How do i know my watch needs maintenance?! 😳

[@johnallen8146]

Finally some reliable expert information (not just opinion) on the murky topic of maintenance; thanks 😊

[@ЖИЗНЬВЛЮКСЕ]

what beer he drink? stout?

[@michaelpolyakov9579]

@@ЖИЗНЬВЛЮКСЕ I think it is espresso. That glass is too small for a beer.

[@davidcrandall4958]

Thanks again!

[@anteneupitra]

@@michaelpolyakov9579 NEXPRESSO WITH MOOSHINE

[@VWatchie]

I asked this exact question to a pro watchmaker working in Switzerland and got the following reply which I found very useful: "If you can see the oiling in the balance jewels and it looks good, and the watch is running fine and winding correctly with the automatic, just keep wearing it until the oil looks like it has depleted somewhat, amplitude starts to drop, or the rotor starts spinning when you handwind (sign the reversers need servicing). If a watch has been properly cleaned and serviced to ETA factory spec it really should run 10 years without issue."

[@69fastfurious]

Woowww ! Actually when you mention when manual winding an ETA 2824-2 how many times its best 30 turns or 20 ? Got 2 when I give around 30 turns the rotor stars rotate 😳 I’ve asked the seller it said it’s no problem 😳 now I’m confused!!!

[@31hallite]

​@69fastfurious it is a problem the reversers need looking at. My Tissot is in for repair now.

[@tomhohum4275]

My grandfather was director of the oil research laboratory at Hamilton in the 1940’s. Wish I knew more about his work

[@ЖИЗНЬВЛЮКСЕ]

wow

[@mohammadfaisal6604]

The following are the key takeaways from this video: * The goal of watch maintenance is to reduce the friction of the movement of the watch. * Over the past 15 years, mineral lubricating oils have been replaced by synthetic oils. This means, oil is less likely to degrade over time and less likely to cause friction in the moving parts. * Watches that are not running = no wear and tear in the movement. Watches that are kept aside and not worn regularly are less likely to degrade. * Activity level of the person wearing the watch is important. An office person's watch will be different from a cyclist, even if they wear the same watch. * As a rule of thumb, it is better to get watch checked by a watchmaker every year or two years. * When talking to the watchmaker, the main thing to ask for is the Amplitude of the movement. It should be in the range of 230-300. * Deviation in time is not the indicator of watch needing maintenance. * Lubrication is the key.

[@michaelriera6277]

Thank you for the very useful overview.

[@justmeeagainn]

Did you think people are too stupid to figure this out themselves?

[@Sumerdini]

Thx a lot ❤

[@user-wl163i8qq3t]

I wear my watch everyday and everywhere, but every 6 to 7 years it will get revised by Watchmaker. The Watch is almost 30 Years old but very accurate and fine.

[@arisaga822]

My man over here just saved me a lot of worrying and money. Much gratitude

[@adfpv1153]

Often thought that the five year recommendation was based on old natural oils 🤔 thanks for the clarity Kalle.

[@haping1]

Amplitude is everything 👍

[@michaelriera6277]

Best explanation on when to complete maintenance!

[@chourasiaamarjeet]

Such a beautiful explanation. Kudos from INDIA.

[@bpstationerybpstationery3667]

❤ I love your channel. Great explanation....Too much caffeine can make you High & Happy 😊.

[@jasongennero2080]

In America it’s very hard to find a watch maker that will actually service your watch, especially in low populated areas. They only change batteries and the whole movement out if it’s a generic off the shelf movement, and if it isn’t they won’t want to deal with it. I can do that myself and have done so successfully many times. I need an affordable watch maker to service my sentimental pieces whether they have a version of an eta 2824-2 or generic off the shelf movement or not.

[@JebusCripes]

Thank you for this informative video! As I know nothing about watches and I'm just getting into watchmaking/collecting this has helped me a lot!

[@amphibiousone7972]

Nice guidepost video.

[@charlesdavis7940]

Thank you for answering an important question I’ve been struggling to find a good answer to. 👍

[@rossjackson3670]

Information as it should be. You treat people the way you would like to be treated. The philosophy shows.

