I have only been involved in the industry for a short time now, but I’ve already found that people are almost always surprised when they’re told how long a service or repair will take. Even before I had started my new job I can remember reading on the forums about the incredibly long wait times, the exorbitant expenses, and the unfortunate bad experiences that can come along with watch maintenance. I even remember wondering, “Does it really take a year’s worth of work for Patek to service a watch?”
First off, how many watchmakers do you know? Not know of, but know personally. Now, how many of them would you consider truly talented? Would you trust them with your perpetual calendar or vintage Patek? My guess is it’s a short list, provided there even is a list. Point blank, there are not enough watchmakers. Not to mention the fact that there are some pretty bad ones out there as well. So when you bring in your watch for service, chances are the watchmaker isn’t sitting around twiddling his thumbs just waiting for your piece for arrive. “Does it take over a year’s worth of work to service a Patek?” No. That’s simply where you are on the list. Would you prefer for them to have a bigger army of watchmakers at the ready? Of course; but, would you be willing to sacrifice the quality of the work?
I’m just gonna leave that one there for you to think about for a while.
Cameron Weiss at work on a Unitas 6497
Next, parts. Unlike the automotive industry, parts, and even specialized tools, are not always easily obtained. Many manufactures are trying to tightly control their after sales services. While I understand their thinking in trying to maintain the quality of the product, it does create hurdles for independent watchmakers and their customers. Independent watchmakers (and even some factory authorized service centers) will often be placing orders for parts from someone who will then place their order from someone else. This chain can become maddeningly long and the delay in getting parts or tools begins to grow. If the part is in stock within your country, sometimes you get lucky. If you have to go all the way to the source and they are backordering from the factory in Switzerland, you might want to find a good book – preferably a long one – to pass the time. And of course, all of this is provided they can even get the part to begin with. Some brands are notorious for hoarding their parts and don’t sell to anyone that isn’t associated with an authorized dealer.
Lastly, the million dollar question: “How long will they actually work on my watch?” This is probably the most frustrating part since the answer is not the entire time your watch is there. If a watchmaker was working on just one piece for months, he would probably go insane. However, it is important to remember that even a simple time and date movement can have over 200 individual components. When you begin to add complications that number only increases. Plus, many of these parts are quite small (obviously) and extremely delicate. You probably don’t want the watchmaker rushing through the job, right? That’s right. The truth is, your watch is in a queue, your watchmaker is doing some operations concurrently, he’s waiting for parts, he’s testing and readjusting where necessary, and the list goes on. It’s very rare a watch comes in for service and he can just dedicate all of his time to it and knock out the work right away. That’s just the reality of the situation.
Bottom line: it takes a while, which sucks. It can be expensive, which also sucks. But, if you want it done right, the wait is almost always worth it. After all, you wouldn’t be complaining (and constantly calling for updates) if it wasn’t important.
by 
Mateusz
Or maybe, just maybe, try with different approach: Dear client, you are number 723 in our serviece queue. You can send the watch to us in October 2017 when we will be ready to take care of it and send it back after one week of overhaul (this may differ if any vintage parts are required).
Paul Burgdorf
Watch service is a reality and major expense for watch collectors. If you own a dozen watches, chances are 2-3 a year require an overhaul, even if you do not have a movement failure and critical repair. This can cost over $2500 per year.
I am amazed that the watch industry is not more transparent. I research maintenance and repair experiences before I purchase a watch. If it is a pre-owned piece, I include a complete overhaul in my budget for purchasing the watch. If it is a new piece, I research the costs of continued ownership. For example, the Swatch Group lists on the web the cost of routine service on all their watch lines and classes of timepieces. I recently considered a SS Glashutte Origional Panagraph purchase but decided not to buy the piece because of the posted cost of an overhaul. But kudos to Swatch for the transparency. Patek also lists the cost of overhauls, so there are no surprises. All authorized service costs should be available to prospective purchasers.
I also believe that the watch industry would benefit from a J D Powers type of customer service database. Watches could be rated on service records and authorized service experiences. When one purchases a watch which is more expensive than a car, should one not expect a clear indication of manufacturing defects, ability to repair, and time frames for repair. That way an individual would buy a watch with a clear indication of how a brand responded to after care sales. This would spur competition, and cause brands to increase attention to the after sales service responsibility.
Rolex has introduced a revolutionary warranty in the watch industry, 5 years. This is the new standard that other brands will be judged. They also have touted their new lubricants which extend the time period between overhauls to 5-7 years. This will save Rolex owners millions of dollars per year as compared to 2 year warranties and 3-5 year overhaul recommendations. I hope this increase in reliability is contagious.
Brands also limit the availability of parts to Independant watchmakers. That insures quality control from their perspective but also limits the ability for owners to turn to competent watchmakers who can perform a $500 overhaul in a month rather than a service centers $1,500 and a year wait. I always try to identify a competent Independant watchmaker with access to parts before I purchase a watch.
Unless you are a hedge fund person with unlimited assets, collectors need to do the research and determine long range costs of ownership.
David Jackson
Hm, I’ve used the oils my late father left me over 20 years ago; they were already old. Thinking I could possibly up my act I bought all the modern “must-have” oils and used them as prescribed in manufacturers charts. I’ve never had so many returns on Rolex or Omega co-axial. Expensive experience, but am now happily re-united with my “oldies”.