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Thread: Maintenance periods--recommendations from one of the "big three"

  1. #1

    Maintenance periods--recommendations from one of the "big three"

    So, I was leafing through the booklet from my Audemars Piguet, and they seemed quite forthright about maintenance intervals. Right in their warranty book, they recommend an initial "water-resistance service" (basically cleaning and replacing seals if necessary) within the first two years. This is free for registered owners. But after that, they say the recommended interval is 3-6 years (with an average of four) for extra-thin and ladies' mechanical watches, 3-8 years (with an average of 6) for traditional manual/automatic watches like Royal Oaks, and 3-5 years (with an average of four) for grand complications watches like minute repeaters.

    These seem like very reasonable, real-world numbers to me. And I'll bet if you went to the AD, they might well give you shorter ones. AP also recommends winding a watch at least once per month, even if you're not wearing it regularly, to keep lubrication in order. Since my watch has a "Royal Oak" type movement, looks like I could stretch 6-8 years between services, given that mine doesn't get worn on a daily basis. Probably will only need to do it twice before I'll be too old to care.

    I thought it was interesting that one of the "big three" had such matter-of-fact, practical recommendations.

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  3. #2
    It is nice to see that they break it down according to the complexity/fragility of the movement, too, instead of lumping everything under the 3-5 year service schedule.

    Now that Rolex is extending their recommended service schedule it will be interesting to see if other brands follow suit.

  4. #3
    Seems quite reasonable to me.

  5. #4
    I never did it before but after a lot of research I think winding an auto occasionaly is not that bad of an idea.

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  7. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by -JP View Post
    winding an auto occasionaly is not that bad of an idea.
    That was what my watchmaker used to say, And that's exactly what I do.
    Last edited by CFR; Aug 17, 2015 at 06:30 PM.

  8. #6
    I probably only have one mechanical watch that I don't wear at least once a month, and that would be my father's old Hamilton, which is fragile, and therefore doesn't get worn at all. So once a month or so, I will wind it up and let it run (I did have it serviced a few years back). Why do I do that, even though I'll never wear it? Dunno, it just feels right that it should be able to keep running.

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  10. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by mlcor View Post
    I probably only have one mechanical watch that I don't wear at least once a month, and that would be my father's old Hamilton, which is fragile, and therefore doesn't get worn at all. So once a month or so, I will wind it up and let it run (I did have it serviced a few years back). Why do I do that, even though I'll never wear it? Dunno, it just feels right that it should be able to keep running.
    When I was looking through companies' advice on WR I saw another company recommending that watches be wound once a month. I think I screengrabbed it (intending to find the relevent thread from a while back) let me see.....

    ......here we are.



    Unfortunately can't identify the company. I think I was either IWC or GO
    Last edited by Der Amf; Aug 17, 2015 at 06:39 PM.

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  12. #8
    Misunderadjustimated dbakiva's Avatar
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    Excuse me for a moment. I have a couple watches to wind.
    Updated after some divestment:

    Glashütte Original Senator Hand Date (GONE) | Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow (GONE - turns out I don’t much care for chronographs) | Omega Seamaster 300 GMT "Great White" | Rolex Datejust 16013 | Ulysse Nardin 14K chronometre (c. 1960s) | Marathon TSAR | Meistersinger Metris | Apple Watch

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  14. #9
    El bot. geoffbot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    When I was looking through companies' advice on WR I saw another company recommending that watches be wound once a month. I think I screengrabbed it (intending to find the relevent thread from a while back) let me see.....

    ......here we are.



    Unfortunately can't identify the company. I think I was either IWC or GO
    IWC
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  16. #10
    Porous Membrane skywatch's Avatar
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    My usual watchmaker tells me very similar advice. He says an occasional winding helps keep the oils distributed, and it's not necessary to service more than every 6-8 years. He seems to think, even less often is OK for rarely worn watches. I have another more expensive watchmaker who is currently servicing a vintage Longines I found, who seems to feel a bit differently about the really old watches. I showed him my grandfather's 1936 Hamilton, and mentioned it has been a long while since service (like, 30 years perhaps) and I I have worn it on rare special occasions. He advised not to wind a watch like that regularly, but either to let it sit without using nor winding it, or to have it serviced. Needless to say, he would probably charge $200 or more for the service, so I expect I will just let it sit quietly until it's time to pass it on to a niece or nephew.
    Too many watches, not enough wrists.

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