[@zackackerman3180]

Thank you Kalle for your guidance

[@barworksgucsa8874]

Hello Kalle How did they know in the old days if the watch is accurate ? What was the reference ? In the 1800s or so ?

[@bls1802]

Excellent advice as usual Kalle. Thank you so much.

[@kjeldpedersen666]

Very serious and honest expert advice, thank you. I have a collection of 10 watches, some getting more wrist time than others. With you information about the capabilities of modern synthetic oils you just freed me from worrying too much about the watches I don’t use that much😊

[@johnrieley1404]

Fantastic guidance. I enjoy my mechanical AND my quartz.

[@gregoryvalsesia2735]

I've bought a chinese timegrapher in this purpose! I check the amplitude on all my watches regularly, you just have to be careful with settings and have to know your lift angle value for your watch (easy find nowadays on internet) I've bought a Weishi 1900.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Thanks, Kalle. I read that the good thing about the new synthetic oils is that they do evaporate over time instead of getting gunky and nasty like the old natural oils would get. I guess that the question is how long it takes before the oils have evaporated to the point that the watch needs to be serviced and reoiled.

[@TyphonLeTitan]

You'll have your answer when you'll see that your amplitude is droping mate 😂

[@inlandwatchreviews5745]

I bought a Tudor Hydronaut 89190 that started to loose or gain 5 minutes per day.I took it to my watchmaker and he discovered a broken main spring. I had the watch serviced and it returned to normal operation. I think I need a timegrapher to check amplitude, I have 8 watches and need to keep track of this.

[@steve1811uk]

More probably a magnetised hairspring

[@cunawarit]

This is really interesting. I recently bought a double watch winder, and I think I will stop using it. Also, I have a vintage 70s quartz Omega that I service and love. I'd like to know when a quartz needs maintenance.

[@TheBimmer74]

Great topic and excellent explanation! When I got into watch collecting, I bought my own Timegrapher, and I can check the health of all my mechanical watches. I also bought 6 watch winders but have since decided these are unnecessary, so I'm selling all but one. I love your passion and enthusiasm for watch making, craftsmanship and repair. Great channel!

[@GrumblingForesight]

This is a HUGE top tip and it makes perfect sense! Thank you for sharing this 🙏

[@thetattedpharmacist3215]

Legend! Thank you for your awesome, informative content! ❤

[@anteneupitra]

How do i know my watch needs maintenance?! WHEN YOUR BOSS SAYS YOUR LATE...

[@josevasquez1781]

I've stop worrying to much years back, I did away with watch winders of any kind and have lots of watches from 4K to 40K I just enjoy them all. The way I handle, wear, clean and store my watches is the same with care. Glashutte Original, Rolex, Girard Perregaux, GS, Blancpain, Breitling, VC, etc make excellent manufactured movements that last many years with care.

[@simonthomas5113]

I have a small collection of mechanicals (9) but I always guessed the "wear" was spread out between them because I always use just the one wrist. Professional servicing would only be cost effective for one of them, but I'd do it or the one and it would be worth it.

[@mercuriall2810]

Excellent video, thank you Kalle! It is impossible to cover everything in a short space of time, but one further detail for the people who use antique wristwatches with no water resistance and those who still carry a pocket watch follows. Modern and most vintage watches have or had a degree of resistance to the ingress of water and dust. This is often not true of some antique wristwatches, small pocket watches that had lugs added to create a wristwatch and pocket watches. These watches do need more frequent servicing due to the impact of dust and potentially moisture getting on to the movement.

[@andrejensen7837]

Is it possible to know if a Rolex Oysterquartz needs maintenence without disassemble it ?.

[@richardsinclair9449]

With a hand wind watch if it starts with 12 winds it is good to go..... With an automatic watch if it starts with ten hand revolutions then it is good...... if you have to shake or bang the watch to start, get it to the watchmaker......

[@Sportvent]

Well stated and explained. Thank you.

[@celinecicoria84]

Thank you to share this information !!

[@igorr2d2]

Honest guy, nice!

[@tomholloway7566]

Thank you again Kalle, as always very informative and educational 👍

[@LouLor8681]

Very informative, thank you. However, the balance wheel in my Longines calibre l687.5 appears to have an excursion well above 360. Have I understood correctly?

