Restoration of Rusty Rolex - Water damaged 1996 GMT Master II│ Nicholas Hacko Master Watchmaker
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- Опубликовано: 2 ноя 2020
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RUSTY Rolex Restoration - 1996 GMT Master II
A full 3 weeks of restoration, recording, and editing. The upload to RUclips
itself took almost two days.
You will notice the difference: Michael's videography is simply next level.
A bit of background: this 1996 Rolex GMT Master II suffered badly. Soaked in water, it spent two years in a drawer. The amount of rust was unbelievable. Actually, apart from the case and bracelet, only 8 of close to 100 internal parts were preserved.
But the core challenge was to preserve the mainplate: the very base of the
watch that holds all components together. The main plate bears the Rolex serial number and preserves the very identity of the watch. If the mainplate is replaced, that GMT Master II is no longer the same watch.
Of course, Rolex would not bother with any of the restoration that I
undertook. They would simply replace the entire movement. Even a
half-brained monkey can do that kind of 'restoration'. Instead, I've spent a
whole week soaking the mainplate in vinegar, dissolving and removing the
rust, brushing it off, reaming out broken screws, inserting new jewels and
posts. Finally, the mainplate was rhodium plated and you, the viewer, will
have a hard time believing it is the same component.
Would I and could I do it again? That depends on the availability of Rolex
spare parts. The current state of supply of parts to Australian independent
watchmakers is unchanged since 2013: none, zero, and no chance. My parts box is now almost empty and new replacement parts are now so expensive that any restoration work is next to impossible.
In a way, this video should be simply titled: "The last Rolex restoration".
====================================
*** What is RESTORATION?
====================================
Before we go any further, let's consult a Cambridge dictionary:
Restoration: the act or process of returning something to its earlier good condition.
Hardly any room for misinterpretation: fixing a broken watch and returning it to an 'earlier good condition' is essentially a restoration. What is not defined as a restoration is regular maintenance: ensuring that a watch which is already in good working order continues to perform for another period of time - until it's due for next scheduled maintenance. We call this kind of work regular servicing.
The recent RUclips video opened a floodgate of comments: "Oh, that video is not a Rolex restoration, it is just a video showing a lots of parts being replaced, not restored." Those comments unfortunately come from ignorant viewers who simply lack the basic understanding of the restoration process.
Was the watch broken at the beginning of the restoration process? Yes. Actually, it was at the point of a total write-off. Has it been returned in working order? Yes. The end of the story.
However, what may confuse some viewers is the misplaced hope that almost all 100 of the rusted out parts will be restored themselves, individually, one by one. Well, if that was the case, the video would be titled: "restoration of winding stem" or "restoration of barrel arbour" and would have taken 6 months.
But the end result of such lengthy 'restoration' would be a total disaster. Finely machined then rusted out watch parts are not designed to be restored. A rusted escape wheel cannot be restored. Ditto to the rest of them. Except for some bridges and in some rare cases, the base plate which holds all components together. We call that part the 'mainplate'. Due to the fact that it is made of brass which is non-ferrous (not containing iron, therefore no rust) metal, the mainplate can be restored. Since the mainplate contains pressed in steel pins, jewels, and internally and externally threaded steel posts, which are not meant to be removed because they are factory set and adjusted, restoration of the mainplate is time consuming and has to be undertaken with great care. This is a very difficult job and could take days - if not weeks.
Restored by Nicholas Hacko, Master Watchmaker
Recorded and edited by Michael Johnston
November 2020.
Email: nick@clockmaker.com.au
Music:
0:10 Back in a jiffy - Nocturnal Spirits
3:31 Got that feeling - Peter Sandberg
9:30 All the good things - Nocturnal Spirits
13:03 Under a smiling moon - Peter Sandberg
17:25 Thats how i like it - Oakwood station
20:38 Midnight call - Magnus Ringblom quartet
21:42 Whisky on the rocks - The flax
24:54 The prophecy - Dream cave
www.nicholashacko.com.au/
clockmaker.com.au/
/ nicholashackowatch 
Развлечения
How much did you charge for this job?
not enough
@@MasterWatchmaker Charge enough then.
