It is rare if a movement, it does not matter who made it, functions for decades writhout needing a service. If you wait unill it starts misbehaving grossly, you are risking doing serious damage to the movement.
The recommendation is somewhere between 5 and 10 years.
I do not think it matters much who made the movement, as long as it is fully jewelled, and it was properly lubricated from the factory.
Many of the heaper watches were thrown away not because they broke, but becausecthey were seen as "cheap junk".
Most people know the Omega and Rolex brands, and knowvthey are fairly expensive, so they were not thrown away.

 

So I just made a deal here in the sales forum and got an Orient Mako. This will be my first mechanical watch in ages. I'm curious, as I plan to use this watch as an everyday watch/beater for a VERY long time. On a lower-end entry level movement like the one in the Orient, for how long can I expect it to keep decent time without a service? I've heard of watches like Rolex's and Omega's lasting a full 50+ years without one, but those are generally higher quality more complicated movements. I'm asking for a lower end Japanese automatic movement. I'm think maybe 15 years max before it starts gaining and loosing a dramatic amount of time daily. What do you say?

More complicated movements will probably require MORE maintenance...

As for the Orient, similar to what Janne estimated, I'll be happy to get 10 yrs of service out of my Blue and Yellow Mako.

 

I fid not mean 5 to 10 years lifespan, I mean time between servicing.

 

Heh, I know Doc, I only used the word "lifespan" because I'm not sure I'd spend the money to service a $100 watch in 10 yrs. ;-)

 

10 Although it can last 15+ years without giving signs of it being out range of normal operation, because of the nature of mechanical watches, I would never actually expect 15+ years etc...I would just be hopeful....especially if it is a pre-owned watch.

There is a recent thread where many posters mention their not so expensive (seiko etc) mechanical that has lasted them 20+ 30+ 40+ years without any kind of servicing. I have a few 40+ year old, lower cost mechanicals, never serviced, with no signs of any issues.

 

I'm a little unclear on what the OP is interested in. Like, low-end Japanese movements specifically, thus excluding 1960s Grand Seikos and so on?

I'm only really familiar with the King Seiko and Grand Seiko movements of the day. They seem to be doing well.

I'm wearing a pin lever Timex from the 1960s that's never been serviced right now. It gains 2 minutes a day, but I guess that's not bad for $10 watch with 0 jewels.

 

I own an Orient (King Diver). Bought it new in 1977. First service in 2011. It ran fine; the only reason I had it serviced is posts here on WUS got me thinking I was grinding the movement into atoms by not having it serviced (and rightly so).
Is it possible to run a mechanical watch for 3, 4, or 5 decades without service? Yes.
Is it recommended? No.


~Sherry.

 

i'm hoping its 10-15 years as I at most wear each watch only once every two weeks during the rotation...

 

Like you I rotate my watches. The most special ones are serviced. I hope using the others in rotation will reduce the wear.

 

I knew of 2 Rolexs that almost ground to a halt after 9 years.

 

I guess the Q is a 100 mako (or mako xl) essentially disposable.. or what would a service cost..

 

Until it breaks.

 

Which on an Automatic should be the Rotor bearings. Of course, there are different techs. nand qualities.
Steel bearings - need lubrication, without that they self destruct fairly rapidly.
Ceramic ball bearings - lasts longer, but you find those only on a few high end watches.

 

Well my Seamaster Auto has just died on me after 12 years.
Was fine up until a couple of weeks ago. I was told it simply needs a service (something it's never had), but Janne's first reply above now has me slightly concerned that I've left it too long...

 

A lesson painfully learned, take heed those from that, 'other school'.

 

...I've heard of watches like Rolex's and Omega's lasting a full 50+ years without one, but those are generally higher quality more complicated movements. ...

Wow... if you ever really come across such piece, do give the GUINESS World Record a call for nomination!

Like cars and other mechanical stuff, watch movements will need to pay a visit to the "Watch Doctor" eventually as well... perhaps not full servicing, but minor lubrication will do. It's just a matter of time. Need not to be specifically 5yrs period or 10... some watches, will need to be serviced once in 15yrs.
Be it Japanese, SWISS or even Chinese, all mechanicals won't last, un-serviced, that long.

