Misbehaving Self-winder....

tony glenn

Er...someone I know...er..bought a really good-looking Rolex for an amazingly cheap price from a guy in Morocco. (Obviously,the Arab salesman didn't realise what he had!)
The watch looks great, and ...er....my friend....says it works perfectly when it's left on the locker, it keeps perfect time for days.
The problem is that it starts to misbehave when I....sorry...he....wears it, losing about four minutes a day, and now and then, losing ten minutes or so unexpectedly.
All the correct initial winding procedures have been followed to no avail.
Can anything be done, or should he leave the watch on the locker and just nip home now and then if he wants to know what time it is?
The watch can't be returned as there doesn't appear to be an address for the Rolex dealership in Marrakech.
It's a sad situation, as the Arab salesman was such a nice man, he even had a friend in Dublin!

Wibbs

I'm sayin nothin…

TBH you're kinda boned really. No watchmaker is even going to even look at it and it's likely a really nasty cheap chinese movement in it. What you're seeing are positional errors which yo would get with a crappy mechanical movement. Nature of the beast I'm afraid. When the knockoffs had quartz movements this was less an issue, though even there…

893bet

What do you mean the Arab salesman didn't know what he had? Are you saying the watch is real and he sold it think it was a replica?

tony glenn

Wibbs wrote: »

I'm sayin nothin…

TBH you're kinda boned really. No watchmaker is even going to even look at it and it's likely a really nasty cheap chinese movement in it. What you're seeing are positional errors which yo would get with a crappy mechanical movement. Nature of the beast I'm afraid. When the knockoffs had quartz movements this was less an issue, though even there…

OK, plan B...how about I send it back to Rolex HQ for repair, maybe they'd be really busy and wouldn't notice.......

tony glenn

893bet wrote: »

What do you mean the Arab salesman didn't know what he had? Are you saying the watch is real and he sold it think it was a replica?

I was kinda hoping the Arab salesman was a replica.

blue5000

How much did your em..friend, pay for the rolexwatch? I think just put it down to experience. Has it any serial numbers next to the strap between the lugs? Any photos?

tony glenn

Photos attached! CL5 72200 STEELINOX
ROLEX GENEVA SWISS MADE.
(Doesn't say 'Yeah, right' anywhere....that's a good sign!

DSC_0009.jpg

DSC_0010.jpg

Wibbs

Aye, that's about as glaringly obvious a fake as a Hollywood starlet's boobs.

tony glenn

Wibbs wrote: »

Aye, that's about as glaringly obvious a fake as a Hollywood starlet's boobs.

Hey...I just married a Hollywood starlet last week! Are you telling me I've been scammed twice?????

tony glenn

Btw, if I wanted to open it up for a look (the watch, not the starlet) how would I get the back off......is it threaded or would it lever off?

Mitch Buchannon

It looks to be a screw back. A stress ball is a good yoke to get the back off . Here is a video to show ye how.
http://youtu.be/ZzMrSAlt3jM

Deep Thought

tony glenn wrote: »

Photos attached! CL5 72200 STEELINOX
ROLEX GENEVA SWISS MADE.
(Doesn't say 'Yeah, right' anywhere....that's a good sign!

Holy Moley...if that a Rolex then my Mrs boobs are in trouble