Swiss Watch Parts

Many Swiss watch companies will no longer supply parts to watchmakers and prefer that watches be sent back to them for repairs. It is especially difficult to find watch replacement parts that are in new condition for the older Swiss mechanical watches . While used case parts for these kinds of watches such as bezels (the parts that house the crystals) are available (usually removed from another watch), it is a little more difficult to locate the right crowns and crystals for Swiss watches – even used ones.

In general, Swiss watch manufacturers retain watch part supplies over a period of about fifteen years. For any watch you buy, they will provide new part replacements for that period only, although it is possible that your watch repairman or watchmaker will be able to get the spare part you need for your Swiss watch after the fifteen years have passed – if the manufacturers or watch companies have an overstock of these items.

Naturally, as a particular watch model gets older, the supply of its watch parts begins to decrease, and the Swiss manufacturers prefer to hang on to them so that they can repair and service their clients’ watches.

The Rolex Company, for example, won’t even service watches that are older than 25 years or so – let alone supply replacement parts to watchmakers in other countries. Rolex guarantees to provide parts for watches for a 20 year period, and no longer. Sometime in the mid 1980s, Rolex replaced its old series movement with a newer one, and they no longer service the watches with the older movements. The company, apparently, hopes that you will purchase a new Rolex.

Other watch parts that are becoming hard to find are high quality solid gold watch buckles. With proper maintenance, superior quality Swiss watches (especially mechanical wrist watches) can and do last for generations, but these gold buckles rarely outlive the leather bands they were originally fixed to.

If you own a Swiss watch, especially one that is over 25 years old, you will have to face a long wait when you need a new part for it.

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Watch Parts