 

I have bought watches that have not been serviced at all for 50 years and my have been run for decades and run fine. If I plan to wear them regularly I have them serviced so far no major damaged parts. The make have been Omega 5xx and 751 a Cyma and seikos after servicing they run great. But it would be a risk running a sentimental or valuable watch that has not been serviced in that long. I have a Omega bumper 342 that is from 1949 and still running under 30 second a day on wrist. But it is in need of a service for sure.

 

it's pretty shocking to hear of these high-end watches stopping in just 10 years. I get starting to be unstable or losing power reserve etc, but if my 0 jewel pin lever escapement $10 Timex can make it 40 years...

 

I have the same probability as good as when new.

 

They should not. We do not if the movement was exposed to an external force, or similar. Maybe water ingress?

 

I've heard of a number of Grand Seikos from the 60s still running reasonably well unserviced. I can't personally confirm them though. Again, I do have my Timex that's still working okay. It probably wasn't very accurate to begin with, so it's hard to say how much it's dropped.

 

I'm guessing that long before you have to worry about servicing the Mako, you will have moved on to other watches. It's a $ 100 auto - I wouldn't worry too much about service intervals.

For what its worth, I inherited my dad's 50 year old Movado Kingmatic a couple of years back Found it in a drawer after my Mom passed. I gave a few spins and it started right up. And my old man died in 1971. Took it to a local watchmaker, had it serviced for $50 and it runs great.

 

I'm guessing that long before you have to worry about servicing the Mako, you will have moved on to other watches. It's a $ 100 auto - I wouldn't worry too much about service intervals.

For what its worth, I inherited my dad's 50 year old Movado Kingmatic a couple of years back Found it in a drawer after my Mom passed. I gave a few spins and it started right up. And my old man died in 1971. Took it to a local watchmaker, had it serviced for $50 and it runs great.

Great example of how most "vintage" watches are treated. In its 50yr life, how many ACTUAL years did the Movado get worn, 10, maybe 15? Most older watches appear to work "fine" because they've been sitting in a box for 80% of its life. I highly doubt a mechanical watch can be worn daily for 50yrs and still function...

 

What an arbitrary thread.

It can last a century or just a few years, or in the case of my Seamaster 2 years.

I have2 hand-me -downs that are over 100 years old and keep good time, and I doubt were ever serviced (pocket watches). I don't use them because they sould be serviced for sentimental reasons, but the service will cost way more than they are worth.

Who knows? One must consider how much it's actually used to figure in wear. Is it 5 years of continual operation or 5 years old, more than half of which is spent in non-use?

When it goes south get it serviced.

 

Get it serviced before it goes south.

 

Lol, what am I psychic? My watch started loosing 20 seconds per day, sent it off had it serviced. How was I to know it would do that before it did? It was two years old.

Now granted it may have sat somewhere for 60-70 years (Omega Seamaster) but otherwise before it went south it was 2 seconds+ per day.

 

The only vintage watches I wear are $1 Timex electrics. My vintage watches handed down aren't worn for that very reason.

 

As I expected, the jury is still out, and may never come back.

My oldest mechanical is a Seamaster Bond Chrono. Probably wore it almost every week for five years, and then banished to the nether regions of my watch box in the last ten years as my collection grew to over two dozen mechanicals. In contrast, I bought a Zeno Watch Basel Chrono ten years ago that I wore straight for half a year and then worn on and off afterwards and would sit on a winder when not on my wrist - which means it has been running non-stop for ten years now.

When I fire up the Omega, it still keeps great time and seems none the worse for sleeping most of its life in the watch box. The Zeno which has run non-stop for most of its life keeps impeccable time as well. Both seem to be doing okay with no servicing done yet.

Ever since I got into this hobby, there has been no clear consensus about what's best - let a mechanical sleep when not worn, or keep it on a winder. Both camps make good, convincing points and until now I'm on the fence on this. Keep it sleeping, the oil gums up. Keep it running, the gears will be damaged over time. I guess the only way to tell empirically is to have two identical watches. Keep one sleeping, keep the other running on a winder. See which will run aground first. But who has ever bothered doing this?

Which will conk out first without a service? The Omega or the Zeno? Time will tell. After pondering on this question again, I just realized it may be time to treat the Omega to its first service since its turning 15 in two months. If the Zeno reaches it fifteenth year in five years on the winder and still keeps accurate time, my own conclusion will be it doesn't really matter whether you let it sleep or you keep it running on a winder.

