really beat up Rolex repair

I have a very beat up ss/gold submariner that I purchased in 1988, it has NEVER been serviced and worked great until a few weeks ago, it no longer works in the morning. Basically it only works when I am awake and moving. I have worn this watch daily for 28 years now.

It is in bad shape, the bracelet is barely hanging on and badly needs to be replaced, when the watch was 2 weeks old I had a hand grinder slip out of my hand and hit the bracelet and bend a pin, that bent pin has really destroyed the link over the decades, along with normal stretching of the bracelet. I am worried about the cost of a new ss/gold bracelet. The crystal needs replacement as it has weld splatter on it, I have never taken the watch off, welding, motorcycling (dirt and street), sandblasting/grinding car parts, scuba, never off my wrist, so its in bad shape.

I was going to send it to Rolex but I know they will want to replace every little cosmetic part at high cost, I just want it to work, I am even ok with keeping the crystal since it will get more damage when I get the watch back (the bezel has held up amazingly well but has minor cosmetic damage and they would change that also). I absolutely do need a ss/gold bracelet though, I am surprised I have not lost the watch yet. I am afraid I might even need a new case if I send it to Rolex, the ears that hold the bracelet on, have worn edges from the worn bracelet rubbing on them, its not structural, perfectly safe but it is cosmetic, I assume a new case would be a killer price wise.

I was looking online and found The Watch Buyers Group in Pasadena, they seem to have good reviews and use only Rolex parts (important to me), I could save quite a bit getting the bracelet from them instead of Rolex and they seem more willing to let some cosmetic issues slide. For a repair this serious, would you send it to Rolex Service in Beverly Hills or will Watch Buyers Group be ok ?

My wife's Rolex is coming up for service, it was bought same day as mine but hers has been regularly serviced since its not been as reliable as mine, I was thinking of sending that one out to WBG and seeing how they do as a test.

I am hoping to do this in the next week or 2, I am waiting on P.O. from a client to cover this and "its in the mail" as they used to say, but I will wait until the P.O. is in my hands to start the process.

 

Thanks for all the replies and even a few PM's. Yes, I would agree to the few people who said I have abused my watch, but to me its a tool and tools are meant to be used. Kind of like when I daily drove my 360 for 2 years, after a few months it became just a car...need steer manure ? it will fit in the 360 trunk. I did learn that I can't go up my driveway with 2 60lb. bags of softener salt in the trunk, I scraped the front end but it became just a car. Same with my watch, it became just a watch after so many years of wearing it, there were times when I was upset I had such a reliable watch because I would see people with new digital or cool watches and mine would not break and I could not justify another watch (have 2 of them already), after having my two tone sub in the safe for a few months, I took it out last Friday to go for repairs and wow, what a beauty !

Ok, so the details...I ended up taking it to ABC Watchwerks and leaving it there for service. The bracelet is financially too far gone for repair by him he said, he can do it but its not wise financially, so for the sake of getting the watch back, I am buying a aftermarket bracelet and doing the works on the watch. I will send the original bracelet to Michael Young in Hong Kong, who has already quoted a very reasonable price based on pictures I sent, then I can sell the aftermarket bracelet on ebay and be back to 100% original. It will cost me a few bucks that way but Michael Young can take a very long time to return the bracelet and I don't want to be without my watch that long.

I ended up leaving all 3 Rolex's we own at ABC Watchwerks, my wife's Rolex which was due for its service, it was about 8 years since its last service and is also her daily wear. And I had no idea my other watch was special, it was given to me by father in 1973 when I was 15 years old, I wore it daily until I got the two tone in 1988, but I was taught a lesson at ABC Watchwerks. That watch is a just a super cheap stainless Submariner purchased at de-tax at Orly airport, plain ol every day Rolex...oops apparently its a collectors item now, in pretty good original condition 5513 and I still have original boxes and paperwork for it (long gone on other watches), I ended up leaving the 5513 also for a lube job. I had not thought of posting pictures, its just a watch but I did take "before" pictures and since its been asked will post "after" pictures when i get the watch back.

Again, Thanks for the help and suggestions. I was not impressed with the location or "office" of ABC Watchwerks but I am 100% confident they will do perfect work on my watch based on many internet reviews (I know its the internet, I know) and after all, that is what is important, the work not the location.

 

great...now you tell me No, I didnt know, I really am not into watches and the details of getting it serviced. And now I am worried again.

I WILL show before/after pics when I get them back along with a review.

 

well lets keep this thread going as a review on ABC Watchwerks (and others), I got 3 e-mails yesterday from them, so 3 workdays since I dropped off the 3 watches. The e-mail was updated estimates, nothing unexpected now that they opened them up and took a look inside.

Added 2 parts to my ss/gold sub for a total of $130 more than original estimate, no surprise there I actually expected more parts to be needed from this "abused" watch.

My wife's watch they added a $75 part to it again not unexpected since she has daily worn the watch for 28 years and its last service was 8 years ago.

My 5513 needs nothing but a cleaning as expected, remember it was Rolex serviced only 3 months before I got the ss/gold watch and the 5513 has been in its box the last 28 years unworn so I expected no parts needed.

Have one complaint that I spoke to Alex about and he agreed its a problem and will fix it, the 3 quotes never mentioned which watch it was for, no identifying information on which watch it was for, I had to guess and when I spoke to Alex he said its a very valid point and he will look into changing that. I guess its not a major issue for them since most people likely leave only one watch at a time. He promised the watches in time for my wife's 60th bday on Oct. 2 (actually he promised she would have hers back by then but mine should be done also).

Then when I get them back I will send the bracelet to Hong Kong, so this thread will keep going for a few months

 

So...a review of this year old thread. I sent my watches to ABC Watchwerks and got them back and the Stainless Sub, has worked GREAT, no complaints at all. But if you remember the original post a year ago, I also have a 2-tone gold/ss watch and that band was destroyed by 30 years of wearing 24/7/365. It was suggested I send it to Micheal Young in Hong Kong by several members here. After wearing the other watch for 9 months I decided to do something or get off the pot and I sent it to Hong Kong. Got the band back this morning and OH POOP !!! its FREAKING AWESOME, dare I say even better than NEW. They laser welded the worn out stainless and also gold link, put in new pins and OH WOW, it is incredible. About 1/4" shorter now due to now stretch, I had asked for a "mild" refresh on the band and not a full polish and WOW, have I said how pleased I am yet ? WOW !. I will send my original stainless riveted band to him next week.
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