A family jewellers Hiugh Rice who have a store in Beverley, East Yorkshire say they are hugely proud after being named a Rolex Authorised Service Centre.
Their Authorised Service Center now has prestigious Rolex accreditation, enabling them to service Rolex watches in-house. Achieving this award recognizes the high standards set by the family jewellers and their partners at Rolex.
It takes an exacting process to achieve accreditation. Additionally, watchmakers must be trained to strict excellence criteria in order to work with the latest Rolex tooling.
During the course of the accreditation process, Hugh Rice watchmaker Joe Rice spent two years studying at the British School of Watchmaking.
While he also did 18 months of training with Rolex to gain the knowledge and expertise necessary to deliver the highly detailed service.
Joe said:
“To be awarded this accreditation is a huge honour.”
“To know Rolex has recognised the standard of work I’ve achieved, and for them to guarantee my work is a huge motivation to continue to progress and work to the highest possible standards.”
Paul Rice, managing director at Hugh Rice, said:
“We are hugely proud and excited to be named a Rolex Authorised Service Centre.”
“This means that we can offer our customers an in-house service for their watch that meets the exceptional standards a Rolex watch requires, with customers receiving the same two-year international guarantee as would be achieved at the Rolex headquarters in central London and Kings Hill.”
“Customers can also benefit from added peace of mind that their timepiece will remain on site for the length of the process.”
Every Rolex timepiece that leaves a Rolex workshop conforms to its original functional and aesthetic specifications.
This service begins with a complete disassembly of the watch. Each component is inspected for functionality and wear, and any worn or malfunctioning parts are replaced.
Each watch is then ultrasonically cleaned, reassembled, oiled, and regulated to operate within tolerances. Total disassembly of the case and bracket is also required, followed by refinishing and cleaning all metal components.
Lastly, the case is waterproof tested, the dial and hands are fitted to the movement, and the movement is fitted to the case as well as final quality checks and performance tests are conducted.
Paul continued:
“To enhance customer experience and showcase the dedication and expertise we now have in store, our watchmaking area is also now visible to the public within our showroom in St Stephen’s Shopping Centre.”
As a result of accreditation, jewellers can now also offer an interim service – a clean and polish – which could previously only be offered in conjunction with a full service.
As part of Hugh Rice’s five-year international sales guarantee, watches can now be refinished up to 10-year intervals for the very first time.
