So I found my father's old Seiko 5 a few weeks back. I took it into a pretty well known repair shop in the NYC area. They just got back to me with a quote for ~$300 to bring it back to life. Now these things go for <$100 on eBay. I understand that restoration is costly, but do others feel this sounds about right for a Seiko? Granted its my father's watch so it holds a sentimental value to me. Just wondering if others have had any experience on the matter?

 

I am very lucky. Here in rural, western Maine I have found a 75 yr old retired watchmaker who charges me $40 for a cleaning. He started out charging me $60, and I knew even that was a steal from what I had read on here and online. After a few months of bringing him more vintage watches and buying some of his used inventory that was left over from his store owning days, I think I started to grow on him. I think it helps that I love listening to his stories and that since I do rotate my watches, he sees the ones on my wrist occasionally that he fixed 8-10 months ago and knows I am not just a callous flipper and taking advantage of his low prices. He does know that "down in the city", some are charging that same $300 for a cleaning and tune up, down in Portland. He has even sold me 14K watches from his old inventory for melt plus $40, since he cleans each one before the sale. On the last one, he threw in a new watch band, nothing fancy, but it is genuine leather from his leftover stock. I like buying from his leftovers, even if the selection is a bit limited, cuz I don't have to wade into the cesspool that is eBay. I can be assured I am getting original dials and that the watches are cleaned and keeping time. I guess this doesn't help you any, except to point out that maybe you can keep looking elsewhere, maybe outside of the city, and there will be a nice older watchmaker to help you out also. Best of luck.

Mck

 

Egan, I'm in the same boat! The guy who does my work is the same way and I've had some really nice items restored out of his old junk pile

So obviously the secret is to keep digging till you find a nice "old guy" and them treat him nicely! They're still out there!

 

Does anyone know where that is in the NYC/North Jersey area haha?

 

You need to google vintage Seiko watch repair. Guys out there have the parts and I'm guessing for service only you looking around 200. I would not take a vintage Seiko to a non specialist as they will not have the parts and it will be expensive to sort.

If you can tell us what's wrong with it, and provide a clear shot of the back there might be other options. Seiko mass produced watch movements and sometimes it's cheaper to find a running donor watch and swap the movement.

 

There are some decent watchmakers for less in the NYC area, however there are some trade-offs like communication, range of equipment, tools, etc. I'll second Foo2rama in saying more details would be good if you want some help and a donor movement in case of serious problems definitely wouldn't hurt.

If you value it highly though, I would suggest finding a Seiko specialist to ship it to outside of the city. There are a few Seiko focused forums out there that have good suggestions for guys that mostly service vintage Seiko's and the like.

 

I have to get the watch back from the shop. They just gave me an estimate which comes out to ~$300ish

Overhaul Automatic : Overhauling consists of completely taking apart the movement, then ultrasonically cleaning & re-oiling it, timing the movement, changing the gaskets, reassembling, sealing the watch, and timing the movement: the watch's workings are tested: the rate, amplitude and power reserve (where applicable) for the second time ensuring its precision.

New Mainspring for 6106 Movement.

 

You could try this search to find an AWCI (American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute) professional near you specializing in vintage watches. You may also try the NAWCC (National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors) search page. But $300 for a complete service plus parts is not out of line. You may be in the same boat as I - where servicing costs more than the monetary value of the watch - except that in your case, the sentimental value of the watch is priceless. That's a good place to be.

 

From my research Seiko no longer services this one. But they have horrible ratings online though.

 

That's what I don't know. If the quote is about right then OK. But if I can get it done for half the price from a reputable spot then its a no brainer.

 

Your Seiko would cost the same to service as an equivalent Omega.

The people who will handle/work on your watch have to make a living from what they do.

The cost is not related to the value of the watch but to the labour to do the task, plus overheads that cover the cost of lubricants, tools, test equipment, workshop utilities, rent etc etc.


If it was a beater you got from eBay a few years ago I'd say just bin it and get another, but as this holds great sentimental value I'd suggest shelling out to get the job done properly (and with a service warranty).

After all, $300 is only the cost of a couple of bottles of decent single malt, and your freshly serviced watch will last much longer and provide more enjoyment than two bottles of scotch.

 

I just received a Seiko diver back from Seiko Australia. It wasn't working, due to it getting shaken hard, & is about 8 years old.
They charged me $150 aussie for fix & service.

Jim is right, apart from old retirees, repairmen need to make a living. But sometimes pricing comes down to familiarity & preference.

 

For a major metro area that is a fair price. @JimInOz is right. 250-300 is about what my shop would bill me.

 

Compared with what a garage will charge you per hour for labour, a watchmaker is highly undervalued professional and more skilled.

 

Searching for an "Old Guy" barn find ; ]

 

That is a price I would expect to pay.

This isn’t something to cheap out on.

 

Say you spend 10 hours researching and contacting a couple different watchmakers to save $150.
That means your time is worth $15/hour, or just barely above minimum wage. Can I get a refill and the dessert menu?

 

You have to figure more than half the price is pure overhead. There's the expense of the tools and machinery that have to be paid off before they start turning a profit.
Older watch makers long ago paid off their initial investment in tools and such. No doubt most work at home and only do a few jobs now and then to supplement their social security.
With bins of old clunkers deemed not worth fixing in the back room they seldom have to search for replacement parts.

 

That depends on what the garage is doing.