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  1. mackguy Oct 3, 2016

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    Just a question for some of you out there.. in the WRUW threads I often see these older watches that look like they've been around a few years. Normal people might call them "beat up", but we enthusiasts prefer to call this "patina", generally a sign of something that's been "well loved".

    I also know that most mechanical watches need servicing every few years, and any service I've been able to find also includes cosmetic restoration. Thus my 1996 Speedmaster which I bought in 2009 and have had serviced twice since then still looks brand-spanking new. Yes I'm careful with it, but it does get worn, and not inherently babied.

    So do the rest of you have places that do service without cosmetic, or do you just specifically ask for the watchmaker to not do that step regardless if you pay for it anyway?

    My last service the watchmaker even wanted to replace the sapphire and hands, which as far as I could tell look perfect so I declined spending an extra $250 where I couldn't see any issue whatsoever..
     
  2. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 3, 2016

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    There are watchmakers who still have this idea that a service is not complete until they have leaned the case on a buffing wheel for a few minutes, but thankfully they seem to be in the minority these days.

    Speaking for myself, I only perform the service that the customer wants with regards to cosmetic matters anyway - for the real watchmaking part of it, I won't cut corners obviously, so if movement parts need replacing, they get replaced. If I left in worn parts, used old blued steel mainsprings, etc., I would not be doing the job properly, so those things are non-negotiable, but no customer of mine has ever had a problem with that.

    For me personally, I don't include refinishing in my base price, because I don't feel right charging for something that most of the customers won't want done, so it's an option at an extra cost. If someone wants the bracelet done but not the case, that's fine too, so I an be flexible with what gets worked on what doesn't.

    You just need to find the right watchmaker if you don't want a lot of extra things done that are not really necessary.

    Cheers, Al
     
    larryganz and Jwit like this.
  3. mackguy Oct 3, 2016

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    Thanks Al,
    I really wanted to send my watch to you this most recent time, but I'm still nervous about shipping (esp. internationally), and went to the guy at the local Omega store, who charged Service Center price, for the same service... but everywhere I checked locally was within a few bucks of the $750... There was only one who said it would be $450+ parts, but "usually this movement ended up being a little over $700"

    It looks great, and seems to have resolved the issue I had, but he got it back to "like new" just like the Service Center had done in 2010, and really it hadn't gotten that banged up in 6 years..

    Hopefully I'll work up the nerve to ship it to Canada next time, and probably save myself a few $$ in the process..