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
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 amazing that this is worth enough to warrant repair on this scale. It must be near on impossible to write off a damaged Rolex. Hope you start making videos again.
@@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?
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
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!
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.
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
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-!
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.
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. :)
@@xtomzta 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?
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.
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 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.
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!
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.
I’m wearing that same model watch as I watched this terrific video. It’s good to know serious craftsmen are still out there! (Bought mine new in 2000) and I can only hope that it looks much better inside! I definitely send mine in for maintenance periodically. Preventative maintenance-worth it!
As a previous certified master watch maker I'm impressed by even trying to repair this watch! But i think i would have taken on the challenge if the owner would!! I can only imagine what the cost of the repair was!
@@josephdragan7734 my guess is 25% of the price of a new watch. Just a guess, it's up to the customer whats they are willing g to pay. It's also difficult to judge the cost without taking the watch apart or finding used parts rather than new. When I was in the business in the 80s I would charge $25 to just clean a watch. It was hard to make a living at it! And that is why I got into medicine, a steady paycheck was needed for a young family!
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.
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).
@@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.
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.
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...
Considering the number of parts that needed to be replaced and the cost of those parts being a Rolex, you should have just told the customer to buy a new watch!! But it was a challenge and said challenge was met. Nice work and great jazz.
But I understand the reason why. I got my Omega fixed at a cost of 500$ because you get personnaly attached to a watch. For the same reason I can’t see myself buying a used watch.
I recently took a GMT 116710LN to a credible independent service to replace one single broken GMT gear(the one that allowed jumping hour GMT setting) Cost $500 USD for one little gear replacement. Now.. seeing this video. Sentimental value or not.. must have cost more than a watch itself if parts procure new directly from Rolex. Otherwise it would’ve cost no less than getting one identical parts donor watch in decent condition.
@@captlove8788 The cheapest specimen of this watch i can find on Chrono24 in my country, is about 8700euros. Same build, same year. Even if the cost of repair was 5-6k it would've been worth it.
@@captlove8788 I believe cost of labour is the most important, and in your case, the disassembly must have been quite extensive... If you have the watch already open for a single part, it would just cost the price of the extra parts but not much more labour...
This is just a beautiful experience to see how a dead watch is been brought back to life! I'm amazed because all those screws were basically damaged by water and how you removed them. Replacing parts and all hand job, I'm completely sure is not that cheap. Just thanks for sharing.
I consider myself very mechanically inclined and love to take apart stuff and put it back together. I think I'll pass on watches but this is incredible for me to watch.
The watch and movement was too badly water damaged and although you did a great job disassembling, cleaning and trying to save as many parts as possible, it looks like most of the movement had to be replaced. Still, that is probably less costly than buying a new GMT. And now it is brand new. Great job!
@@metinotje Well of course it's a lot but we are talking about the realtions here. A used GMT Master 2 goes for 15000-25000 € depending on the condition. If you had this broken watch at home, repair it for 5700 and sell it for 25000 you have quite a good amount of money gained.
For all the people attacking the owner, Rolex watches were watersports timepieces. If a sailor hit that watch at sea hard enough, or more likely, was HIT by something, the crystal could, as you saw, make a perfect cut in the gasket. This is an extreme example of what "water resistant" means. It doesn't say it's "wearer proof"
this was a referberation rather than a restoration. some more parts could have been salvaged like the dial, but if you wanted something looking totally new, this was the way to go. impressive job!
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 .
That was really cool to watch. The amount of time and effort that went into this one is amazing. I was really curious while watching if all the spare parts were sourced from Rolex directly or if there was a spare parts wholesaler somewhere. Reading the description told me that it was neither. Currently, 3 of my watches have in-house movements and the rest are ETAs or clones. Now I think it might be a better idea to maybe skip the in-house in future purchases. Anyway, thanks for the vid!
I would have preferred it with the old dial, old hands, bezel and insert. Very nice patina on those parts. Now it looks like a new watch and not a watch from 1996.
