Enjoy the Anxieties of Servicing Your Mechanical Watches Or Sell Them

I was jonesing like a classic watchaholic yesterday for the feeling of jonesing for a watch (because my collection was complete and God knows what to do when the collection is complete) and somehow I got fixated on the notion of having a Grail and this Grail, mysteriously enough, turned out to be the Seiko Marine Master 300 SBDX001. Its solid case back screamed Omega! But then I started researching the movement and the servicing of the movement and found out that it has to be sent to Japan. And worse the crown is fragile. And no sapphire. 

And then I started reading about watches disappearing during service for 3 months and being returned with scratches with the watch owner having no recourse. 

The anxieties curdled inside my stomach and after going down this rabbit hole yesterday I came out of the chasm bathed in sweat and wondering, "Should I just sell my mechanical watches? I can't handle this, man."

If I did, I would keep my $300 Seiko SRP637 because it will probably outlast its value. If I sold the other 4, my collection would be thus:

1. Citizen Promaster Sky black titanium

2. Citizen Promaster Sky silver titanium

3. Ecozilla with Suppa adapters and 24mm shark mesh

4. Seiko SBDL021 Fieldmaster on 22mm shark mesh

5. Ecozilla original

6. Seiko SRP637

7. Seiko Tuna SBBN017 on 22mm Super Engineer II

I would miss the OSD, the Moray Dart, and the two Citizen Grand Touring, but maybe their absence would alleviate some anxiety and open some new doors for me. 

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Comments

[Gary]

I think you should just enjoy the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Sport. Should they need service, at least the Citizen service center is not too far from your house. Plus, these are U.S. models, so they don't need to be sent to Japan for service.

[jonnybardo]

Here's a thought. You spent around $750 on one of those Citizen Grand Tourings, right? Let's say that you need to service a watch every five years. That's $150 per non-serviced year for the CGT, or 41 cents per day.

OK, consider that. You buy and own a CGT for five years and then throw it away after five years. You spent 41 cents per day on that watch.

Now where is your servicing anxiety?

Clearly more expensive watches cost more for servicing, but you're not talking about those. You own two CGTs, a Benarus Moray, and an OSD. Even if you threw all four out after five years, you're talking about $1.50 a day to own them. Not a bad deal.

The point is, servicing costs - at least for tier 3 and below watches - is a chimera. Don't worry about it.

[herculodge]

Jonny, I like your math and general prudence on the matter. You're right. I need to sit back and enjoy my delicious collection. That's hard for me to do, but this foray into the rabbit hole of anxiety has prompted me the notion that some of us try too damn hard to be miserable, when in fact we have a lot to be thankful for. Specifically, I have a great collection; in fact, it's so nice I can barely process it. And here I am almost ready to compulsively sell it all away on eBay. Sheesh.

[jonnybardo]

Yes, well said. Enjoy your life. As Louis would say, you're white, male and middle class - what more could you want?

[Gary]

I agree with Jonny's plan, but rather than throw them away after five years, just send them to me and I'll have them serviced and wear them.

[jonnybardo]

Good thinking, Gary. You could probably get a lot of great watches through befriending watch neurotics like Jeff and I.

[Angelo]

Jonny: I'm okay with the white and okay with the male but I'd prefer rich over middle class. And for the record, if I could look like Michael Ealy, I'd turn in my white badge for a black one! As for automatics---I have that old Omega (55 years old?) that is a bumper model. I do have to shake it more now and harder---to get it ticking---but once it's ticking, if I wear it, it runs, keeps deadly accurate time, and if it was ever serviced, it's probably been at least 20 years since its last service. My newer automatics include Aeromatic/Tauchmeister, Invicta and Croton----and no service needed yet. That said---I prefer a standard quartz. Not solar, not kinetic---just a battery/quartz watch. The batteries typically last around 3 years in many decent watches. The replacement batteries are installed at a watch shop for 10.00 to 15.00 dollars---and if it's a good movement, it should be more accurate than any mechanical watch. In my mind, it's superior technology even if it isn't as collectible or interesting. The hobby is worth the money in my opinion. I love contemplating what watch I'm going to wear on a given day.

[Ulysses]

It's interesting isn't it? Nobody ever really talks about servicing quartz watches. OK, they're not reliant on a balance wheel, but there are other gears that must suffer from wear and tear after a while. Despite that, i've never had to send one in for service other than when an incompetent watchmaker damaged a movement.

Japanese mechanical movements are known to be quite durable and many get by just fine without ever being serviced. It's not as though it will suddenly explode after five years - it just might not keep time as well as it did, in which case you could skip a full service and just get it regulated and if necessary, lubricated.

Arguably, as Angelo has said, quartz watches are superior time-keepers and are more durable than their mechanical counterparts. We cling on to archaic technology because of how it makes us feel, not because it is necessarily the best choice, and it doesn't matter if it is mechanical watches or old sports cars that can't be driven a couple of miles without breaking down.