@@MasterWatchmaker You have given life to a thing that was dead. Awe inspiring work.
@@MasterWatchmaker the parts alone had to be over a thousand dollars. I could not stop watching. I have a similar time piece.
@@MasterWatchmaker What was the cost of parts? Can hobbyists buy parts from rolex?
i just spent 30 mins of my life watching someone restore a rolex. absolutly beautiful
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Same on right before new years
Me too , I’m so old😔
✌️
30 minutes well spent
"due to extensive damage the whole watch had to be replaced in tiny parts one by one" :) very relaxing !
The background music makes me want to order a martini. 😄
As a Rolex trained horologist myself, I would have done exactly the same. Congratulations on saving the main plate. That, in itself, makes this an epic restoration. Any time a Certified Master Watchmaker pulls out a staking or jewelling tool, many parameters must be met. Generally, people do not understand the tolerances involving end shake and depth of set required Microns! The staking of posts is rather straight forward, simply because posts have shoulders. The same cannot be said of plate jewels. I have replaced plate jewels. It is time consuming and nerve racking. Especially when the repair is for a high end chronograph.
By the way, I agree that the silicon crystal sleeve was the cause of the water issue. I believe the severity of the rust issue was caused by someone who simply put off taking the timepiece in for service in a timely manner.
Why would one who drives a Rolls Royce fail to have it serviced promptly when a known issue exists?
Great work! I subscribed.
A fool with their $20,000 prized possession. Or perhaps they were wealthy enough that it wasn’t such a prize and when they passed their child(ren) wanted dad’s watch to run again.
Let’s hope it was his wife getting his watch fixed as an anniversary present. I too am very, very impressed. In fact I would have bet $5,000 it couldn’t be done, (since before it was completed I never imagined it could be done for less then that amount). I’m guessing this is at least a $7,000 restoration.
@@john-paulsilke893 "Why would one who drives a Rolls Royce fail to have it serviced promptly when a known issue exists?" Because they don't have time. Repairing a Rolex is not important enough in their life??
@@waringrob look on the used car market. Many high priced cars who simply haven’t been maintained. 30 years ago I bought a poor condition Ferrari Dino for $20,000. I did about $4,000 worth of work and flipped it for $35,000. They are currently for sale at over $300,000. People are human and this is a real problem.
"... an epic replacing" that should be.
@@andreassvensson1038 Yes, it is. Practically every part was destroyed by rust. It isn’t practical to remanufacture parts when replacements are available. Many movement manufacturers are represented across many brands. In the case of Rolex, they manufacture their own movements and do not share them or the parts for them across brands.
This person is better at fixing watches than I am at living life.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Life is far more complex than fixing a watch, unless you get help from the Master Watchmaker Himself.
Hahahahaah
Start slow. Find an old watch that needs a new battery and change it. Remember to take your time....you'll be ok.
RUclips algorithm feeding me things I didn’t even know I wanted...
As a heavy diesel mechanic I am amazed at the precision and dexterity you show in this video and the way you handle the components is amazing .. and that is by far the cutest little arbor style press I have ever seen . Love your work mate
Incredible workmanship and attention to detail! This thing was a total wreck, and I was thoroughly impressed with the refurbishment of this watch. I stopped by on a whim, and left as a subscriber. I'm sixty-one years old, and I've been an electrical engineer most of my life. I had to retire this year due to health issues, and if I had to do it all over again, I would like to have been a Watchmaker. I've had a passion for mechanical movement watches since I was a boy, and I received a wind-up Timex watch for my sixth birthday. It sparked my early interest in "how things work", and I've been investigating how things work ever since. Since retiring, that passion for mechanical watches has been rekindled with a vengeance, and I started buying tools from eBay and a few other places, and I set up a watch repair station on the end of my electronics repair bench.
