Too obsessed with servicing costs?

replacing a movement you can get your hands on for 40-60 bucks is the way to go if necessary. Dont toss the dud though save it for parts or just to sell to modders or watchmakers. OR use it to tear down and practice on. Just film it coming apart, then you have a reference as to where shit goes when you reassemble it. 

It should run well for a long time, I have had some banger NH35 NH36 movements that kept great time and took a fair amount of abuse. 

Learn to replace the movement, reset hands, etc. 

If you need a hand hit someone up or read or watch youtube vids.  

Best-

Thanks for responding bud. Yeah I've thought about learning to get more hands on with my watches but it's a scary proposition for someone who isn't at all technically minded. I have a Seiko SARB 033 which really needs regulating (bought it second hand a couple of years ago and it runs about 25 seconds slow per day). I know how to regulate it thanks to YouTube but I don't feel confident enough that I could do it without completely botching it!

That sounds like my SARB when I first got it.  That regulating lever is super sensitive, but it has some friction that must be overcome.  Then, if you can see it move, it's probably too far.  A typical regulating session might look like this: -25/-11/+15/-7/+85/-60/-8/+16/-22/+8: hell with it: that's close enough!

well, you know your level of comfort best, but one way to get a bit of practice for me was tearing down dollar pocketwatches and re assembling them, they are a bit larger and easier to work on and with the old ones (ie. westclocx, ingerham, etc) its basically metal on metal or occasionally plastic parts (ew). Way more complicated than regulating your watch but will make you comfortable and get you some working knowledge on what does what and where it is.  

If you get stuck on stuff there is likely a resource online, or someone who would walk you through it. That said DOING things is literally the best way, so just get something cheap and break it and try and put it back to working order. One thing I wish I had done with watches earlier was tear into things. Now I build and do mods for friends ( and friends of friends ) as side work and I couldn't be happier.  Wish I jumped into it earlier and racked up more experience.

best-

I would be of a similar mind set. I feel comfortable with watches with standard ETA or sellita movements. I wouldn’t worry about servicing them until they were either stopped or running very badly and know I can get the job done locally if needs be.

I have held off getting a Seiko SPB153 because I am less familiar with the 6R35 movement and Seiko recommend 2-3yr service intervals, in practice I’m sure they are fine for much longer?!

Any expensive RRP watches available at bargain prices watches that have exotic in-house movements make me nervous of being able to afford a service or repair.

Hi, I started my watchmaking journey in 2014 with a vintage Bulova. It had a broken mainspring. I only removed the ratchet wheel and the barrel to replace the mainspring, but I was very proud that it ticked after I was done 😜

I know many independent watchmakers that service Nomos watches. Different story if you need any parts, but Nomos has been known to sell parts to independent watchmakers. If you regularly have it serviced, you shouldn't need any though.

Plug and play is the direction for low end watches or replace. Seiko and Citizen are that way. Almost all quartz are just replace like the Omega / swatch or any swatch. Swiss higher end quartz is movement replace and those things are really cheap for what they charge for the watch. The hardest part of replacing a movement is the hands and i found sticky- tack (poor mans rodico) makes it easy.

I own a few watches - too many, truth be told - and I don't even consider the low-end stuff for maintenance. To me, the cutoff is something akin to SW200/ETA 2824, and even then, I have to bit my lip hard and stew about it for a spell.

But my high end stuff? Every five years, maintenance. If I can afford to buy 'em, I better be able to service 'em.

I recently had my Glashutte Original (GO) Sport Evolution GMT serviced by GO manufactory in Germany.  I went through Swatch Group US and they forwarded it on to Glashutte.  A full/complete service was under $600 and it took 5 months.

Whereas I sent my Zenith EP to Zenith USA/NJ through Goveberj Jewlers and it required minimal service for just over $300 and they changed out my deployment clasp for free. Zenith sent my watch back in 3 months.  I've had my vintage Omega circa 1970 w/750 cal serviced at my local watchmaker and was charged $350.

My understanding is Rolex will get you for at least $1K on a service.  I have a Tudor Prince Oyster Tiger chrono, and I have no idea what Rolex will charge for a service but am scared to find out. Lol

Came here to say this! knowing you can swap the movement is so reassuring. removes any potential stress of ownership.  

This is pretty much the reason I got my Mako. Cheaper watch I can tear into when I feel like it (not yet but soon hopefully).

I am personally in favor of off-the-shelf movements for many reasons including maintenance cost. But I won’t let a in-house moevement stop me (unless is a chronograph 😉) from buying a watch. 

At least with Rolex movements (except for early vintage ones) you can get a competent local watch maker to service it. Similarly a decent independent watch maker would be able to look after your Tudor.

Unless you are patient and rich, I think sticking to good third party movements makes a lot of sense. in big cities, there are tons of watch repairers who can fix ETA and Sellita movements. Also lots of places where you can mail them if you are not near a big city. 
 

However, if you have the money and a big collection, highly decorated in-house movements can be beautiful to look at. I’m leaning toward having one grail dress watch with a highly decorated in house movement but having my other watches be third party.