A mechanical movement runs on a few drops of oil that age over time, and the gaskets that keep water out harden. A service cleans, lubricates and adjusts the movement and renews the seals before wear sets in. How often depends on the movement, the brand's recommendation and how the watch is worn.
| Movement | Default reminder |
|---|---|
| Automatic or hand-wound | Every 5 years |
| Spring Drive | Every 4 years |
| Quartz or Kinetic | Every 30 months, for the battery |
| Solar | Every 10 years |
These are starting points. Many brands now recommend between 5 and 10 years for their modern mechanical watches, so check your brand's guidance and set the interval to match. In Horology you can change it for each watch.
Signs it needs a service sooner
- Its rate has changed noticeably, or keeps changing, and demagnetizing didn't help.
- Its amplitude stays low even when fully wound.
- It stops well before its power reserve should run out.
- There's condensation under the crystal, or the crown feels gritty, loose or won't screw down.
- A quartz watch's seconds hand jumps several seconds at a time: on many quartz watches, that's the low-battery warning.
What a full service includes
- The movement is taken apart and every part cleaned.
- Worn parts are replaced, then the movement is reassembled and lubricated.
- It's regulated on a timegrapher, in several positions.
- The gaskets are renewed and the case is pressure-tested for water resistance.
Many services also refinish the case and bracelet. If you'd rather keep the original finish, you can usually ask for it to be left untouched.
Keep the receipt and the watchmaker's notes: a documented service history matters when you sell a watch or claim on insurance.