Does a Full Service Truly Restore a Watch's Movement?

Disannex · Apr 25, 2024

Hello fellow watch enthusiasts,

I'm currently contemplating the purchase of a pre-owned 7 year old TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 (2017) from a professionel seller, that has undergone a full service, and I'm eager to gather insights from the community about the restoration process. Specifically, I'm curious about whether a full service genuinely restores a watch's movement to its original condition and whether the performance is comparable to a new watch.

Here are the details of the watch I'm considering:

Watch Details: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 from 2017

Maintenance: Fully serviced by Tag Heuer (450Euros), plus replacement of the sapphire glass(181.50Euros), metal bracelet(302.50Euros), and polishing(79Euros) = 1013Euros. This was done 1 year ago - the watch hasn't been used since.

Price: The seller is asking for 1700 Euros, down from the original listing of 2000 Euros

Condition of Movement: Does a full service truly restore the movement to its original condition? A full service of a watch involves disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, replacing worn parts, reassembling, lubricating, regulating, and testing the timekeeping accuracy of the watch. I'm curious to know if whether the performance of a fully serviced 7-year old watch is comparable to a new watch.

Value Proposition: Considering the maintenance history and age of the watch, do you think 1700 Euros is a reasonable price? Would it be a better decision to spend the same amount on a newer watch from let's say 2022 that has NOT undergone any servicing, maintenance or replacement of sapphire glass, metal bracelet, and polishing as the 7 year old watch has

Effects of Inactivity: Given that this 7-year-old watch was fully serviced a year ago but has not been used since then, what impact does this inactivity have on the watch? I've heard that when a watch is standing still for a long time, it can dry out and potentially require servicing again.

Thank you in advance for your input

abrod520 · Apr 27, 2024

Generally a service does not restore a movement because it doesn't need to be; it just needs to be cleaned, oiled and adjusted with any necessary parts replaced. Similar to how a car goes in for service - it doesn't come out brand new but it comes out in the working order it should.

With factory services like this, it will come out keeping time to the specs that TAG initially targeted when building the watch. It will also have all its case seals replaced and may have new parts like the crystal or crown.

Further, a year of inactivity shouldn't be a problem after a service.

Values... I would recommend doing some research on similar models on eBay, Chrono24 etc

flawless · Apr 27, 2024

A full service should leave a watch functioning as-new, yes. It will include an inspection for worn parts, which will be replaced, and a complete cleaning followed by lubrication. Often, the mainspring is simply replaced during the service regardless of any signs of wear. During the reassembly, the movement will be tested and regulated to ensure it is performing as expected.

Modern synthetic oils should be fine with the watch sitting unused for a year - it may take some time for the oil to settle where it needs to be, and as such you may see an improvement in accuracy in the first few days of regular wear.

Value of the watch is entirely down to the model and you - some watches are no longer available new, so you may be forced to look at the secondhand market. Also, you'll want to look at a few different sellers to gauge the market - taking into account the condition, service history and what is included.

Disannex · Apr 27, 2024

abrod520
Generally a service does not restore a movement because it doesn't need to be; it just needs to be cleaned, oiled and adjusted with any necessary parts replaced. Similar to how a car goes in for service - it doesn't come out brand new but it comes out in the working order it should.

With factory services like this, it will come out keeping time to the specs that TAG initially targeted when building the watch. It will also have all its case seals replaced and may have new parts like the crystal or crown.

Further, a year of inactivity shouldn't be a problem after a service.

Values... I would recommend doing some research on similar models on eBay, Chrono24 etc

flawless
A full service should leave a watch functioning as-new, yes. It will include an inspection for worn parts, which will be replaced, and a complete cleaning followed by lubrication. Often, the mainspring is simply replaced during the service regardless of any signs of wear. During the reassembly, the movement will be tested and regulated to ensure it is performing as expected.

Modern synthetic oils should be fine with the watch sitting unused for a year - it may take some time for the oil to settle where it needs to be, and as such you may see an improvement in accuracy in the first few days of regular wear.

Value of the watch is entirely down to the model and you - some watches are no longer available new, so you may be forced to look at the secondhand market. Also, you'll want to look at a few different sellers to gauge the market - taking into account the condition, service history and what is included.

It is, of course, true that the movement wouldn't be entirely new; that would require literally every part of the movement to be replaced. But the question is, what condition would the movement actually be in, when comparing it with a newer watch? I also have the option to buy the watch from 2022 unserviced with signs of use at the same price. Would a fully serviced 7-year-old watch be in better condition than an 2 year old unserviced watch with signs of wear?

I have been made aware that Tag Heuer may replace the entire movement on this model as it is more cost-effective for them. In that case, the 7-year-old watch, despite its age, would essentially be like new (when also considering the replacement of bracelet and glass and the polishing of case).

But this makes me think that regardless of which watch I choose between the 7 year old full-serviced watch and the 2 year old unserviced watch, the condition of the movement after the next service would be the same, as the movement will be replaced or fully serviced with all worn components replaced... or am I wrong?

Maybe I am overthinking this.