How to Service a Luxury Watch: When, Where, and What It Costs

Why This Matters

Many new and even experienced collectors struggle with this exact question. Online advice is often either oversimplified or disguised sales copy. The goal here is to give you a framework you can adapt to your own budget, taste, and local market.

Core Principles

Before any specific recommendations, it helps to define a few principles that tend to hold true across markets and cycles. These principles are not strict rules, but they keep you from drifting into emotional or fear-driven decisions.

• Clarity on your use-case leads to better choices than chasing hype.
• Total cost of ownership matters more than sticker price alone.
• Liquidity and demand are different from “popularity on Instagram”.

Step-by-Step Framework

In practice, the best results come from following the same steps every time instead of improvising from scratch. Use this section as a checklist whenever you revisit the topic.

1. Define your budget and time horizon honestly.
2. Clarify whether this is primarily a wear piece, an investment, or both.
3. Shortlist 3–5 realistic options based on size, aesthetic, and availability.
4. Research real sale prices, not just retail or asking prices.
5. Decide in advance what would make you sell or keep the piece long-term.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced collectors repeat the same avoidable errors. Recognizing them early can save you both money and frustration.

• Equating brand prestige with guaranteed future returns.
• Buying at the peak of a hype cycle without a clear exit plan.
• Ignoring service history, paperwork, and provenance on pre-owned pieces.