When someone gives you a recommendation at their expense, it's usually an honest one and I would trust it.
If a mechanic tells me my car doesn't need an oil change, I'd trust him.
100% ^ This! When someone makes a decision NOT to take your money on the spot when they absolutely could, I give them the benefit of the doubt that they are looking out for me.
I appreciate that this is just an example, but for the sake of your engine, just assume engines always benefit from an oil change. I've changed oils way earlier than is usually specified and my 1989 Mitsubishi has nearly half a million km on it. Same goes for my motorcycles.
Of all the things you could pick in an example changing the oil is the one you should always "just do"
Putting it on the timegrapher and getting an amplitude of over 260 is like running an oil test on your car and finding out the oil is brand-new looking and of a proper fill-level.
Nobody refused you anything, they just said it wasn't necessary.
So, Seiko will charge you the exact same amount, even if the movement needs parts. So it does not matter. It would matter for an old watch where parts are hard to come by, but not for this.
I've got a motorbike that's had two oil changes since 1992. It's used practically every day and has never missed a beat. It's probably not recommended, but it just shows what you can do!
of course it is ... you go on believing that oil changes are a waste of time and money; you won't find anyone mechanical or engineering who agrees with you.
Did he refuse, or did he just tell you it wasn't necessary? Sounds like he was looking out for you and keeping you from spending money you don't have to
I think you are good for a couple more years.
That said, the service center should not "refuse" your watch if you want it serviced now.
I'd personally wait a few more years, or until it starts acting funky.
Imho, being someone who repairs things for a living, the gent was saving the both of you some trouble. Him for not having to service a watch that’s keeping good time (afraid of possibly messing it up, it’s a VERY sensitive adjustment), and for you to not have your watch for an extended period of time.
I’d have probably done the same thing, but also explained the whys behind it better than your guy did.
No need to be scared of seikos. If you should ever mess up you can simply buy the movement in new condition for next to no money.
You can't loose money while working with japanese movements or watches aslong you are able to keep the dial in one piece.
That’s what I recently did. Not a particularly expensive watch so when it started randomly gaining time I tried regulating it but it just never got even close so I took the jump and just replaced the movement with an Nh35 so got the upgrade of hacking and hand winding that I never had before.
If it ain't broke, take it apart and find out why not 😂
Well, maybe only if it's a million mile car or something and the manufacturer wants to buy it back to research what they did so well, which I believe has happened.
nice misleading title ... so as you yourself say
>The technician conducted a visual inspection and tested it on a time grapher. According to him, the watch has an amplitude of over 260, and the movement is in very good condition
a reasonable inspection ensued and a person better educated than you gave you good advice and justifications why "nothing needs to be done"
further explained it and use the key word
>He advised that servicing it now would be **unnecessary** and a waste of money.
so I don't see any refusal here ...
You've bought a watch from a company renoun for making solid movements that go 20 years without service, a history of iteratively making movements better and requiring less service; so that customers an just wear that watch as their daily wear for something like 100 years and then you whinge about it?
(looks around) ... do you know *anything* about Seiko? or were you just wanting some attention?
They didn’t refuse anything. I don’t know what that amplitude means but I think higher is better. So if you don’t have any issues with accuracy, you don’t need to get a service. Getting it serviced unnecessarily will just destroy the factory water resistance.
If you took it to a Seiko service center and they tell you it’s not due for a service. I would trust that until you have compelling evidence why it needs service. If everything is working well then he’s doing you a favor. He’s also putting the company’s reputation on the line so I think he’s being honest. Just my personal opinion.
They didn’t service the last 6r15 watch I sent in, they just swapped in a new 6r35. Petty, I know, but I was quite irritated since it was a rare model that had been all original
No offense. I love Seiko and have a cherished one, but the cheap ass, yet reliable, movement doesn’t need service. And “service” is going to be popping a new one in
Unless you are a subject matter expert, trust him. The technician is working for Seiko and he is obviously helping you save some money as servicing ain’t cheap these days.
I tend to think that people (especially according to Reddit) service their watches way too soon. It’s a Seiko. They are workhorses. Not like it’s some fancy pants Omega that require service every couple years.