@Nick @Nick First of all yes it is, second, I wrote my opinion, third, stop whining about shit that doesn't have anything to do with you, fourth, name calling only shows that you are an insecure internet troll trying to feel better about yourself by pushing down others
So if I buy a 1960 Porsche with a blown engine and bad paint, repaint and replace the engine, it is not a restoration? Also, who made you the decision maker in that regard?
The question is when 'restoring' an object that has many parts what percentage of parts 'replacement' does it take to end up with a different object at the end of the restoration? If you replace say 51% of the parts in the watch is it now not the same watch? I saw a car restoration video once where the vehicle had so many un-useable parts that only about 25% of the original car was left. When does the original object in a way 'disappear'? Is it 30%-50%-60%-70%?
Is it the gasket or somebody never closed the screw down crown properly. A Bulova watch was found submerged in sea water for over 70 years Since world war 2 and it still worked and kept good time.
Incredible work. I love seeing old things restored and thus keeping their original identity whilst gaining a new life. I hope the owner appreciates the time and dedication put into reviving this great watch. I have a number of old GMT’s like this (although not rusted out) and would be delighted for you to service them when the time comes.
This Watchmaker work looks easy. But then you have to take into account the years of experience & natural skill you require to become a master at anything.
I was thinking the same thing as I watched the video... this looks so simple and easy, but it's actually almost incomprehensibly difficult work. It's amazing.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
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 !
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?
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.
Blows my mind that anyone could figure out how to put this thing back together. Amazing.
...was the work done at the Rolex factory?
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
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.
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.
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.
Manos de un medico reparando maquinas del tiempo. Hand of a doctor repairing time machine.
this is just so rediculosly intricate. I can't even imagine having that kind of finesse
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.
Man it was a pleasure watching a Master rebuild a legendary Rolex
The background music makes me want to order a martini. 😄
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!
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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.
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
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
awesome camera work, editing and cutting to
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.
@ world race. I turned the volume to zero. Don’t like jazz.
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.
@@RustySshackleford hahah
Blew my mind all the moving parts this dude is a professional
Such an epic display of talent, detail and steadiness of hand. I’m so blown away. Bravo!
I feel richer after watching this
Truly complicated engineering - no wonder watchmakers are amazing master crafters.
Raised your hands
The amount of parts in such a small thing!! it’s amazing to watch you take it apart and assemble it again!
It’s amazing that this is worth enough to warrant repair on this scale. It must be near on impossible to write off a damaged Rolex. Hope you start making videos again.
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.
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
Now I see why Rolex watches are so expensive. Job well done sir!
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!
this guy
imma preserve parts
5 seconds into the video
aight imma replace everything
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
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
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-!
This is what Nicholas Hacko touch looks like. Awesome job!
I'm pretty happy with my choice to spend 30 minutes watching something I don't comprehend. Mad skills homie
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.
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. :)
@@xtomzta 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?
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.
RUclips algorithm feeding me things I didn’t even know I wanted...
Thank you brother for refreshing my 22 years old memories, because 22 years ago I used to repair watches.
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 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.
I like the "I try to keep as many parts" and then building a complete new watch with new parts.
Restoration isn't an easy job to do. Sometimes you may change planes and methods during the process, to make a good final results
If I ever need a watch repaired or restored you will be the man that I will call.. Thanks and regards from Brisbane
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 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.
I just wanna say
Thank you so much for posting this on election night
Nicholas you have the best taste in music! Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m wearing that same model watch as I watched this terrific video. It’s good to know serious craftsmen are still out there! (Bought mine new in 2000) and I can only hope that it looks much better inside! I definitely send mine in for maintenance periodically. Preventative maintenance-worth it!
Nice 😎
ruclips.net/video/Q3BLIvLf8rM/видео.html
Which dial? I absolutely love the Pepsi myself.
Mine is the gold and stainless with the black bezel and numbers in gold. My second GMT!
Craftsmanship at its finest
Greetings from Greece
As a previous certified master watch maker I'm impressed by even trying to repair this watch! But i think i would have taken on the challenge if the owner would!! I can only imagine what the cost of the repair was!