[@astifcaulkinyeras]

So if I buy 10 new watches at age 50 and swap them out daily then I likely won't have to service any of them before I die?

[@mummymonkey]

I would have thought water resistance would also be a factor in service intervals. If that's a consideration I'd err on the side of caution and go with the manufacturer's recommendation.

[@tryura]

It's easy to see the balance amplitude without special equipment by filming the movement through the slow motion mode of the phone (that is, if the caseback is transparent, otherwise you have to remove it of course).

[@michaelriera6277]

But a novice wouldn’t know what a good amplitude looks like.

[@AlonAbraham1]

Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom and knowledge. Appreciate it very much. 🎉

[@steveblake8766]

Thank you for this video. I learned so much about if my watches need servicing. Now off to buy a timegrapher....:)

[@brittcave8447]

And a demagnetizer😊.

[@wayneholmes637]

Especially a demagnetiser. After flying to Phnom Penh one time my watch was badly magnetised. So I went to every watch shop I could find and from dozens only 2 (two!) even understood what magnetism is. I even took a compass with me to show them. Those were a really expensive boutique who could only send the watch to Singapore to get it fixed and the official Longines boutique who had a demagnetiser but basically told to to f**k off because it wasn't a Longines although it was a watch with an ETA movement which like Longines is part of the Swatch group. All they had to do was put it unopened on the machine and press a button! Needless to say my plans to buy an automatic Hydro Conquest there were binned...

[@NewBlackYork]

I love your videos because of the amount of useful information. Just subscribed please keep up the good work 👌👍

[@michaelpolyakov9579]

Hi Kelle. As always very good info. Thank you. I've heard from a watchmaker in Russia (Russian watch KZbin Channel) that new synthetic oils tend to evaporate after a while, leaving that watch dry, thus increasing the wear on the metallic parts. The older mineral oils tend to gum up the movement, so it just stops working and thus prevents the parts from wearing out. So, although the maintenance period for a watch lubricated with mineral oil is much shorter, it may be beneficial for the watch in the long run. What do you think?

[@watchmakerspecial516]

That is correct, I see more wear and tear on modern watches such as Omega and Rolex than I see on vintage watches. Vintage watches seem to be in good condition on parts and that's because of mineral oil and mineral oil gums up and stop the watch from running, basically, it saves the watch from damage, but many watch owners toss it in the drawer and forget it about for many years until we service it and yet runs perfectly once we service it. Modern watches especially like Rolex, have to replace the balance wheel due to wear and tear because of a lack of synthetic oil, which has dried up for years.

[@michaelpolyakov9579]

@@watchmakerspecial516 Thank you for useful information.

[@eliotsalandybrown]

🤩Thank you for sharing your experience-based perspective with us 🙏 Very helpful video 🎉

[@carminecupani2315]

You are a great knowledgeable guy.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

I have a Pepsi seiko 5 which is 8 years old I never wear that much because I have a lot of watches but it is one of the only watches I can see it in the dark because of the great luminescence but over the last month I decided to keep it running with the seiko shuffle twice a day and wearing a few days it is running very accurate it almost spot on over the last two weeks after adjusting it slightly which is surprise me

[@wildernessofzinn17]

I was working on an old 1951 Bulova "HIs Excellency" (yes, that was the model name) once, and it had sawdust in the movement. What's some of the strangest things folks out there have found in the movement?. That would be a fun video topic :)

[@agradeleas]

if you look in old textbooks, they say to use wood dust to dry the parts after cleaning

[@brittcave8447]

Extra screws not from the watch on my bench!

[@MichaelMitchell-vk9lk]

Great explanation,thank you Kalle

[@wayneholmes637]

I only have 2 automatics left, a CWC Diver with a 2824-2 (with calender parts removed) running at -1.5sec/day and a Tissot Automatics iii with a 2836-2 running at -0.5sec/day. Pretty good for 5 year old standard ETA movements. The amplitude on the CWC is about 245 and on the Tissot about 250 (after a day of wearing). So I'm guessing they are still good for a couple of years before needing a service.

