When you purchase a mechanical watch, one of the things you are concerned about is maintenance. Anyone who owns a mechanical watch is concerned about watch repairs, and we often get asked by customers, "Is it best to have an overhaul every three or five years?"
Of course, the intervals for this maintenance will vary depending on the environment and method of use of the watch, but the lubricant applied to the caliber will dry out over time, even if the watch is not being used. If a watch is used with little or no lubricant, the parts may wear out, become scratched by rubbing against each other, or in the worst case, break. Therefore, regular maintenance such as overhauls is definitely necessary, and I think it's a good idea to think of the frequency as about every 5 years.
However, there are watches that have little deviation in the daily rate and good accuracy even if they have not been maintained for over 10 years. If you notice something unusual during daily use (the watch goes ahead or behind by a certain number of minutes per day, the crown is heavy, the rotor makes strange noises, the date does not change smoothly or is out of sync, etc.), it may be a good idea to have it inspected.
Since I mentioned the daily rate (how much it varies per day), I'll give you one opinion. A certain brand's official statement is that a daily rate of about ±30 seconds is within the acceptable range. I think the daily rate difference is a concern, but that's also the charm of a mechanical watch. Because it's an important watch that you want to use for a long time, I hope you'll enjoy it while also taking good care of it.
I've made a long introduction, but this time I would like to introduce the customer centers of the brands listed on the Commit Ginza website's "Men's Brand List". Because this article is long, I will divide it into three parts, and introduce six brands each time, so I hope that it will be useful for managing your beloved equipment.
*All estimated prices include tax.
Maintenance part 1 for 18 brands
①IWC
IWC, which belongs to the Richemont Group, can receive the same maintenance as domestic genuine products even if it is a parallel import, as long as the watch itself is genuine. In addition, you can rest assured that a repair warranty is provided for two years after the overhaul.
Currently, if you register a watch that is still within the international warranty period on MyIWC, the usual two-year international warranty will be extended to eight years, so if you purchased your watch from an authorized retailer, we recommend that you register.
[Contact] Richemont Japan Co., Ltd. Technical Service [Telephone] 03-5639-7241 [Address] MSC Fukagawa Building No. 2, 2-9-8 Saga, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0031
[Overhaul basic fee]
・3-hand model \56,160~
・Chronograph model \69,120~
・Hand-wound model \92,880~
・Automatic winding model \92,880~
・Moon phase model \79,920~
・Perpetual calendar model: from 159,840 yen
・Grand Complication Models: from 287,280 yen
*Additional charges may apply depending on the model, functions, part replacement, etc.
*You can request an estimated fee and a free shipping kit for sending to customer service by clicking the "Service Fee Calculator" at the URL below.
[Service fee calculation]
【home page】
②Vacheron Constantin
Like IWC, Vacheron Constantin has been part of the Richemont Group since 1996. As long as the watch itself is genuine, even parallel imports can receive the same maintenance as domestically authorized products. In addition, after the overhaul, a repair warranty is provided for two years, which is reassuring.
Since its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has been able to repair all watches and also provides polishing services during overhauls.
[Contact] Richemont Japan Co., Ltd. Vacheron Constantin Technical Service [Telephone] 03-5639-7243 [Address] MSC Fukagawa Building No. 2, 2-9-8 Saga, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0031
[Overhaul basic fee]
・From 92,400 yen
【home page】
③Hublot
Hublot has belonged to LVMH since 2008. In principle, the maintenance of LVMH watch brands is based on parallel discrimination (the difference in the treatment of domestic regular products and parallel imports). However, Hublot does not seem to classify by membership like Breitling (Studio Breitling) or TAG Heuer (Edward Club).
In addition, if you register your purchased watch on Hublotista.com , the international warranty will be extended by one year, so be sure to register if you purchase from a domestic authorized store.
[Contact] LVMH Watch & Jewelry Japan Co., Ltd. [Telephone] (Repair) 03-5635-7051 Reception hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) [Address] (Repair) 18th floor, East 21 Tower, 6-3-2 Toyo, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0016
[Overhaul basic fee]
・Automatic (3 hands) \51,150~
・Big Bang \73,700~
・Automatic (chronograph) \99,000~
・Unico (in-house movement) \138,600~
*Polishing is not included in the overhaul. Separately, from 39,600 yen
* Repair warranty period: 1 year
* Estimated cancellation fee: Free within Japan, 19,800 yen if shipping to Switzerland
*If there is no warranty from a domestic distributor, the cost may be increased by approximately 1.5 times the estimated amount.
*All models equipped with the new movement will be Swiss compatible for one year after release.
