Restoration of a Gold Rolex Day-Date - Smashed and Drenched
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This time I restore a 18K Gold Rolex Day-Date from 1971. This Rolex watch was badly damaged and it belongs to Andy who inherited it from his father so the watch has sentimental as well as monetary value.
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This restoration was pretty challenging. Several crital components were completely rusted and some extreme measures were necessary to complete the restoration of the vintage Rolex 1556 movement and its solid 18K gold case.
Music : Walk Through The Park
Artist: TrackTribe
Source: KZhead Audio Library
I am a USMC SGT retired. I am also a huge fane of Richard. I purchased a Sea Wolf watch from Richard to add to my collection. I truly recommend to everyone to look at the Sea Wolf line of watches. My Sea Wolf watch sits proudly in my watch collection between my Rolex Submariner and My Rolex DeepSea. As a Marine I love the water and the tools which serve me while in it. Thank you Richard for an excellent watch, which has great story to go with it.
Hi Bobby! Great to hear from you! I just pinned this great feedback ... because ... why wouldn't I? Much appreciated! Richard www.majorwatches.co.uk/seawolf
😅 😅😅 😅 😅 😅😅😅😅😅
How do you know someone’s a marine? Give him two seconds and he’ll tell you.
Wonderful. So good to get this watch working for its proud owner. Bravo.
Hi Richard, I’m Andy’s wife. Thank you so much for this. My late father in law’s watch is so treasured and priceless. It’s love to see it get such loving care ❤️ Rolex themselves had absolutely no interest in its sentimental value, they should be ashamed. It’s lovely that Andy gets it back in full working order with so much of the original watch intact 😊
Hi there! Awww! ... thank you so much! It's has been a pleasue and honour to restore your father-in-law's lovely gold Rolex. Thank you so much for taking a moment to leave this comment. It is a really nice looking watch on the wrist so I think you will enjoy having it back very soon. Richard
Rolex are assholes😢 Happy to see it come back to life!
Rolex makes colossal margins from selling well over a million new watches every year. It quite literally has people queuing to buy everything it makes and doesn’t need to sweat what individual watches mean to individual owners. It rather pays Roger Federer et al a fortune to promote its watches (which, let’s be honest, don’t actually need any marketing whatsoever these days), than focus on great customer aftersales service, which in its own arrogant way it probably thinks is “great”. There’s alot wrong with today’s luxury watch business.
Richard ..... WOW ! Beautiful restoration! 👍
Rolex is a marketing machine. They are expert marketing. Not as impressive as watchmakers vs their peers. Very disappointed in them. But they don't care.
Oh Richard that was brilliant. The word “awesome” is used a lot these days but I was in awe. From an apparent basket case to stunningly beautiful via “agricultural” and “brutal”. I’m drained.
Haha! Hi 'Andy' ! .... Guys! This is Andy from this film who has just watched this for the first time so I guess it was a bit of a rollercoaster, especially when the big drill gets dusted off and readied for action! Thanks so much Andy! Very much looking forward to handing this watch back to you when you get back to Blighty! Richard
You were a wise man to trust Richard with your watch. Wear it with pride knowing it was done right.
I’m always amazed how resilient these watches are when you have a skilled watchmaker.
I’ve been wondering what it would take to restore a truly rusted out watch. Now I know : Skill, patience, careful attention to detail, all the right tools a lot of knowledge and a big heart. Thank you. I did enjoy it, and the tantalizing glimpse of your well stocked workshop.
Hi Richard, Is there something wrong with me? When you put the watch down and got your instruments and cleaning fluid ready , I was excited! Jaysus , it's only a watch....but nevertheless I was anticipating a whole heap of intricate love and gentle cleaning with possibly the chance of failure? No, that's just a pipe dream😂 However , your attention to detail, obvious passion , narration and demeanor all add to the viewing experience. I will have to send my Breitling as it's sat in the safe for 6 years 😢 and I'd rather have it sat with you for another 6😂 Thank you for your time and content. ❤
Hi Patrick .... Failure was lurking close by in the shadows pretty much the whole way through this project but I mananged to keep it there. It was touch and go at moments/ Thanks for the great feedback. Richard
What a masterful job done on a very challenging case. Rolex was afraid to touch this one. Thanks Richard for sharing this experience 👏👏
You know it is serious water damage when you start mainlining the WD40 !!! Beautiful end result 😍👌
It’s oddly soothing watching and listening to you repair watches.
