In this week’s episode of Fratello On Air, we discuss how we go about servicing our watch collections. It’s another listener suggestion, and it’s a good one! You’ll hear about how and when we choose to service a watch and where. Then, we end the episode with some suggestions about the tools we have on hand. For our listeners, the watch content starts after approximately eight minutes.

Servicing a watch collection sounds daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Your friendly hosts have a decent number of pieces and haven’t let maintenance get them down. Still, there are times when a watch needs to visit a watchmaker. Today, you’ll hear us discuss how often we service our timepieces and what tools we keep at home to do some minor work.

Citizen 51-2273

Handgelenkskontrolle

We’re relatively short on banter in this episode (rejoice, some of you!), so we quickly move to the Handgelenkskontrolle. Balazs is heading to Italy for a short week of vacation and is bringing two watches. The watch he’s wearing during our recording has made the cut, and it’s the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. He’s wearing it on a nylon strap for that easy, carefree summer feeling. Mike has returned to Japanese watches and is sporting his Citizen 51-2273 diver. This is an early ’80s automatic that rivaled the original Seiko Turtle.

servicing a watch collection Gallet

Servicing a watch collection

A hearty thanks goes out to one of our listeners in sunny Portugal for providing today’s show topic. How do we service a sizable watch collection? It’s a great question and one with a complex answer. First, because our collections focus heavily on vintage, we service our watches as needed. We also keep records of watches that have been serviced or the pieces that need work. Regarding newer watches, we rarely service them until necessary. However, we do recommend having your dive watches pressure tested after the warranty period expires. Is quartz the answer? Not necessarily because some of these watches require servicing and routine battery changes.

We also mention the tools that we keep on hand for smaller jobs, such as battery changes and bracelet adjustments. Loupes, rubber case-back-opening balls, screwdrivers, tweezers, and pin pushers are some of our recommendations. Of course, the name Bergeon comes up several times.

We hope you enjoy today’s topic, and thanks to our listener for the suggestion. If you have further ideas for show topics, let us know!

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