silver bracelet for a rolex?

[Midget]

i've recently come into posession of an old rolex datejust. it belonged to my father and his father-- a timepiece well past my age.

it's pretty beat up, but still ticking. all the wear/tear occured in my dad's lifetime-- he didn't really have any concept of "nice" things. i mean, he had nice things, but he certainly didn't pamper them the way most of us might.

this rolex has been kuwait, as well as througout saudi arabia in 1992. it's been to taiwan, mexico, thailand, korea, china, canada, throughout the united states... it's been to the field, to the office, and been on the arms that raised me. all in all, it's an heirloom.



the crystal had been replaced by rolex years ago. i'm not sure if it was serviced, but i'm assuming it had been. the original band had been broken and replaced with a cheap spiedel one from walmart.



i'm in the market for a new bracelet for this watch. looks like a 20mm lug width. i want a straight silver one, no gold accents. can anyone recommend a nice, reliable, silver band to install on this watch? any other alternatives? i thought about a NATO-style band, maybe, but i think it might look crummy since the watch has gold accents and all--it's not exactly "tactical."


any thoughts?

 

[MORIMOTOM]

if it were mine, and i wish it were , i would send it to rolex for refurb and have them replace the band.

why get a replacement that is not authentic?

 

[Midget]

(because i'm poor)

 

[MORIMOTOM]

(because i'm poor)

give them a call and tell them your story. perhaps it won't be as expensive as you anticipate.

in my experience, high end companies such as rolex are very accomodating.

otherwise go to your local malltime or other watch store, and find one that fits until you have the cash to send it to rolex.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Rolex bracelets are not great. You can get better for a lot less money. You might ask at the general forum at www.timezone.com for recommendations. The word you want is steel, though, not silver.

 

[ChadHahn]

Also ask on timezone a good place to have it overhauled. Rolex has three facilities in the U.S. not all are recommended and they are pretty expensive. There are Rolex authorized repair people who are good and fairly inexpensive.

They also make plenty of "jubilee" style aftermarket bracelets that will fit on the watch.

Chad

 

[Gollnick]

That piece is actually not in that bad a condition. The crystal has got to go, but that's doable. Most of the rest of the damage is just on the surface. You'll be amazed at what a competent watchmaker will do to that watch.

One nice thing about the bracelets on high-end watches is that they are not considered disposable. The bracelets are servicable; they can be disassembled and parts are available.

 

[Kohai999]

Rolex bracelets are not great. You can get better for a lot less money. You might ask at the general forum at www.timezone.com for recommendations. The word you want is steel, though, not silver.

Cougar,

Although Rolex bracelets are not great, they don't suck either, most complaints center on the clasp of the Oyster(I have a newish SeaDweller). Yes, you can find solid link bracelets for less, but try finding solid END-LINKS(the portion that joins the bracelet to the watch)...that is the hard part.

Midget has a choice of Presidential style or Oyster style bracelets that would look correct with this watch......that is a matter of choice, but if this was my watch, I would go with Presidential. Should he decide to go with NOT solid end links, Hadley Roma makes a model for about $70.00 that should be satisfactory, at least in the short term.

The end links that are formed on these bracelets of metal sheet have a tendency to loosen up and rattle. It is distracting, and annoying. This occurred on my Seiko Submariner, and I hated it.

To the best of my knowledge(I have checked,a lot) there are no commercial solid end-link bracelets available at the larger web suppliers . Midget, try Watch Prince...they have a nice one for around $50.00.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[cockroachfarm]

....try Watch Prince...

I'll second that. Good prices and good service. Also look for a seller on eBay called "bandfever" (I think. I'll find you a link).

I'm also big on keeping things "original" - however, a new OEM Rolex SS bracelet these days is, what, around $400? How about a nice refurbished used one? I can give you a few very trustworthy contacts if you like.

 

[Midget]

thanks for the advice, offers, and general knowledge, everyone!

i ended up w/ this SS oyster band one, from watchprince.com.

http://www.thewatchprince.com/s.nl/it.A/id.789/.f

seems basic and simple enough for me. one of these days, maybe i'll get an original rolex band. it's a tough call now, which one is going to be my primary timepiece! my yao-seiko, g-shock, and hamilton khaki will get jealous...


thanks!

 

[Kohai999]

..... it's a tough call now, which one is going to be my primary timepiece! my yao-seiko, g-shock, and hamilton khaki will get jealous...

I have to recommend:

1. The watch needs a crystal replacement, probably and oiling and some attention. This will run you about $200.00-$300.00, and is well spent to avoid damaging expensive internal parts.

2. You said you are poor, right? Well, the Seiko, G-Shock and Hamilton are OK for a financially challenged individual, but the Rolex would be pretentious and somewhat risky for that person....someone would be tempted to remove it from your person.....use it for special occasions. FWIW, my daily wear watch is a Yao-ized MarcelloC Nettuno 3.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[GarageBoy]

Oh yea, send to Rolex NYC, not Beverly Hills. NYC has been better service wise, plus, they don't swap out your old parts for new ones if you don't want them to