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Originally Posted by JDMDreams
Are you doing this for fun? Have you dabbled into modding? Change dials, case, hands etc. Cuz even that seems too fiddly to me. And basically AliExpress watches are so cheap that it's not worth it to piece something together yourself if you even can + there's no resale cuz it's a bespoke watch with China quality parts.
From my experience unless you have a higher end Swiss watch like in-house ISH movements there's no point of servicing the movement cuz it will cost you more than harvesting a ETA from some glycine for like $200 and slapping it in. Seiko, china and miyota are pretty much throw away movements.
Also I've never really had to service a watch as my watches are relatively new, I rotate them, unless you drop it and it stops running.
But good on you for liking the mechanics of it, I just don't have the patience for something so fiddly.
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I'm planning on doing this as a career. Modding or putting together a watch from parts bought on AliExpress or other websites hasn't really appealed to me. I am more into the idea of taking something that is of high quality but not in great condition, and getting it to run (and look) as close to brand new as possible. Servicing, repair, even fabrication eventually.
Some watches are "use it and throw it away goods", but that's not the case for everything. People who are buying a mechanical watch with its 400 year old technology over the latest smart watch or even like a G-Shock are generally interested in taking care of what they have. Especially if it costs thousands of dollars. Everyone who goes to the main watch thread, for instance, will care about their watch whether it's a Seiko or a Patek. The same people might have an Apple Watch they would be fine with giving away or throwing in a drawer once the planned obsoletion period is up.
Even with the newest oils, you will want to maintain your watch even if you don't wear it every day. The oil is going to eventually dry up and evaporate away whether it's running or not. And then on those occasions you do use it, your watch will not only not perform as well as it should, it could start generating wear and tear that could cause major issues in the future requiring work th at is a lot more expensive than a basic service. It's a mechanical device like a car - with moving parts that grind against each other, you need to keep it clean and lubricated. With a Seiko sure, run it into the ground and replacing the movement (as long as they're still around) will be the more cost effective way of dealing with it. Once they're not being made, you will be looking at old stock, and that stuff will have to be serviced too. Or you can just throw the watch away
Anyway, the industry is dying for new talent, and they are recruiting like crazy. My only issue is my age. Starting out in your 40's is a huge detriment, especially in countries where age discrimination laws don't exist. But if I keep worrying about that, I'll never succeed. I just have to learn the skill, get really good at it, and go from there. Either someone hires me, or I figure out another way to make it work for me.
Either way, this is something I am really passionate about, something that hasn't happened to me for like 20 years.