Notice how IWC recommends to clean the escapement every two years with their maintenance service. The complete service will clean the entire watch, and that is recommended every 5 years. Seems to me that IWC thinks the escapement requires service at half the interval of the rest of the watch. This is interesting enough, but I wonder how they get the escapement out of some of their more complicated movements without tearing them all the way apart.

http://www.iwc.com/en/service/



IWC SERVICE INTERVENTIONS
In everyday use, a wristwatch is subjected to many different strains and stresses, such as vibrations, impacts, dust, water, UV radiation, perspiration or fluctuations in temperature. We should not omit to mention the mechanical strain placed on a movement designed to keep the time with absolute precision for 24 hours every single day, and for periods of many years. In order to combat the wear and tear on certain moving parts, as well as the natural aging of oils and lubricants, we recommend owners to have a maintenance service carried out approximately every two years and a complete one every five.

• 
  MAINTENANCE SERVICE
  The suggested 2 year service with 8 essential steps
  
  
• 
  COMPLETE SERVICE
  The most extensive service available with 16 essential steps
  
  
  

2YRSERVICE
WE RECOMMEND A MAINTENANCE SERVICE CARRIED OUT APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO YEARS AND A COMPLETE SERVICE CARRIED OUT EVERY FIVE.

1. 
   01
   After removing the wristband and opening the case, the watchmaker demagnetises the watch. A visual and technical examination gives him a first impression of the watch's condition and accuracy.
   
   
2. 
   02
   The watchmaker lifts the movement out of the case. The rotor, balance and escapement are removed, cleaned, reassembled and then oiled.
   
   
3. 
   03
   The case is dismantled into its individual parts. During this process, the glass, seals and other components such as push-buttons or rotating bezels are removed.
   
   
4. 
   04
   The case, metal bracelet and clasp are ultrasonically cleaned in a special fluid. During reassembly of the watch, all the seals are replaced in order to guarantee the watch's water-resistance.
   
   
5. 
   05
   Relying on his own sensitive fingers and precision instruments, the watchmaker puts the movement back in the case and screws it securely into place. Finally, he checks the watch's appearance and its technical functions.
   
   
6. 
   06
   With the help of a timing machine, the watch's rate is tested and adjusted until it lies within the tolerances prescribed by IWC Schaffhausen.
   
   
7. 
   07
   The hermetically sealed case is then tested under water at various pressures to ensure that it is leak-proof.
   
   
8. 
   08
   At the end of the maintenance service, the watch is subjected to a visual inspection and a strict check of its technical functions. An automatic watch winder simulates everyday wear of the watch in various positions to test its accuracy.
   
   
   1. 01
   2. 02
   3. 03
   4. 04
   5. 05
   6. 06
   7. 07
   8. 08
      

SCOPE OF SERVICE
MOVEMENT

• Removal of movement from the case
• Examination of the movement, including a measurement of the rate and amplitude
• Demagnetisation of mechanical movements
• Cleaning and lubrication of escapement and balance
• Testing/setting of escapement
• Replacement of battery (for quartz movements)
• Testing of all functions (basic movement and possibly additional mechanisms such as the chronograph, etc.)
• Adjustment of movement to comply with IWC Schaffhausen's prescribed tolerances

CASE, CLASP, & METAL BRACELET

• Removal of strap or bracelet and complete dismantling of case
• Cleaning of the dismantled case, metal bracelet and clasp
• Replacement of all seals and synthetic glasses
• Reassembly of the case and testing of water-resistance (test 1)
• Securing movement in case followed by check of all functions
• Testing of water-resistance (test 2) and check of precision and power reserve lasting several days
• Assembly and functional/safety

CUSTOMER BENEFITS
The maintenance service includes checking the watch's functions and appearance, ensuring that it is water-resistant and runs accurately, and giving the exterior a thorough cleaning. Our specialists identify any functional defects and repair them only after consulting the customer. After a maintenance service you can be sure that the watch will show the correct time, that all its functions are working properly and that its water-resistance is at the level stated.

SERVICE INTERVAL
Seals and mechanical components are subject to wear and tear and natural aging. We therefore recommend having the water-resistance checked by an IWC service centre and a maintenance service carried out approximately every two years. The intervals between individual services vary considerably depending on how the watch is used and the conditions under which it operates.

WARRANTY
As stated in the IWC service warranty, IWC Schaffhausen grants a 12-month warranty on all work carried out and parts replaced in the scope of the maintenance service.






