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Informations: Service for Watches
I have a very well equipped worshop to investigate watches for the auction. But I'm no watchmaker, just an experienced collector and trained hobbyist. I don't service watches, because I'm skilled to make my money more efficiently with other subjects. Only this enables me to run my watch hobby. Anyway, I cooperate with an experienced master watchmaker. He helps with the investigation of watches, where I reach my limits. And to a certain extent I can foreward your watches to him. Due to capacity limits it is not actually fast, and watches I sold have higher priority.

Special Offer Movement Service
   to Extend the Movement Archive
  
The bigger my movement archive grows, the more effort to fill gaps. Moreover many entries are illustrated with replacement photos from a similar calibre, like this ETA 2622, where photos of the ETA 2522 are used - sufficiently similar, but photos of the right movement would be better. Others entries are still equipped with photos from the childhood of this website, like this AS 1395N.
      Watchmaker costs or own time is spent to disassemble watches, just to get photos for the archive. So why not offering a standard service for watches without the costs for removing and reinserting movement, hands, and dial, if the movement fills a gap?
 Therfore the price list for movement service contains reduced prices for watches with movements meeting one of the following conditions:
  • The calibre is missing in the archive.
  • The calibre is present, but with photos of another one.
  • The calibre is present, but the dial view is missing.

   Index
Do It Yourself
Prices: Crystal Replacement
Prices: Service Case
 Prices: Service Movement
Repairs
Service Case
 Service Movement
Shipping Charges
Where to Bring the Watch
  

Service Movement 		 
Watches which are regularly serviced need scarcely repairs, because the wear of sufficiently lubricated moving parts of a watch is hardly noticable.

An optimum service interval can't be given. There are too many designs and kinds of usage. Watch your watch: First the lubrication of the pallets fails, and this can be noticed by a continuously altering daily rate, later by a rate variing remarkably from day to day. As all other bearings are still sufficiently lubricated, nothing serious will happen if the watch is serviced just now.
    Fresh oil on the pallets would help a while, but it is no good approach, because other parts may be already damaged if the watch "asks" for oil the next time. So the service at the right time is the cheapest on long term.

What shall be done now?
The movement should be disassembled before cleaning it, for good reasons:
The cleaning result is reliably visible.
All parts can be investigated for wear or damages.
No mix of cleaning solutions will remain in the barrel or between adjacent parts.

There are exceptions:
Complete disassembling is no economical approach for cheap pin-lever movements. But these often have a pillar design with no gaps between any parts. Therefore it will do to remove barrel and balance before cleaning



Some watchmakers out there do a pretty cheap job. But make sure that they don't only pop the complete movement into several dubious liqiuds, and in the last step into a lubrication solution. May be it works, but I'd be concerned what the mix of all applied solutions, remaining in the barrel and all gaps, will do the next years.
 

Service Case 		 
Case service is usually ordered separately from the movement service (although often simultaneously). It can also be separately necessary , e.g. if stem or crystal are broken, or if a steamy crystal indicates a failing gasket.

The eminent function of the case is the protection of the movement. Most modern watches have water protecting cases, and who ever doesn't want to care specially for his watch should include replacing all gaskets within a current service, or at least a waterproof test.
    This is no efford for newer watches, but beween difficult and impossible for old watches by these reasons:
New original crowns with gasket may be hard to get, and replacing only the gasket is often no longer promising.
The same applies for pushers of chronographs or calendars.
The sealing surfaces are often corroded, and a new gasket will not help without refinishing the surfaces.
However, for normal use, and the more for occasional use of an old collectors watch, it needs no perfect sealings. Even old but still elastic gaskets are a good protection against dust and splash water. Remember, there were times when water protection was unknown, or at least unusual.

Many watches are also jewelry objects. So there is often demand to restore a case to its original appearance, after long use.
    Many watchmakers don't offer the restoration of cases exceeding minor cosmetical refining. Others expose cases to a polishing machine until they sparkle, and many customers are happy with this destruction of contours, looking like a licked candy.
    If you want the original appearance back, better ask the watchmaker whether he is skilled and equipped to restore cases sufficiently. If the reply doesn't satisfy, better find a specialist for this job.
 

