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Seiko service?

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I bought a Seiko SNZF about three years ago (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/seiko-sea-urchin-snzf-watch) and the recommendation in the manual is: "It is recommended that the watch be checked once every 2 to 3 years by an AUTHORIZED SEIKO DEALER or SERVICE CENTER to ensure that the case, crown, gasket and crystal seal remain intact." What would you expect to pay for such a service? Seiko's website is asking $120 , sight unseen, and a local jeweler is asking $95 for an estimate.
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Cloaca
1906
Jul 2, 2018
Battery powered quartz watches tend to "lose" their gaskets when lazy non-specialist shops change the battery, but with an automatic that's never had its case cracked you're really only worried about the aging of the gasket material, which these days would be silicone and not subject to the sort of age problems as rubbers.
If you're using it for diving or in the water and are concerned, that may be a different matter.
My view on servicing is to assiduously track services schedules, get free quotes or estimates, and then put that amount of money into a speical savings account and skip the service. When the account balance reaches a high enough amount, buy a new watch. Repeat. When a watch finally bites the dust, sell it on an auction site for parts as junk. The days of servicing watches are mostly over. As with all consumer products they are disposible.
Same with "warranty extensions": Put the money into a special "in lieu of warranty" account : If and when something ever breaks within the period the warranty would have applied, use the money to fix it or buy a new one. In general you'll find you always have a positive balance.
Also, for pet veterinary insurance: Put the amount of the premiums into a special pet care account. Don't use it to pay normal vet bills, but use it for extraordinary vet expenses like medication for chronic diseases, imaging, or surgery. Unlike normal pet insurance, the money will still be there to use when your pet exceeds the insurance's age limit, i.e., becomes the age when the pet starts to have health problems. Insurance companies are not stupid, so they only insure pets during the periods of their lives when they are likely to be healthy.
BF_Hammer
717
Jun 30, 2018
Are you actually swimming or diving with that watch? Those factory recommendations are spot on for an actual pro-diver watch being used for diving. A 100m WR Seiko 5 sports (NOT a pro-diver by any means) that may or may not be getting wet from time to time, leave it be.
ZcityUp
603
Jun 28, 2018
Objectively speaking, ~$100 for an inspection on a Seiko seems crazy to me...
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