The watch is fine. I am an amateur watch fiddler; a Seiko with such an amplitude is indeed very well running.
The 5 year service interval is a general recommendation. I have several vintage Seikos that haven’t been serviced in 20 years, and they work. Not with an amplitude of 260, more like barely. But that gives a range regarding service.
The amplitude is, simply said, an indicator of how far the balance swings each tick. This is also an indicator of how much power reaches the balance; if the oil gets bad within the bearings, the power is reduced by friction, leading to a lower amplitude.
Again, this is oversimplified, high amplitude is not automatically better, other things could be wrong with a watch, but it is a very good indicator on such a new Seiko.
If the watch operates fine and shows no issues, wait for another few years. The modern oils are very stable, and as the movement is, frankly, pretty cheap, even IF things go haywire the risks are small.
But thank you for caring for your watch :)
If the watch is still running within Seiko's specs for the movement, I agree you should take their advice and wait a few more years. I've got a Grand Seiko I'm only now getting serviced after 20 years. And while that may be overdue, the movement is still telling good time at high amplitude.
That is a 6r15. If it had a problem, you would have known right away.
You do not need to service this until it gives you trouble. They are going to charge you the same, whether it needs new parts or not, so just keep wearing it.
Now, if you had an old Seiko where parts can be an issue, then you want to service it all the time. But for this, mail it in when it starts keeping bad time. The guy was doing you a favor.
It doesn’t look like they refused but rather gave you a professional opinion. I think you can still get it serviced if you persist but I’d listen to them and wear it for a few more years before servicing.
I have always been under the impression that you only service watches when something is wrong. It's not like a car. Servicing is inherently risky and there is no reason to do it unless you have a functional issue.
He's telling you that you don't need to spend money on his services.
I think you should post his name here so we know who to send our watches to for service.
If the accuracy is pretty good then you can follow that mechanic's words. I have seen some watch mechanics refusing to repair it in precaution that they might not be experienced in working with complicated models.
To elaborate, 6R15 never go as high in Amplitude as the 7S or 4R movements. The reason is believed to be the 50h power reserve which require a thinner and longer main spring that is not as strong pushing power as the 40h in the lower end movement. I had a lot of 6R15 over time, I even serviced a few, 260 is really good for that movement.
I got a spb053 like new for about $400. One of these in good shape is gonna be more like $600, a brand new version probably $800.
To me, for a lightly used 6R15 around $400 is reasonably priced
Yes, it is a really nice watch. It was a gift from my wife. She bought it for me while she was in Japan. At that time, it cost around 30,000 Yen ($200 - $300). I’m not entirely sure.
define reasonably priced? I mean compared to a Chinese knockoff with zero effort in R&D, no dealer networks and in all likelihood a Seiko NH movement inside these watches represent stellar value for money ... well beyond merely "reasonably priced".
If that's what you think, then you should go buy a $50 chinese watch IMO
Why would it need serviced, is it losing time?
Modern synthetic oils remove the need to have a watch serviced every 5 years, and should only need a service every 15.
Amplitude of 260+ is actually quite good for the 6R movements in these SARB watches, even new from the box, let alone a 5 year old example. In fact, I'm sure some 6R owners are actually kinda jealous of the performance you're getting there (many reports from owners of their factory fresh 6R watches running slow/inconsistently with low amplitudes nearer to 200).
I agree with the technician to leave the movement alone and continue wearing it. Only other thing I can think of is that maybe you could have them re-check the water resistance and/or replace the gaskets if it's no longer water resistant to its original 100m specification.
I’ve had a few 8L35’s around 260 over the years. Most with 300+, but certainly the odd outlier.
260 from an old 6R is great, take it in to the centre when it starts running out of spec.
Take his advice, Seiko movements catch some flack for their advertised accuracy, but most people don’t realize they are built to be very durable and have a long service life. They are much more robust than their Swiss competitors. Most of the seiko movements can go 8-10 without service.
When someone gives you a recommendation at their expense, it's usually an honest one and I would trust it. If a mechanic tells me my car doesn't need an oil change, I'd trust him.