Repairs
 
Even in a watch which is coninuously serviced, it can happen now and then that parts must be repaired or replaced. For watches of certain brands it is impossible to  get parts. Their manufacturers run a restrictive spare part policy, and your watchmaker will get nothing, if he is no authorized dealer of the particular brand. My advice: Don't buy such watches, because competition is disabled, and the client is helplessly comitted to the manufacturer (and his prices).
    Fortunately, for most newer watches it is no problem to get parts. The only drawback may be a certain delay to get a part, because it must be ordered directly from the manufacturer, when it isn't on stock of the wholesaler.
 For old watches often patience is reqired, or money to make a part from scratch. But there are many stocks of old parts spread over the world, and it is almost always possible to get the desired part after some time of requesting it.

Regardless the age of the watch, the costs of a repair asking parts are not predictable. Ask your watchmaker for an estimation, or if you trust him, negotiate a price limit for the job.

Examples are given here.


Where to Bring the Watch
Do It Yourself
The best choice is the local watchmaker, if he has good reputation and acceptabel prices. It is easier to discuss the job face to face than by phone, email, or letter.
    For watches of particular brands you have no choice: You must leave them to an authorized dealer or to the manufacturer, and you can only hope that they do a good job for your money.
    Today service is also offered online, sometimes the only way to an acceptable service. Fortunately Internet fora have simultaneously established, where you can ask others about their experiences. Moreover there is no reason why online watchmakers shouldn't realize the same quality as others. And last not least the less comfortable contact to the repair person and the necessity to ship watches forth and back are often compensated with lower prices.
 A skilled hobbyist can do almost everything on a watch. Often as well as a good watchmaker, but scarcely as efficiently, because a hobbyist doesn't reach the same routine. If you are ready to learn lots about watches and repair techniques, and if time and money are no issue, you can make repairing of watches a nice hobby. But even then it's good to know a friendly watchmaker, who is willing to help now and then.
    But don't believe you can save money: A well equipped workshop is expensive, and watch workshops are filled to the top with watches damaged by unqualified repair attempts.
    Never try to repair something as long as you don't know what's wrong, and how to mend it. Don't join those who sell their repair results on ebay before they finally die.
    Working on watches is a fine hobby, but spoiling watches with unqualified means or reanimation with tons of oil is vadalism.
   

Prices: Crystal Replacement 		 
We apply standard crystals, mostly from Sternkreuz. The supply of original crystals (e.g. signed or printed) is only done on request, and definitely not every original crystal is available, especially for older watches.
    The crystals are mounted according to the original, i.e. poppend in, glued, or pressed in with a gasket. But differing preferences can be met.
     Mineral crystals in waterproof, i.e. rigid cases, are glued with Minecol (UV curing). For plastc crystals and/or less rigid cases, G-S Hypo Cementis is applied  (long term elastical). 		An exception are form crystals: Although purists regard it as sacrileg, even perfectliy fitting crystals are glued. The dial condition of old form watches is usually substantially worse than of round watches. As only the untight crystal can be the reason, I refuse to boost the aging process with the "professional" way of mounting the crystal.
    The same is recommended for pocket watches with metal dial, even if the crystal is perfectly fitting, and the bezel is intact. Old crystals are never really circular, and neither are old pocket watches. So a glued crystal provides better protection of the dial.

Crystal, Material, Shape, Size (in 1/10mm)
 pressed in, EUR incl. crytal price
 glued, EUR incl. crytal price
Plastic round, type N or HW 9.00 -
Plastic round, reinforced or other types
 12.50 -
Plastic form crystal
 not offered (not dust proof)
 19.50
Mineral 1...1.1mm round flat up to 330 12.50 with gasket
 13.50
Mineral round domed up to 365 22.00 with gasket 23.00
Sapphire 0.9 or 1.2mm round flat up to 179 44.00 with gasket 45.00
Sapphire 0.9mm round flat 180...320 30.00 with gasket 31.00
Sapphire 1.4mm round flat 260...320 39.00 with gasket 40.00
Sapphire 0.9 or 1.2mm round flat up to 320
 55.00 with gasket 56.00
Sapphire 0.9 or 1.2mm round flat from 321 78.00 with gasket 79.00
Sapphire 1.3...2.0mm round flat up to 400 108.00 with gasket 109.00
Sapphire 0.9mm round domed 260...290 64.00 with gasket 65.00
Sapphire 0.9mm round domed 291...320 82.00 with gasket 83.00
Mineral open face up to 400 22.00 23.00
Mineral open face from 401 24.00 25.00
Hunter or lentille up to 400 27.00 28.00
Hunter or lentille from 401 29.00 30.00
Mineral patent, verge watches
 15.00 without crystal price
 12.00 without crystal price
Original plastic 6.00 without crystal price 8.00 without crystal price
Original mineral or sapphire 11.00 without crystal price, with gasket 12.00 without crystal price
Original sapphire over 320 (crack risk)
 18.00 without crystal price, with gasket 12.00 without crystal price

