Where to have a watch serviced?

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My dad gave me an old Seiko diver from the 70's that his dad gave him for his birthday to dive with. My dad has kept it all these years but it's never been serviced. This one works but it's seen better days. If like to get it in wearable condition but I've never had a watch serviced and have no idea where to go. I would hate to send it to a place that destroys it. Apparently it's a pretty popular model that wasn't sold all that long and parts can be hard to come by. I don't want a full on restoration, just in condition to wear occasionally. Anybody know any good places that know how to work on a vintage Seiko automatic?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by zfasts03
I would go to Seiko's website and see a list of certified repair/service facilities.
For a vintage watch that could be a 6105 or something with real value? No way, Jose!
 
Sent my 52 year old Omega to the factory facility in NY state after going to a well reccomended local who replaced the original crystal with an aftermarket one without asking ans threw away the original. It no longer kept time also. After factory service it`s been keeping time. It`s a self winder that only gets worn on special occaisions now.
 
I have an Orient brand diver's watch, a "King Diver", from the '70s. It's a large watch, probably similar to your Seiko. I bought it new in 1971 for $40. That was a lot of money at the time.

I had it cleaned regularly for many years (about every 3 years or so) at significant cost just to keep it running but it really didn't keep time all that well. After 15 years or so of ongoing expense I stopped wearing it and now just keep it in a drawer. It's nice to look at but it's not very practical.

In the first few years of ownership, pretty much every jeweller/watchmaker could clean and service an automatic watch but that all changed as Quartz watches became the norm. In later years I had a master watchmaker (an authorized repair agent for Rolex watches) service it.

I now have a Victorinox quartz watch of a similar size that looks somewhat similar, keeps much better time, and only needs a new battery every 4 years or so.

My last Victorinox watch lasted about 30 years. It eventually stopped and has since been messed about by a local watchmaker and is no longer waterproof, so I use it on days when I might damage my watch. I could get my Master Watchmaker to have a go at it but I don't think I'll bother.

Having said that, one of my professors bought a Rolex in the middle east in the 1950s that ran without any maintenance at all until the early 1990s. It finally stopped and as he said, "Cost more to service than he had paid for it in the first place." The watchmaker was pretty clear that if he had had it cleaned and serviced somewhere along the line it wouldn't have needed repairs.
 
The jeweler we used for our wedding rings serviced watches. Perhaps you have something similar in your area?
 
Check this web site:
https://www.seikoserviceusa.com/repairorders/howtorepair/


The SEIKO Service Center provides repair services on Seiko, Grand Seiko, Pulsar, and Lassale branded products.
Please know that the SEIKO Service Center is the only service facility in the United States authorized by SEIKO Watch of America LLC to service these products,
and all work performed carries either a six or twelve month guarantee.
 
The Seiko service center (In NJ, I think) replaced the crystal on my nearly 20 year old Seiko. If anyone can do it properly, it's them.
 
I too have sent Seiko watches back to Seiko in NJ(or in Canada, send to Toronto) and they did indeed do a wonderful job. Overall, it takes about 2 months from the time you send it to them till you get it back(paying shipping both ways).

Most jewlers in my area said that they would send it back to Seiko anyway so, you might as well save the few bucks and send it there yourself.

Since then, many watches(Seiko or otherwise), I have polished & cleaned up myself and installed new crystals and there are a ton of Youtube videos on how to do many watch repairs. I don't work on the movement myself.
 
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Originally Posted by shanneba
Check this web site:
https://www.seikoserviceusa.com/repairorders/howtorepair/


The SEIKO Service Center provides repair services on Seiko, Grand Seiko, Pulsar, and Lassale branded products.
Please know that the SEIKO Service Center is the only service facility in the United States authorized by SEIKO Watch of America LLC to service these products,
and all work performed carries either a six or twelve month guarantee.



They buggered my Grand Seiko High Beat 2X and it was not a cheap repair, ditto Bulova service center in NY with an old Bulova, their so called factory service couldn't even do a decent job with crown and stem tube on an old and rare and otherwise pristine Bulova Swiss automatic.
 
Is the local jewelers not qualified or good enough to do what is needed? Actual jewelry/gold store
They likely advertise "watch repair" and if the person has been around awhile then should know exactly.
 
Originally Posted by ecotourist
I have an Orient brand diver's watch, a "King Diver", from the '70s. It's a large watch, probably similar to your Seiko. I bought it new in 1971 for $40. That was a lot of money at the time.

I had it cleaned regularly for many years (about every 3 years or so) at significant cost just to keep it running but it really didn't keep time all that well. After 15 years or so of ongoing expense I stopped wearing it and now just keep it in a drawer. It's nice to look at but it's not very practical.

In the first few years of ownership, pretty much every jeweller/watchmaker could clean and service an automatic watch but that all changed as Quartz watches became the norm. In later years I had a master watchmaker (an authorized repair agent for Rolex watches) service it.

I now have a Victorinox quartz watch of a similar size that looks somewhat similar, keeps much better time, and only needs a new battery every 4 years or so.

My last Victorinox watch lasted about 30 years. It eventually stopped and has since been messed about by a local watchmaker and is no longer waterproof, so I use it on days when I might damage my watch. I could get my Master Watchmaker to have a go at it but I don't think I'll bother.

Having said that, one of my professors bought a Rolex in the middle east in the 1950s that ran without any maintenance at all until the early 1990s. It finally stopped and as he said, "Cost more to service than he had paid for it in the first place." The watchmaker was pretty clear that if he had had it cleaned and serviced somewhere along the line it wouldn't have needed repairs.

On days I think I might damage a watch I'll either go bare or wear my Casio calculator watch.
 
It looks as though it has the old acrylic crystal and I don't think(because of its design) that mineral or sapphire will replace it...but, could!?
 
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