Facts You Should Know About Servicing Your Timepieces
Mechanical watches are designed to last many generations. In order to ensure
that the value of your watch is maintained and the legacy of your valuable
timepiece is sustained for years to come, we recommend a regular service of
every three to five years to keep your timepiece in good original working
condition.
The need for regular service applies to Quartz watches as well. Quartz watches
have wheels and gears, along with electronic components that need maintenance.
Batteries for these watches can normally last only 12 to 18 months. It is
therefore essential to replace the battery regularly to prevent incidences of
battery leakage, which can cause substantial damage to the watch.
Your watch registers 86,400 seconds a day throughout the year; year after year.
The balance wheel rim of your watch travels an equivalent of 38,000km over a
five-year period. With its movement containing over 150 actively moving parts,
your watch deserves quality maintenance that only a highly skilled and dedicated
watchmaker can provide.
Servicing of your Timepieces
The Initial Examination
Before your watch is being serviced, our highly skilled Bonfield-trained
watchmakers will conduct a thorough diagnostic examination of the watch to
determine the exact servicing procedures that are required to restore the watch
back to its original high performance standard.
Movement Maintenance Service
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Microscopic examination |
“Platax” Tool – Removing roller and balance staff |
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Staking Tool – Replace balance staff |
Seitz Jewelling Tool – Micrometer adjustment of set jewel permitting correction of endshake |
The watchmaker begins the service process by completely disassembling the
watch's movement. Each precise part is carefully examined under a 10x magnifying
microscope for wear or damage, and will be replaced or refinished if deemed
necessary.
Dried oils/contaminants are then removed from all parts by a series of
ultrasonic cleaning process.
Case and Bracelet Refurbishing
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Felting – To eliminate scratches with abrasive paste |
Polishing of the back case |
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Sandblasting of the case |
Lapping – The bevels are reground and polished |
Your watch casing is carefully disassembled and all gaskets/o-rings replaced. If
necessary, the crystal, crown and any worn parts will also be replaced to ensure
that the watch remains completely waterproof.
The watch case and bracelet are put through an ultrasonic cleaning process to
remove particles that can oxidise the case and bracelet.
The case and bracelet are then meticulously refinished. Techniques of bevelling,
lapping, polishing, brushing, sandblasting and circular-graining to remove dents
and scratches are employed so as to restore the case and bracelet to its
original lustre.
Reassembling the Movement
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Reassembling of the watch movement |
Lubricating the movement – Each pivot of the watch train wheels and balance staff are
lubricated with recommended high grade lubricants |
The watchmaker will proceed to reassemble the movement; an operation which
requires extreme dedication as it is both a highly delicate and time-consuming
task. This step has to be conducted with painstaking care. Specially formulated
oils and lubricants are applied in exactly the right quantities to achieve
optimal performance of the movement.
Calibration and Timekeeping
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Timing calibrations- Balance wheels are meticulously timed |
Witschi “Watch Expert” – Measures the rate accuracy, amplitude and the beat error of mechanical watches |
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Wrist Motion Simulator – Testing the winding mechanism and the power reserve of automatic watches |
Demagnetisation |
After re-assembly, the movement is carefully calibrated by adjusting the balance
wheel, which is also the "heart of the movement", and the hairspring which
oscillates it. The performance and daily accuracy of the movement are then
tested in required positions on a sophisticated timing machine to ensure that
they are set to the required high-performance standards.
Finally, the dial, hands and rotor self-winding mechanism are fitted back in
their positions, and the movement is returned to the case. The newly assembled
watch will undergo 5 continuous days of testing, on a wrist-motion simulator,
which recreates the normal activities that the watch may encounter when worn on
your wrist.
Pressure Testing
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Pressure Testing – Waterproof watches are pressure tested to 330 feet |
The watch will now undergo a final pressure test in a special vacuum tank. This
ensures that the waterproof qualities of the watch are retained in accordance
with stringent factory criteria.
Final Inspection
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Final Inspection will be the most stringent check point conducted by the trained eye and sight of the Bonfield’s watchmaker |
The final step will see the watch passing the final, systematic and
uncompromising meticulous inspection by the watchmaker. Our watchmakers from
BONFIELD are reputed to be the finest in the industry due to their years of
practice, expertise and dedication. When you send your watch to BONFIELD, you
are assured of uncompromising service and absolute dedication. You can be
certain that your watch has been treated with utmost respect, and has been paid
the absolute attention to detail.
Restoration of Vintage Timepieces
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Turing Caliber – Inspect the flatness of balance wheel |
Poising Tool – To ensure that the balance wheel is poised or balanced. |
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Reducing the weight of the balance wheel |
The “Jacot” Pivot Lathe – is used for burnishing pivots of the watch train wheel |
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Fabrication of precision parts with the aid of the watchmaker’s lathe |
To forge the guard pins |
Bonfield is fully equipped with a wide range of the finest Swiss equipment. This
provides us with an unparalleled advantage and capabilities to restore both
vintage and pocket watches. Our restoration of your precious and sentimental
timepieces will render them similar to their original standards.
As the restoration work of these exquisite vintage pieces usually requires more
time and attention than the routine maintenance of a watch, we at BONFIELD
manufacture hand-made parts for parts which are not easily available or not
available anymore. Steel surfaces, corners of bridges, cocks and screws are
repaired and polished.
This specialised and rare skill is extraordinary, due to the years of dedicated
schooling and training needed. Such artisan skill is confined to a very small
and selected group of watchmakers worldwide.
Enhancement Services
- Dial Refurbishing
- Customisation of Dial - Diamonds, Pave, Mother of Pearl & Stone
- Diamond customisation - Bezels, Bands & Cases
Service Warranty Info
- Complete overhauled watches have a warranty for 24 months for its proper
functioning, subject to terms and conditions
- Partial jobs are not covered under the warranty