Zenith

ei8htohms
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I wouldn't

Hi Mark,

The short answer: The second most dangerous thing a watch can come into contact with is a watchmaker (#1 being salt water) and the El Primero is a complicated mess of a movement and should not be entrusted to just anybody, so wait until it stops keeping time before sending it in for Zenith factory service; since they don't generally charge for movement parts, the service charges will likely be the same either way.

Watchmakers break watches. Obviously not all watchmakers and all watches, but it's safe to say that watches are less likely to perform reliably after service than they are fresh from the factory. There's just no way to optimize service processes across the huge number of watchmakers out there in the same manner that one can do so with a manufacturing facility. Variability in performance is guaranteed to be higher after service and, more tragically, aesthetic damage to dials and hands can also sometimes result. Of course there are some exceptional watchmakers out there that will beat the curve on most or all counts, but finding these watchmakers AND knowing that you've found them is not at all easy. Remember Mark Twain's quote: "When your watch gets out of order you have a choice of two things to do: throw it in the fire or take it to the watch-tinker. The former is the quickest."

The El Primero is a hugely complicated movement compared to the vast majority of the watches out there, including other chronographs. It has plenty of visual intrigue on the movement side that can be "enjoyed' through a display back, but it also has some engineering, um, solutions... under the dial that are basically byzantine in nature (the conveyor for the hour recorder and the weird stack of gears for the hand setting train specifically). The more parts a watch has, the more possibility for variability exists, especially after service. A highly experienced watchmaker will know exactly where to look for wear and how to properly address the issues found, but an independent service center that is NOT charging you for parts will be more reluctant to swap parts that they don't absolutely have to, gambling parts costs against the potential for a comeback.

The issue of charges for movement parts is the number one reason to NOT service your watch "regularly" AND to use factory service. In my experience, factory service centers do not charge for movement parts unless serious abuse is found (Remember the salt water? DO get the watch water tested once per year if it ever comes within 50 meters of water: Rusty movements are more expensive to service for everybody.). So while you may be saving the movement of your watch a little bit of internal wear and tear, because the labor involved in an overhaul is the lion's share of what you're paying for with service and the service center is going to charge you the same amount for "routine" or "failure intervention" service and give you the same service warranty, the financial advantage to regular service for the watch owner is zero.

The notable exception to the above advice is where it concerns a piece with hard to find replacement parts. With some vintage pieces and/or independent watchmaker creations, you will be much happier for having changed the oil rather than risking wearing out a part that cannot easily be replaced.

_john