Essential Guide to Mechanical Watch Repair: Avoiding Unscrupulous Shops and Maintenance Pitfalls

After wearing a mechanical watch for a long time, you will definitely have experience in repair and maintenance. Most of the time, the warranty results will be satisfactory. However, sometimes you will still hear of cases of stepping on thunder, encountering unscrupulous shops, or being taken advantage of. This is mainly because the internal structure of the watch is small and complicated. If the master really wants to do something, even if we stand nearby and stare, it will not happen. It’s easy to detect his little moves, but you don’t need to regard the repair of your watch as a dangerous chore. Moreover, if something goes wrong with your watch, you still have to ask a dedicated person to handle it before it can return to normal. What we can do is to be as vigilant as possible. We will list a few things that need to be paid attention to for your reference:

1. Try to do your homework before repairing the watch. Just like whether to go to a 4S store or a regular repair shop for car maintenance, whether to go to a reputable store or return to the brand after-sales service center for watch maintenance is the first thing we have to consider. Reputation will never come out of thin air. Ask more or investigate, whether there have been any disputes in the past, etc. Knowing these will give you a general understanding of a store.

2. Although watch shops have their own specialties, before repairing, you may wish to roughly investigate the store's equipment and decoration and other details to understand that the store does not have formal qualifications and does the repairman hold a certificate? Is the equipment complete? If the store is too rough, or the items are messily arranged, it may mean that the extent of their repairs is relatively limited, so we should choose carefully.

3. Regarding the repair price, you should ask clearly before repairing the watch. You need to know where the problems are, so that you have a rough idea of ​​​​the price, so as to prevent the store from raising the price later.

4. Be patient. Repairing a watch is not just about cutting your hair or getting glasses. Because its parts are intricate and complex, repairing a watch requires careful inspection and repair. After completion, it must be inspected and tested. Only when the running time is stable within a certain period can it be delivered to the watch owner. Therefore, repairs that advertise quick pick-up may not necessarily save us time, but may be more haste than speed.

5. If there are replacement parts during the repair process, you must ask the store for the replaced original parts, etc. This can also prevent merchants from charging extravagantly for replacement parts when they are not available.

6. After the repair is completed, you need to ask the store to issue a repair order that lists the warranty process, including the type of parts replaced, whether they are imported parts, and whether they are original parts. It is best to stamp the store seal to show responsibility.

So if there is no problem with the mechanical watch, you don’t have to deal with a repair shop? No, mechanical watches must be oil-washed within a certain period. This is because the inside of the mechanical movement is constantly rotating and constantly conflicting with each other. The resulting abrasion will cause tiny particles to fall off. Over time, grease will form with the movement oil, causing the movement to wear.

No matter how good an object is, it cannot be separated from maintenance. Only long-term maintenance can reflect its value. Watches, like other highly precise instruments, require regular maintenance to ensure perfect operation. Obviously, we cannot provide us with a specific and clear maintenance cycle, because it depends entirely on the style of the watch, the wearing environment and the maintenance status of the watch wearer.