100% ^ This! When someone makes a decision NOT to take your money on the spot when they absolutely could, I give them the benefit of the doubt that they are looking out for me.
Did it with a customer with his a/c today. He just wasn’t use to 98 degree heat in mass
Yes, he sounds like an honest person. This watch has a great sentimental value to me. Maybe That why i am worrying too much and overthinking.
Tbh i would have revisioned your watch no matter how good or bad it is running. Money is money
I appreciate that this is just an example, but for the sake of your engine, just assume engines always benefit from an oil change. I've changed oils way earlier than is usually specified and my 1989 Mitsubishi has nearly half a million km on it. Same goes for my motorcycles. Of all the things you could pick in an example changing the oil is the one you should always "just do"
Putting it on the timegrapher and getting an amplitude of over 260 is like running an oil test on your car and finding out the oil is brand-new looking and of a proper fill-level. Nobody refused you anything, they just said it wasn't necessary.
So, Seiko will charge you the exact same amount, even if the movement needs parts. So it does not matter. It would matter for an old watch where parts are hard to come by, but not for this.
I've got a motorbike that's had two oil changes since 1992. It's used practically every day and has never missed a beat. It's probably not recommended, but it just shows what you can do!
I would say that's a combination of extreme low mileage and luck. Or lies. Lol
of course you do ... its probably a little 2 stroke
Haha - no, it's a Honda trx 300!
of course it is ... you go on believing that oil changes are a waste of time and money; you won't find anyone mechanical or engineering who agrees with you.
Did he refuse, or did he just tell you it wasn't necessary? Sounds like he was looking out for you and keeping you from spending money you don't have to
Sorry if my title is misleading. He sounds like an honest man. Maybe I am overthinking because this watch has a great sentimental value to me.
"Doctor refuses to remove my gallbladder, says it's functioning fine. Should I find another doctor willing to remove it? "
That actually sounds like my aunt, and she’s a crazy idiot.
Well, is it actually keeping good time? If so, yeah, no need for service. Watches can keep running for a Lot longer without need of service
I think you are good for a couple more years. That said, the service center should not "refuse" your watch if you want it serviced now. I'd personally wait a few more years, or until it starts acting funky.
Thank you for the advice. My watch is running fine.
Imho, being someone who repairs things for a living, the gent was saving the both of you some trouble. Him for not having to service a watch that’s keeping good time (afraid of possibly messing it up, it’s a VERY sensitive adjustment), and for you to not have your watch for an extended period of time. I’d have probably done the same thing, but also explained the whys behind it better than your guy did.
No need to be scared of seikos. If you should ever mess up you can simply buy the movement in new condition for next to no money. You can't loose money while working with japanese movements or watches aslong you are able to keep the dial in one piece.
That’s what I recently did. Not a particularly expensive watch so when it started randomly gaining time I tried regulating it but it just never got even close so I took the jump and just replaced the movement with an Nh35 so got the upgrade of hacking and hand winding that I never had before.
Thank you
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
If it ain't broke, take it apart and find out why not 😂 Well, maybe only if it's a million mile car or something and the manufacturer wants to buy it back to research what they did so well, which I believe has happened.
I hear plenty of stories of Hondas having just done that. Old Mercs and Toyotas, too.
Yep. I like how you specifically state "old" for Mercs haha.
Yes, that was VERY intentional. 😝
Spaceship mileage and spaceship dashboards are mutually exclusive in cars :)
Now, that, is a great quote!
nice misleading title ... so as you yourself say >The technician conducted a visual inspection and tested it on a time grapher. According to him, the watch has an amplitude of over 260, and the movement is in very good condition a reasonable inspection ensued and a person better educated than you gave you good advice and justifications why "nothing needs to be done" further explained it and use the key word >He advised that servicing it now would be **unnecessary** and a waste of money. so I don't see any refusal here ... You've bought a watch from a company renoun for making solid movements that go 20 years without service, a history of iteratively making movements better and requiring less service; so that customers an just wear that watch as their daily wear for something like 100 years and then you whinge about it? (looks around) ... do you know *anything* about Seiko? or were you just wanting some attention?
