Rolex

         The Rolex 1570 movement is one of the best Rolex mechanisms available. This Rolex was made in 1972 and offers a level of engineering and craftsmanship that is truly exceptional. The Rolex Oyster case is second to none.

         There are three blue screws that hold the automatic winding parts on the bridge plates.

         The photo below shows the movement after removing the automatic winding parts.

         The gears in the automatic winding parts enable the rotor to wind the mainspring when rotating in either direction.

         Remove the pinion gear and the clip to remove the rotor. The rotor bearing must be cleaned and greased.

         The automatic winding parts are fully jeweled in this Rolex.

         Remove the balance and the driver gear for the second hand.

         Remove the hands. Loosen the screw for the spring holding the second pinion and remove the pinion.

         There are three screws holding the ring that supports the calendar ring. Even the calendar ring has a friction jewel in this watch!

         A screw with left-hand threads holds the calendar gear in position. After removing the calendar gear, remove the hour wheel as well. Under the calendar gear is a spring-activated lever with a friction jewel under it that presses against the cam under the calendar gear: this causes the date to move suddenly at exactly midnight.

         Remove the ratchet gear above the mainspring before removing the bridge plate. Remove both bridge plates and the pallet bridge.

         The photo below shows the gear train and the pallets.

         The pillar plate shows the hack (this lever causes the watch to stop when you pull the crown out to set the time).

         Watch enthusiasts often wonder whether a Rolex is worth its high price. Some argue that Rolex's marketing strategy aims to increase the price to add to the prestige of the watch. However, there are differences that must be mentioned here. The Rolex Oyster case protects the mechanism like none other. The attention to detail in the mechanism is also noticeable. Both escape wheel jewels also have cap jewels and shock springs. The pallet assembly is made a light as possible. The escape wheel has timing screws ("micro-stellar"), the regulator has been omitted (the escapement is "free sprung"), and the alloy (Invar?) hairspring has a Breguet overcoil, all intended to result in the finest timekeeping available in a mechanical escapement. If a regulator with a micrometric adjustment had been added instead, the escapement would be much easier to adjust precisely, however. Overall, there can be no doubt that you get more watch for the higher price.

         Below is a photo of a very unusual quartz watch, the Rolex 5035. While the quality and craftsmanship are exceptional, I prefer mechanical watches, like the 1570.

         The prestige of Rolex has been greatly diluted by its numbers. The chart below shows the years of production and the watch case serial numbers.

         Please note that the information on this page is only an introduction. Inexperienced collectors may be tempted to repair their own watches: leave Rolex repairs to the professionals only. A mistake could be traumatic because replacement parts are difficult to obtain and terribly expensive. Update: Rolex parts are now difficult or impossible to obtain, drastically reducing their investment potential. I understand that the parts problem also plagues many of the better Swiss watch brands, such as Le Coultre, Rolex, Omega, Longines. In 1998, I could buy any part for any of my watches. Not today: if I cannot repair a product because I cannot buy parts for it, I consider it to be a very poor investment and can only recommend against purchasing it until the parts situation improves.

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