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Not the movement that's the issue. You can have a complex or simple one. Doesn't matter. The oil inside needed on all mechanical watches, after 25 years, you're guaranteed that's it's going to be a thick syrup-like mess. Just saying. Don't be shocked at the massive price the watcher-maker quotes you to completely restore it properly.
Massive, complete overhaul/restoration. Definitely not cheap!
That probably explains the changes I've noticed. I haven't been as active as I used to be.
They are clearly trying to keep the lights from being too bright, but not from overheating. Even the newest ones still have an aluminum board for the diode
If it's just the oil, then what's the problem with flushing it and adding new oil yourself? Maybe even something silicone that doesn't harden over time
zakreviews.com
It's not just the oil. A mechanical watch needs to be disassembled and its individual parts cleaned of lube, microscopic metal particles, dust and other things I'm sure I haven't listed. Disassembly is done by hand, and the cleaning is done by soaking the parts in a cleaning solution and perhaps ultrasonically. Parts that are worn out, damaged or corroded need to be replaced or possibly repaired. The newer lubes are superior to some from the past, but they need to be applied to specific points in the movement as lube is detrimental in some areas. I'm still a newb at this subject, so hopefully someone else will chime in.
Slacker.
You are spot on. I looked into the idea of DIY a few years back because labor has gotten so dang expensive. I was looking at $200+ just to clean and lube old watches by Elgin and other low end classics that have stopped working. I really like the looks of the 1960's Sportsman but parts are hard to find if lube wasn't able to fix the issue. When my Sieko Evel Knievel watch stopped working I just decided not to invest in the tools to do watch repairs beyond simple stuff like batteries or band replacements.
It is my understanding that the cost of repairs on less expensive mechanical watches has relegated them to the endlessly growing list of our society's throw-away items. As such, I make use of the grey market (like Amazon) for these watches and purchase from Authorized Dealers only the timepieces I hope to keep for a lifetime. The only "repairs" I do is regulating movements on a timegrapher. If money and spare parts were not an issue, I would probably love "watchmaking."
