I was looking at the mechanical watches which I have accumulated over the past 2 years and doing a mental calculation of how much it would cost me if these tickers start requiring servicing around the same time. Well, the picture wasn't rosy and there is a good chance too that the watches would be returned with new scars.
The size of the hypothetical bill has half persuaded me to buy quartz only from now on. :(
Well, service costs for standard ETA 2824 etc. (not including the Chrono movements) are not that high... but if you have (like me :-() a few Rolex watches, prices are truly exploding. Paid about 500 to 700 Euros every time I´ve sent a watch to switzerland...:roll:
I´m really thinking of selling most of my Rolex watches because of that...
You can get damn nice watches for 700 Euros...
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
My biggest objection against Omega, Rolex and the likes.Originally Posted by mr1973
They found out about service, ripping customers again and again...
They charge a mint and service takes months.
I rather pay my local watchmaker.
I know, scary isn't it?
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Potentially, yes, it could be a problem, but one that ticks very slowly. The more watches you own, the less wrist time any individual one receives. Whilst this may do little in itself to reduce the service intervals (assuming the 5 year oil-oxidation rule is correct), it will certainly reduce the annoyance factor of any watches that run too fast/slow such that they need a service.
The first watch I bought from eBay certainly needed a service, but it still hasn't received it yet (3 years on). It will be the first watch I send off for a service, when I get round to it...
It is rather concerning. I'm staggering the servicing of a few that would benefit to break up the costs. I dislike some of the large watchmakers charges and the waiting time, too, and it would better be reduced in both areas.
I beleive the difficulty with locla watchmakers will start to become increasingly apparrent in about 5-10yrs time.
Hope to have learned enough and practiced enough and have the skill to do most of the manuals I have (quite simple, technically, but needing the right skills) by then.
Best wishes,
AP :)
I've been through the same line of thought, and just about gave up the mechanical for it. In the end, I like them too much to give them up, but I have shifted the Rollies away. The others, I'd let any competent watchmaker work on, except the Sinn 142 which will have to go back. I am, now, avoiding complicated mechanicals. Like AP, I'm hoping to gain some basic skill by the time the others need work.
Good subject,
What are people paying for an ETA service in the Uk these days ?
Regards
Brian
Found a lovely chap here in Spain that charges me 28 euros for a service on a normal watch, 50 for a chrono. So far he has had a few and they all come back perfect, we became friendly, he is in his 40's and states that he cannot charge more as the Spanish will not pay it, he also states that at 43 he will soon stop doing them.....his eyes are giving up, his neck killing him, the financial reward not at all great. 'Charge more or do only selective stuff@ I said....his claims are simple, physically he cannot carry on, and if he must do one he will charge greatly....shame.....people like him are disapearing, his son of course not a little bothered about horology or keeping the family business. Incidently, he hates the likes of Rolex and Omega exactly for the prices they charge for something that as he puts it, is relatively simple to do. Might try to get him to teach me :D
Snoopy
Not my personal experience with Rolex and Omega.My biggest objection against Omega, Rolex and the likes.
They found out about service, ripping customers again and again...
They charge a mint and service takes months.
Your local watchmaker is quite likely, in my experience, to take far longer than Rolex or Omega even if the watch has to be sent to Switzerland, fail to bother to communicate with you at all, and and give you a half-arsed job at the end of it.
It might be cost effective to learn how to service them yourself. :D
My Omega experiences are all the same: service takes around 2 months.
Price for service is very acceptable in comparison to the Rolex prices (I heard up to 700 quid).
Perhaps Rolex is faster, but well, at that price level, I wouldn't be very happy.
Oh and my watchmaker keeps me well informed, tells me what needs replacement, cost etc. and has a watch serviced in around 2 weeks, perhaps 3 if he needs parts.
He did magnificent work on a vintage triple date Movado and a Seiko 6309 (timekeeping is within 5 seconds a day!).
I just had my Breitling Colt Auto serviced for the first time (the watch is 10 years old). It cost EUR 365. I compared the cost against servicing at a reputable watchmakers (Amsterdam Watch Co.) and the cost and time was close enough to warrant having the Breitling service centre do the work.
Looked at in isolation I can live with £25 per year (although I'm not sure how often mechanical watches should be serviced.......).
The bug seems to have bitten and I now own a Sinn and a Guinand so costs are going to creep up :roll: .
So (with apologies in advance for noob questions):
How often should a mechanical watch be serviced? Or only when it stops keeping good time?
Does the use of a watch winder extend the period between services or just increase wear?
Hi Dave,
In case you're in Amsterdam, you're about 40 miles away from me!
I'd say that servicing once per 10 years isn't quick enough. Due to the ageing of oils I'd say: service the watch once per 5-7 years.
As far as I've heard there shouldn't be a large difference between having the watch on a winder or leaving it in the drawer. As long as it runs every now and then, things would be ok, I suppose.
Thanks Bernard,
I can live with 5-7 years (but if I buy any more Swiss watches this is going to become a concern.......) :D
I've got 35 now: always some away for service... ;)
I think that this question has at one time or another been of concern to any WIS who owns multiple mechanical watches. I have a local watchmaker who does decent low cost work, but only for watches that don't require water tests. The place is "Eva's Corner" in Passaic, New Jersey, US, and the owner is Eva Braun, an old Jewish lady with a German accent. Lovely old woman. So far I have had only non automatic watches, both regular and chronographs, serviced by them, with good results. The guy did leave a pry mark on the back of my Poljot alarm, which annoyed me, but they were really careful with my Breitling Transocean and I also had a vintage Tissot chrono serviced with great results. They also fixed my wife's Borel cocktail watch and some others. Automatics would cost more. I generally spend only about ~US$55 for most jobs, which is really cheap. I had her look at my Seiko auto chrono and to service that, fix the chrono seconds reset, and replace the crystal she quoted about US$130, give or take a few. I thought that that was reasonable although I never got that one fixed yet.
My dive watches would have to go out to a specialist or to a manufacturer service centre- which also adds the potential for loss in the post. :(
It's to the point where I am wondering if I have enough divers and should just concentrate mostly on other types of watches.
Also of concern for me is that this local repair shop which I use is run by a very old woman who can retire or pass away at any time, if she hasn't already. (I haven't been there for about a year) Her son is in the business, but he specialises in clocks. I don't know if he plans to continue the watch side should his mum leave the business. As it is now they have independent watch repair men come in to work at their bench a few times a week, and so far have repaired a few watches with good results. If they went out of business I would have to search for another place. The lady also told me that it is getting harder and harder to find these independent guys who they can have come in and do work for them at their premises. This is also a concern.
If I were a Jew and had that name, I'd apply for a name-change ASAP.
Look after him.Oh and my watchmaker keeps me well informed, tells me what needs replacement, cost etc. and has a watch serviced in around 2 weeks, perhaps 3 if he needs parts.
:shock: :shock: :shock:
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
I swear it's true. I chuckle every time I think about the irony. :twisted:
:shock: :shock: :shock:
I have a local Watchmaker here in Germany that will do a service on an ETA automatic for around 40 ?. A hand wind is about 30 ?. The problem is that this guy is almost 60 years old and will not be doing work of this type much longer. When he stops this will be a problem for me, and also a guy at work that is into Watches and uses him as well.
The cost of a service with a higher end Watch is a problem. my Watchmaker told me that he could do the service on a Rolex without any problem if he could get the replacement parts. Rolex will just not sell them to him making it impossible to do anything other than a clean, oil, and timing.
I also work with a guy that just sent a Rolex Sub into Rolex Germany in Cologne for a complete service, it costed him over 700 ?. The Watch did look like new when it came back though. That is still a big chunk of money.
This is a very, very good subject that most wis come to think of at some point of their hobby as most of us dont have too much exposable income.
I have a very good watch guy who takes care of my watches but he is also pretty expensive. I have rationalized that it is worthy of paying him as he is a pro and he also gives a full one year guarantee for his work. Nevertheless I cant see myself having more than ten watches at any time because I dont want to have stuff that doesnt see enough wrist time AND I dont want to pay excessive money for servicing something that I dont use enough to justify the costs.
IMHO a set of couple G-Shock´s a nice quarz diver and 5 autos/hw´s is the set I am looking for.
I have a guy that is cheap, but I'm not sure about just how reliable he is. And he can take forever.
Best wishes,
Bob
Is this a little wistful self-criticism, Bob?
Only kidding.Is this a little wistful self-criticism, Bob?
Best wishes,
Bob
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