Luxury watch servicing: cost and frequency, brand by brand

A mechanical watch is a machine: its oils age, its gaskets harden, its parts wear slowly. A full service restores it from the inside, and that is what allows a watch to last for decades. It comes at a cost, which can vary fivefold depending on the brand and the complication. This article gives the orders of magnitude observed in 2026, the usually recommended intervals and the signs that should alert you before the due date.

What a full service includes

A full service, which the houses often call a "complete service", almost always follows the same steps:

1. complete disassembly of the movement, part by part;
2. cleaning of the components in successive baths;
3. replacement of wear parts (mainspring, gaskets, sometimes crown and tube);
4. reassembly, lubrication and regulation;
5. pressure testing of water resistance;
6. refurbishment of the case and bracelet, usually by brushing and polishing, unless you ask otherwise;
7. final timekeeping check over several days, then a service warranty.

Point 6 deserves your attention: cosmetic refurbishment is often included by default. If you want to keep your case's original edges, say so in writing when you drop the watch off. We devote a whole article to it: to polish or not to polish your watch.

Indicative cost and frequency by brand

The amounts below are ranges observed for a full service of a steel three-hand or simple-function watch, excluding replacement of major parts (dial, hands, crystal, bracelet). A complication, a chronograph or a gold case pushes the bill up. The intervals are those generally communicated by the brands or observed in workshops; your warranty booklet is the authority.

A quartz watch has different needs: a battery change every two to five years, with a water-resistance check, and a full service far less often.

Should you stick to the interval to the letter?

No, the interval is a guideline, not an expiry date. A watch worn regularly, never knocked and checked for water resistance can go beyond the due date without harm. Conversely, some signs justify stepping in earlier:

• The rate drifts noticeably. Gaining or losing more than ten seconds or so a day on a certified calibre points to a regulation, lubrication or magnetism problem. Demagnetisation, quick and inexpensive, is sometimes enough.
• The power reserve shrinks. If the watch stops noticeably sooner than before once off the wrist, the balance amplitude is dropping.
• Winding or setting feels rough. A stiff or gritty crown indicates wear in the winding mechanism.
• Condensation appears under the crystal. This is urgent: moisture oxidises the movement and dial within weeks.

A timing and water-resistance check, charged a few tens of euros by most watchmakers, lets you decide without committing to a full service.

Brand service centre or independent watchmaker

Both options have their merits, depending on the watch and your priorities.

The brand's service centre guarantees original parts, regulation to factory tolerances and a service warranty, often two years. It also makes resale easier: a manufacturer service invoice reassures a buyer. On the other hand, turnaround times are long, commonly six to twelve weeks, and replacement of cosmetic parts (hands, bezel, dial) may be proposed as a matter of course, which is a problem on a vintage watch.

A qualified independent watchmaker generally costs 20 to 40% less, works faster and is more willing to keep original parts. It is often the best choice for a vintage watch whose patina is part of its value. Check that they have the tooling and access to parts for the brand in question: some houses restrict parts supply to authorised workshops.

How long will you be without the watch?

Allow plenty of time. The service centres of the major houses commonly quote six to twelve weeks, more at busy times or if a part has to be ordered. An independent watchmaker generally returns the watch faster, in two to six weeks. If you only have one watch, schedule the service for a period when its absence will bother you least, and ask for the expected return date on the drop-off receipt.

The effect of a service on market value

A recent service adds value, but only partly. On a 1990s Rolex Datejust, for example, a service invoice less than two years old reassures the buyer and shortens the negotiation, without adding the full €800 to €1,100 spent to the price. Conversely, a watch that clearly needs a service commonly trades at a discount equivalent to the cost of the work, sometimes more.

That is why we generally advise against servicing a watch just before selling it, unless it does not work: our complete selling guide comes back to this point.

Interim interventions

Between two full services, other lighter interventions maintain the watch at lower cost:

• Demagnetisation, in a few minutes, often charged a few tens of euros, or even free during a check.
• Gasket replacement and water-resistance testing, essential on a dive watch worn in water.
• Crystal replacement, if the sapphire crystal is cracked or chipped, to be done without delay to keep dust out.
• Bracelet repair: replacing pins, spring bars or a stretched link.

These interventions do not replace a full service, but they often extend the interval between two services in good conditions.

Preparing the drop-off properly

• Photograph the watch from every angle before handing it over, especially the case and dial.
• Note the serial number and reference on the drop-off receipt.
• State your wishes in writing: no polishing, keep the original hands and dial, return any replaced parts.
• Ask for a detailed estimate before work begins, and keep the invoice: it belongs in the watch's file just like the warranty card.

For a dive watch such as an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, add an annual water-resistance check if you swim with it: gaskets age faster than the movement.

In short

Allow for a full service every five to ten years depending on the brand, at a cost ranging from a few hundred euros to over €2,000 in haute horlogerie. Watch for warning signs rather than the calendar, choose between the brand and an independent according to the watch's age, and keep every invoice.

To find out whether an upcoming service weighs on your watch's value, check its market value: declared condition, including servicing, is one of the criteria in the calculation.