[@deniss1473]

Thank you!👍

[@simonclegg5301]

Thanks for your wise words.

[@1999zrx1100]

Thank You from 🇨🇦🙏

[@DarthGem1]

Absolutely appreciate your advice and information you share on the channel! And if any of my watches need attention, ik weet precies naar welke horlogemaker ik moet gaan...👍

[@anteneupitra]

how do i enjoy a mechnical watch?? or a quartz watch?

[@Louen_Leoncoeur]

Excellent, but excellent information... And thanks again kalle... ❤️❤️

[@boydsargeant7496]

Thanks Kalle, as always, great content said in an easy to understand way!

[@chuknorth]

So helpful. Thanks so much for your efforts.

[@mikebruegger8654]

Nicely said....

[@JohnM-c5f]

Your videos have been really helpful in my adventure into this as a hobby, thank you. I was wondering if you could have a discussion on why we have all these 7 jewel movements in the US from the 1960’s and 70’s? Seems like a shame to ruin perfectly good movements with all these metal bushings including the pallet pivot?! LORSA 238 in a Waltham I just had to have.

[@gunner678]

Great video. I have a Brietling crosswind 1992. I have thought about changing it but the newer ones don't hold the same charm for me. I wear it every day, but your tip on an annual amplitude test is a really good one.

[@farzaadkatrak9823]

Good evening Sir, I am from Sydney Australia, I see your videos often , the thing is I have TAG Heuer automatic Cal 16 , chronograph , if I wear the watch it works fine but during the night when I keep the watch aside , in the morning it has stopped after 2-3 hours ?, does it mean it needs a service ?

[@ramoverde4133]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! 😎👍

[@manoloramireza]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us ⌚

[@fieryspy6414]

Can you guys do a orient bambino teardown. Never seen one.

[@andycandyOK]

great video, very informative, thanks!

[@dtchua]

Hello Kalle.. I've just recently discovered your videos and am enjoying them very much. Keep it up please. May I ask if it is okay to keep my mechanical & quartz watches inside a dry box (where I keep my camera equipment)? Will the dry box dry the oil inside the watches? Or should I just keep my watches inside a drawer? Thank you in advance for your response.

[@Tonino_O]

Kalle thank you sooo much for sharing your knowledge, every upload gets better and better

[@gigiurse3798]

Each of your post is a small training. Please send the invoice for this 😀

[@Shpeil]

Great timing! (Excuse the pun.) I just had my 7 year old NOMOS on my timegrapher app this morning and considering whether it was time to send it in for a service. I am better informed now!

[@NariTheMan]

Very informative. Thanks!

[@bluejay4069]

Great video! Subscribed

[@hectorfigueredo6613]

Gracias por tu vídeo 👍🇨🇴🕓🇪🇸👍

[@JeanPaulvanRijswijk]

And all the time you didn’t drink your coffee, what a dedication 🎉

[@deni2s]

Probably Irish coffee... ;)

[@watchwhisper]

Thank you for video

[@mastermikewatches]

Great video and spot on with respect to the maintenance. With my Rollies I now use synthetic for sure, my last watchmaker he was old school and used the coded oils with the 5-7 year rule. In Canada I was paying $700 for a rebuild on my 3135's before I learned the craft myself. With my Seiko's not to worried about it due to the low cost to repair/replace a movement. Like the videos and Cheers! After thought question: A Rolex rep was saying when you take the watch off to place it on it's side and on the crown...I think it was mostly to prevent case scratches. What do you think about this statement?

[@Rakonjack]

hi buddy… am new to your channel. i want to say that i really enjoy your videos, you are very funny and entertaining at the same time…. thank you for educating me, am big lover of mechanical watches…. keep up with great work! and yes…. cheers 💪

[@michaelkilbride2927]

Thank you for that valuable information

[@joseraulbuarquecosta3994]

Dear Kalle, excellent topic, I was very curious about that, thanks for clarifying it. cheers from Brasil, I will visit you some day with one or two of my good watches for maintenance.

[@Daud76]

After my father passed away, I inherited his 1964 pre moon Omega Speedmaster. I have no idea when he last had it serviced, but it is keeping really good time to this day. Granted, he did not wear it often and much preferred digital when his eyesight got progressively weaker.

