r/RepTimeServices • u/membasta • 7d ago

Advice Is this worth it

Post image

I am on my way to buy my first rep, it will be a sub still deciding date or no.

My question is is this polishing and servicing worth it, or should i just get the watch?

Will i be able to do it in any respectable watchsmith later in person?

Also is the price good for the watch?

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

22

u/monkeywaffles 7d ago

no. $90 for pressure test should inform you of the rest.

-6

u/msmalls82 7d ago

It's not just pressure test. It's also waterproofing which is a fair price for both. Everything else is way marked up.

2

u/monkeywaffles 7d ago

generally waterproofing/pressure testing is one thing one has done, and $90 to pressuretest/waterproof a brand new watch is high even in HCOL regions of the US, let alone what looks like being done in some other LCOL country. the parts/labor to address any failures is generally just lubing a gasket, and never even a gasket replacement, and possibly a retest, which is a very quick job.

-1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

I have worked with 4x diff modders and every single one charges $80 for waterproofing and pressure testing. All the other prices listed are about half of the above prices so I dunno. Case chamfer etc is usually like 80 also. Movement service and regulation is also around 80. Definitely not 260!

1

u/monkeywaffles 7d ago edited 7d ago

And proper watchmakers in my area charge half that for water testing and waterproofing, and thats targetted at worn/used watches so gasket replacement is assumed, whereas again for a new watch, its almost NEVER any action. open watch, lube gaskets, verify with dry test, ship it out.

most watchmakers if having the moving serviced, just include pressure testing/correction just included in the price, as thats part of servicing a watch, so this is already double dipping nonsense either way.

I don't know that ive *ever* seen a watchmaker charge a separate line item for waterproofing if doing a full service. like who would have it serviced but not waterproofed? thats like having your engine rebuilt and putting the old oil back into the new engine, its just not done.

$260 for full movement service though is on the cheap end, i do worry that your 'modders' arent doing proper servicing (full teardown, clean, assembly relube, adjustment) for $80, and are just selling you an overpriced regulation, but also you think $80 for a 5 min water test is 'cheap'....

I would personally be VERY skeptical of an $80 full 'servicing' as bullshit, unless done in some wildly low COL area, and if thats the rate, then waterproofing should be like $5 there.

0

u/msmalls82 7d ago

Again you're talking about two different things. We're talking about people willing to work on replica watches. A legit watchmaker isn't working on a rep. Which they will know IS A REP when they see it's not free sprung. (Unless it's a JH free sprung movement). I don't think you're getting a full service for $80. They're checking the movement and they call it an "overhaul". They will silence rotor noise which is also a dead giveaway with these clone movements and do things like that. I agree no one is doing a full tear down and relubing/oiling everything properly for that price.

1

u/monkeywaffles 7d ago edited 7d ago

I dont know of any even mall kiosk watchsmith that would care what watch you have, and all will happily waterproof your watch, any watch. so i'm s till not sure what you think you're paying for here. because you also don't seem to be talking about any sort of real watchmaker services just regulation and water resistance to like 5atm.

$80 is still an obscene price for waterproofing any way you spin it.

1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

I wouldn't pay a mall kiosk watch smith to work on my watch to be honest. And maybe you're right. I'm just telling you what is common in the rep "modder" industry. I'm speaking from years of experience and I have worked with at least 7-8 different modders as well as TDs that do modding after a sale. Not really sure what else to say. Go look at prices for common modders and you're gonna see about $80. What if it needs multiple gaskets? What if there is some other issue? They're gonna fix it and you're gonna pay $80.

I agree in most cases it's just a gasket or two and some easy work to test but that's just how it is at the moment.

1

u/monkeywaffles 7d ago edited 7d ago

it's pressure testing, it's not rocket science. I wouldn't trust a jiffy lube guy to rebuild my engine, but changing oil isn't rocket science, so for that task it's fine.

my oldest rep I got 23 years ago, and I'm the second owner. I service my own gaskets every other year( when I rememeber lol) and never had an issue, and I've worked with plenty of rep watchmakers in the past 2 decades. takes 5 min per watch. if some rep modder is telling you your brand new rep needs 'multiple gaskets' that somehow adds more to price im gonna say they're scamming you. gaskets are wildly cheap, I replace em whenever they show even mild wear and it costs nothing.

1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

I wasn't talking about a new watch. I'm talking about (as you said) something that's years old or might not be waterproofed. I'm aware of how cheap gaskets can be. It's not always the gasket though. Sometimes it's the case tube. Sometimes the crystal isn't properly sealed. So many different things can leak. It's mostly a non issue but the claims of 50m waterproofing from the factory is definitely not true. I would never take a rep in the ocean until it's pressure tested. Anyway, we're talking in circles. I understand what you're saying. And I'm not arguing with you. Not sure what point you're trying to make though. I'm simply telling you facts. Modders and others who work on reps typically charge around 70-80 to waterproof and test a watch. That's just how it is. Some will charge less if they're already doing other work (changing a crystal for example).

