Many of our customers with older Rolex watches ask if we can replace their acrylic crystals with synthetic sapphire crystals, like the ones that Rolex uses on their new watches. Although every watch in Rolex’s current catalog is now fitted with a sapphire crystal, Rolex does not manufacture sapphire crystals for use on older watches. Instead, they will only replace a worn or damaged acrylic crystal with another acrylic crystal. The shape of the crystal is different… The outer diameter is […]

Simply put, some Rolex watches are too damaged to repair in a practical and cost-effective manner. Depending on what has happened to a watch and the extent of the resulting damage, some Rolex watches may require extensive repairs and a large number of replacement parts. In some instances, the cost of repairs may exceed the total value of the damaged watch. Consequently, not every Rolex repair story has a happy ending. Every watch is different, and the art of Rolex watch […]

As an element, gold is naturally a soft and malleable, yellow-colored metal. Pure gold (24 karat) is too soft for most watch and jewelry applications, so other metals and/or elements are added to the gold to increase its hardness and durability.    18 karat gold is a concentration of 75% gold, and 25% other metals/elements. The 75% gold content ensures that the gold alloy will have all of the desirable properties of pure gold, while the other 25% allows the metal to […]

One of the questions that we frequently get asked by our customers is, “why doesn’t my Rolex glow anymore, and is there anything that can be done to make it glow again?” In most instances, an older watch no longer glows due to limitations of the manufacturing materials that Rolex was using at the time of production.  Contemporary Rolex watches (like the one pictured below) use a photo-luminescent material on their dials and hands, which means that modern watches will glow […]

Recently, we overhauled a vintage Rolex Day-Date President for a customer who had accidentally reached a bit too close to an active grinding wheel while working in his tool shed. As you can see in the photograph that was taken before service, the top, left lug of the watch received a substantial gouge in the metal that required a significant amount of gold to be resupplied.   The enlarged photo below shows the extent of the damage, and just how much metal […]

When you are ready to branch into the world of high end watches, there are many considerations you must recognize before going to the register.  A lot of people will want the perfect look and fit and that is of course entirely subjective.  However, one thing that is far less subjective and also important to many watch buyers and collectors is the issue of value, and specifically, which brands will hold their value and even increase in value with the […]