IWC SERVICE INTERVENTIONS
In everyday use, a wristwatch is subjected to many different strains and stresses, such as vibrations, impacts, dust, water, UV radiation, perspiration or fluctuations in temperature. We should not omit to mention the mechanical strain placed on a movement designed to keep the time with absolute precision for 24 hours every single day, and for periods of many years. In order to combat the wear and tear on certain moving parts, as well as the natural aging of oils and lubricants, we recommend owners to have a maintenance service carried out approximately every two years and a complete one every five.

• 
  MAINTENANCE SERVICE
  The suggested 2 year service with 8 essential steps
  
  
• 
  COMPLETE SERVICE
  The most extensive service available with 16 essential steps
  
  
  

5YRSERVICE
WE RECOMMEND A MAINTENANCE SERVICE CARRIED OUT APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO YEARS AND A COMPLETE SERVICE CARRIED OUT EVERY FIVE.

1. 
   01
   After removing the wristband and opening the case, the watchmaker demagnetises the watch.
   
   
2. 
   02
   The watch is uncased; in other words, the watchmaker separates the movement from the case and removes the hands and dial. This is followed by a visual and technical examination.
   
   
3. 
   03
   After removal of the rotor, balance and escapements, all the settings are tested and, if necessary, readjusted. The next step is to remove the automatic winding assembly to provide access to the parts located below it.
   
   
4. 
   04
   The watchmaker carefully dismantles the movement into its individual parts. He then meticulously examines each component for wear and tear or damage and repairs or replaces it as necessary.
   
   
5. 
   05
   The dismantled movement is degreased and cleaned in a special fluid until it is spotless, if necessary with the aid of ultrasound. During this process, the fine-meshed cleansing basket rotates slowly and moves up and down.
   
   
6. 
   06
   After cleaning, the watch movement is carefully reassembled as set out in a carefully defined procedure. One by one, all bearings and moving surfaces are lubricated using an oil dispenser.
   
   
7. 
   07
   It is now that the watch is given its “soul”: drawing on all his experience and using special instruments, the watchmaker assembles the hand-setting mechanism and the date function on the dial side of the movement.
   
   
8. 
   08
   The case is dismantled into its component parts. During this process, the glass, seals and other components such as push-buttons or rotating bezels are removed.
   
   
9. 
   09
   Strong signs of wear and tear on the case, metal bracelet and clasp are laser-treated. This is a way of building up extra material to ensure that not too much is lost when the flat surfaces and angles of the components are subsequently ground and polished.
   
   
10. 
    10
    The case, metal bracelet and clasp are ultrasonically cleaned in a special fluid.
    
    
11. 
    11
    The glass is press-fitted into the case. All seals and, if necessary, components such as the push-buttons and crowns, are replaced. The case is hermetically sealed without the movement in order to conduct a preliminary test of its water-resistance.
    
    
12. 
    12
    Once the tests and functional controls of the movement and case have been completed successfully, the dial and hands are positioned with painstaking precision and the individual components reassembled.
    
    
13. 
    13
    After the movement has been secured in the case, the watch's accuracy is checked with a timing machine in the five main different positions.
    
    
14. 
    14
    If necessary, the movement can be adjusted by increasing or shortening the active length of the balance spring. The aim is to ensure that the rate tolerances prescribed by IWC Schaffhausen are strictly adhered to.
    
    
15. 
    15
    The case is hermetically sealed and the watch, complete with movement, is placed in a special machine, where its water-resistance is tested once again in water under pressure.
    
    
16. 
    16
    At the end of a complete service, the watchmaker painstakingly inspects the watch's exterior and checks all the technical functions. Only after a test of its accuracy lasting several days is the watch ready to be returned to the customer.
    
    
    1. 01
    2. 02
    3. 03
    4. 04
    5. 05
    6. 06
    7. 07
    8. 08
    9. 09
    10. 10
    11. 11
    12. 12
    13. 13
    14. 14
    15. 15
    16. 16
        

SCOPE OF SERVICE
MOVEMENT

• Removal of movement from the case
• Removal of hands, dial, date and day disc
• Demagnetisation of mechanical movements
• Preliminary cleaning and complete dismantling of the movement
• Repair or replacement of worn/ defective components
• Thorough cleansing of all parts of the dismantled movement
• Assembly of the movement with lubrication (oiling and greasing) of critical points
• Testing/setting of escapement
• Replacement of battery (for quartz movements)
• Testing of all functions (basic movement and possibly additional mechanisms such as the chronograph, etc.)
• Adjustment of the movement to comply with IWC Schaffhausen's prescribed tolerances
• Positioning the dial and hands

