To see the video for this watch and complete picture, visit the ClockSavant Instagram page and this post.
This watch was serviced by a popular watchmaker a few months ago. The customer brought the watch to me to be serviced again because it stopped running properly. It stayed with the watchmaker 8+ months waiting to be serviced. I will not name the watchmaker. Going through the image/video clockwise, it begins showing improper cleaning, with a cleaning/rinse residue still on the watch. Next, we see the hairspring full of rust and dirt. If a hairspring is cleaned and not properly dried, it can rust in a heartbeat and hold dirt. Next, you see a filthy mainspring barrel— the same thing that I point-out frequently in other posts. Apparently “servicing” didn’t include cleaning the mainspring and barrel- absolutely poor practice and dangerous to the watch. A real timesaver though for the watchmaker. Finally, we see a textbook example of improper oiling— far too much oil (the oil sink is filled and overflowing) and then dripping on the sides. All of this results in a watch that rapidly declines in performance after servicing as the oil drips into the movement, dirt mixes-in, and contaminates the gears and wheels. These shortcuts work to defeat and damage the watch in the long-run. A watchmaker performing work this way makes money easily. It’s much more time-consuming to do the job properly. This kind of poor work can be found in all kinds of watches from luxury to starter— independent of brand, cost, and age. Proper watch servicing provides long-term accuracy, correct functionality, preserves the watch for future generations, preserves the value of the watch, and brings joy and satisfaction to the owner. The owner knows that, as they look at their watch and appreciate its beauty, it also performs its original function and will keep them on-time.
