[docvail]

Just curious; What does a normal watch service consist of and what is the cost range?

I was reading that watches with the Seiko NH35, 36 or 38 movements or even the more expensive Miyota 9015 movement it is probably a better route to just have the movement replaced if and when it starts to show issues rather than actually having them services at regular intervals.

Servicing costs will be dependent on where you have it serviced, how complicated the movement is, and whether or not any parts need to be replaced. In most places, a routine service on something like a basic ETA 2824-2 will run $200-$300.

You could also buy a new movement yourself, for roughly the same cost, and drop it in yourself, with a little know-how and the right tools.

The Seiko NH3x's can be purchased new online for about $40-$50. A new Miyota 9015 might be around $100-$120. A watchmaker might charge $50 to drop a new movement into a case for you (or, again, you could pretty easily do it yourself, with the right tools). As such, those movements make less sense to service, and more sense to simply replace, once they die.

 

[MeisterEder]

Based on absolutely zero scientific evidence, I have my modern movements serviced when they start running erratically, or every 10 years, whichever comes first.

For more expensive vintage watches I usually go with around 5 years.

 

[5959HH]

Statistics - the art of torturing numbers until they tell you what you want to hear

True in some cases. The one thing I remember from my college course in statistics is the three levels of liars:

Liars
Damn Liars
Statisticians

 

[Mtvandi]

Need a better study to assume that.
Totally depends on the watch, quality level, movement quality and the life it lived. That said, I generally fix my watches once there is big deviation or a functional problem, be it two years or ten years. Hope that helps.

 

[John MS]

Most manufacturers recommend authorized service every 3 to 5 years, and most comments in these forums echo that advice. Meanwhile YouTuber Wristwatch_Revival recently receives, encrusted with filth, a Rolex OP with 1560 movement that's been worn every day for 53 years and never opened until it finally stopped. He finds near zero internal wear, and after cleaning, lubing and replacing the main spring gets +/- 0 seconds on the timegrapher. Is it time to call BS on this whole regular service thing?

I would like more than a single third hand story about the history of one watch and it's condition before switching to twice a century servicing. It may be time to make a bs call, but not on regular servicing.

 

[Brackish]

44 years before the first service. It was running almost a minute fast, so it got sent in. On top of that, my dad was passing it along to me, so I figured it would be a good time to make sure the seals were at least taken care of since I would be wearing it quite a bit. No parts needed to replaced. Just cleaned, jewels added, and lubed.

Hoping for another 44 years!

 

[Paul_]

I have a circa-1997 Breitling Aerospace that has only been resealed periodically. I assume that any required servicing would likely involve replacement of the quartz movement, so I don't plan on sending it off for an overhaul until it just stops working. Still keeps excellent time, BTW...

 

[SkxRobbie]

Most manufacturers recommend authorized service every 3 to 5 years, and most comments in these forums echo that advice. Meanwhile YouTuber Wristwatch_Revival recently receives, encrusted with filth, a Rolex OP with 1560 movement that's been worn every day for 53 years and never opened until it finally stopped. He finds near zero internal wear, and after cleaning, lubing and replacing the main spring gets +/- 0 seconds on the timegrapher. Is it time to call BS on this whole regular service thing?

My Cousin had the same exact situation with his fathers OP.
The service was expensive unless you amoritize the cost from 1959 to 2022. In that case it cost about 15.63 per year.
Shown is the Rolex after service and the 7009 (never serviced) that I gave him to wear while the watch was away.
He still wears the Seiko and loves it.

D

 

[Yeardley]

here come the ‘service your watch brigade’

Ooh, is there a brigade we can join ? I'd like to join a watch brigade.

 

[Conundrum1911]

Servicing costs will be dependent on where you have it serviced, how complicated the movement is, and whether or not any parts need to be replaced. In most places, a routine service on something like a basic ETA 2824-2 will run $200-$300.

Does anyone know or have a list of which brands offer all-inclusive service fees vs more of a "pay for what's needed" style of service? To me that is the real kicker, in that it makes perfect sense to keep a watch running well if it means a super expensive overhaul won't be needed in future. If it is the same cost every 5 years to either oil the watch or to replace 90% of the movement parts, why keep paying every 5 years until it is really needed?

So far my only experience has been with Seiko powered watches, and one ETA (a Hamilton). My understanding is on all those cases the service fee is flat no matter what they do.

 

[leadbelly2550]

if i were a $$$$ watch person, i might stick to the recommended maintenance schedules. As a <$1000 watch person who mostly favors watches with 200m or greater water resistance, the only regular maintenance I do is getting watches checked for water resistance periodically. For modestly-priced watches, ‘service’ often means replacing the movement, so I’m inclined to wait until the movement stops working, which usually takes quite a bit longer than most regular service interval. Seiko 7S26 ran within spec for me for 14 years with zero service. I’ll be interested to see how the NH35/6R15/2824-2/9015/powermatic 80s run before they need to be replaced.

