Our resident watch expert, Al, has made it abundantly clear, with frightening macro shots to boot, the significant wear and part damage that can occur to a watch that runs without a necessary service, even if it's keeping accurate time. No argument here. That being said... Like many of you, I have an number of watches, and a number of different brands. I wear them completely randomly: a few days or weeks with one, another interspersed for an afternoon, some get put away for years and then re-appear in the rotation. Also guessing like some of you, my day work is very paperwork-intense, therefore I have neither the time nor inclination to keep accurate charts on which watch was serviced, and when, and also remembering to keep track of the next service interval within the context of a hobby. So how do you negotiate this, if your experience is in any way similar? I guess I ferret out the one I wear most, and keep track of it to some extent...the others, a blur.
I simply ask my watches if they feel alright or need a trip to the doctor's office. They're usually honest with me.
If you have dozens of watches it wouldn't be too hard to keep an Excel document or something similar with a few notes on each watch. When was it purchased (new/preowned), when was it serviced, if it was, etc. I know it can be weird or time consuming but it's part of the watch universe...
wouldn´t it be the natural thing to service the watch, if it doesn´t keep the time good enough anymore?
I am pretty sure you have the free time to make/ amend an Excel spreadsheet that tracks purchase date and date of last service...
Yeah, but first off that sounds like actual work which fks up the fun of a hobby. Second, that would cut into his time here posting goofy st. Fax me some please. I'll be ready to catch them when they come out the slot.
An ETA based IWC came to me, recently, with the comment that it was a very irregular performer. I put it on my watch winder for 8 hours, as a first step in familiarizing myself with just how erratic it was. It came off the winder, fully wound, and ran for 1 hour and 5 minutes, and quit! When I dismantled it, it occurred to me that it was a marvel that it ran, at all! This watch was pre-owned, and the seller indicated it had been "serviced". Aside from being bone dry, this is what I found. One pivot on the third wheel totally worn off! One image shows the end of the arbor with its pivot. the other image shows the end of the arbor with pivot worn right off! This is what can happen when they are in the shape this one was in, and when worn a LOT!
I was haphazard about servicing watches until I joined up with Omega Forums. Was previously told by a watch repairman that: "if it's running and keeping time, don't mess with it." I ran some of my early vintage watches for 20-25 years without servicing, wearing each infrequently and only in rotation. Some were gasping and wheezing. Forum advice, a different watch maker, and a diligent effort has put most of them right and I no longer wear the ones that have yet to be serviced. Some were found to have problems because of the neglect, including a favored IWC with C89 movement. Extra bother and some costs righted things. Watches here are ticking merrily, however maintenance expense will again begin about 2019 and continue for a couple years. As far as extra work, I just stuff all the watchmaker's bill and warranty card on his work in a single manila folder for later reference. Phooey on charts and Excel! Life's too short.
I guess it would be a newbie's question. How do you figure service interval for every single watch to start with? It's not like you have a service book from manufacturer, where you can see a service intervals. Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
You don't have time to save your service receipts? It takes little or no time...I keep a folder for every watch I own (its quite a few) and keep any service records or parts replaced or added. It takes very little effort. Beyond that I can pretty much recall what was serviced and what wasn't. Consider it part of the job, it really takes less time than you think, especially if you keep track in real time. I also file the notes I sent my watchmaker in the same folder also with images and all my purchase records.
This is all too complicated. I simply just keep my watchmaker on a $10,000.00 a year retainer. He then services any watch I periodically drop off
Bad...very bad. Now that I am somewhat settling in to a "core" collection, I am slowly but surely getting them serviced. I do however have my watchmaker take a look to make sure that they are not bone dry and in need of a service ASAP.
