Rusted Rolex Resurrected from Ruin

[@octaviobarajas3980]

Thank you so much! It’s the only watch I’ve been wearing since I got it back! Thanks Chris!❤

[@erickm6134]

Wear it in good health🙏🏻👍

[@까만소세지]

청소하고 부품 갈아 끼우고 그럴바에 백만원대 하나 사는 게 ㅋㅋ

[@jamimason7636]

May I ask how much this was to restore? I have a ladies Datejust 69000 which I just inherited and looks like this watch did prior to restoration. Thanks!

[@octaviobarajas3980]

Reach out to Chris. I’m sure it depends on parts and the work he would have to put into the watch. I believe I reached out via email or instagram.

[@nyckhampson792]

Octavio, you left it in very good hands, with excellent results. Enjoy it buddy ✌️

[@DerVladik]

I saw a lot of other restaurations of Rolex, but this one was one of the most hardest, that i ever saw. Respect & good job partner!

[@marcmanchesterunited6212]

Thank You for the lovely work

[@federicoprice2687]

Brilliant watchmaking skills! And a hobbyist? Nah, you're a pro ! 👏 👏 👏 👏

[@IMakeWatches]

I have owned my dad's 1603 since I was 12 (when he died) and it's my most precious watch. I've only ever had it serviced by Rolex and it's in good shape but I'd never open it myself. Bravo to you for taking this one on, particularly with the difficulty of getting parts for it!

[@sdcoinshooter]

Such an awesome story about your dads (your) Rolex. I wish you many happy and healthy years wearing it.

[@dsell993]

This video deserves a beer! I really enjoy not only how well you document these challenging restorations but how you also inject your unique brand of humor to make them fun! This is exactly what the amateur watch restoration hobby should be about - taking on projects that aren't worth a professional watchmaker's time, giving them new life and having fun along the way! Cheers! 🍻

[@csspinner]

Thank you so much!!! I appreciate this. Glad you enjoyed it

[@ehun]

I think you executed a perfect balance between parts restoration and replacement. I have seen videos of others trying to restore parts only to have the watch returned with problems. I really enjoyed this restoration video!

[@ericfg806]

+1 for not over-polishing the case. The scratches that occur from use and wear are part of the item's history and don't need to be removed, completely, during a restoration. IMHO.

[@deadstartcrashkit]

So my father bought his dad pretty much the same watch in the 60's. Around servicing time my grandfather found out how much it would cost to get it serviced and instead had a local guy in southwestern Louisiana service it. The service was done badly and seawater found it's way into the watch destroying it. My father was upset and took the watch from my grandfather and kept it in our kitchen for years. Fast forward almost 20 years. I had moved to nyc and figured I would secretly have an estimate done for repair. I took it to Aaron Faber, which is across 5th ave from Rolex's HQ. The staff didn't think it was possible but their watchmaker said they would do it. I was always curious as to what the watchmaker saw when they removed the case back. Thanks for doing this video. It gave me the glimpse I needed.

[@garrycornel2371]

Thanks!

[@csspinner]

Thank you so much for the super thanks!!

[@waerokinghuang8603]

i think most watch repairers refuse this restoration job ,even R. service center .......'cause R. service center : " You better buy a new one, but not the same model " Besides a great watchmaker you are also an artist 👍👍

[@cgnicolis]

Oh, rust. My friend dropped off his late mother's watch (FHF 120 movement) which had been condemned to a drawer during her lifetime; it had gotten wet and the jeweler at the time stated it would be too costly to repair. I encountered the same catastrophe you did, and even with copious amounts of cleaning, 2 donor movements and a replacement balance I couldn't get it back to life. Lesson learned, next time I will not worry so much about preserving a movement for sentimental reasons. I'll find a running donor and swap it out. Love your videos!

[@christopherhankin6158]

With great patience and skill you have saved another time piece did anyone else spot the smiley face in the parts lay out 😀

[@captaincef]

Love the smiley face in the cleaned parts layout. Awesome work!

[@joaomauriciobasiledesouza6204]

You didn’t have to say that you’re not an authorized dealer cuz it’s clear as water from a stone. You’re so much better than them. They would never put that much love and effort to make it like you did, they would replace everything and send it back to the owner. You make it so obvious to see that you LOVE what you do. My deepest respect. 🫡

[@josephgriffin1065]

Totally agree

[@scottsmall9898]

This time of year there is a storm every afternoon here in South Carolina. But it's over quick and back to being a sauna. Great work on the watch, turned out much better than I thought was possible and saved a lot of money by saving some of the parts.

[@robertbrandywine]

Wow, really amazing! I think no professional would bother with much of what you did, just replacing parts instead. Octavio is a very lucky man.

