Crown vs. All Watchmakers

This week, a communique addressed as "LETTER TO ALL WATCHMAKERS" and dated July 1994 has been brought to my attention. It is, what we believe, the first written document which directly imposed and introduced a harsh restriction on the supply of spare parts from Rolex. If for no other reason, this is an important document because it reveals a crucial detail: Prior to July 1994, there was no restriction on the supply of spare parts to Australian watchmakers. So what was the reason behind the 'declaration of war'? "It has come to the attention of the Rolex Group of companies that some persons seek to acquire Rolex spare parts and accessories for the purpose of refurbishing second hand Rolex watches and passing them off as new or for passing off counterfeit Rolex watches as genuine Rolex watches. You will appreciate that it is essential that this practice be stamped out as it misleads the public and detracts from the reputation established by Montres Rolex S A in its timepieces."

Australian watchmakers, collectively, have been accused of two sins: repairing Rolex watches to such high standard that they could be passed on as new, and on-selling fake Rolex watches as genuine. This accusation was a downright insult. As Rolex states, in the watchmaking business, reputation is everything. To accuse watchmakers of being dishonest and not considered to be respectable in character or appearance, was simply a provocation. I am not saying that there aren't bad apples in our trade, but as someone who has been in the game for my entire life, I have not come across a watchmaker who is a crook, counterfeiter and forger. If indeed, such a dodgy watchmaker was caught red handed trying to defraud Rolex, then I would be the first to throw a stone. Over the years, Rolex has successfully won countless cases, bringing fraudsters and copyright infringers to justice. Including their fellow Swiss brands (A Marine-r's Odyssey: Rolex vs. Franck Muller). There is an army of lawyers in Geneva who are paid handsomely to protect Rolex's reputation, and rightly so. But to unleash that mighty force on small Australian Independent Watchmakers, the very backbone of the service industry, is simply unthinkable. For obvious reasons, I am not going to fully re-publish Rolex's letter here. The rest of the content deals with specifics in relation to placing an order for spare parts, return of broken parts, right to retain parts (by Rolex) etc. As well as request to 'agree and comply'.    Unfortunately, as we now know in the years succeeding this letter, Rolex's narrative has changed. From being accused of providing a service too good to be true, Australian watchmakers were gradually pushed into the 'too old, too dumb, and unwilling to invest' basket, being accused of providing inferior service to customers. In 2012, Rolex Australia closed the last two spare parts accounts to Sydney independent watchmakers. I have captured that moment in time in a short video purely as a historical reference, and if you are a relatively new subscriber to this newsletter, then you should watch it here: https://youtu.be/GaJvmQtoVjs

Curiously, in 2022, the narrative is changing again. After closing the official service centre in Sydney, faced with an unprecedented load of repairs, Rolex is creating a new alliance, partnering with authorised dealers. New people, willing to invest, expand, and ride on Rolex's wings to infinity and beyond. What that means to you, a watch enthusiast, is yet to be seen.   But when I think of it: for a small watchmaker of independent spirit, being pushed out and forcefully divorced from Rolex is actually a good outcome. Fifty years ago, Rolex was making ordinary watches easily repairable by almost anyone. However since then, things have changed. Australian watchmakers are simply too small and insignificant to be perceived as a partner of relevance. Skilled behind the bench for sure, but legally illiterate and financially miniscule. And the truth is, the new generation of 'watch collectors' no longer sees Rolex as a high precision mechanical device; but purely as an investment vehicle, an extension of a fragile ego, and as a social media status symbol. The last thing they want is to deal with us.   As they say: we all got the reputation and customers we deserve. The King is dead; long live the Crown.