You make a valid point, but in my experience of CW's that are COSC the certificate will be anything from 3-12 months prior to the sale date on new models. Obviously on old end of line stuff then you expect them to be old. As mentioned I'm sure it was a mistake and it's irrelevant now as I returned it, but my hunch in my case would be the certificate was not the correct document for the movement inside the watch.DavecUK wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:41 amThat can be perfectly normal....it's only the movement that is certified minus hands, face rotor and often date wheel/function. They are not certified after casing, although Rolex do their own extensive checks after casing a watch. Most of my service time was because of these checks.what-time-is-it wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:03 am Probably just a mistake - but the Ombre that I returned (model released late 2018) had a COSC certificate dated from 2015 2014!
The movements can then be stored in a climate controlled cabinet (in little plastic boxes) until required. It's pulled out, dial hands and rotor placed on, cased, possibly (hopefully) time checked in 5 positions and then the back put on. That movement might have been assembled years before and part of a large tested batch. Don't for a minute think just because the movement has sat in a cabinet for 5 years that they are going to take it apart, clean, re-oil and reassemble it....that's not going to happen.
Please don't ever think the movement in your watch was COSC and cased just before you got it....although relatively high volume Sellita COSC movements might well be fairly new. It's also why the service intervals are...well I've said my bit about those.
If it's 5 years earlier - then it'll need a service.