Thoughts please....

[Clay]

I have recently heard that you should:

"Never "open" a watch that is running fine!!!"

This from a couple of different watch makers.....

I was also told by the head of the service dept. at Rolex (I'd rather not say where) that there was: "No reason to bring your watch in for service unless there is a problem!!!" (Imagine my surprise)

[greekbum]

There is allot of mixed feelings on this subject. I bought my GMT new and wore it non stop for 22 years before its 1st service and this was because I felt like I wanted to treat my friend it was running fine -.03 a day I have bought dozens of watches from the 70's and on that have never been serviced and ran. Now will it ruin the movement etc. I have seen it yes and no.Mine needed nothing major after 22 years of 24/7 wear. So I say its up to the owner if the watch is running fine to service out of fear it will ruin. I have seen many more vintage watches ruined or value diminished through getting regular service than not. Due to over polishing,original parts swapped for service parts.

[Clay]

Originally Posted by greekbum

There is allot of mixed feelings on this subject. I bought my GMT new and wore it non stop for 22 years before its 1st service and this was because I felt like I wanted to treat my friend it was running fine -.03 a day I have bought dozens of watches from the 70's and on that have never been serviced and ran. Now will it ruin the movement etc. I have seen it yes and no.Mine needed nothing major after 22 years of 24/7 wear. So I say its up to the owner if the watch is running fine to service out of fear it will ruin. I have seen many more vintage watches ruined or value diminished through getting regular service than not. Due to over polishing,original parts swapped for service parts.

Good points.....

[DoubleRedRolex]

I only service my watches when they start to lose or gain time. Afterall, why rebuild the motor on your car every 5 years if its still running fine??? Ive also got watches from the 70's that have never been serviced and still keep great time. sometimes watchmakers sat never to open a watch because it may not be water resistant after you put it back together again. Always check/replace seals if necessary.

[Flash Gordon]

I totally agree with the above comments. My personal feeling is that Rolex would like charge $500 to service our watch and the dealer also like to get a cut of the service fee by telling cutomers to service their watch frequently. AD are similar to the car dealers, they want you to service your car much more frequently than what's called for in the owner's manual. I believe in preventive maintenance in cars but a watch is not the same. Watch does not take the beating like your car. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[JUSTROLEXES]

I only take my car to the dealer:
1- If it's time for service
2- Or if something is wrong...
So should my watches

[bkw]

Wouldnt it be wise to at least re-grease the seals every few years?

[sailmed]

I bought a Triple register Heuer Carrera in Zurich 1968 and wore it 24/7 for 25 years until it was stolen. It wore it motorcycling, wrenching, wenching, skiing (not swimming) and it ran flawlessly without ever being opened.

IMHO, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[Dave_T26]

My SD was only serviced once "back in the eighties" (my father's best recollection when I asked him about its service records, since it was formerly his watch). It had a new bracelet and bezel insert added in 2007, but nothing else was done then, and it's never been polished.

[SLS]

On a 20+ year old vintage piece, I would have it serviced by Rolex if they will not insist on changing the dial & hands. We all know that pieces wear out, if Rolex services the movement, they will replace anything that is questionable. There may come a point when Rolex refuses to service vintage pieces of a certain age because of limited parts, they already do this on some pieces, so why risk it when you can have a watch serviced and have the watch completely gone through.
Scott

[oldbronco]

my watch maker told me to leave it alone until it stops. I remember a blurb awhile back in Watch Time magazine quoting a couple of watch manufacture CEO's saying that modern lubricants don't need to be fussed with every couple of years.

[Clay]

Originally Posted by oldbronco

my watch maker told me to leave it alone until it stops. I remember a blurb awhile back in Watch Time magazine quoting a couple of watch manufacture CEO's saying that modern lubricants don't need to be fussed with every couple of years.

I was told the same thing...when it stops running....Bring it in....

[vintage69]

My watchmaker,Dave,suggests that a watch should be cleaned and lubicated every 5 to 7 yrs. Although the watch may be working without any problems, you cannot detect the deteriation of the lubricant which can lead to expensive repairs

[dsio]

If someone had serviced my sub in its lifetime, they'd just be doing a routine service now, rather than replacing a third of the moving parts due to excessive wear through lack of lubrication. Now I may still stretch my service intervals out to 10 years, but not on a vintage piece like my old sub.

There are exceptions to this, my Seamaster Chrono with its 7750 movement will probably never get serviced, as worst case scenario, rebuilding it still costs nothing, and anything with an ETA 2982 (most things) I'd never bother either.

[springer]

I purchased a 1976 Datejust a couple years ago from the original owner. It had the original box, accessories and warranty paper. He said that he had never taken in in for servicing. I wore the watch for a couple weeks after its purchase, and never had any issues with its performance. That's 35 years now - still ticking without a licking!

[Clay]

Originally Posted by springer

I purchased a 1976 Datejust a couple years ago from the original owner. It had the original box, accessories and warranty paper. He said that he had never taken in in for servicing. I wore the watch for a couple weeks after its purchase, and never had any issues with its performance. That's 35 years now - still ticking without a licking!

Amazing.....