It's hard to imagine that this is an economical repair - unless you are very generous with your time. But it makes for a fascinating and sympathetic piece of work. Bravo.
Hi @user-kt3ox7nc2q ... if the filming and editing time was not factored in I think this could maybe economically done. But only because of the value of the finished watch compared with the value of the starting point watch. If I were to charge the 'time on whole project' your estimations are correct and this would not be an economical repair I think. But then you hit the nail on nthe head with your last sentence as this is the real aim to produce a fascinating film, that is the goal as well as to restore Andy's watch. Great comment, thank you. Richard
This is a $12-$15k watch in good working condition, so I would think that the repair is worth it.
I think that if you plan to keep an item long term it is always worth repairing, or if you are very attached to it. If you are only going to sell it then it is sometimes debatable.
that was satisfying. a proper resto, Richard. well done. Andy must be thrilled.
and good to see I’m not the only one greasing up the wrong end of the sliding pinion 😂
Well that was very satisfying - brilliant job! I must say though, I'm surprised that there is so much ferrous material in a watch of that calibre - ship - ha'porth - tar, anybody?
Love watching your videos Richard. Every part looks easy to remove and install on the TV screen, then once you see a movement normal scale it never ceases to amaze me how tiny most of the parts actually are! Interesting how some parts are relatively unscathed, and others badly seized or corroded! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into filming the whole restoration. Just fantastic cheers. Finished article is outstanding!👌👍
Hi @Adrian_3006 ... Thank you sir! Yes, maybe I should do a little more to remind folks of the scale involved here. Interesting that you notice the luck of the draw in damage to components too. For some reason I seem to get lucky with balance assemblies as these are most often unscathed for which I am very grateful. Great feedback. Thank you so much! Richard
What's the story here? Rolex usually has no problem servicing watches from the 70s. Did they deny to service it? Thanks.
@@mlogicli- I'm sure they wanted an arm and a leg for the repairs.
عاشت 🎉 الايادي
It was amazing to see how well the quality metals in the movement held up against the rust. That mainspring relief event should have had you holding your breath. The slow release there was something to see.
Your work reflects your knowledge & talent in horology. You are very cautious, never take any chance and never try to show any technical stunts while repairing. ABOVE ALL YOU HAVE LOT OF PATIENCE & DISCIPLINE IN WORKING.
A new day and date wheel for me👍
I did consider it because it was touch and go with them but I managed to get the existing wheels working. Richard
Excellent display of technique and knowledge. Good explanation of the work you completed. Can't understand why the owner waited so long after immersion to get repair done. Thank goodness is was you. We all benefited. Thank you.
Heartbreak at the state of this watch when first opened, but full respect at the mindboggling skill employed refurbishing such tiny delicate components back to full working order. Truly amazing!
I'm so curious about the performance after restoration.
Hi @ciscco3750 .... Yes I can undrestand this curiosity but it's a bit 'techie' sometimes for he vibe in the film. For the record, with no regulation the watch when the balance went back as shown was doing this (dial down ... movement straignt onto timegrapher in movement holder) +16 seconds at 212 degrees and less than 0.5 ms beat error (so pretty good but needs a little work to improve). I normally run the watch for a few days before settling into the regulation work in earnest. Hope this helps. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker Thank you! Very good result, keeping in mind it's initial condition and corosion impact.
Here is an interesting comment about the video: Wow, what an intense restoration process! As a watch enthusiast, I'm amazed at your skill and care in reviving this smashed and drowned Rolex. The rusted stuck components like the fused wheels and calendar ring screws seemed impossibly damaged, but you systematically cleaned and extracted everything without causing further harm. Your tips on safely controlling the wound mainspring to avoid damage were insightful. I love how you take us through each step - seeing the watch transform from a seized, corroded mess into a pristine, ticking timepiece is so satisfying! The details about using lubricating grease and Teflon were fascinating, too. Watch restorations don't get much more thorough than this.
