Bucherer Skeleton Watch Repair Cost Question

[schwar02]

I have a Bucherer skeleton watch that I purchased way back in 1990 on a trip to Switzerland for probably around $250 US (looks like the one in the picture). It stopped working and so I sent it to the official Bucherer repair location in Ohio called Stoll & Co. They quoted me a repair price of $375 to clean and lubricate and replace the main spring and crown (plus another $25 to ship it back). I really like the watch and have always received many compliments about it, but I'm not sure it's worth that much money to repair it. Any advice on whether or not it's worth it? Thanks!

[Poljot]

What do you mean by stopped working exactly? Are you able to wind it? Are you able to move Minute and Hour Hands?

Why do they want to replace the crown? Mainspring replacement is.. OK, but maybe questionable (see my question above). Service fee is not extremely high, but something tells me you should be able to find a local watch repair guy who would service your watch for less.

[Nucejoe]

Do you know what caliber is in it? 

Can you show a clear close up of the back?   ( of your own watch) 

 

 

 

[schwar02]

Thanks so much for the responses! I really appreciate it.

I can wind it and move the minute and hour hands, and it will start ticking like's it's working and then just stop. I took it through an airport xray machine (this happened years ago) and it never worked after that. I had that happen once prior and a watch repair person at a local department store was able "de-magnitize" it (I think it was something like this). I have no idea why they want to replace the crown.

Unfortunately, I sent it to the location for repair and it will cost me $25 in shipping to get it back, whether or not the repair is done. So I don't actually have the watch in my possession right now and so can't take any pictures.

I don't know about the caliber. How would I find that out, and what would I be able to do with that information?

Thanks again.

[Klassiker]

Commercially, the watch is now worth less than the service cost, but it's your watch and you are attached to it, and mechanical watches do need servicing every five to ten years if used regularly.

In my opinion, that is a high estimate, but not a complete exploitation. Nomos for example do a similar amount of work for at least 100 USD less than that, but that is particularly good value from an OEM. I don't know how the cost of living in Ohio compares to Glashütte though. Nomos always replace the crown and stem too. I guess they get a lot of wear on a hand-wound watch.

You can get the work done considerably cheaper elsewhere, but if the crown is worn, a matching one may be difficult to get hold of, because that may only be available through Bucherer. Mainsprings and winding stems are readily available, but to source them you need to identify the movement or caliber. If any other parts within the mechanism are worn and need replacing, they might also be Bucherer-specific, especially as this isn't a standard movement (skeletonised).

If you live in a city, there's a good chance you have a qualified watchmaker nearby who will do the essential work (cleaning, lubrication) for less. In that case I'd have the watch sent back and take it for an estimate in person. If you are in a small town, then you will most likely have to ship the watch anyway. In that case, bite the bullet and get the official service, including the manufacturer's guarantee and original parts.

[Poljot]

1 hour ago, schwar02 said:

Thanks so much for the responses! I really appreciate it.

I can wind it and move the minute and hour hands, and it will start ticking like's it's working and then just stop. I took it through an airport xray machine (this happened years ago) and it never worked after that. I had that happen once prior and a watch repair person at a local department store was able "de-magnitize" it (I think it was something like this). I have no idea why they want to replace the crown.

Unfortunately, I sent it to the location for repair and it will cost me $25 in shipping to get it back, whether or not the repair is done. So I don't actually have the watch in my possession right now and so can't take any pictures.

I don't know about the caliber. How would I find that out, and what would I be able to do with that information?

Thanks again.

Based on what you described, it could be a very quick and inexpensive service: simply clean and oil both balance jewels (well, 4 jewels) and balance. This may be all your watch needs to run again. But the problem is that you do not know such person (even hobbyist) near where you live. I recommend you forget about what you already spent on shipping and try to simplify things:

Do you need this watch at all? If you do: negotiate the repair cost, remove new crown from their estimate (probably they added new crown just "for fun", or because the O-ring was worn, etc). If negotiation fails, get your watch back and keep it till you find someone more reasonable, or sell it locally "as-is". Remember that your broken watch will still be right twice a day anyway! Get yourself a new watch from Costco for so much less! Good luck!

[schwar02]

Thanks so much for the helpful responses! I'll ask about the crown. I'm not really sure why that would need to be replaced.