Last updated on August 16th, 2025 at 07:50 am
Have you recently acquired a vintage or antique mechanical watch? Perhaps you’ve inherited a classic timepiece passed down through generations, or you’ve begun building a personal collection of vintage watches for their beauty, history, and craftsmanship. As interest in vintage watch collecting grows, so does the importance of proper care and maintenance. One of the most common questions among collectors and enthusiasts is whether regular vintage watch servicing is necessary. Should you keep your vintage watch regularly serviced—and how do the costs compare to the long-term value?
Value: What is means
When evaluating whether to invest in vintage watch servicing or repair, it’s important to consider both monetary and sentimental value. If your timepiece is a collectible example likely to appreciate—perhaps due to its brand, rarity, or recognized historical significance—then the cost of professional vintage watch restoration can make financial sense. Even if it’s not a high-end collectible, a fine-quality mechanical watch may still warrant service to preserve its craftsmanship and operational integrity.
On the other hand, watches that carry deep sentimental value—such as family heirlooms or pieces passed down through generations—deserve expert antique watch care regardless of resale value. The key factor is whether you plan to wear the watch or simply display it. If it’s just for display, you may not need to invest in a full service—just be sure to store it in a temperature-controlled, low-humidity environment to preserve its condition. In either scenario, a reputable watchmaker, can help accurately assess your watch’s needs, provide detailed insights, and deliver trusted vintage mechanical watch repair.
The Mechanics of a Vintage Watch
(This applies specifically to a mechanical watch that needs to be wound up, not a battery-operated quartz watch). Mechanical watches obtain power from a wound-up steel spring. When wound and running this spring exerts a relatively large amount of sideways pressure to the pivots on a series of gears (called the power train). As it runs these pivots are subject to friction and wear if not kept lubricated. Even if the works (known as the movement) looks clean and runs fine, the oil and grease evaporates and thickens over the course of several years even if the watch has not been wound. If the watch is run in this state, this increased friction will wear heavily on the pivots and jewels and eventually require costly repairs. Pieces with added complications such as calendars, automatic modules, and chronograph functions contain numerous moving parts that are wearing down with daily use.
The Problem of Parts
A regularly serviced watch can last for many many years. But if one adopts the “wait until the watch stops” philosophy, then the parts will start wearing out. The number of remaining factory parts for vintage watches is finite, and the cost to replace these parts will only increase. So the longer you wait to service your watch, the higher the cost will be. It may even become impractical to repair a heavily worn-out watch. Here is a good article on this particular issue with Rolex watches.
So what’s the verdict?
If you’ve determined that your watch holds monetary value it’s important to have it serviced regularly. If your vintage watch holds sentimental value and you plan to wear it regularly, servicing is essential to ensure its reliability and preserve its condition over time. See What is involved in servicing a Watch for more information. I have had many watches come through my shop that have been neglected, and the inevitable costly repair could have been avoided if the watch was cared for. Conversely, I have seen many watches that are 150 years that have been well cared for and that look and operate almost like new.
So if you do have a timepiece that is valuable (or valuable to you) then it is worth it to keep it serviced. If you would like to initiate the repair of your vintage timepiece, be sure to visit getting started. For additional information on watches we work on please visit these pages: Vintage Rolex repair, Vintage Breitling repair, Vintage Omega repair, and Vintage Heuer repair.