Very nicely done!! I second most of the comments, here. Like the Marine, I am a huge Rolex enthusiast. I am a retired US Army Colonel. If bought a watch, that wasn't a Rolex, it would be one of yours. I had the honor and pleasure to attend a UK Army conference, in Paderborn, Germany. We always had officers from the UK come to our meetings in Garmisch. But, I was hand-picked by a colonel, along with 4 others, to attend this event. Lots of drinking ensued!
Wonderful work Richard !
Good clean results from your cleaning process . I have just changed over to rotation cleaning and am enjoying the results .
Hi Richard Gordie here and for the life of me i can not understand why people disrespect these priceless inconic Time peices
I’ve never seen anybody disrespecting these iconic watches!? You run around with the wrong crowd ………
I'm always amazed at how much patience, knowledge and skill you have to repair a watch like this and get it running again. respect
Greetings Richard.... beautiful work if I may say so!!!!! I especially love the Blessed Mother on the wall.... Amen. God Bless! Peace Out.
Once again astonished to see so much of what looks like scrap brought back to life.
Lovely overhaul. Bet he won't take it swimming again!!
Wow a true! 💯 % real watch maker! Is an understatement. A brilliant professional teacher master watch maker truly. 5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Great to see Richard displaying a devotional piece of art in his religion, going well with "SUNDAY" displayed on the dial. Kudos.
What a fabulous restoration! Loved the way you tried to keep everything original but used new parts where necessary, and the filming was top notch as well. Bravo!!
The father and son watch makers in Australia had a Rolex dive watch given to them. It had been found in the ocean and had salt water in it. They filmed the repairs and it looked and ran excellent. I commented to them that they should make quite a profit since it was free. They responded that they only broke even because of the high cost of replacement parts! Remarkable! 😮
Excellent video in that I learned that one must be able to work with unpredictable situations, and sometimes work around them.
Thanks for your channel. I am a fiddler of mainly Seiko automatics. I found a copy of the Vacheron Constantin Tourbillion in an opp shop in Australia. (I have stripped it and only lost one tiny screw on the rotor.) I will reassemble it and it has a few problems. The balance is fine and the winding mechanism is troubled. I do have a timegrapher and a watch microscope with a screen on and a good tool set with rodico. Should keep me busy. I really like the way you approach the repairs. Thanks for your videos. Cheers
Amazing job.I think a lot of Watchmakers would of just handed the watch back
So this is how the pro’s do it. 👍
I spent several years wandering the country, wild camping in unfenced woodlands. At night times the local wildlife owns the woodlands and people are considered to be trespassers. So if for example there are a bunch of Jackdaws there, then woe betide you if you make a noise. Because they will s ream at you to shut up ! 😅. Mucho enjoyed your repair vid, thank you for posting. :-)❤
Hi Richard, the elves really had their work cut out for them on this one! I don't know how people could be so careless and disrespectful to such a wonderful timepiece but fortunately they have you to make things right again!
Thanks so much for this Richard, as an Electromechanical Engineer (retired) it's wonderful to see solutions to problems.
Richard, I’m a knife maker and I share a work space with a mechanic partitioned off but we are very mutually supportive. He uses a microscopic ceramic fibre brush to clean electrical contacts of corrosion on vehicles. I think that a similar brush might be of great use to you in watch work with corrosion and rust removal. I’m sure if you Google it you’ll find one. By comparison to a brass strand type brush the ceramic is superb very accurate and compact bristle head with no splayed or differing length strands. Just thought it might interest you. Love your work - best Mic 🍺🏴🔪👌🏻
Hi Mic... Thank you so much for this; a ceramic fibre brush sounds very useful and I will see if I can get one. Much appreciated. Richard
So many parts and screws with precision sequence of fitting and orientation, can you explain how you do that, is it photographic memory or just intimate knowledge of every part for every watch ? cheers, bemused and exhausted from holding my breath during your restoration!
He used to fix tanks and things like that, lots more parts in those some of which are common to watchmaking and some requiring sledgehammers for fitting.
I have the same model and year as this watch, bought it second hand 20 years ago as my second Rolex just had it serviced and runs beautiful.
Hi @macrook1961 ... Great choice! The Rolex 15** series are great movements and after a service your 1556 should continue running nicely for years. Thanks for sharing! Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker Thank you for taking time to read & reply.