 

Prices: Service Case
Only minor services like replacement of crystal (see above), crowns, pushers, gaskets etc. are offered. But repairs and restorations can probably be organized on request to a limited extent.
 There are various jobs refering case (and band), and the list below contains just few examles. Other problems can probably be solved on request, and of course a quotation is given in advance, after investigating the watch.

Subject EUR
Removing and reinserting movement, no work on hands, and dial 5.00
Replacement crown (chrome or gold plated)
 10.00 (together with movement service 6.00)
Replacement gasket of crown or pusher
 10.00 (together with movement service 6.00), +3.00 each ring more
Replacement back gasket
 8.00   (together with movement service 4.00)
Waterproof test
 6.00
Replacement spring bar, stainless steel, standard type 8...24mm
 2.00
Replacement spring bar, stainless steel, special types and dimensions 5.00
 

Prices: Service Movement 		 
Most work to be done on a movement is standardized, as long as no special repair is necessary (which should be requested). The prices below are just reference values. But don't worry, in most cases they are valid. And if ever a movement is terribly to assemble, the watchmaker will give a quotation before beginning his job. The standard service mentioned below includes disassembling. checking all parts, cleaning, assembling, lubricating with synthetic lubricants, adjusting,  removing and inserting the movement, if not else mentioned.
    The need to repair details or replace parts are not predictable before investigating the watch. If ever this happens, the client can still decide how to proceed after receiving a quotation.
 
Subject, Kind of Movement EUR
Standard service pillar movement, only balance and barrel removed
 22.00   archive special offer: 12.00
Standard service manual wind
 42.00   archive special offer: 32.00
Standard service automatic (or modul chronograph excluding modul) 53.00   archive special offer: 43.00
Standard service chronograph manual wind 95.00   archive special offer: 75.00
Standard service chronograph automatic 106.00  archive special offer: 86.00
Additionally for date or day/date assembly
 8.00
Removing and reinserting movement, hands, and dial, three-hand watch
 10.00   archive special offer: 0.00
Removing and reinserting movement, hands, and dial, chronograph 20.00   archive special offer: 0.00
Correction position error, under 60s/day (often necessary if no shock device)
 40.00
Correction position error, under 20s/day (only within standard service) 80.00
Replacement stem, with alignment, without stem
 14.00
Replacement mainspring standard 11.00
Replacement mainspring with slip spring (automatic)
 16.00
Apply luminous matter of hands
 6.00
Apply luminous dots
 15.00
Replacement battery incl. standard cell
 6.00


Shipping Charges 		 
The prices listed above don't include shipping charges.
Shipping for service or repair runs on costs and risk of the client.
 For shipping back to the client, insurance is limited to EUR 3000.00. Dependent on destination the rates below include packaging and insured shipping back to the client.

Destination, Insured Value, EUR
 Shipping Carge, EUR
Germany, up to 500.00
 7.00
Germany, additionally for each 500.00 more, max. 3000.000 5.00
EU and Switzerland, up to 500.00 16.00
EU and Switzerland, additionally for each 500.00 more, max. 3000.000 5.00
worldwide, up to 500.00 50.00
worldwide, additionally for each 500.00 more, max. 3000.000 10.00
bidfun home
...the alternative - free of charge!		 Dr. Roland Ranfft
Im Eichfeld 8
41844 Wegberg-Wildenrath
Germany		 phone +49 (0)2432 491604
fax      +49 (0)2432 491605
email:  info@ranfft.de		 Last update:  07-28-10