Seattle man miraculously revives $10,000 Rolex Deepsea gift from Hans Zimmer that was destroyed in a house fire

When a Rolex Deepsea with an interesting backstory was completely destroyed in a house fire, one expert was determined to revive it.

Few names in the watchmaking industry carry as much prestige at Rolex. 

And while any Rolex is a real masterpiece, this $10,000 Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller watch comes with an interesting history. 

The watch was given to its owner by legendary movie composer Hans Zimmer, so despite it being wrecked in a fire, he knew it was worth trying to save.

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It was a ‘miracle’ the Rolex Deepsea was even found after the fire

Earlier this year, the Palisades fire tore through Los Angeles, leaving behind a trail of destruction. 

Thousands of homes and businesses were burned down in the fires, including the house belonging to the owner of the Rolex Deepsea. 

After losing his house in the fire, he was permitted to go back to the property to see what – if anything – was salvageable. 

Incredibly, he discovered the watch among the debris. 

The watch had been gifted to him by Zimmer, and he had worn it daily for a decade.

So it goes without saying that it had a serious amount of sentimental value. 

Unfortunately, the watch was in a terrible state when it was unearthed at his burned-down home.

However, a friend of his reached out to Marshall from the Wristwatch Revival YouTube channel to see if he could help. 

Due to the fire, the watch had become completely seized up, and the bezel, crystal, dial, and internal ring had all gone. 

But after realizing how valuable the Rolex was to its owner, Marshall was determined to fix it. 

The watch expert was left reeling after seeing the condition of the Rolex and hailed it as a ‘miracle’ that it had even been found. 

And while we’re on the subject of miracles, that’s pretty much what Marshall managed to achieve when reviving the $10,000 timepiece. 

Repairing the watch was a delicate operation

The watch had become completely seized up, and the bezel, crystal, dial, and internal ring had all been destroyed. 

The hands, as well as the screws, and the watch’s all-important movement had all crumbled to dust due to the intense heat of the fire. 

But after realizing how valuable the Rolex was to its owner, Marshall was determined to fix it. 

It was a mammoth task that involved having to use specialist tools to open the watch up, a lot of cleaning, a new movement, some heavy-duty repair work on the bracelet, and new parts sourced from another Sea-Dweller. 

And by the time Marshall was finished, you’d never guess the Rolex had ever been destroyed.

Here’s hoping the owner gets many more years out of it.

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