[@ronl7131]

Patience is a virtue with a project like this….great restoration

[@charlesw.2218]

This was an awesome transformation, as the watch in its original condition looked like it did not stand a chance. Also, it looks like a smart and efficient use of new parts to make this restoration as cost-effective as possible. My favorite part of the video was the surprise when you replaced the main spring.

[@fieldie]

Can i just say, what an absolutely amazing music choice for this video!

[@light1531]

And the frogs 😂

[@fieldie]

@@light1531 Frogs?

[@light1531]

@@fieldie He says the frogs are in the background and I can hear them! They add their own music.

[@andyoverall1951]

You did an amazing job with that watch! I'm sure that there are plenty of watch repairers that would not have touched it.

[@georgeknight636]

A lot of work went into this restoration . You did a great job . Best wishes from scotland.

[@maestromecanico597]

Excellent job and a superlative effort. Many get bent out of shape over the use of replacement parts. But the machine: watch, automobile, locomotive, etc. was built to a standard design in order to facilitate maintenance. That’s a good thing. Nothing against your efforts when you machine new screws or a train gear when not available. But that is exactly what the OEM was looking to avoid.

[@uqox]

This was an amazing video. I enjoyed so many parts of it, but watching you make a tool to polish screws was the stand-out moment for me. This really was a fantastic restoration, given all that rust damage. You did an outstanding job, given the parameters of the service. There is real sentimental value in keeping a timepiece 90% whole, and he has this video as part of the watch history. Great video!

[@Idelia412]

Your an amazing restorer. I recently bought my one and only Rolex a 16233 model. I am not a repair person either and find watching repairs and cleanings fascinating. Thanks for sharing this undertaking.

[@MyRetroWatches]

Chris, your videos just get better and better. I really enjoyed every aspect of this one. Sounds like a can of spray paint in the opening 20 seconds had me hooked. How you dealt with all the rust, a classic balance staff change and just your level of detail and camera work was outstanding. I can only see your channel grow significantly as you progress with your video production. You have watch repair down to a fine art now so where else is there to improve? well you also found the humorous side with the disarming of the mainspring! that bit was a proper laugh out loud moment which you dont really encounter in our genre of videos. Well done indeed sir!

[@alexandersuvorov4608]

Unbelievable but the clock started ticking. Amazing restoration! Bravo!

[@josephgittos3787]

Wow fantastic save , looks new again without loosing its vintage look welldone .

[@JosuePineda-lz7jd]

Another amazing job....most exitimg part is when you opem that box on the wall....action is coming!!

[@KESHAVRAMAPRASAD]

Congratulation Chris for having shown us how to restore a Rolex watch from a condemned state to a working state and for showing the each step. This is your hobby you say. It is a great hobby which require knowledge, patience and perseverance. Please keep it up.

[@rweeks8879]

As i watched this video, i kept wondering how you would get thru this. As usual, you did not disappoint.

[@brucebarlow6604]

All puns aside it was great to see the angry beaver claws out again and what a fine restoration and result Chris. Regards from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@Mtlmshr]

I’m very impressed with your ability to clean all those parts so well! I have seen others who have done similar cleaning attempts and they did not have close to the same results! Well done!

[@jthepickle7]

Wow! - you really polished a lot of parts. I really enjoyed this one.

[@vatazhka]

Hats off to your skills and dedication! You managed to salvage a better part of a watch to an exceptionally good overall result. I think that it's very important for the owner and that such kind of service couldn't have been provided by professional watchmakers.

[@Silke8611]

Amazing. Thank you for allowing us to tag along for the ride!

[@mekanik164]

Loved the entire process and the way you documented it. Favorite part was the Shawshank Redemption insert....Nice!

[@josephgiannantonio6275]

Well done, excellent work. That movement was in ruff shape. The result is a testimony to the quality of Rolex and there abilitie to be reborn after being in such bad shape. I have a 41mm datejust I bought in 2022 that I plan on passing down for many generations to come.

[@Optiksnut]

Nice to see restoration is done in a sympathetic manner. I think I will stick with optical restoration (microscopes, telescopes & binoculars) as watches just look a bit on the difficult size (although I have done old clocks!). Thoroughly enjoy your videos.

[@fepatton]

What a mess - and what a heroic job resurrecting it! Agree with you about Otto Frei - they're local to me and I've been using them for years. I highly recommend them. I still need to get one of those bezel removers. 🙂

[@nyckhampson792]

"The inhale" 1:47 upon bridge removal👏 😂 + 😮 Another mesmirising service/fix. Attention to smallest detail is outstanding. Thanks for sharing your art! ✌️

[@saada.izeddin7712]

You are an amazing watch saver and I just started following you, I will go back to your video's history and enjoy it. Thank you from Iraq.