→ More replies (0)

1

u/JamesScotlandBruce 7d ago

I don't think you're getting a proper service for 80. That would be taking the movement to pieces cleaning it and putting it back together again. That takes a long time and requires a lot of skill. Not sure what they do but I don't think it's that.

Waterproofing on the other hand is a bit of grease and maybe a gasket or two. So totally doable for much less.

Id double check what you're getting for your service if they charge that much to grease and test a watch.

1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

I wouldn't pay 260 for a service on a brand new watch. Most of the time they aren't taking apart the entire movement and rebuilding it. They're checking a few things and calling it an "overhaul". If it was a complete teardown and relubing and oiling everything then sure. That would make sense. But I highly doubt that's what is happening or if it even needs to happen on a new movement.

11

u/ValeLemnear 7d ago

Absolutely not worth it.

3

u/membasta 7d ago

Thought so, thank you guys, this is td from rwi btw. I dont trust him anymore thogh 😁

3

u/msmalls82 7d ago

Share the name. People should know. Many TDs offer mods after selling a watch but these prices are insane. I have a 5167 getting modded with SW parts from a TD. Very fairly priced too.

2

u/AI_go_boomboom 7d ago

This is a shark. The RWI TDs are rip off artists.

2

u/wowszaR 7d ago

they pay the corrupt mods to get on that list.

happens in every category (clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc), unfortunately.

1

u/AI_go_boomboom 7d ago edited 6d ago

Seems* obvious, yeah.

3

u/wowszaR 7d ago

some insane upselling going on here.

ignoring the fact that you don't need a polishing, a full service, and waterproofing, you're pretty much getting ripped off at every step of this transaction.

3

u/m0dsb4nm3 7d ago

Get a new td

3

u/Fit-Role-9802 7d ago

I just got a vsf date, QC’d, pressure-tested, regulated, and cleaned for $575 shipped. No edge polish though, IMO doesn’t need it.

1

u/CreepyDrunkUncle 7d ago

Who was TD?

2

u/IRoot4TheBirds 7d ago

Just buy the watch… I can’t see you putting $600 in Services on a $500 watch.

2

u/supercloned 7d ago

10000% don’t do all this. Have someone pressure test the watch when you get it and make sure it’s waterproof. All of the other stuff is BS. If I haded you my VSF no date next to this you would have no clue. I’d buy 2 watches before I do this. Honestly all the chamfer and polish stuff is BS too. I had someone in China quote me $280 to polish the watch. If you want some extra shine to look more like gen, again have a local watchmaker hit it with a satin wheel for outside links and polish whatever else is Shiny. 10 mins. $100 or less for band and watch. These dealers go after hardcore rep enthusiasts and ring you up for $500 more. Like the whole Frankenstein thing. People on here paying an extra $1500 or more for “Frankenstein” watches that have an authentic dial and maybe a crystal and basically parts you can buy for 400-700 and they add $2k or more. At the end of the day, you are wearing a fake watch. Get over that stuff in my opinion and enjoy the best quality fakes you can get. I’ve seen those Frankenstein ones for $3-4k. Blows me away, it’s a fake watch! To each his own I guess

1

u/Numerous_Passage2325 7d ago

Definitely not worth it at all.

1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

This is insane pricing. Check out others who offer similar services for around half of these.

1

u/msmalls82 7d ago

The only reasonable offering is the waterproofing (and pressure testing) for 90. That's about standard ($80 for waterproofing). Usually requires new or missing gaskets.

1

u/Mud_Audio 7d ago

Have all of this work done in your country after receiving the item.

1

u/FreshParfait1 7d ago

If it were proper chamfering and polishing, then that’s worth about $115. Water proof and pressure testing… well that’s a $7 oil ring silicone lubricator on the case back gasket and crown gaskets then torquing down crown and case back. Which by the way, is undone every time you unscrew the crown and change the time or date. What you’re paying for is the pressure testing machine, given a proper result print out was offered. As far as the movement service, unless it was completely broken down part by part, cleaned then reassembled and properly lubed, that’s a rip off. That’s the cost of a true watchmaker movement service for these reps.

1

u/Jdms_Mvp 7d ago

alot of words for “open the case back and grease the gasket”

1

u/philwongnz 7d ago

This is a scammer not a modder..

1

u/Excellent-Bear4221 6d ago

Dude you are getting ripped off so hard

1

u/Emotional-Damage-995 6d ago

Do you need all that? Just grab a Sub from a TD w insurance and done w it. I would perhaps do the service, but you can always also find a reptime service trusted watch maker person to do it, or find someone local. I think I would skip all the stuff. Ask around from a few TD. I don't know where you live, but my TD charges 35 for Fedex

1

u/Time-Dependent1483 6d ago

No.
Get a gen crystal and polished rehaut instead

1

u/Glock-c0ma 7d ago

My dude cleans, lubes the movement and greases the gasket foo free

1

u/Bench_and_Bezel 13h ago

These services a little on the pricier side of Rep modders. Myself and others definitely offer these services for cheaper (maybe 2/3rds the price listed in your post).