CASE, CLASP, & METAL BRACELET

• Removal of strap or bracelet and complete dismantling of case
• Preliminary cleaning of the dismantled case, bracelet and clasp
• Polishing and, where necessary, finishing of angles on the case, bracelet and clasp
• Main cleaning of the dismantled case, bracelet and clasp
• Replacement of all seals and synthetic glasses
• Reassembly of the case and testing of water-resistance (test 1)
• Securing movement in case followed by check of all functions
• Testing of water-resistance (test 2) and check of precision and power reserve lasting several days
• Assembly and functional/safety check of wristband and clasp

CUSTOMER BENEFITS
Like any precision instrument, a watch from IWC requires care and attention. A complete service involves a full overhaul of the timepiece, a complex, largely manual task, lasting several hours. A specialist completely dismantles the movement, meticulously checks every part and repairs or replaces it, as required. The individual components are then cleaned. After this, the watch is reassembled from scratch, and oiled and lubricated at critical points. Finally, the movement's accuracy is checked and, if necessary, adjusted. The case and bracelet are cleaned and refreshed in a complex process that gives them a new sparkle. Every watch subsequently undergoes a special test programme where it is required to meet a number of strict tolerances. Now you can be sure that your watch shows the correct time, that all its functions are working properly and that its water-resistance is at the level stated. After an overhaul, your IWC watch will look like new.

SERVICE INTERVAL
We recommend that your watch have a complete service approximately every five years. The intervals between individual services vary considerably depending on how the watch is used and the conditions under which it operates.

WARRANTY
As stated in the IWC service warranty, IWC Schaffhausen grants a 24-month warranty on all work carried out and parts replaced as part of the complete service.

 

Reason #471 to stick with vintage.

 

My head hurts. Anybody got some Tylenol?

 

Could you repeat the part in the middle, please?

 

Repeat?

Why yes, every two years

 

I'm sorry was some of the original post omitted? Just doesn't look as if it it all there.

 

I think you would have been better off ending your post with only this information. Unfortunately, your point seems to have been lost due to the extraordinary length of information you included beyond this.

I found it interesting that the 2-year interval service explititly includes the "replacement of all seals and synthetic glasses".

I know the point of your post was not about water-resistance, but the IWC recommendation points to something I think is often missed in the discussions about preventive maintenance and need for annual pressure testing. When people recommend that a watch must be 'tested' annually, this in and of itself does not ensure that the watch remains "water-resistance". All it does is make it possible for a watchmaker to discover flaws early in a controled environment where the flaw can then be diagnosed and repared, with further pressure test to confirm successful repair.

I remember one of the first cars I bought used (Ford Mustang), and after a few years I had several repairs needed, one of which was a failing water pump. When I bought my first new car (Honda Civic), and I remember smiling when during a scheduled maintenance interval the dealer replaced the functioning water pump as it was on the replacement list for that service. The key to sucessful preventive maintenance, is not in having something 'checked', but rather in replacing components prone to failure before they actually fail. In the case of a watch, the pressure check is necessary as it can force a failure to occur thereby allowing replacement of parts prior to failure 'in the field'.

 

Failure'in the field" is for guns end tractors.Watches don't produce heat,so why you compare cars and watches,diverse use digital watches in this days,safety first, but vintage is resilient,end have some fun with service money, or buy more ⌚.

 

The word "field" has many uses and meanings. English phrases are often used slightly out of their original context if the general meaning can somehow be extended to the alternate meaning. It is not uncommon to use the term "in the field" when talking about product testing where failures may occur outside of a lab environment and used in "the real world".

I wasn't making a direct comparison of cars to watches. I was merely pointing out how parts are sometimes replaced during routine maintenance to avoid them failing later. Many posts have been written warning watch wearers to have their watches tested annually to ensure water-resistance before exposing them to water. Some users push back that this shouldn't be necessary. I was merely pointing out that IWC not only recommends having the watch tested, but actually requires all seals to be replaced every 2 years. (FWIW - the preventive maintenance of cars is often used to explain why it shouldn't be seen as unreasonable to also maintain watches, but I guess comparisons aren't valid for you so ignore if you will)


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I am ignoring my dentist,so I am not good enough to make certain conclusion on rules, but company that makes my R810,with No service history in 45 year,don't feel like paying attention to this money collecting data and information about water water everywhere,only not in my watch.