I am learning how to be a watch repairer, and so far and I can take a pocket watch and basic wristwatches apart and put them back together again. This my friend, is a level of complexity that is miles ahead of my skill set. This is a very beautiful and expensive watch, that suffered catastrophic water damage. My first thought was "it's not repairable", and least not without replacing most of the internal parts. It looks like I was right, the parts list was long and expensive, but in the end, it was all sorted out and made whole again. I don't have enough experience with wristwatches to be able to deal with a disintegrated movement, and have any hope of putting it back together. I need to see how it's taken apart first, but even then this watch is above my head for now. As my skills increase, I'll be taking on projects that are more challenging than a pocket watch or basis wristwatch. I have a small box of about a dozen non running wristwatches, that belonged to my maternal grandparents. There are even a few ladies watches in the box, and it's a real treasure trove for a budding watch repairer like myself. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! I'll be following along with you, and gleaning what I can from your excellent videos.
It is unbelievable to see how the watchmaker can remember every single piece of the watch to be restored.
That's like when i go 2 the doc but with out. The talking 👄
That’s why they make a video!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
usually if there were parts left over he wouldn't get paid
Firstly they have good memories, secondly I saw they have lots of little box they fill one operation after another so they can have a chronology of what they did.
Blows my mind that anyone could figure out how to put this thing back together. Amazing.
...was the work done at the Rolex factory?
Such an epic display of talent, detail and steadiness of hand. I’m so blown away. Bravo!
I believe that restoration, by definition, means restoring an object to its original state, without replacing a part. And if the replacement of some components is inevitable, they should not exceed 5 or 10% of the original product. The more replacement parts there are, the more the restoration becomes repair.
A beautiful video!
I feel richer after watching this
Man it was a pleasure watching a Master rebuild a legendary Rolex
It's refreshing to be able to see someone do highly skilled work with such care.
I've always been fascinated with how small things are in a mechanical watch let alone a beautiful rolex....and the fact it works when it's all put together..just simply amazing works of art!! Good job people!!
As a mechanical engineer myself, the amount of labour and effort to restore some of the (? repairable) parts, plus the risk of an unfavourable outcome following all the labour expenditure means replacement of those parts is a far more logical choice. He’s an experienced chap, and knows this. I’m absolutely sure he’s tried to restore bits of damaged mechanism during his career with questionable results, hence his assertion about part replacement.
He also knows about cost effectivity and would have assessed repair vs buying new prior to the work and advised the customer accordingly.
Great work IMO.
Thank you Andy - you are spot on. Unfortunately most viewers are unable to grasp the complexity of micro components, the way they are made, polished, burnished and finished as well as engineering behind them. Also, only a few would have any understanding of what a tolerance of 2 micron really is; or what it takes for a mechanical oscillator to perform / keep time with an accuracy of 99.9992% in 5 position. Watch parts are simply not design to be 'restored' , Our workshop is setup for watch parts manufacturing (see www.NicholasHacko.com.au ) and we make our own internal components, but to setup tooling for just one gear cots thousands of dollars. Thanks for watching. Nick Hacko
@@MasterWatchmaker Great Work on the WATCH and Great Choice of Relaxing Music. I enjoyed the entire Video.
How can you tell a person is an engineer?? Because he NEVER fails to announce it 😜😜😜
Its better than the dentist
@@shiweixu7328 forgetabouit buy me so i can put it in the trunk of my car?
It’s impressive that all of this work was done in less than 29 minutes.
The video is 29 minutes the actual work required is many hours.
@@danielpauldebs6526 what do you mean? it took less than 30 minutes.....it’s all on video.
@@SalaciousCrmb hahah
Thanks for sharing this experience. This is one of if not my favorite watch restoration channels out there.
As an owner of two Rolex watches I was very glad to see that GMT come back to life. Well done.
The work, the music, the sad idea that this may be the last restoration of a Rolex. So many emotions.Thank you
This video is surprisingly relaxing -- probably due to the wonderful background music and the absence of narration. Thank-you!
I second that!! I was going to say something similar but knew someone had already said it!
I like this and youtuber My mechanic. MM uses no music but you do here the machine work to make parts or repairs to old tools and locks and scales.
Thank you brother for refreshing my 22 years old memories, because 22 years ago I used to repair watches.
Perfect Saturday viewing.A masterclass in watchmaking by a true watch surgeon!
