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In a world of disposable goods, the idea of servicing a watch at a watch repair shop may seem foreign. However, if you purchase an expensive watch it could last for decades. The same is true of an antique watch that you inherit from a family member. Watches can have extremely long life spans, with some pocket watches lasting for generations. The only way to get this lifespan out of your watch is by visiting a watch shop for regular servicing and cleaning. The good news is that you only need to get your watch serviced every few years depending on its manufacturer, but it is vital that you do so.
Do I Really Need To Service My Watch?
It may seem like your watch doesn’t get much exposure sitting on your wrist all day, but in reality, it is building up plenty of gunk that can get seep into the casing and affect the inner mechanisms. If you don’t regularly take your watch to a watch repair shop for servicing, tiny dirt, dust, sweat, moisture, and more will build up inside of your watch until it eventually causes your watch to break.
Depending on the extent of damage, it may or may not be worth attempting to repair your watch. A watch shop in Highlands Ranch, CO can take a close look at it, but if the damage is extensive the repair will be expensive. At this point, the overall value of the watch would determine if the repairing the watch was a viable option. You can avoid getting to this point by just falling your watch’s recommended servicing schedule. Paying a little bit every few years to service your watch at a watch shop is much cheaper than replacing hard to find internal mechanisms.
Why Go To A Watch Repair Shop
Some people think that they can go online and simply buy repair tools to save some money. While you can find the tools, most of them are not of the same caliber as tools used by experts. Additionally, unless you have a lengthy background in fine motor watch repair, it’s probably a bad idea. The inner mechanisms of a watch are very delicate, any time you open a watch there is a high chance of breaking a tiny component while trying to repair another.
Trained repair experts are very diligent and delicate when they explore the inner mechanisms of a timepiece. They have years of experience slowly exploring a timepiece to ensure that they don’t do more harm good. Even with that in mind, sometimes an older, less serviced mechanism will break during servicing. If this occurs, they can contain the damage by ensuring all resulting debris is properly removed. An amateur simply doesn’t have the experience to perform a repair or service in the same careful fashion.
What To Do Before A Watch Service
If this is your first time visiting a watch repair shop in Highlands Ranch, there are a few preventative measures to protect yourself and your watch. Photograph the inside and outside casing of the watch to note the watchmaker numbers that are imprinted in your casing. Also, record or photograph the serial numbers on the watch before handing it over for repair.
It pays to do some detective work before walking into just any repair shop to save yourself some trouble from unscrupulous watch repair shops. Avoid sending your watch blindly to an online shop and always make sure that your local repair shop has a good BBB rating or is an accredited member of a horological organization. At the very least get online and read consumer reviews. Oftentimes reviews offer the best insight into the integrity of a shop.
How Often Do I Need Service My Watch?
Every watch differs in construction, which is why it is important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to servicing. As a general rule of thumb, most watch companies recommend at least one servicing every five years, but some recommend more frequent servicing to protect the integrity of a watch.
If you have a vintage watch that does not have a crown seal, then you should have it serviced at least once a year at a watch shop to ensure that the working conditions of the watch remain intact. Old watches can often rust at a minute’s notice, and the absence of the seal makes them more susceptible to damage from moisture.
Most modern watches have crowns now that are able to prevent moisture exposure and seal in the internal mechanisms, which is why they generally can go at least two to three years. Many can also go as long as five years depending on the pressure sealing of the seal. However, some watches require lubrication despite their tough seals. In this case, you may need to have your watch lubricated yearly by a watch repair shop but not fully cleaned. Once again, always read the recommendations by the manufacturer to make sure you service your watch correctly.
Signs You May Need Watch Repair Now
Worried that your watch may need repair sooner instead of later? If your second-hand starts skipping, your battery stops working, you can hear loose parts inside your timepiece, or you have any other odd suspicion that something is wrong with your watch, take it into a shop. It is always better to be proactive about repairs. Not only can this help extend the lifespan of your watch, but it can also save you a lot of money in repairs and replacement parts.
Matheus Fine Watches is a premier watch repair shop in Highlands Ranch, CO. Whether you need regular servicing or need your watch evaluated, the experts at the shop can help you find the proper solution to your problem.
