question on watchmakers and servicing

Hi all,

I'm still working on making contacts and developing relationships with watchmakers in my local area. I've used three different places now, each with different experiences.

I just had a watch serviced, a cal 861 speedmaster, and the 'overhaul' took about a week. There was a problem with the hour recorder not recording which is fixed, and the watchmaker said it was fully disassembled, cleaned, oiled and regulated. Not much in the way of parts replaced other than mainspring and no pressure test.

Contrast that with one of the others, but for a cal 321 speedy. This is an authorized Omega repair center and the onsite watchmaker does all the work. In this case, the full service takes 8 weeks minimum (still don't know if it will take longer) and many parts replaced.

I know these are different beasts and cal 321 is harder to get parts for, and a lot depends on the condition of the watch itself. I'm just curious if an 861 can be properly serviced in a week by a local independent, or if this is a bit of a quick job and maybe not as thorough. I'm sure the servicing on the 861 would be 8+ weeks and probably double the price if I had taken it to the authorized repair shop.

What would you expect the turn around would be for a full service on either of these movements?

Insights and feedback greatly appreciated.

I believe Al said a while back that a good watchmaker could fully service a 861 in a couple of hours.

Once again I'll express my satisfaction with GWR in Philadelphia, Pa.
Complete Cal. 321 service, including parts and 1 years guarantee, less than Omega Service.
They do only what you want them to do. My 105.012-66 looks and runs beautifully.
Maybe best of all: 6 weeks from the time it left my house in Ohio until it was back on my wrist 😀

So many variables to consider. I think I have experienced several in 30 years of collecting, from the self-taught young kid who serviced my IWC cal. 85 the day I dropped it off, to the guy who does expert work very cheaply but still has my watch after 8 months (a Universal that needed parts), to the guy who overcharged for service and didn't get it quite right even after a second chance.
I don't find it unreasonable for a cal. 861 to be fully and expertly serviced in a week. I don't know your WM's qualifications so I can't speak to the quality of his work on your watch, but time is not necessarily the indicator.

Thanks for the feedback gents. It's all very helpful.

I suppose my main concern is that I don't know how to verify the quality of the work.

On the 861 I just got back, I seem to have developed the hour recorder creep that seems more common on 321. The hour recorder was the main reason I took it in as it wasn't working at all prior to service and now it runs all the time.

Back I go, but not sure if I should be concerned about the quality of the work, or if this is just one of those things that happens sometimes.

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