customers typically report quotes received elsewhere ranging from £680 to £1500+
Our low overheads compared to authourised dealers and high street jewellers allow us to offer this price and earn a good living for qualified professionals without being greedy.
If you would like a quote for the repair of service of your Rolex please contact us via our arrange an estimate page.
If you would like to see examples of our repairs please check the example repairs section which is regularly updated with repairs and restorations.