Reposting here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/j2zjgc/patek_philippe_servicing_cost_for_this_1903/

Quote: "A hefty tab and a >18-month turnaround time for services that I didn’t ask for is alienating. It’s surplus to my requirements as the owner of a watch that has at least as much meaning to my family’s Brazilian heritage as it does to the brand. Patek Philippe seems unwilling or incapable of meeting me half way.".

And I thought that paying 900 bucks for servicing a Speedmaster Mark II (caliber 861) was a bit pricey...

 

I have been told before how meticulously PP and also AP and even Rolex (for museum worthy pieces with a next level price tag) does this kind of restorations and also servicing. When you service a normal PP they will regulate the watch for a very long time, I have been told up to 2-3 weeks. So they don't cut corners. Restoring is really expensive since they will make new parts. Thereby think of the wages of these Swiss watchmakers. They aren't cheap.

But on the other hand there are other true restorers that can do this job such as mentioned in the post or member @Nick Hacko, as well people such as Jan Ubbels in the Netherlands, Peter Speake-Marin or the workshop of Beyer in Zurich. Some of the best watchmakers started as restorers among them also the Gronefeld brothers and F.P Journe. You just need to search for a watchmaker that is into restoring clocks and pocket watches and have a lathe and nows how to make his own tools and parts.

 

I would assume that 17k is but a small percent of the value of this piece.

 

I almost bought one of those about ten years back. It was a turn of the century Gondolo Chronometro in solid gold in fine condition. The guy was having trouble getting 6 grand for it as, Patek or not, it is just a nice pocket watch.

So not worth the “investment” in a factory service then.

 

I see nothing that screams restore me on this beautiful pocket watch. If it just needs a service any proven competent watchmaker can provide that service.

 

No. The other way around. The value of the watch is a percent of the servicing costs.

 

You could probably get two more instead of a service for 17k actually haha, for example

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Patek-Ph...509248?hash=item2f44400540:g:FdYAAOSwqRlcDpXhPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

Same seller as OP watch

 

Worth highlighting that the owner wasn't looking for Patek to get the watch back into working order, but just some cosmetic fixes before it got put in a display case. To me, sending a watch to any brand restoration center with that in mind is like sending an ant to an elephant convention. The $17k is likely 100% related to the fact that the movement is a wreck.

Patek's high handedness in the matter is 100% on brand, however.

 

This is a problem when you own a brand such as Patek Philippe, service costs can be horrendous and they leave little room for half way measures or solutions, it is either restored to their standards or it isn't. I have no idea what the condition of the watch was but if rust was involved or new parts needed to be made, the bill could run into the many thousands of dollars. PP generally is a lot more expensive than Audemars Piguet or Vacheron Constantin in the service and restoration area.

 

A beautiful, elegant classic pocket watch by Patek Philippe. It’s unfortunate that you weren’t given a choice, but that’s Patek. “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it”. There is a certain level of arrogance associated with Patek and they definitely believe they have earned it.

Patek Philippe has always had extremely high service fees. I’ve heard their standard fee to do a basic service on a perpetual calendar is between 2500 and 4K depending on the reference and that’s when I asked a number of years ago... has it changed?

I’m absolutely positive that the work done on the pocket watch is of the highest standards, but, I’m also positive that the same service could have been provided by an independent highly skilled watchmaker just without the Patek Philippe seal of approval.

Wonder what Patek would charge to service a super complicated pocket watch such as the Graves Pocket Watch? 100k?

 

and this is still heavily overpriced... A good Gondolo goes for about 5k€.

You can hardly compare a perpetual calendar to a "simple" Gondolo. The former is much more complicated and more difficult and time consuming to service. While an independent watchmaker still should charge you less, I guess it is still more than 1k€.

 

AP will (or did a few years ago) provide an estimate of service costs, without requiring any commitment. I declined, and the watch was returned from Switzerland on their dime.

I find it very hard to believe that Patek (or Rolex) would restore a watch without providing an initial estimate.

 

17K and 83 weeks was the estimate.

 

“If you are wondering why this cost and why this duration, it’s quite easy to explain. These pocket watches are old. If the parts don’t exist, they have to be made from scratch. The machines used to make them may also have to be manufactured. But let’s assume that both already exist.”

This seems to be the authors first mistake.

 

Ah, thanks. Then yes, vintage service costs from the "big" three (Patek, V&C and AP), as well as Rolex, are often ludicrous.

Though the estimated cost was a fraction of the OP's Patek, interested readers can review my 2014 rant about AP here (including copies of the estimate):

https://omegaforums.net/threads/req...rvice-from-longines-really.11411/#post-132914

 

When I read stuff like this, my vintage Omegas with caliber 551 just look better and better.

 

“You never really own a Patek; you merely piss away the next generation’s inheritance on servicing...”

 

Some manufacturers list their service prices on their websites. AP still does. Here are their movement overhaul prices for what they call Classic watches, which means non-Royal Oak:

CLASSIC

QUARTZ // 450.-
HAND-WOUND // 700.-
SELFWINDING // 850.-
EXTRA-THIN // 950.-
CHRONOGRAPH // 1'300.-
QP (CHRONO, QP, EOT) // 1'700.-

So a Perpetual Calendar (QP =Quantieme Perpetuel) is CHF 1'700 (about USD1,850). I had an automatic perpetual calendar serviced by them in 2015 and it was $1,670, and a manual perpetual calendar was $1,500. Far cheaper than what Patek Philippe will charge, and turnaround times far, far shorter than the silly PP wait times. Both of mine were done in 12-14 weeks. With PP you are often talking 12 to 14 months.

AP gives you a complete cost estimate of the proposed services, including options for case refinishing, new strap, etc., and expected service time. You know what your cost will be barring any surprises they might find.

 

Yikes! Just used to seeing $50K + Patek PW’s

 

I do not believe that those are for vintage watches. In fact, I am certain that the costs would be significantly higher, and that estimates would only be produced after the watch has been inspected in Switzerland.

UPDATE – Confirmed after a quick search (from the AP website; bold emphasis mine):

Our service prices are valid only for mechanical watches which were produced within the last 25 years and quartz watches which were produced within the last 15 years. Service prices for older watches are available upon request.

The list of service prices published below are those charged to final customers in our boutique in Geneva, Place de la Fusterie. It does not preclude our authorised independent repairers and authorised independent resellers from freely determining the service prices for final customers.