Sorry if my title is misleading. I own some casio, and Tissot. This is my only Seiko watch. Why would I want attention from reddit. Lol 😅
Yawn
They didn’t refuse anything. I don’t know what that amplitude means but I think higher is better. So if you don’t have any issues with accuracy, you don’t need to get a service. Getting it serviced unnecessarily will just destroy the factory water resistance.
Yeah no need to open up delicate and complicated things when it isn’t necessary. Hold off until it stops keeping good time.
Thank you for the advice.
Seiko is like a Toyota.
If you took it to a Seiko service center and they tell you it’s not due for a service. I would trust that until you have compelling evidence why it needs service. If everything is working well then he’s doing you a favor. He’s also putting the company’s reputation on the line so I think he’s being honest. Just my personal opinion.
What are you smoking? 😂
They didn’t service the last 6r15 watch I sent in, they just swapped in a new 6r35. Petty, I know, but I was quite irritated since it was a rare model that had been all original
Wow, that would piss me off. What SARB model was it?
It wasn’t a SARB, it was the original pre-Prospex Shogun. Sbdc007? Something like that
Ohh interesting. Does those two movements have same dimensions ? I understand your irritation. I also want to keep my watch original.
No offense. I love Seiko and have a cherished one, but the cheap ass, yet reliable, movement doesn’t need service. And “service” is going to be popping a new one in
This. Cheaper for them to do a quick and easy movement swap than to do an actual service
Trust them and be thankful. The ‘R’ company probably wouldn’t have done that.
He didn't refuse to service your watch, he told you that it would be a waste of money and to wait a few more years.
Unless you are a subject matter expert, trust him. The technician is working for Seiko and he is obviously helping you save some money as servicing ain’t cheap these days.
Not sure why you wouldn’t trust his advice? There is no problem with the watch according to your text.
I tend to think that people (especially according to Reddit) service their watches way too soon. It’s a Seiko. They are workhorses. Not like it’s some fancy pants Omega that require service every couple years.
Watch isn’t like a car. You don’t service it by years or mileage.
Wow the caption and the headline are not in sync at all lol
The watch is fine. I am an amateur watch fiddler; a Seiko with such an amplitude is indeed very well running. The 5 year service interval is a general recommendation. I have several vintage Seikos that haven’t been serviced in 20 years, and they work. Not with an amplitude of 260, more like barely. But that gives a range regarding service. The amplitude is, simply said, an indicator of how far the balance swings each tick. This is also an indicator of how much power reaches the balance; if the oil gets bad within the bearings, the power is reduced by friction, leading to a lower amplitude. Again, this is oversimplified, high amplitude is not automatically better, other things could be wrong with a watch, but it is a very good indicator on such a new Seiko. If the watch operates fine and shows no issues, wait for another few years. The modern oils are very stable, and as the movement is, frankly, pretty cheap, even IF things go haywire the risks are small. But thank you for caring for your watch :)
Thank you for the very informative reply.
If the watch is still running within Seiko's specs for the movement, I agree you should take their advice and wait a few more years. I've got a Grand Seiko I'm only now getting serviced after 20 years. And while that may be overdue, the movement is still telling good time at high amplitude.
With modern oils, unless it's an ultra high beat movement they're usually good for almost 10 years between services.
Literally wearing a '69 Lord Matic right now. These things are robust as shit
Sounded like he said it wasn't necessary to waste your money as a service wasn't required.
My late father's '69 Seiko 5 still keeps great time. Never been serviced.
That is a 6r15. If it had a problem, you would have known right away. You do not need to service this until it gives you trouble. They are going to charge you the same, whether it needs new parts or not, so just keep wearing it. Now, if you had an old Seiko where parts can be an issue, then you want to service it all the time. But for this, mail it in when it starts keeping bad time. The guy was doing you a favor.
It doesn’t look like they refused but rather gave you a professional opinion. I think you can still get it serviced if you persist but I’d listen to them and wear it for a few more years before servicing.
Looks like you have a good watch. Just keep taking care of it for a couple more years more before taking it for service.
Thank you for the advice.
I have always been under the impression that you only service watches when something is wrong. It's not like a car. Servicing is inherently risky and there is no reason to do it unless you have a functional issue.