Fascinating and impressive escape from disaster. Reminds me of the farmer and his best axe, he only had to replace 4 handles and 2 heads. The music is also superb, thanks.
...or Triggers brush
Sorry but this isn't a restoration anymore, that's literally building a watch from scratch! Having said that great skills and supreme craftsmanship 👏🏽
True, a lot of important pieces were replaced. I was waiting for a restoration of all the mechanism of the watch but still a great job. It’s just art.
It's like Trigger and his broom from Only Fools And Horses 🤣
True
He saved the baseplate the case and case back which are the most important for posterity the serial number
The Parts He replaced were far beyond saving........He did an excelent job,well deserving of recognition.
Magnificent restoration! A truly masterwork!
2:00am headphone ✔️ dark room ✔️ let's enjoy the video
The entire watch is essential to the functioning of the watch and must be replaced. 😅
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
i get, what you are pointing at. but - you would not make that statement, if you would be aware of the retail prices for spare parts (or even a complete movement)...
at least he doesnt install shitty parts and at the end of the day, this is the best way of getting both, QUALITY and a REASONABLE price for a restauration; this was very (!) expensive, tho)...
and just by the way, have you even watched the video? as watchmakers, we rather like to repair stuff, than simply replacing it, sure. but we are no magicians, tho. :)
@@tundetwasvordemk5345 I literally just said in comment that I wonder what a restoration like this would cost and that im willing to bet it would be more then the cost of a new Grand Seiko.i wish I had the patience and a steady enough hand to even think about going to school to learn this stuff but unfortunately I don't.lol.imo opinion guys like this are truly unique and are artist in their own rite.
Good point, you might ask what percentage of replacement parts does it take to consider the watch to be 'new' or at least not the same object that it was when the project began?
I have a similar model and I'll be sure not to let it get to this state. But I take comfort in the fact that if it should, there are people out there who are able to restore it. It's incredible how you remember where everything goes!
Nicholas you have the best taste in music! Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is just so rediculosly intricate. I can't even imagine having that kind of finesse
Now I see why Rolex watches are so expensive. Job well done sir!
Thank you for sharing this timeless classic and beautiful watch
Only a true watchmaker / repair person with a genuine love for his craft will undertake such an extensively laborious and detail intensive restoration such as this. As one comment put it, Rolex wouldnt even do this kind of work they would just replace the movement - something even many hobbyist watchmakers could easily do - it takes a true craftsman of note to perform a resurrection like this one and get such striking results. Well done-!
Truly complicated engineering - no wonder watchmakers are amazing master crafters.
Raised your hands
Felt like watching a thriller movie with a happy ending
Just a joy to watch a master silently go about his craft... 👏👏👏
wow, this felt like a complete rebuilding of the rolex. thats incredible that you were able to fix it.
Amazing. I would have preferred to hear the sounds of the restoration rather than music but that’s just me
Fully Agreed 👍🏽
I'm with you
yeah just like an asmr, it will be good
@@eru1156 don't bring the aSmR cancer to watchmaking.
What is it with Phillistines that don't like music? This man accompanied his craft with some of the best jazz ever, and you don't like it? That is truly sad. I despair for mankind.
This was one of the more dramatic restorations I have seen. The cost of new Rolex parts must have raised some eyebrows. Execution on this was nothing less than fantastic. Well done!
As he stated the parts came from his parts box, in Australia, you can't get shit.
Like a brain sergeant
Nicholas, beyond the call of duty and you deserve a place in the owner’s heart 👏
Mr Hacko this is OUTSTANDING
I'd love to see a cost analysis on restoring a Rolex from this condition to new vice just buying another one. Sentimental value can always win.
Love watching watch restoration videos
It's like restoring an old car by replacing almost every part except one window crank and a single screw from that one part somewhere 😮
He didn't replace the parts, He restored them.. There is a massive difference...
@@swagon4545 were you watching the same video? He literally replaced nearly every single part of the watch except for the baseplate. What he did is like doing an Engine rebuild on a car and only keeping the original engine block and maybe the heads and replacing everything else.
@@Ben7seven7 Lmao I don't think he was.
