Bob's Watches Bob's Watches Jared Paul Stern
In our article on investing in rare and vintage Rolex watches, we noted that, “While brand new hands or dials may appear beautiful and desirable initially, the original pieces of the watch determine its true value. Collectors seek originality above all other considerations.” A logical enough point to make, you might think. Yet for decades now, a systematic operation to undermine, and in many cases destroy, the originality of vintage Rolex watches has been ruthlessly carried out – by Rolex itself, under the guise of official, authorized servicing.
To quote from Rolex’s own website, “To guarantee continued accuracy and waterproofness, Rolex recommends that you periodically return your watch to an Official Rolex Jeweler or Service Center for professional servicing. It is recommended to service your Rolex approximately every 10 years, depending on the model and real-life usage. When your watch is serviced by Rolex, the watch is completely dismantled and all of its components are ultrasonically cleaned. Each individual component is closely examined, and those that no longer meet Rolex’s functional and aesthetic specifications are replaced with genuine Rolex parts.”
The Hidden Cost of a Rolex Service
That last line is the real killer. Rolex’s stated service policy is to make your watch look and perform as good as new, without regard for original parts, just authentic ones. Admirable enough on the surface, but a death sentence for highly-prized vintage Rolex watches with unique components or patina, whose value relies on their originality. Let’s look at the most obvious example of an official service snafu, the “service dial.” This is simply a dial that was replaced by Rolex or an authorized service center, typically after the original dial had acquired a worn appearance or been damaged.
Service dials were also used when Rolex switched from using radioactive material, like radium and tritium, to illuminate their dials in the dark, to the safer Luminova and then SuperLuminova. Should Rolex replace your watch’s original dial with a service dial, you will not get back the original part. In Rolex’s eyes, these are damaged goods. We shudder to think how many clueless Rolex owners have sent an ultra-rare, faded tropical-dial watch in for service only to have it come back looking nearly new, and worth half as much. If you’re curious about how Rolex’s luminous materials have evolved over time, we dive deeper into the history in our article on The Evolution of Rolex Luminous Materials.
Spotting a Service Dial on Vintage Rolex Models
Not all Rolex service dials are immediately obvious, but there are subtle – and sometimes not-so-subtle – differences that can reveal them. These details matter, especially to collectors who prize original parts. Over time, certain models have become key examples of how service dials can affect authenticity and value.
A service dial can have several inconsistencies with the original specifications, and they are most noticeable on vintage Rolex sports watch references that were in production for many years, such as the GMT-Master 1675, made from 1959–1980; and the Submariner 1680, made from 1967–1980. A serviced Ref. 1680 often comes back from the official Service Center with a dial that has SuperLuminova lume – which does not fade or acquire patina over time – instead of the original tritium; lacking the original SWISS t < 25 mark on the bottom of the dial indicating tritium.
The Collector’s Perspective on Original vs. Service Dials
Collectors who truly focus on vintage will make a further distinction between a service dial and a service-only dial. The same dial variant, produced in the same year, can be a service dial in one watch and original in another; while other dials were only ever used for service “upgrades” and were never fitted as original parts. There can be multiple types of service-only dials depending on when the watch was serviced; thus, there are tritium, luminova, and superluminova service-only dials for Submariner Ref. 1675’s.
Rolex, having created the service dials in the first place, makes little distinction between them and the originals, and therefore, you will see numerous service dials featured in its recent “official” book on the Submariner. Many collectors and purists may cringe, but with the knowledge gained from this article, you can now make an informed decision regarding your own Rolex watches; and in the end, as long as you intend on keeping the watch, the only opinion that really matters is your own.
The post Here’s Why Servicing Your Rolex Could Lower Its Value appeared first on Bob's Watches.
