Servicing replicas

[alterego]

Hi: I have about a dozen replicas and some of them are old enough to be in need of adjustment and oiling. I have a watchmaker that reluctantly does the job fior me. Most of the time  he complains that the movements are not good and prone to break down, without much of a chance to find parts for reparing.

So I wonder if I am an exception, trying to have my rep watches serviced, rather than getting rid of them and buying new pieces to keep the collection going ?

[freddy333]

All mechanical watches (devices) need regular cleaning & lubing, so you are not alone. Many watchmakers are willing to work on reps as long as they are not so cheap &/or constructed so poorly that the simple act of decasing may cause problems in & of itself (I would not work on those reps either). It might be helpful to google watchmakers in your area to see if you can find a more rep-friendly watchmaker, or even a backup option in case yours declines to fix a watch. The only other option is to learn the craft yourself, which, long term, is, I believe, the best option (if you want something done right, do it yourself). However, it takes many years of experience/practice, not to mention the investment in equipment & time, so it will not help you in the short term.

[Bertini4u]

Every rep I own has set me back about $350 on the low-end and $600 on the high-end. Every rep I purchase, I get serviced immediately which sets me back another $125 - $175 not including shipping and also depending on the rep. My personal belief (opinion) is if you purchase a rep you should already have someone in mind who will service it. I don't think the Asian movements are bad at all, but for the price you pay for a rep, you can't expect the QC as you would if you purchased a higher-end watch. This is the main reason I believe in getting the watch serviced the moment you get the watch into your possession.

I think if you spent a lot (Relative) on the reps you have, then try to find someone to service them correctly. If not, just purchase some new ones. I'm sure the quality of the versions you have, improved since you made those purchases.

[PeteM]

One of easiest ways to do it with a curmudgeon watchsmith... Is buy new movements from dealers or buy reps with same movement that are cheap or on sale etc... a lot of rep movements are easily bought for little money or reps that are beat up with solid movements in them.. or just pick up non workers for parts..

 

Other way is to decide what are keepers and upgrade movements or get fully serviced by guys who will do the odd one on here or modders..

 

Depending where you are I bet a guy that is happy to deal with reps is only a days post away..

[gasebah]

Usually I don't bother repairing or servicing the movements, but ask the TD for a replacement. These crappy movements are usually not worth repairing. Swapping movements is fairly easy and movements are cheap.

[alterego]

Thank you all for your comments on the topic. I think looking for replacement movements on sale is a good option when wacthmaker is not interested in helping you to fix a chaep one. I have already replaced poor quality movements with  ETA equivalent on a Breitling Navitimer and Rolex 5512. I'll probabl do the same with my older Patek Nautilus and Explorer 1016.   

 

Cheers !!!

 

 

[Nightwatch]

Good decision. A fresh, new and packaged replacement asian movement, assembled in a dust-free environment with due care, is better than buying the rep-watch new and for $90 - $130 (asian ETA) You have the job done, if doing it Yourself. Without sending it away and without needing a huge investment in equipment.