Caution! Mainspring Armed!
Thanks Richard that was awesome video what a restoration 👍
Two brave men looking at all things Rolex in public. 😄
Wonderful work. It's like a complicated puzzle that can only be properly restored in the exact same, only reversed, order it was,, before being disassembled. This is very satisfying to watch. IfI had steadier hands I would try to teach myself how to do this,, starting on a pocket watch and working my way through different movements. I have a beautiful small pocket watch made in Cuba, of all places, probably in the 1940's. I would love to have it restored like this - it's a bit of a family heirloom.
Ha! Another great video to watch on a lazy friday afternoon. Wonderful!
Richard, it's so lovely seeing you again and making such a fine restoration of a well loved, gold Rolex. "Minty fresh" is a great description of the fine watchmaking craft you do, and I just thank you for encouraging Billie my daughter to get the courage and go to Geneva to intern for a luxury watch maker. ...the hard work, the patience of you shone through to make this latest video an absolute classic. God bless, peace and many blessings to you, Wendi 🌻🌻🌻
Hi Wendi! Very good to hear from you and exciting news about Billie ... Geneva is the place for sure! I think she will love it; and such a nice place for you to go and visit! Thank you so much for your support in my efforts. Much appreciated and please wish Billie good luck from me! Richard
Excellent as customary, thank for sharing your many talents with us.
Minty fresh restoration cheers
Great work on my grail watch
If you take each challenge one step at a time, with faith in every footstep, your strength and understanding will increase.
Just fantastic. Here you can see what makes mechanical watches so fascinating. Every single part, even the smallest screw, deserves attention.
Another beautiful restoration. Well done Richard!
Thank you so much David! And thank you for taking a moment to say so. Much appreciated. Richard
A lot more to the story of this watch than the technical details but how well does it run?
Congratulations on a job well done, from what you started with to the finished result, now fit for purpose and should last many years to come.
Hi Keith! Very good to hear from you sir! And thank you ... I really enjoyed working on this watch for Andy and I very pleased you enjoyed watching the work! Thanks again. Richard
Nicely done. Enjoy every video. I find myself now naming the parts as they come off the chassis. I’m learning. I find it incredible that even with the damage that this watch had you were still able to bring it back to life again.
Artistry ...at its finest ...wow
Thanks @tps3057 ! Richard
I'm am completely amazed at what i watched!!
Nice fix! I heard a sigh of relief when the hair spring started right away. 💯🗽🇺🇸
Hi Tony... Yes its always good to see the balance kick into action. Richard
I like the use of rodico to keep the spring from flinging out.
With every layer of this movement being removed,my heart sank a little lower.But,as usual,Richard came through.Sorry for being a doubting Thomas.
Great restoration. Thank you for bringing back an important watch. I wonder if they were to have dunked it in thin machine oil instead of just airing it out wiulyd have saved it l from all the rust. Not sure if it would stain the dial.
Amazing just how much abuse a good quality movement can take before it is just scrap.
Hi @TailSpinRCSpain ... Good point! Also the value of each quality piece makes it more likely that some will undertake a restoration, in turn the high quality increases the intrinsic value. A sort of postive feedback loop. It's the opposite of a 'throwaway design philosophy' and I guess therefore a good thing, or at least not a bad thing. Food for thought! Thanks for the feedback. Richard
Always enjoyable!
Wow! Nicely done, bruv!
While recuperating from various hospital treatments I have found these videos utterly fascinating and quite compulsive viewing. One thing I haven't got are hands steady enough to work with such minute parts... Which has made me wonder what the smallest part of a tank could be! ?!
Marvelously done! Superb! Bully for you!!! Best Regards, Jay
Great job Richard
Thanks so much Alison! Richard
Mr. Richard, A truly fantastic amount of fine workmanship you accomplished with this water-logged ROLEX , a truly fine amount of professional workmanship you provided the KZhead audience to view. Sincerely appreciate your fine workmanship with this challenging Rolex that you did a stunning good job in restoring it to be running again. Good Job Mr. Richard.