[@jdmccorful]

The whole repair was very interesting. Rolex should take a look at this video and improve your status so you can get non bogus parts supply. Thanks for your time and effort.

[@traviswalker8933]

Rolex also doesn't supply parts to other watch repair channels on YT.

[@richardbell466]

Rolex should thank it's lucky stars for watchmakers like Chris.

[@marymanchester8629]

Just a few lines to let you know how much I love watching you take something in such bad condition and bringing it back to life. You are amazing. I also appreciate your explanation of what you’re doing, your voice has a calming effect so thank you. Will continue to watch your videos!

[@coolnessfactor1]

You're one of the most underrated watch channels who does acutal watchmaking. Totally didn't binge watch most of your videos... Yes.

[@ashhavan4345]

That was an incredible project of restoration that you undertook Chris. In the beginning of the video, my heart sank at each exploratory turn of the screwdriver and as you kept removing parts that looked like they were rescued from the Titanic. The mainspring barrel was so bad that I almost had a coronary infarction when it exploded as you were opening it . And to watch the entire video to arrive with bated breath for the piece-de-resistance! The moment when the balance sprang to life. You woke it up from certain death, and that watch owes it life to you. I dub thee Maestro Chris Spinner. Truly a special treat.

[@ralphferrara5152]

At first, I thought that watch was ready for the trash. You have done an amazing job. I enjoyed your video.👍

[@dh4521]

Fantastic! It's amazing that you only class yourself as a hobbyist, your skills are extraordinary and your investment in tooling is remarkable. Great to see such a thorough revival in great detail. 🍻

[@marktime9531]

Love watching these videos. Chris repaired my family heirloom 1955 Tag Heuer A&F watch flawlessly and it's now running like new. Can't wait to get the excuse to send another one when I can.

[@jlr8356]

I have enjoyed seeing specialized tools you used. Im starting to service my own Seiko,Omega,citizen and Orient watches as a hobby, since is Hard to find a good watch repair here in my country (Gdl,mex). At this time I only have a few bergeon tools. (Hands pusher, screw drivers,back case remover). 😊

[@anakinskywalker9752]

Video recommended since I was watching some dj reviews, but stayed all the way, that says a lot about the quality of the video.

[@csspinner]

@@anakinskywalker9752 thanks! I appreciate that 🙏

[@guillermo_bouzada]

I really like your channel. I am just starting disassembling some watches. You have the perfect mix of being funny but also educational :) thank you!

[@boydsargeant7496]

I love a project like this! You did a fantastic job Chris, I couldn’t believe the finish of the movement afterwards. I particularly liked how stuck you were for a while getting the movement out!

[@boydsargeant7496]

Chris, great job. Very enjoyable. Where did you get the spare parts?

[@bruceneal4173]

Beautiful time piece. Excellent repair. Well done ,Sir!

[@frankthomas855]

The frogs and thunderstorms. Oh yeah, all the watch restoration too... Amazing work!

[@nomadhawg]

I was thinking during most of the video that I was going to subscribe to the channel, but the bad puns during the assembly of the automatic winding works made me pause the video to comment and subscribe. Thank you sir.

[@Mtlmshr]

Ingenious way to remove the stem! A little bit of knowledge goes a long way!!!

[@mikaelhedqvist3876]

You are The Man of watchrestorations🤘👌

[@55ATA3]

You did a very nice job on that one, thank you for taking the time to video it for us see..

[@josephgriffin1065]

While I would never own a Rolex, if it weren’t so expensive, there wouldn’t be the craftsmen of this skill level around restoring these time pieces.

[@stevenstewart3414]

What an incredible repair! This watch looked like a goner and you brought it back to beauty and accurate functioning!

[@rondickson1491]

What a great job restoring a beauty back to operation. Best wishes from Virginia.

[@andrewmurton8379]

Beautiful restoration of the whole watch, a lot of water damage caused carnage inside that the quality of your work reversed and made new. Great video.

[@wolfgangbarreto1833]

It is always uplifting to see a master of his craft at work and you are one. Great video on a great job.

[@dragonniz]

Beautiful work! ❤ There are so many specific tools and steps involved in the process & without you sharing your work, I think it's very easy for people to underestimate what goes into fixing or restoring a mechanical watch! My favorite moment has to be the Shawshank Redemption clip, made me lol - it's my favorite movie and I didn't expect it to make an appearance in a watch restoration video 😂

[@rino2907]

Waw, quelle rénovation magnifique, du travail de pro. Conserver un maximum de pièce d'origine est un vrai travail d'une personne bien intentionnée. Certains se disent être des professionnels, alors qu'ils ne font que de changer les pièces par des nouvelles, d'autres rares comme vous, réparent vraiment. Merci pour ce beau partage.

