From personal experience, the parts issue is partly surmountable, if you get a model which has been around for some time, since there are still occasional parts available on Ebay. Mechanical parts for a calibre 2121/1121 do come, albeit not all the time. The harder parts to find are the seals, which are unique to the Royal Oak case. Since these are perishable, they need to be replaced and I picked one up a few years ago and used it in a recent service. The rubber ring cost around 100 Euro, but that's still cheaper than an AP service. Crowns aren't cheap either. Bracelet parts and dials come up for sale more frequently, but you'd have to be very careful about sizing. Overall, by purchasing spares, you can provide for future servicing at an independent watchmaker, but I suspect that I'll eventually have to bite the bullet and send it to Le Brassus for the arm and leg treatment. Just need to pay off the mortgage first.
Conor
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