Most of the parts were being corroded and will not be useful so what you will do, then replace the parts its how simple it is but the skill and patience he did on this watch were superb.
You really can't blame him. He didn't have a choice. Those parts were ruined, this is a very precise watch. A single corroded gear could cause the time to be off. Plus it's near impossible to distinguish parts that were replaced from if it was never damaged.
Brilliant film editing and shots of the before and after. That takes a special talent.
It gives a different kind of high in resurrecting something which isn't just dead, but almost decayed! And only a wizard could do such a thing! Kudos 🙌🙌🙌
Blew my mind all the moving parts this dude is a professional
Am in love with the workmanship of watches .
I have watched many watch restorations on quite a few different channels over the past year & that is by far the most wrecked watch I have seen brought back to life, that in it's self must make you fulfilled, well done.
This is the guy to have around when building something from Ikea
If I was him, I would pay someone to assemble furniture and the like, what if he injured his hand or something...
Wow just wow, you deserve your own Netflix series sir
Beautiful restoration. I would never have the patience for something like this
It's hypnotic to watch this work! I'd say some 40% of the original was replaced, but then again, I'm no Master Watchmaker
Thats 30 minutes of my life i dont want back! Cheers
You literally brought that watch back from the dead. I have never seen a watch that bad on any of they other watch channels. This was the restoration of all restorations.
Sir? You basically made a new watch. However? .. I'm not complaining! .. this was an exceptionally gratifying 30 minutes spent here! Thank you very much! ..and I will never complain again about what I thought was an outrageously expensive timepiece. Magnificent! Bravo!
If I ever need a watch repaired or restored you will be the man that I will call.. Thanks and regards from Brisbane
Damaged... a huge understatement; great work bringing it back to life.
The amount of parts in such a small thing!! it’s amazing to watch you take it apart and assemble it again!
If my rolexs ever stop running I will take it to a professional craftsman like yourself right away. It took years to become that bad. You are a true artist. Thanks for the informative video.
OMG, that keyless work is toast.
Best repair job done on a rolex on youtube.
this guy
imma preserve parts
5 seconds into the video
aight imma replace everything
This is what Nicholas Hacko touch looks like. Awesome job!
awesome camera work, editing and cutting to
A master, no doubt. You restored a small piece of art with work that was every bit as artistic.
I'm pretty happy with my choice to spend 30 minutes watching something I don't comprehend. Mad skills homie
I'm exactly on your wave 🌊.. can't comprehend it but I love it just like ice cream
I just wanna say
Thank you so much for posting this on election night
Masterful. The force is strong with this one.
Came for the watch restoration, stayed for the Jazz. Great video!
"Rolex parts department, what parts do you need?"
"Yes"
Funny they would be willing to sell so many key parts to someone who is not an AD.
Being a happy owner of a GMT Master II I am in total awe of that repair and the skills required, at the same time I'm aghast at the myopic stance taken by the Swiss juggernauts to strangle those gifted artisans that we depend upon.
Your parts washer is going to love this...
I use this video to put my kids 4 & 6 to sleep when they are "not tired". Haven't got past the 10min mark!!
You do amazing work, that's inspiring. I am a mechanic, from the northern states where rust can be king. This restoration is stunning. It's a shame that you can no longer get the parts. Your videos are awesome. I could see doing what you do, just turning on the music and working on a movement. Awesome. Thank you.
Never thought I’d get choked up watching a watch getting restored....beautiful work my friend.
My mother gave her mid-60's Ladies Datejust to my (eventually ex-) sister-in-law, who proceeded to go swimming without properly securing the crown. Sat in my brother's drawer for the more than a decade, eventually he got it repaired- as far as I know they cleaned and repaired the case, and completely replaced the movement. I applaud the work you did here- I have a 2015 116710BLNR which currently gains all of 1 sec/day, I plan on leaving it alone for the foreseeable future...
Brilliant film - felt a little ill when the case back came off, but properly elated at the end!! thanks.
As a sax player, and a minor-league watch owner, I love this channel.