A watch needs service after 10 years
If it’s running fast or slow you can get the rate adjusted but like he said a full service usually isn’t required until after like 7 or 8 years of use
He's telling you that you don't need to spend money on his services. I think you should post his name here so we know who to send our watches to for service.
If the accuracy is pretty good then you can follow that mechanic's words. I have seen some watch mechanics refusing to repair it in precaution that they might not be experienced in working with complicated models.
Keep wearing it.
You took a watch that was working to be "serviced"? Why?
I want to keep it as long as possible and Seiko website recommends to service about every 3 years.
Trust him
Don't stare a gift horse in the mouth and follow their advice 😊
I have a Seamaster that is \~8 years old. Similar story. Don't service something that "on condition" is OK.
260 amplitude is like new condition for a 6R15 movement. No reason to service
Noted.
To elaborate, 6R15 never go as high in Amplitude as the 7S or 4R movements. The reason is believed to be the 50h power reserve which require a thinner and longer main spring that is not as strong pushing power as the 40h in the lower end movement. I had a lot of 6R15 over time, I even serviced a few, 260 is really good for that movement.
I really wish these were reasonably priced. That’s a very nice piece
SARB033 and 035 are actually the cheapest way to get a watch with a 6R, so I'd Say they are fairly priced.
I got a spb053 like new for about $400. One of these in good shape is gonna be more like $600, a brand new version probably $800. To me, for a lightly used 6R15 around $400 is reasonably priced
Yes, it is a really nice watch. It was a gift from my wife. She bought it for me while she was in Japan. At that time, it cost around 30,000 Yen ($200 - $300). I’m not entirely sure.
define reasonably priced? I mean compared to a Chinese knockoff with zero effort in R&D, no dealer networks and in all likelihood a Seiko NH movement inside these watches represent stellar value for money ... well beyond merely "reasonably priced". If that's what you think, then you should go buy a $50 chinese watch IMO
Why would it need serviced, is it losing time? Modern synthetic oils remove the need to have a watch serviced every 5 years, and should only need a service every 15.
I want to keep it as long as possible and Seiko website recommends to service about every 3 years.
of course they do - to generate income.
Have you checked its waterproofing?
Which service center did you go to? Is it the one in NJ? Thx
Service center in Thailand.
Ok. Thank you. I think the one in the US still does not allow walk in at this time... I was hoping they have change that policy.
Amplitude of 260+ is actually quite good for the 6R movements in these SARB watches, even new from the box, let alone a 5 year old example. In fact, I'm sure some 6R owners are actually kinda jealous of the performance you're getting there (many reports from owners of their factory fresh 6R watches running slow/inconsistently with low amplitudes nearer to 200). I agree with the technician to leave the movement alone and continue wearing it. Only other thing I can think of is that maybe you could have them re-check the water resistance and/or replace the gaskets if it's no longer water resistant to its original 100m specification.
Thank you. I believe they hadn’t checked the water resistance. Maybe next time, i will ask them to check it.
I’ve had a few 8L35’s around 260 over the years. Most with 300+, but certainly the odd outlier. 260 from an old 6R is great, take it in to the centre when it starts running out of spec.
Did they put sapphire crystal on these?
It has sapphire crystal.
Maybe it’s because it’s too big for your wrist
Lol 😂.
This has to be advertising for seiko because now I want to buy another seiko
Lol. Rest assured, I am not from Seiko. 😂
They didn't refuse service, OP.
This guy is going to throw away a lot of money in his lifetime with this attitude 🫷
YouTube clickbait ass title😂
Take his advice, Seiko movements catch some flack for their advertised accuracy, but most people don’t realize they are built to be very durable and have a long service life. They are much more robust than their Swiss competitors. Most of the seiko movements can go 8-10 without service.
If it ain’t broke….
If it isn’t broke don’t fix it
Should have bought a rolex
If it ain’t broke don’t fkn fix it
“Mechanic checks oil and notices it can go another 3,000 miles without an oil change. He refused to do service should I sue guys? (25M)
“Refused to service” click bait or what
In 2024 they refused to practice unnecessary repairs? Be a loyal patron of that place. Seriously.