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If you buy a luxury watch and want to enjoy it for many years, you should have it inspected and serviced regularly. For this article, we took a closer look at everything a professional watch service involves and what matters at each individual step.
Why Is Watch Servicing Necessary?
Every technical device is subject to wear, contamination, and aging. And the more complex its construction, the more susceptible it is to malfunctions caused by these factors. This applies in particular to mechanical watches.
They are extremely elaborate, complex systems assembled from the tiniest of parts. Here, it doesn't take the proverbial "wrench in the works" to disrupt normal operation. Even small deposits of dust or a few hardened lubricant residues can be enough to seriously impair timekeeping accuracy.
On top of that, gaskets lose their elasticity over time, and with it their function.
It can then easily happen that a dive watch nominally water-resistant to 200 - 300 meters is damaged by water ingress, even though its wearer never took it diving but only wore it in the shower or while washing their hands.
Which Is the Right Workshop for Your Watch Service?
It really goes without saying that a product as high-end as a luxury watch should not be serviced at just any watch repair shop, but exclusively by the manufacturer itself or by a specialist it has authorized. After all, nobody would take an expensive luxury car to the nearest available mechanic, only to a dealership workshop of the brand in question.
Your first point of contact for questions about watch servicing should therefore be the nearest authorized dealer, unless the documents you received with the watch at the time of purchase already contain relevant information. You should refrain from attempting repairs or maintenance yourself, just as you should avoid having work done at an unauthorized workshop, since both can void the manufacturer's warranty and leave you to bear the cost of fixing any defects yourself.
How Often Should a Watch Enthusiast Have a Watch Serviced?
Modern mechanical luxury watches are far more robust than pieces produced just a few decades ago. They are less sensitive to shocks, often shielded against disruptive magnetic fields, and in many cases offer remarkable water resistance. The reasons for this are advances in watchmaking technology, the use of new materials, and above all the use of modern lubricants.
Nevertheless, high-quality watches are not entirely maintenance-free and should be inspected by a professional at regular intervals. How often this should happen depends on several factors. For one, many manufacturers specify exactly how often their collector's pieces must be serviced to keep the warranty valid. For another, the type and intensity of use should also be taken into account. For a dress watch worn in rotation with other watches and not exposed to any particular strain, the recommended service intervals are certainly sufficient.
If, on the other hand, you own a dive watch and regularly take it diving, you should have its water resistance tested at least once a year, if not every six months.
Diving in the ocean in particular puts considerable strain on watches, because salt water can attack the gasket material. Before setting off on an extended diving vacation, it can therefore make good sense to have your watch serviced and pressure-tested outside the regular schedule.
How Does a Watch Service Work in Practice?
As a rule, the first stop on the way to a watch service is the nearest authorized dealer. The dealer accepts the order and then takes care of shipping the watch to the manufacturer or to the workshop it has commissioned. In many cases, you can also mail the watch directly to the manufacturer, but you should make absolutely sure it is adequately insured against loss and damage in transit. Once the watch has arrived at the workshop, its rate values are measured first.
Highly qualified watchmakers specializing in the respective brand's watches, who have usually completed years of training, then disassemble the watch so that every single part can be thoroughly cleaned. Meanwhile, a polisher refinishes the case and, if it is made of metal, the bracelet as well, so that the metal surfaces look as good as new again.
Reassembly with Precision and a Delicate Touch
In the next step, the watch is reassembled. This calls for a delicate touch and the utmost precision. All clearances between the individual components must be maintained exactly, and even the tiniest screw has to be tightened to the correct torque. During reassembly, the movement is also freshly lubricated, and damaged or worn parts are replaced with new ones.
Replacing gaskets is especially important if they have become brittle over time. Depending on how complex the movement is, a watch service including testing can easily take one to two days, and at the very least it requires several hours.
Thorough Testing of All Functions
Reassembly is followed by thorough testing of the watch's functions. The watchmaker analyzes the rate behavior and the switching operations as well as the water resistance and any additional complications.
Once the watchmakers have recorded all the required measurements after about a week, and these fall within the manufacturer's specified tolerances, the watch can go to final inspection and then be sent back to the owner or the authorized dealer.
If any deviations have turned up, the watch is adjusted and regulated once more before being tested again.
This ensures that once the service is complete, the owner holds a watch that looks almost like new and will continue to run reliably for years to come.
