To service a recent purchase or let it go?

So…purchased this watch since joining the forum. It was listed on OF as eBay listing (every purchase is a roll of the dice and I’m not jaded about it). Paid $370 and was excited to grab a low end piece for a gift. Sent it to service and the verdict is in. It will be between $460-$600+ depending on a variable or two once he’s in there. The dial is in pristine condition and is the star of the show according to the watchmaker. The quandary is this, the case is thin in the GF, it appears as if someone has tried to solder the case in an attempt to fix it. It isn’t hugely noticeable, but they exist nonetheless. Here are the options: 1) have it serviced and breathe new life into a marginal piece (the watchmaker said he wouldn’t do it if it were his and he is in the business of servicing watches). 2) have it sent back, list it on eBay with the express understanding of the deficiencies of the watch. Which would you do? Is there an alternative that I’m missing?

I would look out to buy an example with better case and movement but damaged dial and transplant the dial - sell the rest for parts.

I’m amenable to that, but would admittedly need the sleuthing skills and direction of the fine members here to pull it off.

I'd say sell it forward. You should really only service an example that you are excited to own (at least in the moment 😒).

I like to self service my own watches. Probably for the reason as servicing costs can seem excessive. I also target ultra low watches which are fairly ratty to start with.

I have a few watches in similar condition. They are fairly far down in the order for servicing. Mostly as I need to get some of my skills back up to speed.

Empty cases can sell for as much as a watch. Solid gold even more so. Why I tend to prefer SS over anything else. GF is sort of meh. Such turn up more than others most likely for the reasons the OP mentions. They tend to loose luster quickly.

The OP is in luck as dials are usually the first thing to go.

I see visible corrosion on the movement. This does not bother me. There is a chemical process called Evap-O-Rust which can stabilize this. Does turn the parts black. Many who collect are looking for pristine examples, what are easy to flip for profit.

The parts can be sold individually. This can take a long time. For those who do such it seems to be a full time business. Outside the walled garden of the service networks, replacement parts are similar in quality to what you have.

Another caveat is if you swap case and movement, technically the watch is a franken. Still clean dials are hard to come by as they are sensitive to time.

If One does sell, sell as is. Looks like they have enough posts to list it here. It may take a while. Currently we are in a buyers market.

It is noted this as a possible gift for someone. That of course can complicate things.

I don't think I would pay $500 to service a watch in a gold-filled case, even if the condition were good.

I’ve learned a lot in the past two months.

A counter opinion - you bought it because you like it and it has a great dial. So service it and wear the hell out of it. And every time you're tempted to buy on eBay you can look at your wrist, smile and say do the odds stack up better than last time?

Let's say it cost 500 bucks to service. It could last you another 10 before another service if you wear it in rotation. That's 50 bucks a year. That's not bad value.

But ultimately depends if you're happy to give up that kind of money or if you want to grab that initial outlay back to spend on a different watch.

Does it need a service? If it's running and you like the watch, I would just wear it as-is considering it's cheap. You might get many more years out of it without doing anything.

It's easy to adjust the regulator if it's running too fast or slow. There are cheap watches I just wear and not think about servicing until necessary.

How’s it running? If ok, don’t service it, wear it for a few months as your knowledge increases and make sure your next purchase is a solid one. Then keep this as a beater or pass it on at a loss and pay your noob tax.

Watchmaker says it’s dry. There is some rust to a couple of screws and the stem that need addressing. The watch was running since I received it. Is there such a thing as a quick intermediary service…just lube it and go and see how it runs?

I would dump the band, put on a leather strap and wear it for a while. If you love it you can service later, if you dont you can sell it later. Not all purchases have to be great in this business- no crime in losing some money along the way its part of the fun😀

No wonder then that I'm having so much fun....🤦

So you’re asking if you should return a watch after you open it and handle it without wearing finger cots?

I never mentioned returning it and those were the pics of the watch when listed on eBay. It was a suggested watch, I picked it up cheap, and I was inquiring about member thoughts on the rebuild costs vs selling and trying again. I’ll likely have it serviced and use it as a reminder of my early days in the vintage watch world…and a reminder of my general lack of understanding at the time. Life is a journey, my friend….

My apologies, at 2:19 while waiting for F1 practice to start I misunderstood have it sent back, list it on eBay.

All good, Sir!