Servicing Your Watch: Why It’s Important
After paying out thousands of pounds for a luxury watch, owners are often quite surprised when they’re advised to keep their watch serviced.
But like a car, a watch needs regular care and attention. You wouldn’t go years without cleaning your car or having an MOT, so similarly you wouldn’t want to miss having your watch cleaned and health checked.
However, with a mechanical watch, there’s no obligation to have a service. It’s more of a desire to keep it in its optimum condition. For many having their watch serviced means keeping their watch in a beautiful condition so they can pass it down to the next generation.
Read our guide on when to have your watch serviced and what is involved in the watch servicing process.
When to have your watch serviced?
Inside a watch is a device called an escapement, which regulates the way a mechanical movement uses power. Its job is to hold a little balance wheel that vibrates about eight times every second – this creates the ticking sound you can hear in your watch.
So, in short, if you wore your watch every day and kept it wound, that’d be about a quarter of a million ticks annually! With all that jigging, those parts will start to wear down, resulting in the need for a little TLC. You may notice your beloved watch starts changing its beat rate, going slower or faster over time. This certainly means it’s time for a service.
And if water gets into your watch and you’re unsure if it’s waterproof, every minute counts. The watch will need to be opened and dried out, and then serviced. The same goes for dirt and dust, which can be a common cause for watch damage.
What will a watchmaker do during a service?
Servicing the movement of a watch requires careful precision. The watchmaker will carefully remove the dial and hands, and any faults will be corrected and watch parts replaced if necessary.
The disassembled watch is then cleaned in an ultrasonic machine, which uses ultrasonic vibration and special liquids to clean the watch and all its parts. The watch is then repeatedly rinsed and air dried until clean. A watchmaker will then lubricate any the relevant parts as the watch is re-assembled.
The finished watch is finally put back together in its case and placed on a special machine to ensure it keeps good time.
Not to be confused with polishing and making the watch ‘shiny’ a watchmaker will also refine the case and bracelet. This involves applying the same finishes as the original, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the specifics of those applied.
How often does a luxury watch need to be serviced?
Luxury watches need to be serviced quite regularly. Some people would advise to leave it until they start to under-perform but Luxe Watches recommend having your watch serviced every 24-36 months. This will ensure that they remain in tip top condition. Speak to your local watchmaker to find out more about watch servicing and costs.
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