Hi,

The topic of so called "serviced" watches on eBay is often discussed here. We all know that it should be taken with a (big!) grain of salt. And as I service my own watch, I do not really care if a watch has been actually or not serviced. Servicing my watches in part of the pleasure!

But when I buy a watch from a professional seller, I am under the impression that it should be true. Well, I do no longer think that way! Two recent purchases ended that naive idea...

First example, I bought a nice 9K Dennison cased Omega, with a cal 285, from a professional seller with perfect feedback.



The watch was sold as "recently serviced". Well, my English is not excellent, but I think in this context "recently" does not mean 20 years ago or so... As the amplitude was low, I decided to service the watch. Among other issues, I had a hard time cleaning the train bridge (I pegged and put it into the cleaning machine several times) as there were strong solidified oil on the jewels. Not the kind of things you expect to see on a "recently" serviced watch...

I had also to change parts, which is less fun because, obviously, even if I serviced myseld the watch, it had a costs. I also had to "polish" some pivots as I could not get parts (at leat at a fair price). As I do not know yet how to use a Jacot tool, I used peg wood with red paste. I do not think it can properly be called a burnishing, but I helped removing the corrosion and "revived" the polish. Obviously, I had to fit a new mainspring as well.

When I talked to the seller of these issues, I did not even answered... I just wanted to make a point (that obvioulsy the watch was not recentely serviced) and precised I wanted to keep the watch and was not asking a partial refund. I must aknowledge I was on the other hand expecting an answer!

Second example. Here I have to warn Al, ChrisN and other watchmakers that hard material is going to be exposed... I bough a nice Rolex for my wife's birthday. I am not a Rolex guy, but I find some of the vintage Rolexes nice, in particular ladies ones. As I knew parts are a big issue for Rolex watches, and as I did not want to mess around with these kind of small and expansive watches, I wanted a serviced one. I found one. Actually, one with the more strange "service" I have ever heard of!

When I received the watch, I only had the time to put it on the timegrapher before presenting it to my wife. What I saw was terrible: instead of straight line, I got waves of points (sort of a quantum physics Rolex maybe!). Later, after opening the watch and cheking the movement, I had the impression that oils have been sloapy added to non cleaned jewels... When I wrote to the seller that I suspected a poor service, he answered that the watch was indeed "serviced". But he precised "partially"... Obviously I asked what that meant. Here I paraphrase the seller's description:

He remove the hands, dial, barrel bridge, spring drum and balance cock/balance. Then he dip the movement in Essence of Renata (Horological solvent) to clean the movement. Evnetually he reassemble and oil the movement.

I suggest that Al and Chris try this kind of service, as it would save a lot of time and they have so much clients to help!

As this was a gift, I could not really send back the watch as the seller offered. I have to say that, although I am not at all convinced of his watchmaking skills (!), he was very kind, offered to refund me and then to partially (I prefer this "partially"!) refund me, which I accepted. I think he is honnest but do not know what a proper service is.

So I had to service this Rolex myself. It is a 8 3/4, so a small movement (around 2 cm diameter), and everything is a bit more difficult. But I did not expect to face the issues I have faced!

To sum up, I had to buy two donors (and I still do not have a non broken setting lever spring), to try several times different parts, to correct the hairspring and to change the balance staff. Changing this staff was not at all something I wanted to do, as it is something I am far from mastering. But I could not get a proper reading with the old staff (bad "lines" on the timegrapher, very huge difference between dial up and dial down). So back on the staking tool... I ended with a balance which is not perfectly true, but it works much better (staight lines, similar amplitudes and rates in dial up and dial down positions). I still have a low amplitude, but I hope it will improve with a new mainspring (I am still waiting for it).

As a result, the watch costs me around twice the price I bought it...

"Serviced"? I would have prefered the watch was not!

 

Two things in my experience...A big dealer is more likely to have actually serviced the watch. Especially if they offer a one year warranty. A small dealer who also has a service business, again more likely. Anyone else, I always assume it will need servicing unless we have agreed prior to shipment to get it serviced. Plus one never knows what can happen in transit with old watches.

 

I’ve been to many watch & clock marts over many years of collecting. I make it a habit of examining watches that have been “serviced” prior to being offered for sale. Some are easier than others to check over, of course. But I don’t recall ever checking a watch that actually looked to me like it had been thoroughly and competently serviced. I too service my own watches. And in the past, I have been approached by numerous small time dealers in antique and vintage watches. These people usually just want you to make the thing run without spending much money on them. I turn them down. There are lots of ‘tinkers’ around that are only capable of half a job (at best) whose price these dealers like. But half a job is not even a good investment at half the price. Generally, don’t pay extra for the “servicing” a watch may have received. Unless you’ve bought from the dealer before, and you are able to trust that the watch has actually been serviced.

Your story of how the ladie’s Rolex was “serviced” unfortunately is very common. I have heard of a product called Sololube (I hope I have that correct) that the watch is immersed in after a dip and swish cleaning, It is supposed to lubricate the watch without dismantling it. This sort of repair is often done in watch repair trade shops as well.

 

I'm sure there are dealers out there who do a proper full service before selling, but I think they would be in the minority based on my experiences. It's not uncommon for watches sold by professional dealers to come to my shop not long after purchase, and for me to find shoddy work and worn parts inside. It's typically the basics like general cleanliness, and poor lubrication that are the main issues. They aren't failing at really complicated things, just the fundamentals.

I've said before that a dealer who is either servicing with a "trade" watchmaker, or is doing the work themselves pretty much knows what they will get for a given watch, and also knows that every dollar spent on the watch is a dollar not going in their pocket. Why spend $100 on parts if the watch still runs without spending that money, and if the customer complains about timekeeping you can tell them that +/- minutes a day is "normal" for a vintage watch?

The fact is many vintage collectors are not particularly concerned with timekeeping, and this helps let the dealers and some watchmakers off the hook in a way. Most collectors don't know how to tell if a watch has been properly serviced. Many people are happy if the watch is mostly cleaned, oiled after a fashion, and adjusted in one position - to them that is an acceptable service, when it's only the start in reality.

It is what it is...

Cheers, Al