"Service was expensive"

SkunkPrince · Sep 9, 2021

said someone who ran into the first service of her mechanical watch.

Just curious. What would it cost, you guys who have cars, boats, or motorcycles...

What would it cost you to have your motor taken down completely, each part gauged, cleaned, parts replaced, and reassembled?

SkunkPrince · Sep 9, 2021

and before you go batshit... remember your watch is closer to a blueprinted racing motor than it is to your average Toyota.

Walrus · Sep 9, 2021

Very true but I find a lot of people find it a surprise as they didn’t even realize it was something the should have done at all. People are familiar with car maintenance watch maintenance, not so much. I’m only using the handful of people I know who had pops or grand pops watch around having no clue what a service even meant.

Evitzee · Sep 9, 2021

Many people buy cars, houses, and yes, watches, without thinking about any sort of maintenance. This is why it is so foolish to push people into home ownership, they don't have the financial firepower, or reasoning, to understand systems must be maintained, and that costs money.

wagudc · Sep 9, 2021

Agreed, 100%

A good service is worth what you pay. Having a good relationship with a watchmaker is priceless. Watches deserve to be serviced. My personal motto lately has been buy less, service more.

SkunkPrince · Sep 9, 2021

Most of us my age (56) grew up with "oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles". Thank goodness that the oils we use are that much better.

Wasn't it true that before WWII (and perhaps after, I don't know?) that watches were serviced once a year, more or less?

wagudc · Sep 9, 2021

SkunkPrince
Most of us my age (56) grew up with "oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles". Thank goodness that the oils we use are that much better.

Wasn't it true that before WWII (and perhaps after, I don't know?) that watches were serviced once a year, more or less?

Railroad watches had strict regulations on regulating and probably servicing as well. @Canuck would know the history there, a true railroad watch afficianado. He might also be able to tell you what was standard for the common man as he has been a watchmaker many years and so was his dad before him. (Apologies if I got something wrong there.)

Nobel Prize · Sep 9, 2021

I had a wonderful watchmaker that serviced my vintage and modern pieces in nyc. He has passed away… he was a remarkable Proffesional from Eastern Europe.

minuses to bring watches to service and he would say. I can take your watch and take your money but, really, just bring it when it’s hot working.

He serviced my Waltham from 1912 and he serviced some more modern watches. Never asked him for a co axial or modern omega but he did service and actually bought from me my Gerald Genta.

Anyway, I have proactively serviced my watches but sometimes I wonder…

Evitzee · Sep 9, 2021

SkunkPrince
Most of us my age (56) grew up with "oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles". Thank goodness that the oils we use are that much better.

Wasn't it true that before WWII (and perhaps after, I don't know?) that watches were serviced once a year, more or less?

The watches of that era weren't dust proof or built with any gaskets, every 12 to 18 months you'd take it to your local jeweler who had a watch guy on premises who would clean and oil it.

mzinski · Sep 9, 2021

SkunkPrince
said someone who ran into the first service of her mechanical watch.

Just curious. What would it cost, you guys who have cars, boats, or motorcycles...

What would it cost you to have your motor taken down completely, each part gauged, cleaned, parts replaced, and reassembled?

Of course it’s expensive. Servicing a watch takes time, skill, and tools - all of which cost money.
But I’m not a fan comparing it to cars, boats, and motorcycles. Those engines are not torn down every 3-7 years for a full cleaning and rebuild. I suspect if they were they’d be designed differently to accommodate that kind of effort.
I think an apt comparison would be a boiler or air handling unit. Those do need light annual servicing and in-depth cleanings every 5ish years.
Interestingly, the cost for a plumber to clean my boiler is about the same price as sending in a Speedmaster for service. Coincidental?

Canuck · Sep 9, 2021

It often comes down to “I can buy another watch, cheaper!” And this is soooo true nowadays, when 99 44/100 % of the population considers watches, ballpoint pens, razors, cigarette lighters, and plastic cutlery to be toss-always!

ckhaing · Sep 9, 2021

i guess most of us grew up from the era before the "disposable machines"
i have some pens and watches, services sometimes costing more than initial purchase price

o.m.e.g.a · Sep 10, 2021

What is "service"? How it is defined?

check + clean + lubricate + regulate ?
OR:
check + clean + lubricate + regulate + fix ?

STANDY · Sep 10, 2021

If you have a four stroke boat motor this video is still priceless and sums up the feeling every service…..

Sit down to watch please 😗
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWaqOnXlUhI

sonicosa · Sep 10, 2021

STANDY
If you have a four stroke boat motor this video is still priceless and sums up the feeling every service…..

Sit down to watch please 😗

Darlinboy · Sep 10, 2021

Run it until it stops, then change the battery. Good to go. 👍

Archer · Sep 10, 2021

o.m.e.g.a
What is "service"? How it is defined?

check + clean + lubricate + regulate ?
OR:
check + clean + lubricate + regulate + fix ?

There are different terms and people often use the same term to mean different things.

Brands often call this a "complete technical revision" or some such nonsense. In reality it means taking the watch completely apart, cleaning the parts, replacing any worn parts, assembling it back together, lubricating, adjusting, regulating, and final casing.

Most watches come to me for servicing when there's already some problem, so repairing is almost always part of servicing, at least for me.

"Service was expensive"

SkunkPrince

SkunkPrince

Walrus

Evitzee

wagudc

SkunkPrince

wagudc

Nobel Prize

Evitzee

mzinski

Canuck

ckhaing

o.m.e.g.a

STANDY

sonicosa

Darlinboy

Archer

Similar threads

Cheap vs expensive

No expensive service costs when you have WD40

Experience with Omega service

Would this bother you? Service Centre experience.

Mental barrier on buying expensive watches?

Seamaster ref. 2846 service/restoration options