On the other hand, servicing cars on recommended intervals tends to be beneficial. Our oldest car - ‘07, one of the early hybrid engines, 165k miles - just ended its usable life. the car was parked, and a beer truck hit it. The recommended body work exceeded the value of the car. Though the suspension had become a tad mushy, the car ran well - engine, alignment, electronics, all in great shape. Only major fail was the hybrid system fan went bad within warranty, whole hybrid system got replaced (for free). Changing the oil every 6000 miles (synthetic oil, so 50% longer than the recommended interval for regular oil) and regular service made a difference, i think.

 

[cheu_f50]

Most manufacturers recommend authorized service every 3 to 5 years, and most comments in these forums echo that advice. Meanwhile YouTuber Wristwatch_Revival recently receives, encrusted with filth, a Rolex OP with 1560 movement that's been worn every day for 53 years and never opened until it finally stopped. He finds near zero internal wear, and after cleaning, lubing and replacing the main spring gets +/- 0 seconds on the timegrapher. Is it time to call BS on this whole regular service thing?

Going to call BS on wristwatch_revival.

 

[GeorgeGordon]

Standard Oil, decades ago, recommended that you change "every 60 in Winter and 90 days in Summer".

And with the absolute trash design of engines at the time, it may very well have been warranted.

 

[Stellite]

Most manufacturers recommend authorized service every 3 to 5 years, and most comments in these forums echo that advice. Meanwhile YouTuber Wristwatch_Revival recently receives, encrusted with filth, a Rolex OP with 1560 movement that's been worn every day for 53 years and never opened until it finally stopped. He finds near zero internal wear, and after cleaning, lubing and replacing the main spring gets +/- 0 seconds on the timegrapher. Is it time to call BS on this whole regular service thing?

I'll add some stats to go along with this from my stuff:

1996 SeaDweller worn for 3 months out of the year for the first 5 years, serviced in 2015 and was running fine before service. No parts needed replacing.

1996 smp300 worn about 3 months out of the year for the first 4 years, serviced in 2016 because it had slowed down tremendously. no parts needed replacing

1996 SeaDweller, purchased new, never worn. Checked in 2017 prior to selling. It needed nothing. It was never wound or rotated, yet the oils were still perfect inside.

1999 Hamilton khaki eta2824. Started to slow down at 8 years. serviced

1991 explorer 2, serviced first time in 2002, was running fine

1999 submariner, still running, no service and it works perfect.

IWC Aquatimer 3536 purchased in 1998 and serviced in 2012, ran fine.

Conocord impresario el primero movement, chronograph part stopped working at 3 years, repaired. Then movement slowed down, sent back again. and a third time. This was a lemon.

Wife's datejust purchased 1996, not serviced until 2018 after years of vicious abuse by a slap happy monster. Worked until that last year, when it slowed down.

Wife's 2004 yachtmaster serviced in 2021. was slowing down.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms purchased in 2003, serviced in 2009, slowed down. Most expensive service of them all.

There is more, but tired.

 

[appophylite]

It kind of depends - someone else's experiences may not be replicated by your own.

I take my car in annually for a 5000 mile service check and engine oil change, and keep up with the maintenance. I have a great warranty on it and the car has run relatively smoothly and problem free for nearly 14 years. On the flip side, we owned a 95 Suzuki Sidekick that was only serviced maybe twice in its entire life and it still ran like a champ the day we sold it. Pretty sure my wife doesn't want to try to replicate that situation with HER car

With watches, it is just as tricky - a lot depends on the watch itself, the value of the watch and the sentiments behind the watch. I still have my first automatic watch, and it still runs just as well as the day I got it. That said, it will never get serviced since the cost of a service would exceed what I paid for the watch brand new in the first place. My father has his Rolex and has had it for 13 years now - it has never been serviced, and until something actually happens to it mechanically, it likely never will - the first service it sees will be if/when I inherit it and send it in for one. Likewise, I owned my Speedy for 10 years and I sent it in last year when I had issues with the movement, but never sent it in for routine maintenance. But I can see where it is possible that if I had sent it in at the 5 year interval, they may have identified fatigue in a component that would have prevented the failure I encountered and would have resolved it. Or they may not have and it would have happened nonetheless.

Watch collecting is a money pit and it is up to you how you want to spend your money on it - be it buying and running watches into the ground, or being meticulous about your servicing and maintenance of each piece you own.

 

[Seikonut1967]

Unless i see a deviation in timekeeping, feel anything untoward then no service required.

I've just purchased a Rolex Pepsi GMT that was last serviced in 1995 and has been unworn since then. Running beautifully, but it's off for service on Monday just for piece of mind.

 

[MX793]

Standard Oil, decades ago, recommended that you change "every 60 in Winter and 90 days in Summer".

Assuming you drive about 1000 miles per month, 90 days would be about 3000 miles. Not unreasonable for older blend Dino oil without modern additives.

 

[JPa]

But it’s not a car, is it?

 

[Adrenaline96]

i think servicing your watch once every decade is a good guideline. It isn't too late for wear to start appearing, and not too frequently to be useless.

 

[Watchbreath]

Worn and operating for 19,345 days with nearly zero wear? I find it hard to believe.

But if it ain't broke...

Puts my Lucien Piccard to shame.