Nice autoilers
I know @andrewpeterwhatsonmybench1383 ! I am enjoying using them too. So much more precise when you need to be! Richard
Hey Richard hope you’re well? I have a bi metal Yatchmaster with a stainless steel crown. I want the crown changed/upgraded to a gold one but Rolex have stated as it’s a critical component they will not do it? Any ideas or advice??👍
Hi @user-mz8kd6wp4v that's an interesting issue right there! I will get back to you with some contact details and do what I can to advise. Richard
Very well done- do you share the type of anti rust and clean up fluids? I saw ‘40’ but your jam jar fluid was quite clear, not like the wd-40
Quite an ugly duckling at the start. Your brass scrubbing brush was pretty impressive in cleaning off the rust. What an improvement after the cleaning processes! I'm sure Andy will enjoy his restored watch.
Wow, very nice work and a very nice watch. I'm glad to see they got something repaired that means something to the now owner rather than $$$. I have a sentimental DateJust that I'd love to have repaired and back to working order as well. I have had it repaired once and it worked for around a year, but it's currently not running for more than a 1/2 hour at most, the second hand works, but the minute hand will stop moving. Incredibly frustrating to find someone that actually cares about the quality of the repair work and the history of something that's incredibly personal.
I love watching videos of watches being clean and repair 😊
I like that a Welshman is using tea strainers to keep watch parts separate
oops posted my question before watching the whole rebuild , so teflon is the answer,! thanks richard😁
I just want to say I appreciate all your videos and thank you for teaching me and everybody else how to fix these watches. Thank you. Keep up the good work👏🙂💪😎💯
Pretty cool watch there
A marathon fix that. Excellent job👍🏻
I was breathing lightly while the mainspring had power...and after you mentioned dampening the excitement lol .
Nice work and videography!
It's so amazing that you were able to restore it!
As per usual Richard...brilliant work yet again. Not my favourite marque as you well know, but I admit it, that President is a gorgeous piece and you did it justice 👍👍👍
I thoroughly enjoy your channel. Great camera work. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks @tonycarver9570 ! Richard
This video is so interesting ! Starting far with a bad water consequences and finish with a satisfied restoration. Thank you for sharing, as a hobbyist I learn again some trick to have a better skill ! ✨. I would have liked to see Andy's reaction when he received his Rolex watch ! 😮 Thanks again Mr.Richard very nice work on this one !! Best Regard from Canada 🇨🇦 😊
Amazing work, as always. In future videos, would you consider pointing out which parts you end up replacing, either before or during reassembly? Thank you.
Nice work sir! Love the videos, informing and commenting, and silence all in the right measure.
Hi Gordon ... Very pleased that you picked up on the 'when to speak' judgement. It's tricky to get that right I think but I did try hard on this one so it's nice to know that it was noticed. Much appreciated. Richard
Epic restoration as usual Richard. Never seen so much rust in a Rolex?
At 21:57 I make those little meshed containers myself from tea strainers. Very useful things for the ultrasonic cleaner. :)
Hi Richard, I love watching your videos. The skill, precision & expertise with which you work is the sign of a true craftsman. Looking forward to more of the same.
Tiniest mill I have ever seen.
I really REALLY love your videos, the way you explain what’s going on is great. You have one of those lovely calming voices too (like David Attenborough). Thanks for posting.
Just Amazing the Hands must be so balanced great Job!!!!!!
I love it when they are minty fresh !
Haha! Me too Robert! The cleaning regime is actually 3 steps long but I cut it to one for brevity in the edit! Richard
Thanks Richard. Have a great weekend my friend.
First time seeing your channel, well done and I'll be back for more. When you said "... we can get a little more agricultural with the rusted screws..." I was thinking "strap in and get some popcorn this is gonna be fun"
Hi, Richard: Just wanted you to know that I really enjoy your videos (From the USA). Your craftsmanship is simply superb, and your commentary during the process is terrific. It's so neat to see that true craftsmanship is still in existence nowadays. You truly do outstanding work. Great job on a very rusty project.
Hi Jack... Such a positive comment to read. There's quite a lot of work going into each video so it's very encouraging to receive this kind of feedback. Much appreciated sir! Richard
Hi Richard, I love watching you bring watches back to life after such severe damage, it amazes me every time. I was wondering if Rolex get involved in repairs like this or is it just independent specialists like you that would tackle work like this? Thanks for another great video.