[@ChronoglideWatchmaking]

Lovely that his memory stays alive around your wrist.

[@Daud76]

@@ChronoglideWatchmaking Thank you so much. 😊

[@ClickSpringReview]

Very true 👍🏻 but unfortunately I get watches in where some old boy who serivced it last is still using D5 as thats what they have always used

[@erikblicherstasiak2803]

Nice video again Kalle with knowledgeable and good info, it definitely brings the mind at ease about when to service a watch 😊

[@AddFilmmedia]

”Don’t Panic!’ 😀

[@LM74-o7y]

Great information, thanks for sharing

[@johnpeters7003]

What about value of the watch. If you have records of servicing does that add to the value of a watch? Much like have a service history of your car when you come to sell it? Most of my vintage watches would be turned away as not worth servicing (servicing would cost more than the watch is worth). This is what got me into doing my own watch repair/servicing.

[@Erwinhooi]

Great and interesting video, thanks! Never thought about amplitude as a measurement for maintenance, indeed thought the measurement was time accuracy!

[@askari_jones]

Really informative, big thanks!

[@spikew8673]

280 degrees is good for a watch at full wound(usually dial-up)

[@thejupiter2]

He's right about the oil, and he's right. A watch left in a draw is not wearing out. Congratulations, take a bow . Assuming you purchased your watch in the last ten or so years, the only real indicator there may be a problem is in its timekeeping. If your watch is newish, keeping good time but the amplitude is high, then so what? A small defect in a watch is not the same as a defect in a car engine. It may only take a few hundred miles before an engine blows up, but it would take years for a small defect in a watch to become a problem because of the tiny forces involved.

[@tomlopez9385]

Great educational video. What would you say is the dry out time for synthetic lubricants? So that a watch owner will have an idea when to bring in a shelf queen.

[@borassictime918]

Cheers Kalle. Extending the comparison between amplitude and timekeeping, it would be interesting understand why different movements have different lift angles, what a lift angle is, why it matters knowing the lift angle when measuring amplitude. Tot gauw!

[@OscarOSullivan]

Calibre corner is a useful guide for lift angle for different calibres

[@Sumerdini]

Is there a list for the ideal amplitudes of the movements❓

[@pisotones2348]

Some years ago, back in 2018, I sent my dad's gorgeous 1954 gold Omega (calibre 266) for maintenance and the watchmaker handed me a small strip of paper with the output from the timegrapher: 001s per day (later on the same paper, -003s per day) beat error 0.9ms amplitude 312 deg. quite straight and horizontal double lines of dots. 18000 beats some other data I do not recognize: SEL 2 52 (upperscript line)2 on Should I be concerned with such a great amplitude?

[@ChronoglideWatchmaking]

As long as it is not running fast you are okay.

[@pisotones2348]

@@ChronoglideWatchmaking Thanks, Kalle! 👍

[@andrewallen9993]

If it's a Vostok 2209 it will be 40 years old. You will however need to regulate it ( something you can do yourself) about once a year to keep it accurate to Vostok standards)

[@Bob.martens]

My most accurate watches are those with the highest amplitude.

[@sjb_laverda4600]

Excellent vid - thank you - My Omega calbre 8800 had to go back to their service centre when it started to lose time - although it was fixed they couldn't/wouldn't tell me what the problem was nor give me any data from their timegrapher! Does the co-axial escapement alter what a 'good' amplitude should be?

[@Bob.martens]

I just know. I ignore the feeling.

[@drbobsnightmare2521]

Thank you Kalle. Sometimes I worry about watch magnetism in a modern watch. Can you offer any relief there?

[@wayneholmes637]

I had big problems with my automatics getting magnetised by airport security (many people say it can't happen but my watches say different). Now when flying I take one of those small, cheap blue demagnetisers with me. Especially long distance travel with a couple of transit stops and security scans every time really messed things up but now when I arrive it only takes a minute to fix.

[@jfdomega7938]

@@wayneholmes637 you are 100% correct all those X-ray machines have powerful magnets in them, can't imagine why people would think otherwise!