How Much Does it Cost to Service a Watch?

Have you ever asked, “How much does it cost to service a watch?” If you own several different wristwatches, you must be confused about the price to service them.

Fortunately, some brands give a warranty of two to three years and eight years. But what about the others? In this article, you are about to get all the facts about the cost of the watch service.

You’ll agree that watch service is something people usually don’t think of while buying a watch. Even your watch retailer doesn’t bring up this concept during the purchase. However, watch service is something you can’t neglect. 

If you’re interested to know more if how much it costs to service a watch, keep reading!

What Are the Factors Involved in the Cost of Watch Service?

The Brand

Like all your dear gadgets, the brand of your watch matters a lot and plays a significant role in the service cost. Therefore, you will be stunned that the service cost will differ if you own two similar watches of different brands. 

Every watch brand is unique and uses different parts and materials to manufacture its timepiece. So, when it comes to the service of your watch, it holds off the cost as well. 

Do you know that mechanical watch service costs can range from $100 to $1000 depending on the complexity and replacement part of the watch? Why this much price fluctuation? Well, that’s because of the watch’s brand.

For instance, the cost of a Grand Seiko watch service would be different than a Rolex watch.

The Movement

You cannot ignore the watch’s movement while talking about the cost of the watch service. But why is it so? What’s the logic behind the moment affecting the price?

To put it simply, the more complicated a watch is, the more it adds cost to its service. Imagine how much effort the expert has to deliver to disassemble and then reassemble the tricky movement—way more than you think, so you have to pay out of your pocket.

Are you having two watches of the same brand but with different movements? Be prepared; they will cost you a lot other.

Let’s take you on each movement affecting the cost of the service:

Quartz Movement

As an owner of quartz watches, you can’t deny that these watches are full of qualities. They are affordable, accurate, don’t need maintenance, have fewer moving parts, and the best part doesn’t need much service. 

Battery-powered quartz movements don’t need the concept of winding. Although, the batteries last for just 12 to 24 months and need replacing.

You may be familiar with the exhaustion of slow movement of automatic watches when you don’t wear them for an extended time. However, if you own a quartz watch and don’t wear it for a pretty long time, you don’t have to worry about its movement. 

The quartz watches service is inexpensive compared to mechanical watches.

We advise you to take your watch for service if it’s not working or needs some replacement. In most quartz movement watches, you need to replace the battery and clean it properly. That’s it; you can cherish your wristwatch again.

Mechanical Movement

Your mechanical watch infuses a complex combination. A series of gears, wheels, levers, and pendulum fitted into this tiny creature. No wonder they are the expensive ones. 

The same goes for the watch service. However, it’s costly because of the complicated movement.

Talking about complications, you must be thinking about chronograph watches. You guessed it right, as these are the most complex watches and have at least two sub-dials within the main dial.

Picture how difficult it would be to service these watches. Do you know specialists are required to service these watches? Yes, as it’s not something that ordinary labor can do.

However, whether you own a chronograph or automatic watch, be prepared if you are thinking about its service! It might cost you way more than you expect.

Service Providers

Are you looking for a watch service provider? You have two main options: the manufacturer and a local independent shop. Still, before you count on any of these, you should know that they come with their pros and cons:

Manufacturer

If you are thinking of sending your luxury watch to the manufacturer, you don’t have to worry about the quality of the service and warranty. To ensure the quality, they use experts for every little detail. 

But how can you send your watch to the manufacturer? You can ship your wristwatch to the manufacturer or drop it off at an authorized dealer.

Remember that they involve experts, and when an expert is concerned, the cost goes high. Interestingly, your watch is sent from expert to expert for full detailed service, part by part, and thus it takes a pretty long time in the service of your entire watch. 

If your watch has some damaged parts, the manufacturer will replace those parts. These factors charge an extra for your watch’s service, so manufacturer service is reasonably costly.

Local Independent Shop

Local independent shops are relatively cheap, and you can get your watch serviced quicker than the manufacturer. Do you have a hectic routine and need your wristwatch daily? Then go to the local shop to service your watch. 

However, a local shop doesn’t have many specialists, maybe max two. So, the labor cost is not that high. 

They do watch repairs most of the time instead of changing the slightly damaged part of your watch. So, if your watch belonged to someone special, don’t worry about losing those particular parts.

Moreover, if your collection involves multiple brands such as Rolex, Cartier, and Grand Seiko, you can go to just one shop and get the job done.

To sum it up, manufacturer service costs much more than the local independent shop. The shop provides quick and affordable service, but the quality of service is not the same as the manufacturer, and it doesn’t have any warranty.

If you can afford the manufacturer, then there’s no need to even consider the local shop. Otherwise, it will still provide you with good service to watch. 

Type of Service

Now that you have the basic idea of how different factors affect the cost of watch service, it’s essential to know that the type of service involved is also part of this check. 

The idea behind the watch service is to retain its original condition, like the time you bought it. Also, it would be best if you service your watch regularly. You might have to take a luxury watch for service every three to four years.

What are the services involved in the mechanical watch overhaul? Let’s split it out.

Mechanical watch overhaul service involves the following:

• Disassembly of the watch case
• Cleaning of the movement
• Replacement of worn-out components
• Reassembly and lubrication of the movement
• Adjustment and control of movement and its parameters, respectively
• Cleaning and renovation of the bracelet and case
• Replacement of seals and gaskets to ensure water resistant
• Reassembly of the case
• Quality control to ensure everything’s done the right way

Stay relaxed even if your watch has some minor scratches on the case or bracelet because they are polished too. You’ll get all this covered if the crown or watch winder needs replacement. 

What do you think about your watch repair? Keep in mind that the watch repair cost depends on all the factors mentioned above.

Cost of Full Service by Manufacturer

Let’s view some of the leading brands’ service costs:

Breitling Service Cost

• Mechanical Selfwinding Watch / GMT $490
• Mechanical Chronograph $690
• Quartz Analog $420
• Analog /Analog-Digital Chronograph $540
• UTC / Co-Pilot $200
• Service Warranty: 12 months 

Patek Philippe Service Cost

• Mechanical, self-winding (Level 2) $1,094 (1,000 Swiss Franc)
• Mechanical, manually wound (Level 2) $985 (900 Swiss Francs)
• Quartz (Level 2) $656 (600 for Swiss Franc)
• Battery change $142 (130 for Swiss Franc)
• Service Warranty: 24 months

Seiko & Grand Seiko Service Cost

• Mechanical Caliber 9RG (Grand Seiko Complete service) $570
• Mechanical Caliber 9R8 (Grand Seiko Complete Service) $880
• Quartz Caliber Analog battery or rechargeable battery-powered $79 to $116
• Service Warranty: 12 months for Seiko

IWC Service Cost

• Mechanical Leather Strap $470
• Mechanical Metal Bracelet $555
• Mechanical chronograph Leather Strap $570
• Mechanical chronograph Metal Bracelet $655
• Warranty: 24 months

Tag Heuer Service Cost

• Quartz chronograph $290
• Quartz watch $185
• Mechanical chronograph $435
• Mechanical watch $335
• Service Warranty: 12 months

Conclusion

Different factors are involved in the cost of your watch service. Service cost varies from watch to watch. Therefore, regularly having your watch serviced by a trained watch specialist will assist in preserving its value and performance. 

The dust in the movement affects the accuracy of your mechanical watches. To keep the quality of your wristwatch up to the manufacturer’s standards, we recommend cleaning the case and bracelet regularly. Servicing a great timepiece assures that future generations will cherish it.If you liked this article, you might want to check out our other reviews at EvesWatch.com.