【home page】
④Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet offers a complete maintenance service, and a two-year warranty is included at the time of purchase. If you apply for an extended warranty on their official website (scan the QR code on the guarantee with your camera) within two years of purchase, you can extend the warranty to three years. If you purchased your watch from an authorized store, don't forget to apply for the extended warranty. In addition, after an overhaul at an authorized store, you will receive a two-year repair warranty.
[Contact] Audemars Piguet Japan [Telephone] 03-6830-0789 (10:00-19:00 except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) [Address] 2F CSS Building III, 6-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
[Overhaul basic fee]
・Quartz \58,300~
・Hand-wound \90,200~
・Automatic winding \110,000~
・Chronograph \168,300~
・Complication \221,100~
・Polished body, buckle, D-buckle \31,900~
*Only applies to watches that are less than 25 years old (15 years old for quartz watches). Any watches older than that may have to be repaired in Switzerland.
*The first estimate is free, and the second estimate and thereafter are 16,500 yen.
[Strap-only salon]
In March 2021, Audemars Piguet expanded its customer service on the second floor of the Ginza Boutique to open a salon dedicated to straps. The salon offers a lineup of straps in a wide range of colors and different materials such as alligator, calfskin, and rubber for watches such as the Royal Oak, Offshore, and CODE 11.59, all sold separately. You can purchase and replace straps here. They also offer free watch checks and cleaning services.
For those who live far away and can't visit the store, or who don't have time, they have started a free pick-up service. By replacing the straps, you can change the impression, and depending on the material, it can also prevent damage caused by sweat in the summer, so if you have one, please feel free to contact us.
【home page】
⑤Omega
Omega, which belongs to the Swatch Group, has a very solid maintenance system, and the Nicolas G. Hayek Center located on Chuo-dori in Ginza seems to be a symbol of this. Models released after July 2018 also have a 5-year warranty, which gives you peace of mind.
Models before that are different, so you need to check. Also, it is reassuring that you can get a warranty not only for domestic genuine products, but also for products with stamps from parallel stores. After repair, the warranty is for two years.
[Contact] Omega Tokyo Customer Service [Telephone] 03-6254-7300 (Business hours: 11:00-19:00) [Address] 5F, Nicolas G. Hayek Center, 7-9-18 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8188
[Overhaul basic fee]
・Quartz (non-precious metal material other than chronograph) ¥51,700
・Quartz (precious metal material other than chronograph) ¥63,800
・Mechanical (non-chronograph, non-precious metal material) ¥63,800
・Mechanical (non-chronograph, precious metal material) ¥74,800
・Quartz (chronograph, non-precious metal material) ¥57,200
・Quartz (Chronograph, precious metals) ¥80,300
・Mechanical (chronograph, non-precious metal material) ¥85,800
・Mechanical (chronograph, non-precious metal material) ¥108,900
*Non-precious metals (stainless steel, titanium, ceramic)
*Precious metals (silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and combination models containing the above materials)
【home page】
⑥Cartier
Cartier, which has been part of the Richemont Group since 1993, can receive the same maintenance as domestic genuine products even if it is a parallel import, as long as the watch itself is genuine. In addition, after the overhaul, the repair warranty is one year (complete service is two years).
In fact, Cartier's complete service is similar to Tudor's, and in principle, the caliber is replaced with a new one. If you request an overhaul without replacing the caliber, the watch will be sent to the home country. This is a service that sets it apart from other brands.
In addition, by registering for Cartier Care (if your warranty extension application is approved), you may be able to extend the Cartier international warranty by up to 6 years in addition to the 2-year warranty that comes with purchasing from an authorized store. For more information, please contact the Cartier Customer Service Center.
[Contact] Richemont Japan Co., Ltd. Technical Service [Telephone] 03-5639-7251 (Open from 9:30 to 18:00, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) [Email] contact.jp@cartier.com [Address] MSC Fukagawa Building No. 2, 2-9-8 Saga, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0031
[Overhaul basic fee]
・Cartier Tank Française (Quartz) ¥46,200~
・Cartier Mini Panthere ¥46,200~ (excluding tax)
・Cartier Roadster Chronograph ￥82,500~
*Light polish is included in the overhaul fee.
* There is no cancellation fee for the estimate (return shipping costs are at your own expense)
【home page】
summary
What did you think.
Finally, when purchasing a watch, we recommend that you find out in advance the maintenance (overhaul) costs for that watch.
Although there are some differences from the vehicle inspection for private cars, maintenance costs are still important to ensure that you can use your watch for a long time. For complication models, the cost can often exceed 200,000 yen, so you will need to be prepared for this expense to be borne periodically. We hope that you will use this column as a reference to get an understanding of the maintenance costs to some extent before purchasing.
We also have a partner maintenance company.
Please check the URL below for details, but we can also perform maintenance at a lower cost than manufacturer repairs, so if you have any problems, please feel free to contact us.