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Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

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By CCHelp ,
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Tothesunset "Live from...." Rare

Tothesunset

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As something totally unrelated to anything that has gone before:

 

OH and I treated ourselves to a new watch each in 1986 - the year our 1st-born came along. At the time mine cost £750 and hers £550. Both are Rolex Datejust with the simple steel cases and jubilee bracelets. 

 

So? 

 

So, we have recently had them serviced after maybe 10 years since the last time they were done. Apparently, once 35-years-old or more they are classed as vintage. This means that they have to be fettled at a central Rolex service dept, or even have to be sent back to Switzerland if they need substantial restoration. Gulp! 

 

Luckily we are 50 miles from a service dept that could do ours (including new hands, new bracelets, sapphire glass, crown, O-rings and stuff) because they carry the parts for "vintage" Rolexes (Rolices?). The cost? £1800.

 

EACH! 

 

OK, so they look like new and will see us out but, really, one thousand eight hundred of our British pounds? 

 

And new ones start around 8 grand! 

 

So what is the moral of this tale? Well, there isn't one really. I just needed to get it off my chest. 

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lincslady

lincslady

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The only way to look at it without getting pretty cheesed off  is that when you two come to pop your clogs your offspring will having a couple of  valuable watches to inherit.

 

I don't know if that is a comfort, maybe depends on how much you love your children.

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jpalbny "Live from...." Rare

jpalbny

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TTS, I feel your pain. Got a nice Rado probably 25 years ago and have replaced quite a bit of it since then.

 

They no longer make the ceramic links for the wristband, so I couldn't replace the broken one last time. Luckily my wrist is smaller so I could remove the broken link, and it still fits. But when the next link goes it will be a completely new band.

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Reef Knot

Reef Knot

Posted
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2 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

As something totally unrelated to anything that has gone before:

 

OH and I treated ourselves to a new watch each in 1986 - the year our 1st-born came along. At the time mine cost £750 and hers £550. Both are Rolex Datejust with the simple steel cases and jubilee bracelets. 

 

So? 

 

So, we have recently had them serviced after maybe 10 years since the last time they were done. Apparently, once 35-years-old or more they are classed as vintage. This means that they have to be fettled at a central Rolex service dept, or even have to be sent back to Switzerland if they need substantial restoration. Gulp! 

 

Luckily we are 50 miles from a service dept that could do ours (including new hands, new bracelets, sapphire glass, crown, O-rings and stuff) because they carry the parts for "vintage" Rolexes (Rolices?). The cost? £1800.

 

EACH! 

 

OK, so they look like new and will see us out but, really, one thousand eight hundred of our British pounds? 

 

And new ones start around 8 grand! 

 

So what is the moral of this tale? Well, there isn't one really. I just needed to get it off my chest. 

I know how you feel, I had mine and my wife's serviced last year -  £1600. We went to a watch shop in  Switzerland so maybe postage was less! 

Mind you I bought my wife's one 20 years ago so at circa £800 that's £40 a year running costs.

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Tothesunset "Live from...." Rare

Tothesunset

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10 minutes ago, Reef Knot said:

I know how you feel, I had mine and my wife's serviced last year -  £1600. We went to a watch shop in  Switzerland so maybe postage was less! 

Mind you I bought my wife's one 20 years ago so at circa £800 that's £40 a year running costs.

While we were at the shop collecting our watches we had a good look at what was available. That would be nothing! Rolexes are such a fashion statement that, in the UK at least, you just can't wander in off the street to buy one. Only to order with no firm delivery date. 

 

However, they had several watches for display and I have to say that we thought some of them were vile - massive clunky things encrusted with diamonds and other embellishments of questionable taste. 

 

Having said that I came within an inch of ordering a Submariner before common sense prevailed. And OH very nearly ordered a steel and gold ladies watch with a girly pink dial. A quick punch to the temple disabused her of that notion. 

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Mr Luxury

Mr Luxury

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2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

TTS, I feel your pain. Got a nice Rado probably 25 years ago and have replaced quite a bit of it since then.

 

They no longer make the ceramic links for the wristband, so I couldn't replace the broken one last time. Luckily my wrist is smaller so I could remove the broken link, and it still fits. But when the next link goes it will be a completely new band.

Or a strict diet.

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Mr Luxury

Mr Luxury

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Reef Knot said:

I know how you feel, I had mine and my wife's serviced last year -  £1600. We went to a watch shop in  Switzerland so maybe postage was less! 

Mind you I bought my wife's one 20 years ago so at circa £800 that's £40 a year running costs.

How much has the wife's running costs been.

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