[@georgejamison3782]

Outstanding work sir!

[@georgejamison3782]

Do you have a email? I’d like to ask you a question about a watch.

[@federicoprice2687]

Absolutely fascinating - what an epic restoration! From eeeoww to woweee in a flash of evaporust and an amazing amount of skill! Brilliant, yet again!! ❤

[@alltruetv]

great video - and congrats on your milling machine!

[@zekel787]

Finally finished the video. Someone had alot of fun editing this video. It was great fun to watch

[@erickm6134]

I have to give it to you, for a hobbiest you are meticulous. Bravo Mr.Spinner. Pretty cool. I really wish I can do what you are doing. Incredible patience. Many Blessings🙏🏻

[@JoshHefnerX]

Fantastic recovery, as crusty looking as it was it came out fantastic!

[@Dr.VonBraun]

Great job restoring a beautiful watch. I really enjoyed your video and look forward to many more like this.

[@markgardiner5150]

Chris, you have again shown your talents which are impressive. This is the reason I talked to you about my watch, (I still have not decided yet). I was a maintenance machinist where I learned to kind of McGiver many tasks. It is so good to see your approach to repairs. Again great work!

[@keithbednar6814]

Chris, your work gets more amazing all the time. Really enjoyed watching the process of restoration of that fine watch. You ROCK

[@alaindrolet_atlt_2019]

Great video, not and easy start but you surely save this watch life !! Thanks for sharing this one is a very interesting restoration ! Best Regards ! Alain

[@armandofrancin3518]

Le voy a ser sincero, me he quedado sin palabras, es uno de los mejores videos de restauración que he visto.

[@amphibiousone7972]

Now that was amazing. 🫡💜🙏🍻

[@robertgoidel]

An excelllent video on qualty watchmaking. Thank you so much for your photography. Really engjoyed this video

[@mikebruegger8654]

Beautifully done my friend. You are a great asset to any old watch and far from any hack! 😊

[@ChainsawMan1989]

My man got tools✌🏼

[@sunnykwl]

very professional !! 👍👍👍👍

[@jatco84]

What a fabulous restortion of a classic Rolex piece. Love your reworking of the balance and fork.. and bringing it all together. Gre job, imo....

[@briancarpenter1255]

Fantastic video. You really should have more subscribers because your repair videos are that good. I am glad the owner is able to enjoy this watch for years to come. Keep up the great job Chris and looking forward to the next video.

[@sergionotarpippo7660]

Love the rolex the one on your wrist and the one your working on amazing work love the video 💯 😊😊

[@michaelkeats1313]

A great enjoyable video with the right amount of humour. Fascinating to watch ,please keep your format exactly like this. Thanks for taking the time to record and edit the videos.

[@NetdiegoN]

Crazy work and amazing results! Enjoyed all parts of the video!

[@stephencollier698]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING JUST LOVE THE WORK YOU DO TO BRING THESES TIMEPIECES BACK TO LIFE.

[@Joerilla369]

what a journey ! thanks for taking us along!

[@xanthaz7399]

Awesome video! The more wrecked the movement the more I enjoy it! I have been watching your older videos and have noticed a significant improvement in camera work, editing, and your confidence! Keep it up! FYI, "family frield who was WWII bomber pilot" in the description above has a typo. Thanks!

[@csspinner]

Thanks for the call out! I’ll fix that

[@terrypack7537]

Great video, very relaxing to watch and listen. Thanks 🙏

[@Mr229357]

Nice work 😊👍🏻👍🏻

[@gorauma]

First time watching your videos. While I've mainly watched one other one horologist-like persons channel, your editing and approach to the subject are comparable, and enjoyable. Also yours is definitely more amusing.

[@MichaelWillems]

When I can’t sleep at 4am, this was exactly what I needed. Superb restoration!

[@alfasax]

My favorite was the finish! Nice job!

[@andypark9498]

Excellent video & repair❤❤❤

[@WristwatchMedic1953]

Thanks for the great video. You did an amazing job.

[@Sestorema]

A great restoration for a wonderful watch 🙂👍

[@thesummerthatwas76]

To see how dad interacts so very caringly and sensitively with his son - something I have watched develop over the last three years - is so demonstrative of how it should be done. I am very envious because my dad couldn't have cared less. God bless this family.

[@rickkirby6856]

I've seen all the watch restorer's videos, and I must say... I like your blend of info and comedy. The parts delivery was too funny! New fan here!