Service before storing for long term?

[csaltphoto]

I wouldn't bother servicing it before storage. I bought a watch that had been in storage and it needed a service. Lubricants had dried out. It probably had just sat in the box in the dresser or something. But if it's not running than lubrication is not an issue.

[bp1000]

I’d service it before I gave it to him.

I really think you should wear it in that case, and service it before but that’s just me.

[GMT Aviator]

FWIW i have done this with a lot of my watches. They’ve all been to RSC for service and then retired into the safe.

I wind them up every couple of months to let them run and once a year I’ll probably run them for about 48 hours each on a winder. My thinking is the rotation of the winder might help to redistribute oils inside that have pooled whilst sat on their pillows inside the safe.

You dont need to go to the lengths of acid proof paper. Mine are all stored in a watch box that holds 10 watches and I have a couple of small packs of silica gel thrown in with them.

They all still run just fine with no problems.

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by QuelleHeureEstIl

Thank you all for your comments. I will follow your advices.

You are right: watches (modern or vintage) are not designed to be stored in the same position for so long. Oil will dry and migrate following the gravity. Which could be the cause of bigger issues.
So after leaving the safe, we will have it serviced.

Indeed, no point in servicing it now. I don't believe in preventive servicing when it comes to watches, as opposed to cars.

You could also change the position of the watch and fully wind it every 3 months or so, to mitigate the oil migration.

[karleone]

Absolutely not. Store in a safe. Take it out from time to time and wind the watch. In 10 years if the watch doesn’t run well service it. There is no need to service it today.

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by Dirt

The stickers don't have to be removed.

Opinions will vary but I might be inclined to leave it be if it's being stored as long as you keep a silica gel satchel in the box with it

Won't silica gel accelerate the drying of the oils?

[EEpro]

Originally Posted by alphadweller

Won't silica gel accelerate the drying of the oils?

No, not from inside the watch. In general humidity is the biggest enemy. Next in the list is reactive gasses that aid in oxidizing of metals.

Purged and lightly positive pressurized with nitrogen or other inert gas is the very best reserved for museum pieces.

The cheapest / most practical way to store the watch long term is a bag of desiccant and toss in a bare copper coin in a sealed PVC free acrylic container where no further air can get inside. The copper will purify the air by reacting with the remaining gasses and the desiccant will keep it dry.

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by EEpro

No, not from inside the watch. In general humidity is the biggest enemy. Next in the list is reactive gasses that aid in oxidizing of metals.

Purged and lightly positive pressurized with nitrogen or other inert gas is the very best reserved for museum pieces.

The cheapest / most practical way to store the watch long term is a bag of desiccant and toss in a bare copper coin in a sealed PVC free acrylic container where no further air can get inside. The copper will purify the air by reacting with the remaining gasses and the desiccant will keep it dry.

Great stuff , thanks!

[Sgooter]

If it ain't broke now, don't fix it. Store it well, then relax. Then, give yourself enough lead time as year 10 approaches - so that you can take it out of storage, assess its condition, and allow 2-3 months to send it to an RSC ahead of when you intend to gift it to your son.
I bet you've already figured this out.

[MAINEZX10]

Originally Posted by QuelleHeureEstIl

I bought a watch from Watchfinder which I will store in a safe and give it as a present in about 10 years. This watch has stickers.

I see advantages to have it serviced now by a Rolex Service Center but it may also be overkill.

Pros:
- fix minor issue that could degrade during long storage (water, etc)
- assess the watch (fake, stolen, etc)
- provide a "trace" like invoice, etc
- got back to watchfinder if there is an issue

Cons:
- stickers will have to be removed
- price
- may be useless

Would you simply put it in the safe now or would you service it to a RSC? Thanks.

You will be fine

[214270Explorer]

Originally Posted by Tzachi

The modern oil used in watches is synthetic. It’s has a certain life span (4-5years avg). That’s one of the major reasons modern Rolex needs service more frequent then the older ones.

It doesn’t make sense to service and store, Bette service it when it goes out of storage and you start using it.

I am a Mechanical Engineer and your concept of lubricants is TOTALLY erroneous.
Modern space-age lubricants FAR outlast and out-perform the older ones.
Modern lubricants are more durable, much more stable, migrate less, and tolerate wider temperature ranges, just to name a few of their benefits.
This is one of the reasons why manufacturers today are able to offer far longer warranties than in past years.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

I am a Mechanical Engineer and your concept of lubricants is TOTALLY erroneous.
Modern space-age lubricants FAR outlast and out-perform the older ones.
Modern lubricants are more durable, much more stable, migrate less, and tolerate wider temperature ranges, just to name a few of their benefits.
This is one of the reasons why manufacturers today are able to offer far longer warranties than in past years.

It depends on the formulation of the lube and how well it's blended.
There are still some instances where a mineral oil can be more beneficial or better suited to an application and more cost effective

It has been my experience through extensive oil analysis across a wide range of applications that current synthetic lubes are fantastic, right up to a point where they more or less fall off a cliff, where as older lube technology will likely decline steadily but still be fit for purpose.
It depends upon the application and how it's managed

Personally, I'm not too concerned about the cost base associated with watch maintenance and would prefer to have a scenario where the watch is giving me some indication that a service may be required. If it's a lube related issue and the timekeeping is steadily declining in an otherwise mechanically sound watch which hasn't been damaged. I regard it more or less as a forcing function and when a reasonable threshold has been reached(as determined by me) the watch will be serviced regardless of the time period which usually coincides with the seals probably needing to be replaced in a timely manner anyway in my application.
Naturally it's a balancing act which is balancing a wide range of priorities which is entirely up to the individual but I try not to be immersed in making sweeping generalisations around the exalted synthetic lube thing.
Having said that, I do have some machinery which absolutely requires a particular spec of lube which can only be met by a synthetic lube, or they will ultimately lunch themselves when used in normal applications, let alone at the extreme end of the spectrum which requires a much shorter service interval.
I don't necessarily consider a watch movement to be in that category