Service after 3 years in a drawer?

I think dry out refers to the volatiles in the oils. The oils are Hydrophobic (do not like water) so humidity has no effect on them. Humidity would have an effect on the metal parts. H20 is the perfect solvent, why distilled and DI water are excellent cleaners, as they do not have minerals dissolved in it.

The main arguments for cleaning relate to the escape wheel. One of the selling points of the Daniels co-Axial is that no lubricant is needed. That in the future (now.) there will not be any watchmakers to service the movements.

In theory the watch was to be serviced every two years. My guess is that most waited 5. I have had my speedmaster close to 30 years and never had it serviced. It stull runs but is sluggish.

I also just got 4 ladies omega watches on ebay in the last week. 5 in the last month if I count the 650 parts movement. Only one of these refuses to run. They are automatic. That is 4 out of 5. Of the other movements in the strong box I think only one seamaster does not tick, and this is missing a seconds hand, so probably has other issues.

Is it a good idea to let these run? Probably not. I am sure there are studies done by the service centers. A lot of the materials science dates to the 1940s and perfected in the 1950s. Then overproduced in the 1960s. So what was intended in the 1940s really never got a good test. Of course we do have 70 or more years of data how these lubricants age.

Then there is another question? I am returning to watchmaking after a gap of 18 to 20 or more years. I am still using the mobiles oils I purchased over 20 years ago. It still seems fine. I notice they are stored in a brown light resistant bottle. That would imply that there is sensitivity to light.

Natural oils have been used in painting for centuries if not millennia. In that case the oil forms a binder between layers of pigments which are metal oxides. If these are stored in a darkened room they will yellow and become dull. When exposed to light they will return to their natural brilliance.

In the last century painters switched to synthetic oils as well as acrylic and latex binders. These paintings work the opposite. Will fade quickly when exposed to light.

Dust is probably the main concern. The bearings in the watches that are most collectable are made from synthetic saffire aka aluminum oxide or transparent aluminum. Typically these are ruby doped to make them red. (otherwise they would be difficult to see.) Going back to the Daniels argument in the escapement there is the brass (usually rhodium plated although Omega uses berylium copper.) that rubs against the synthetic crystal.

When broken up into shards aluminum oxide is the grit used in sand paper. Only diamond is harder. So there is risk should a jewel or pallet to become cracked that it will damage the metal parts.

If fresh oil repels the dust. It could be that old oil attracts the dust. Most dust is carbon based, and comes from human skin. There is also a lot of silica dust as silicon is one of the most common elements on this planet. As rocks erode the silica and the carbon combine to form clay. or other forms of dirt.

I have also been seeing references to coating the escapements with an eplilame. I suspect this is done in the factory. The epilame is some sort of plastic coating which helps keep the oil on the escape teeth. This must be rather thin as it can be cleaned off with pithwood and washed off with the solvents.

My guess is that the wisdom is that is how things are expected to work. On the other hand the guys and gals(uncredited) who designed this stuff in the 1940s are no longer around for us to ask. So all we have are rules they left for when and what to do.

How much is marketing (to keep customers returning to the jeweler) and how much is science, I leave to others to figure out.

-j

Unless you see evidence of moisture inside the case, I think you should be fine without a service. If it had been sitting for 30years (not 3) then a service would be recommended. But on a brand new watch which it essentially is, after the service), 3 years sitting is no big deal. For peace of mind, you might have it pressure tested to make sure the seals are okay, but otherwise, enjoy it.

The total time since last service is more important than the fact that it was unused for a while. So since it was serviced in 2020, it should still be fine.

Lubricants will not dry out over the short time your watch has been sitting idle, so you can use it without worry.

Cheers, Al

There's a bit of incorrect information in your post...


To clarify, modern synthetic oils dry out completely in many cases, like this:



Older natural oils will degrade differently, so the most volatile compounds will evaporate first, leaving the heavier components behind, forming a gel like consistency:



These oils can even be self supporting...oil under the cap jewel:





The natural oils degrade rather quickly, and do so in a manner that causes the watch to stop working. In contrast the synthetic oils will dry up and let the watch run (not great from the standpoint of wear on movement parts) but will last longer than the natural oils did.


The idea that no lubrication was ever needed is a fantasy, in part perpetuated by Daniels when he was alive. Roger Smith has since stated that they did use oil on the escapement, as he does with his co-axials, and as Omega does with their versions.

On the 2 level co-axial escapement, there are 30 individual spots on the escapement that require oil. On the 3 level co-axial escapements, that is reduced to "just" 10 places where oil is applied.


I'm not sure what watch you are referring to here, but Omega recommends servicing between 5 and 8 years, depending on the use of the watch. I don't know of any brand that currently states watches should be serviced every 2 years.




If you are servicing these for yourself to wear, use whatever oils you like. If you are servicing these to sell them as properly serviced watches, then using new oils would be more appropriate IMO.

New oils will have a shelf life on them, and once opened are typically replaced every 2 years.


I'm not sure what specifically you are referring to here, but no part of the escapement in a co-axial watch is made of brass or Glucydur that rubs against a jewel.


The use of epilame is covered in this thread on escapement oiling:

Basic watchmaking tips - Oiling part 4 (the escapement) | Omega Forums

It is used regularly in after sales service, by watchmakers all over the world.

Cheers, Al