Leo, what is your best guess as to the cost of the repair? Thx
@@josephdragan7734 my guess is 25% of the price of a new watch. Just a guess, it's up to the customer whats they are willing g to pay. It's also difficult to judge the cost without taking the watch apart or finding used parts rather than new. When I was in the business in the 80s I would charge $25 to just clean a watch. It was hard to make a living at it! And that is why I got into medicine, a steady paycheck was needed for a young family!
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.
Your restoration is an art in itself. Beautiful work!
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
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.
Best repair job done on a rolex on youtube.
I am so glad I watched this. I would love to see a parts price list.
ruclips.net/video/Q3BLIvLf8rM/видео.html
At what point does a restoration just become a repair if too many original parts are replaced?
Search up "Ship of Theseus", it asks a question relevant to this restoration.
He doesn’t do the watch justice. He’s an amateur
@@Butwhythoo wtf u talking about u absolute tool.
Serial number,
this is all that matters.
@@Butwhythoo,
Watching this really puts into perspective as to why these watches cost so much. It's a working piece of art inside these timepieces...
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...
Considering the number of parts that needed to be replaced and the cost of those parts being a Rolex, you should have just told the customer to buy a new watch!! But it was a challenge and said challenge was met. Nice work and great jazz.
But I understand the reason why. I got my Omega fixed at a cost of 500$ because you get personnaly attached to a watch. For the same reason I can’t see myself buying a used watch.
I recently took a GMT 116710LN to a credible independent service to replace one single broken GMT gear(the one that allowed jumping hour GMT setting) Cost $500 USD for one little gear replacement.
Now.. seeing this video. Sentimental value or not.. must have cost more than a watch itself if parts procure new directly from Rolex. Otherwise it would’ve cost no less than getting one identical parts donor watch in decent condition.
@@captlove8788 The cheapest specimen of this watch i can find on Chrono24 in my country, is about 8700euros. Same build, same year. Even if the cost of repair was 5-6k it would've been worth it.
@@captlove8788 I believe cost of labour is the most important, and in your case, the disassembly must have been quite extensive... If you have the watch already open for a single part, it would just cost the price of the extra parts but not much more labour...
A new movement is around 3000 dollar， a new Rolex gmt is around 20000, this is worth the serve
Just like a classic car it is nice to have the numbers matching and makes it more valuable too.
Great work. I see why you're a master!
This is by far my favourite watch related channel on RUclips, bravo sir once again 👏
Appreciated
This is just a beautiful experience to see how a dead watch is been brought back to life! I'm amazed because all those screws were basically damaged by water and how you removed them. Replacing parts and all hand job, I'm completely sure is not that cheap. Just thanks for sharing.
I consider myself very mechanically inclined and love to take apart stuff and put it back together.
I think I'll pass on watches but this is incredible for me to watch.
Try pocket watches. They are very big, super common and quite inexpensive.
Felt like watching a thriller movie with a happy ending
The watch and movement was too badly water damaged and although you did a great job disassembling, cleaning and trying to save as many parts as possible, it looks like most of the movement had to be replaced. Still, that is probably less costly than buying a new GMT. And now it is brand new. Great job!
Nicholas, beyond the call of duty and you deserve a place in the owner’s heart 👏
"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.
As a sax player, and a minor-league watch owner, I love this channel.
You are on the ULTRA level of craftsmanship
No doubt!! This guy seriously is a Master Watch maker. These videos are so relaxing to watch. Much respect for someone with this kind of talent.
As an owner of two Rolex watches I was very glad to see that GMT come back to life. Well done.
Worth every minutes watching a Stunning Master Craftsman working. A very passionate man .
Wow,marvelous!A dandy job indeed.Master watchmaker deserves all praises.
Its like art when you see something at this level. However, I wonder what the final cost was !
All of it lol it cost all of it
Probable 3000-4000 $
@@sandorpalcso1142 Thats way to much sorry.
@@metinotje Well of course it's a lot but we are talking about the realtions here. A used GMT Master 2 goes for 15000-25000 € depending on the condition. If you had this broken watch at home, repair it for 5700 and sell it for 25000 you have quite a good amount of money gained.
@@NeoMarv 25k? Hahahahahha
OMG, that keyless work is toast.
2:00am headphone ✔️ dark room ✔️ let's enjoy the video
For all the people attacking the owner,
Rolex watches were watersports timepieces.