Of course, both watches were never really beaters to begin with, so that's another variable to be considered as regards longevity and watch servicing.

 

Do not forget that the oil technology has changed. The old oils aged quite rapidly. The new synthetic oils do not.
Of course, not all manufacturers use these new oils. I guess that the manufacturers in some countries use low quality oils, low quality compared to the best oils, that is.

 

wore my Rolex DJ for 17 yrs was never serviced before it was stolen in 1995,probably still running today on that MF###!! thief's wrist.

 

Cool story, I've heard countless tales of how long Rolex's last without service. Whatever Rolex is doing, they're doing it right. So sorry to hear it was stolen, only watch I've ever had stolen was my Invicta 8926. Wasn't much of a loss, especially compared to a Rolex Datejust...

 

I have had a Tag 2000 Classic Auto-Chrono since 1998, never been serviced. It still runs...just loses 4-5 minutes/day.

 

The theory is cheap watch, there is no need to service cos the service is might be even more expensive than getting a new one.

As for the expensive watch, it is highly recommend to service it according to their recommendation. Which is usually every 5 years,
I believe most mechanical watch, cheap or expensive can easily last 20-40 years without service. But the key is , do they still keep good time if you do not service according to the maker's timeline..

For example , Rolex is a COSC watch. It can definitely last many decades but if you do not service it every 5 years, does the watch still keep within COSC after 5 years?

Below is an example of why you shall service yr expensive watch.

Rolex Caliber 3135 - Still worthy of the crown after all these years?

The other weakness is something that may or may not manifest itself as readily, depending on the circumstances and how often the watch is serviced. This potential problem is easily understood by any watchmaker who has serviced a lot of these movements. The problem is that the 2 setting wheels under the dial, and the two small and thin posts that they pivot on, can be easily damaged if the lubrication runs dry. If the grease on the canon pinion dries up due to age or moisture in the watch case, the teeth on these small thin wheels will break off. The more severe problem is if the lubrication on the posts runs dry, then the first post will be worn away in no time at all, as shown in the photo above. This is less of a problem on the second post as it is a steel pin that is not riveted into the main plate. So it can be easily replaced if it is worn or damaged. Unfortunately the first post is part of the main plate, and is made of brass just like it. Therefore if this post gets damaged like that, the only way to repair it is by replacing the entire main plate. An expensive proposition at best. It's worth noting that this was not a problem on Rolex's older caliber 3035 because the diameter of the post was quite a bit thicker, as was the set wheel itself. Please note that this shouldn't be a problem for those who take care of their watches and have them serviced at regular intervals - every four to five years as recommended by most factories today. I am 100% in agreement with this recommended service interval.

 

The theory is cheap watch, there is no need to service cos the service is might be even more expensive than getting a new one.

As for the expensive watch, it is highly recommend to service it according to their recommendation. Which is usually every 5 years,
I believe most mechanical watch, cheap or expensive can easily last 20-40 years without service. But the key is , do they still keep good time if you do not service according to the maker's timeline..

For example , Rolex is a COSC watch. It can definitely last many decades but if you do not service it every 5 years, does the watch still keep within COSC after 5 years?

Below is an example of why you shall service yr expensive watch.

Rolex Caliber 3135 - Still worthy of the crown after all these years?

Absolutely correct, best post so far on wear and maintenance of a mechical movement. I am a avid vintage collector and know 1st hand, unless you know for sure that piece you just laid the green out for has just been serviced and you plan to wear, have it serviced and do so w/someone who is familiar with the watch in question. I have watches that I wear and as a collector, I also enjoy wearing them, so every 3 to 5 years it is serviced. Oil gumming up, oil turned to varnish and metal to metal, kill a movement.
I know, we all have had the watch that would not stop, but in time, believe me, it will happen if you do not have it serviced, cleaned and olied. Other wise, wear till it stops and put on another! 8(
Just my 2 cents worth.
Oh, yes high end comes @ a high price, this is true, but I have many vintage pieces that keep just as good if not the same as my high ends do, this is because I use preventive maintenance by having them serviced every 3 to 5 years.