The gmt is the only thing I’ve ever owned that actually appreciated in value after 16 years. Bought one for $4400 in 2004. It’s now worth over $10k.
What do you do for a living if I may ask?
@@silverghost4206 other than the fact a GMT costs money? You have to work to be able to afford nice things.
@@silverghost4206 I don’t care about his personal finances I care about how he obtains those finances guy. I asked for his profession, I didn’t demand it so no I don’t “need to know” try reading the comments you’re responding to. He’s a grown man, he can say he doesn’t want to air his career out to RUclips or he can have a conversation. Where do you come into this equation?
@@silverghost4206 no, telling me his net income would be airing his finances. Or revealing his expenses... like maybe idk.... purchasing a Rolex 🤣
@@silverghost4206 you act like the world will end if I have a conversation with this guy about his work.
Absolutely awesome to watch. Great job….👍🏻
Outstanding! Thank you for the talented craftsmanship & great choice of music.
It is painful to see the state of damage to such a magnificent watch.
To see how the master watch maker brings it back to life again is really something.
So nice that someone is still able to do work like this in a time dominated by battery clocks.
ruclips.net/video/Q3BLIvLf8rM/видео.html
Very impressive. I’ve worked on electrical motors, small engines, and just about everything in between and this has to be the most tedious and detailed restorations I’ve seen. Thank you for sharing
Es un cambio total de máquina y esfera
This was like a doctor examining a particularly bad case of syphilis.
Magnificent. A work of art. Availability of parts transformed and intricate assembly.
Your restoration is an art in itself. Beautiful work!
Can’t believe how many expert watch makers are viewing this video there must be millions who know all the answers ! Unbelievable. It’s a video just try to enjoy it .If you don’t agree with it make your own video ! Let’s see how good you are .
So true...
Beautifully done!
Hello Nicholas, what an amazing restoration. You certainly have dedication and commitment to your work.
Well done and thank you for the video.
Gordon, Halifax, UK
Craftsmanship at its finest
Greetings from Greece
Absolutley fantastic work. Can't imagine how much experience it takes to do this kind of work. It's very therapeutic to watch how all the parts gets serviced and comes together. If you didn't know what the phrase "works like a Swiss watch" means, you do now. Thanks for a great video!
ruclips.net/video/MRN38gkXw3U/видео.html ,
You are truly deserving of your title. Wonderful restoration and the music choices were fabulous.
Love your taste in music.
Beautiful and well documented restoration. Like a wooden boat, replacing every frame, plank and rivet, but as long as some part of the original remains, it is still a restoration - not a newbuild! Thanks for sharing
How does this even happen to such a nice watch? Wow. Fantastic restoration.
I know I just watched a true crime drama where a guy was murdered and tossed into the english channel and a fisherman pulled his carcass up in a net a week later and the dead guy was wearing a Rolex its how they identified him through the serial number it was still in mint condition ( the watch not the man)
My best guess would be someone went swimming in salty water with either the crown unscrewed or a damaged gasket. Then the water was just trapped in there, the watch probably quit working on them and they waited to have it serviced with salty water trapped inside. I am no expert, it’s just a guess. Which my two cents is if you see moisture inside of a watch like this on the crystal, get it serviced then and there.
Because people dont baby it's watch like us collectors do sometimes. Watches are meant to be used AND abused. Taken care of, of course. But not sitting on a safe. My late dad was once run by a bicycle AND His Omega suffered certain damage. He had it like 20 years AND wore it almost every Time (except for water AND sleeping).
24:58 compromised crystal gasket.
@@danieleraso1 AND
I love watching train wrecks turned into pristine examples again....also good music for me to play my sax along to. Thanks for both.
Ok I never comment on these videos. First off I know absolutely nothing about a watch’s besides looking at them to know what time it is. I like watching these videos as I feel they are interesting and I always learn something new. If someone told me they replaced components, or the watch was restored. I’d still watch the video because in my mind the watch is not working so things are replaced so you can restore the watch to working order. Just my humble opinion if you have constructive criticism absolutely pass it along, if you’re going to just say negative things then you don’t need to comment. Just my 2 cents. Keep up the good work I for one appreciate it all.