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Tenderloin
Sooooo just had a very strange experience at the Rolex service centre in St James….
I took my late dads oyster perpetual air king date circa 1960 in for a full overhaul and service, case refinishing, hand replacement, plexiglass Crystal replacement, and as advised on the quote, dial replacement (5700).
Now my Rolex is relatively unusual in that it has Arabic numerals at the six and nine o’clock, something that basically anchors the look and association with my late dad.
And what do I find when I turn up to collect and pay for ther service, the dial has been replaced with one that doesn’t have any Arabic numerals!
I make this point to the lady serving me who scuttles off to confirm what I know to be true.
So turns out the service centre (not the st James one) didnt make it clear on the quote that I wouldn’t be getting the same dial and that they probably should have done.
They don’t throw components (maybe) away so she’s going to check wether it’s possible to have the old dial reinstated or if in fact it is effectively beyond use.
You’ll see from the photo attached it’s probably not in the best shape.
So my options will be wether to keep a tarnished dial surrounded by effectively as new components or choose a new dial (i may have options on this tbc by Rolex).
So my conundrum is have a new style of dial installed and make it a cohesive whole aesthetically effectively making it my own OR having the old dial re-installed (if possible) and preserving the association with my father while possibly compromising the overall look of the watch.
Which raises a certain philosophical point to watches for long term use and as heirlooms, what gives a watch it’s soul. Is it the movement/heart of the watch that in theory can outlive its owner and subsequent owners, or the watch as a whole including a dial which over time by necessity will become outdated and need updating, and how this effects its value (emotionally more than financially) to those who take it on further down the line.
I will hear back on the options next week and will mull over the weekend what I plan to do.
But thought it might make an interesting post on this thread for the long weekend.