What Watch Service Really Looks Like for Collectors

If you collect mechanical watches, you understand (or will soon find out) that service is just part of the deal. These are fragile, complicated machines over-engineered to live on our wrists, and like any machine, they eventually need attention. A full service means a complete teardown, cleaning, lubrication, and reassembly.

What makes it interesting from the collector side is how different these service experiences can be. Sometimes the watch disappears into a brand’s system for months, other times you’re across the counter from a trusted local watchmaker who you can speak with directly. Both paths come with pros and cons, stories, and lessons that can shape your approach to collecting.

The Watchmaker Shortage

Rexhep Rexhepi pictured in Lifestyle Asia

With an estimated 80 million mechanical watches produced annually, there simply aren’t enough trained watchmakers out there to service them. Since 2019, The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute has said that for every ten watchmakers who retire, only one new graduate enters the field. That bottleneck can show up as longer waits, higher costs, and—depending on where you are—less access to service.

Image Source: Culture Map Dallas

Rolex recently launched a tuition-free 18-month training program in Dallas, providing stipends, tools, and housing help to students. The goal is to build a pipeline of watchmakers who can handle after-sales service and production. But you can’t rush an 18-month program, and even when new watchmakers graduate, demand still outpaces supply.

A proper full service (overhaul) isn’t quick. The movement is fully disassembled, cleaned, worn parts replaced, jewels lubricated, then reassembled, regulated, and tested. If water resistance matters, the case is resealed and pressure-tested. Done right, it takes time.

YoureTerrific’s Rolex GMT-Master II Service Story

Image Source: YoureTerrific

Youtuber YoureTerrific recently posted a video about having his Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman” (ref. 116710BLNR) serviced. Without spoiling his whole video, he heard a problem while winding, brought it to his local Rolex AD (also a Rolex Authorized Service Center), and went through Rolex’s official service process. The video is worth watching in full (linked above).

It’s a good reminder of what Rolex service, and watch service in general, can entail. On the positive side: Rolex replaces parts with genuine OEM stock, tests water resistance, and returns a watch with a service warranty. If you want certainty that your modern Submariner is still waterproof after a decade of diving, this is where you go. On the downside: Rolex service is expensive, it can take months, functional parts can be replaced (without return of the originals), and unless you specifically request otherwise, cases and bracelets are usually polished as part of the overhaul. For collectors who care about originality, these are sticking points. Factory service is the right call for some watches, especially modern ones under warranty. But for vintage pieces, you may want the control that an independent gives you. 

Local Watchmakers and Why They Matter

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I regularly visited the watchmakers at Pearl Watch Repair and tortured them with my less-than-functional eBay finds. I brought them everything from my great-great-grandfather’s watch to a Silvana diver whose spring bars had corroded right into the lugs. They literally had to saw them out, and I later wrote a whole article about that experience.

What made Pearl stand out was the relationship with the people actually working on the watches. I could ask that a case not be polished, talk through what I wanted, and get straightforward answers. That kind of back-and-forth is something you don’t always get with a brand service center. And yes, **Poppy—a little poodle mix—**usually greeted me at the door, which never hurt.

Where to Service: Brand vs. Independent

Image Source: Lowen Watch Group

My general thought process here is simple. If a watch is under warranty, I’ll usually seek service through the brand. You’re paying for that coverage already, and factory service brings the added benefit of fresh seals, proper pressure testing, and a service warranty.

If the watch is older, though—especially if originality matters—I lean toward an independent. That way I can have an actual conversation about what I want: keeping old parts that have to be swapped, avoiding a polish that would erase history, or even just confirming what doesn’t need to be touched.

Mid-Century Angelus Table Clock. Image Source: Antique Arena

My grandfather took two chiming clocks to a local repair shop and agreed to their estimate. Once notified that the clocks were ready, he headed into the shop where he was handed a non-itemized bill hundreds more than originally estimated. And guess what? The clocks keep poor time and the chimes didn’t work properly. The takeaway isn’t “never use independents,” it’s do your research. Ask other collectors, read reviews, write reviews,  and be cautious about where you hand over something you care about.

The Waiting Game

My Doxa Sub 200T Divingstar ("Matte" Dial)

A few months back, I bought a DOXA Sub-200T Divingstar with the “matte” (more like lacquer) yellow dial. It became my summer watch. It swam with it in Lake Michigan, the Pacific Ocean, and I even brought it to Geneva, Switzerland when I was there for EPHJ in June. One day, I noticed fogging under the crystal.

The Sub 200T's screw-down crown

The crown had been screwed down tightly, so I was fairly confident that it wasn't a user error. I brought it to Sydel & Sydel Jewelry in Chicago, my closest authorized Doxa dealer. They pressure-tested it while I filled out my ticket, and it failed. That quick pressure test—which they didn’t have to do—gave me clarity: if the crown was tight and it failed, this was almost certainly a defect covered by warranty. They sent it to DOXA, and a short while later I got the call confirming it would be handled under warranty. As of writing, it’s been about a month and I don’t have the watch back. I’m not expecting it anytime soon. And that’s to be expected—you can have a helpful AD, a clear warranty path, and still be in for a good wait.

Final Thoughts: Service Is Part of the Hobby

Image Source: @watchonmywrist on Instagram

Watch service isn’t a side note to ownership—it’s part of the deal. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes it’s messy, and every collector eventually runs into both. The important thing is knowing your options, setting expectations, and deciding when a brand’s system makes sense and when an independent is the better fit. We'd love to hear your watch service stories in the comments below.