Yes but a cheap watch is probably not worth servicing if it costs as much to service as to buy new. Nobody fixed cheap watches 50 years ago. Only the good ones got serviced. And anyone who lets a valuable watch run for 40 years without service should be giving their head a shake if you ask me.

 

A watch can last a lifetime.

I did see an article about a Rolex Datejust that hadn't been serviced in 29 years that still kept almost perfect time. For the life of me I can't seem to find the article at the moment.

 

If "service" means to replace all cheap parts as they inevitably break, then sure. But, by that logic, anything will last forever with proper maintenance and repair. I don't think anyone is really interpreting longevity-based marketing to mean that the watch might break constantly but it's fine as long as you keep repairing it. And, there are definitely plenty of watches whose parts will not last 40 years of steady use without repair.

 

My wife's Omega windup is 30 years old and got a lot of use. It has been serviced 4 times at least and right now is DOA in her jewel box because you can't get parts from Omega any longer. This was not a cheap watch.
My wife is still going strong after 40 years so I guess she is a better model than the Omega.

 

The old watches we see today are the ones that were not thrown out due to expensive movement failures. Say, the top 1 % of the production.
It is the same with houses. The ones we see are the ones that did not fall apart.
Rolex working after a couple of decades? Yes, but has it been in use all the time?

A movement is a mechanical machine. As all mehanical machines they wear, specially if the lubrication fails.

..

 

^ +1

In my collection is a WWII military Rolex which my (late) father purchased from PX as an Officer some seven (7) decades ago, with its waterproof (WR) Oyster case and crown (and shock-resistance of course), dragged through the war and back, and still going strong after all these decades: accurate. Same with respect to others, including numerous Tudors (by Rolex) from the 50s which I likewise inherited, likewise Oyster cases and crowns and which look and run like new, keeping good time as if they just rolled out of the Rolex-Tudor factory yesterday. Not cheap either, and all are worth many times their value than when first bought new (not a Rolex MilSub or "James Bond" Submariner in terms of investment value, but still collectible not to mention not only the heirloom but also historical value: that Skyrocket for e.g. went to war on the wrist of a war vet, and lived to tell the tale along of course with the time, and still does .

They are serviced, and my watchmaker has no problem finding parts, even although Rolex itself long since stopped servicing i.e. WWII pieces. (That so many survived the war is great don't get me wrong, but also means there's lots out there as it relates to vintage/antique values, especially in the Canadian and British Commonwealth markets that not exactly scarce as that terms relates to antique/vintage market values). On the other hand, and quite apart from the fact that their value does continue to rise (so as to be collectible in their own right, not to mention historical value as said), these watches survived my (late) father, with me now as their keeper and I intend on keeping them in good running order so as to pass them on to the next generation, knowing they'll outlive me as well probably (never really own a fine timepiece, just merely keep it for the next generation I've heard many around here say.

Spend money servicing a cheap watch by contrast? Not worth it, not when parts, etc. outweigh the value of the watch. Same when it comes to cars or anything else for that matter. Eventually, when it comes to mechanical things, everything breaks. Can it be fixed? If parts can be found, yes. Is it worth it? Not if it costs less to replace. (Most consumer goods also have a built-in obselescence like say cheap watches for e.g.

Cheers

 

|> So far, my Lucien Piccard is doing just that.

 

I'm not sure that this really applies to quartz watches. I can't say that I've had one die on me, but my local watchmaker tells me that it has been his experience, over many years of work, for quartz modules to just die around the 25-30-year mark. It's not the mechanical parts that go, but rather the IC--perhaps the soldering or other fastening just disintegrates. I know that some will dispute this and I just know that someone will bring up the vague Seiko assurance about their 9F movements being able to go 50 years between servicings (which is not quite what Seiko claims, but what it has been interpreted as), but it seems to me that the experiences of a seasoned watchmaker should be given some credence.

 

Hmmm, wished I was aging as well as a nice vintage watch; I mean, used to be I'd spring out of bed, take off like a rocket even after a bout of celebrating into the wee hours of the morning. Didn't bother me at all. Now, I find that if pull an all-nighter I uh hit the "snooze" button...er; my wife? She's doing fine (*but, hmmm, come to think about it, she goes to the hair stylist, too, finds it less stressful I think than say trying to work a busy day after trying to pull an all-nighter.* :-d ).

Back to watches (and all fun aside): among other nice vintage watches in my collection of course, the Rolex and Tudors are in rotation, see a lot of wrist time (yes, even though some of those vintage are small by today's standards, I still take them out for a spin). With modern oils being what they are, service intervals can be extended well over that what watchmakers' recommend, whether such watches are vintage or modern (especially when not worn everyday, most true); problem thus being not so much the lubrication but, rather, the seals which over time break down and let water, moisture, etc. in, which is what results in rusting of the movement eventually (and why watches even if not worn still need to be maintained, unless hermetically sealed in an environment controlled vault or something).

Of course, it's also true that many vintage/antique timepieces are terribly allergic to water as well, my Old Breitling Navi for e.g. doesn't like the water much (of course not, was for pilots who don't typically fall from the sky into the drink so maybe not of concern, until that is one goes to wash their hands after lunch. . All fun aside, it's definitely something to keep in mind when into vintage, that's for sure. But even then, see a lot of watches that were not properly maintained over the years out there not to mention those with pitting--there are some individuals whose body chemistry attacks SS for e.g., compromising WR also in turn. Now, to be sure, there are things that "can" be done to repair same if present, such as removing all rust then using an epoxy to fill the pits so that the watch would have proper WR again, etc., all depending of course on the extent of the damage and repair cost, relative to the value of such watch and what a replacement for it would cost. Apart and aside from this, main issue when it comes to servicing vintage watches is the availability of replacement parts (the quid pro quo on that being though that, the fewer of those nice watches available in the vintage/antique market on account of this, the more the value of those nice watches go up, depending of course on the model and condition of the watch--supply and demand, where scarcity becomes a double-edged sword for collectors and admirers of vintage watches in turn). But the real question to ask, I believe, even if one can find such parts is whether it's worth the cost of service and/or repair, regardless whether such watch is "modern" or not. (Heirlooms being an exception, hard to put a value on Grandpa's treasured pocketwatch, but still the issue when it comes to parts, hence such pieces are typically used sparingly in turn).

Meantime, had an 80s Porsche 924Turbo for e.g. that I (stupidly) blew the gaskets on, necessitating an engine rebuild or replacement. As much as I loved that car, there wasn't an uptake in the market for it in terms of resale/collector value and, it's resale value when seen relative to the cost of the repair, made such repair not worth it. Now, if it had been say a 1959 Porsche 356 Carrera GS/GT Speedster or something like that ... (so hard to find one without rust, though. Not to mention a nightmare when it comes to restoration/sourcing parts--in turn, one in good condition, well, it's worth a few bucks. ).

Cheers

 

Any and always statements are rarely true. A good quality watch will likely last a lifetime if you maintain it and are reasonably careful with it.

 

Common movement, lack of or greatly reduced number of complications, popular watch model for many years . . . All are big contributing factors in having a watch last a Lifetime. Along with routine maintenance.