If a sailor hit that watch at sea hard enough, or more likely, was HIT by something, the crystal could, as you saw, make a perfect cut in the gasket.
This is an extreme example of what "water resistant" means.
It doesn't say it's "wearer proof"
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
Amazing work regardless if this was a restoration or replacement. This is masterclass!!
this was a referberation rather than a restoration. some more parts could have been salvaged like the dial, but if you wanted something looking totally new, this was the way to go. impressive job!
Meanwhile, I cry if I have to assemble an IKEA shelf..
Me too !
i almost died assembling my Office chair
@@MasterWatchmaker 😂
@Muddy Cups666 Its a joke 🤣
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...
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...
Brilliant film - felt a little ill when the case back came off, but properly elated at the end!! thanks.
That was really cool to watch. The amount of time and effort that went into this one is amazing. I was really curious while watching if all the spare parts were sourced from Rolex directly or if there was a spare parts wholesaler somewhere. Reading the description told me that it was neither. Currently, 3 of my watches have in-house movements and the rest are ETAs or clones. Now I think it might be a better idea to maybe skip the in-house in future purchases. Anyway, thanks for the vid!
Who ever destroyed that watch should stick to Timex .
Whoever bought that tacky looking bimetal thing in the first place should probably stick to using their phone to tell the time.
@@cmdrflint9115 If you have to use your phone to tell the time, you wouldn't understand...
It's been lost at the beach and found weeks later by a metal detector I would think..
I would have preferred it with the old dial, old hands, bezel and insert. Very nice patina on those parts. Now it looks like a new watch and not a watch from 1996.
@Nick @Nick First of all yes it is, second, I wrote my opinion, third, stop whining about shit that doesn't have anything to do with you, fourth, name calling only shows that you are an insecure internet troll trying to feel better about yourself by pushing down others
@Nick Great comeback! Hope you'll wake up in a better mood today
Perfect Saturday viewing.A masterclass in watchmaking by a true watch surgeon!
It's not restoration if you change almost all the components 😂
But I saw it till the end, how satistfying
Exactly
So if I buy a 1960 Porsche with a blown engine and bad paint, repaint and replace the engine, it is not a restoration? Also, who made you the decision maker in that regard?
@@carbidegrd1 that's not a restoration if you exhange the original parts
The question is when 'restoring' an object that has many parts what percentage of parts 'replacement' does it take to end up with a different object at the end of the restoration? If you replace say 51% of the parts in the watch is it now not the same watch? I saw a car restoration video once where the vehicle had so many un-useable parts that only about 25% of the original car was left. When does the original object in a way 'disappear'? Is it 30%-50%-60%-70%?
@@autodidact537 Ship of Theseus
That was pure art and craftsmanship the likes I have not witnessed before
Moral of the story: No matter how much you pay for something, the gasket will fail lol
Is it the gasket or somebody never closed the screw down crown properly.
A Bulova watch was found submerged in sea water for over 70 years Since world war 2 and it still worked and kept good time.
In my mind it’s a brilliant restoration, but not worth doing more, than 85% has been changed in the internal workings.
@@ingra888 ... the comment was meant in jest mostly...
Am in love with the workmanship of watches .
Incredible work. I love seeing old things restored and thus keeping their original identity whilst gaining a new life. I hope the owner appreciates the time and dedication put into reviving this great watch. I have a number of old GMT’s like this (although not rusted out) and would be delighted for you to service them when the time comes.
Can I have the rusty parts? i will never be this close to owning an Rolex!
You will InshAllah bro may Allah give you success in your life
@@atiqbaigvlogs2508 Dont think you noticed, but the kid has a profile picture of him posing with a pig 😂
@@DubSalvation that doesn't matter ALLAH hidayat bi dy skte hain,, we should show our positive behavior with everyone
@@atiqbaigvlogs2508 no doubt bhai sb
This Watchmaker work looks easy. But then you have to take into account the years of experience & natural skill you require to become a master at anything.
I was thinking the same thing as I watched the video... this looks so simple and easy, but it's actually almost incomprehensibly difficult work. It's amazing.