A recent job we had in the workshop involved restoring this beautiful ladies Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 2 Tone watch. This watch needed a lot of work – the watch was not functional on arrival in the workshop. On top of this, the bracelet was stretched and worn. This absolutely needed attention in order for the watch to be secure when on the wrist.
To tackle such a job we split the work into stages – the restoration and refinishing of the case and bracelet, and the servicing and repair of the intricate mechanism.
To restore such a worn bracelet takes a significant amount of time. Each link of the jubilee bracelet needed to be carefully broken down into it’s individual components, and the steel pins holding the links together are replaced. These pins were in places almost worn through. As part of the bracelet restoration process we carefully refinish the case and bracelet back to a good standard – using a selection of different polishing mops and compounds to achieve the correct finish for this watch.
Inspection of the movement found it to most certainly be in need of a thorough service. Pivots which should be clean and nicely oiled were running dry, with residue of old oils and greases broken down and further interfering with the smooth running of the mechanism. The rotor axle – the pivot point for the rotor (the oscillating weight which winds the watch as it is worn) – was worn out, so this needed replacing, as did the mainspring.
To rectify these issues the entire watch movement is stripped apart, before going through a full cleaning cycle in a specialist watch movement cleaning machine. The movement is then carefully reassembled, with oils and greases used in certain places to ensure optimal performance of the watch for a full service interval.
After all the work was completed, the watch undergoes rigorous testing for timekeeping. It is initially regulated by our watchmaker and checked in multiple positions to ensure it is performing as expected. It then is testing for automatic winding on our Elma Cyclomotion winding machine, as well as for power reserve and performance after 24 hours has elapsed.
This Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date is now back to an excellent standard and ready for many more years of wear.
Yours sincerely
David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited