Do vintage watches need to be serviced?
By nature vintage time pieces Are incredibly fragile, Their components are likely very worn And therefore more prone to damage. Therefore It's crucial to have your Vintage watch service every 3 years
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@Asmara82
I was born in Eritrea,living in upstate New York, I absolutely love watches especially vintage ones, I can't explain Why I own these watches, the only thing I can say is This is definitely my Passion.
Rochester New York
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
Once an old watch is cleaned and re-oiled using modern oils it has, well, modern oils. Modern oils maintain their effectiveness much longer than oils from just ten years ago. The three year recommendation is for an old watch with old oils, used daily. Most of us rotate watches so they are used less often. I don't think a five or seven year gap between servicings is unusual for a watch that you wear 15 times a year. Usually a watch will tell you that something is wrong that a demagnetizer can't fix.
That is not a bad estimate for a vintage Omega or brand of that stature. I pay much less for the flotsam and jetsam that I wear.
I dont know about every 3 years but maybe 5-10 for an occasionally worn piece. It really depends on the movement.
Thanks for sharing...gives much better perspective on the cost
Once an old watch is cleaned and re-oiled using modern oils it has, well, modern oils. Modern oils maintain their effectiveness much longer than oils from just ten years ago. The three year recommendation is for an old watch with old oils, used daily. Most of us rotate watches so they are used less often. I don't think a five or seven year gap between servicings is unusual for a watch that you wear 15 times a year. Usually a watch will tell you that something is wrong that a demagnetizer can't fix.
That is not a bad estimate for a vintage Omega or brand of that stature. I pay much less for the flotsam and jetsam that I wear.
You are an asset to this community,
Add in that parts may be scarcer.
Add in that parts may be scarcer.
You're absolutely right
I don't think vintage watches are fragile. They may be less durable than a modern watch, but they were worn by mechanics, construction workers and others under very demanding conditions and lasted many years.
Looking at that bill can be a wake up call to those who are drawn to vintage watches because of their relatively low prices.
Add in that parts may be scarcer.
This is a good point. My Omega GMT has a known issue with the hour wheel failing. Mine failed, so I got the watch serviced and asked my watch maker to order 2 spares since he had a hard time finding a supplier.
This is a good point. My Omega GMT has a known issue with the hour wheel failing. Mine failed, so I got the watch serviced and asked my watch maker to order 2 spares since he had a hard time finding a supplier.
Yup, I had to source a Soviet balance staff. Apparently it's the part that breaks on those movements when they're dropped, so demand is high and supply low.
Anyway, I'll sidetrack by commenting on the repair receipt shown. The service was $300, which is not bad for an automatic. The watch has 24 jewels, so a little more oiling, I guess. This a 5 position adjustment, which is superb.
The total was bumped up by many replaced parts: crystal, crown and stem, and mainspring.
IMHO 7-10 years is a much better guide for servicing than 3-5. I might go as low as 5 on a truly every day piece. And I'd also service at the first sign something is wrong (losing or gaining lots of time even after a degauss).
Older watches tended to need service more because the oils and lubricants weren't as good. The technology to keep the lubricants in place wasn't as good. And the gaskets weren't as good at keeping out debris. They didn't need more frequent service because they were more inherently fragile. Once it's serviced to a modern standard, it should be good for as long as a modern watch (sometimes longer as vintage pieces tend to run at much lower beat rates). Something made before incabloc may be more prone to damage, but frequent service isn't going to do anything to protect you from that kind of damage.
IMHO 7-10 years is a much better guide for servicing than 3-5. I might go as low as 5 on a truly every day piece. And I'd also service at the first sign something is wrong (losing or gaining lots of time even after a degauss).
Older watches tended to need service more because the oils and lubricants weren't as good. The technology to keep the lubricants in place wasn't as good. And the gaskets weren't as good at keeping out debris. They didn't need more frequent service because they were more inherently fragile. Once it's serviced to a modern standard, it should be good for as long as a modern watch (sometimes longer as vintage pieces tend to run at much lower beat rates). Something made before incabloc may be more prone to damage, but frequent service isn't going to do anything to protect you from that kind of damage.
👍 Thank you so much
IMHO 7-10 years is a much better guide for servicing than 3-5. I might go as low as 5 on a truly every day piece. And I'd also service at the first sign something is wrong (losing or gaining lots of time even after a degauss).
Older watches tended to need service more because the oils and lubricants weren't as good. The technology to keep the lubricants in place wasn't as good. And the gaskets weren't as good at keeping out debris. They didn't need more frequent service because they were more inherently fragile. Once it's serviced to a modern standard, it should be good for as long as a modern watch (sometimes longer as vintage pieces tend to run at much lower beat rates). Something made before incabloc may be more prone to damage, but frequent service isn't going to do anything to protect you from that kind of damage.
Absolutely correct sir, was going to reply to this post but you've mentioned everything I was going to!
Anyone know a good place in the Chicago area? I used to go to Swiss Service Center in La Grange, IL, but they no longer return calls or email messages lately.