# How do I find a Seiko authorized watch repairer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129 "2014-10-01T21:49:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/1 "2014-10-01T21:49:15Z")
It’s about time to get my watch maintained/looked at, and the manual recommends an authorized repairer. How do I go about finding one near me? My Google searching wasn’t very successful, finding dealers, not repairers. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/2 "2014-10-01T22:05:57Z")
> **[Seiko Watch Corporation](https://www.seikowatches.com/support/customer/)** > > Seiko is one of the few fully integrated watch manufactures. We design and develop our own movements using leading-edge technology. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/3 "2014-10-02T03:00:16Z")
I’d rather not have to send my watch to New Jersey just for routine maintenance. I don’t think they intend me to…? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/4 "2014-10-02T03:14:35Z")
I just went to a jeweler who sells Seikos to get a battery changed, if that’s any help. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/5 "2014-10-02T04:49:40Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > It’s about time to get my watch maintained/looked at, and the manual recommends an authorized repairer. How do I go about finding one near me? My Google searching wasn’t very successful, finding dealers, not repairers. Most Seikos can be battery changed at any competent jeweler. There’s not much any Jeweler (or even Seiko) is going to be able to do to “maintain” a quartz based mechanism watch. They might change the O rings on the back seal but that’s about it. If the module malfunctions you replace it. Having said this there are some Citizens and Seiko’s [like this one](http://japwatches.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/seiko-mile-marker-slt095/)where replacing the battery is a _very_ dicey process and it needs to be done in the NJ service center. My local jeweler refused to open it so I’ve got to send it to NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/6 "2014-10-02T06:14:35Z")
I don’t want to change the battery; it’s solar powered. The manual says it recommends yearly maintenance checking by an authorized repairer. That is what I want to do. ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/7 "2014-10-02T16:01:39Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Having said this there are some Citizens and Seiko’s [like this one](http://japwatches.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/seiko-mile-marker-slt095/)where replacing the battery is a _very_ dicey process and it needs to be done in the NJ service center. My local jeweler refused to open it so I’ve got to send it to NJ. Same with my Seiko Alpinist SBCJ021. Local guy took one look and was all “Nope”. Took about two weeks to get it back. Regards, -Bouncer- ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/8 "2014-10-02T18:28:13Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I’d rather not have to send my watch to New Jersey just for routine maintenance. I don’t think they intend me to…? Looks like there’s also Toronto, Buenos Aires, São Paulo… Besançon, France… ooh, Gibraltar! You like Gibraltar? No? Luxembourg? Belgrade? Cairo? Tehran? Jakarta? Karachi? Hanoi? Papau, New Guinea? Damn, you are hard to please. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/9 "2014-10-03T15:58:22Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I don’t want to change the battery; it’s solar powered. The manual says it recommends yearly maintenance checking by an authorized repairer. That is what I want to do. If a watch is so poorly designed that it needs YEARLY maintenance checking by an authorized repairer, I would wear that watch until it stopped working and never buy another one. It sounds like “please send us money.” I say this as a owner of 7 year old Seiko that I wear daily. It has never needed maintenance besides a new battery. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/10 "2014-10-03T23:29:51Z")
Ah, sorry, the manual says every 2 to 3 years. “It is recommended that the watch be checked once every two to three years. Have your watch checked by an Authorized Seiko Dealer or Service Center to ensure that the case, crown, gasket, and crystal seal remain intact.” So I guess that answers that. I just misremembered what the manual said. Or else I was remembering the manual of the previous watch, which wasn’t solar powered. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/11 "2014-10-06T01:15:25Z")
Any competent watch servicer can do that check. The only time you need to send a watch (or anything else) to an “authorized service center” is for warranty work. That also sounds like an overcautious recommendation to me. It sounds like Seiko is trying to drive business to its affiliates. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/12 "2014-10-06T11:53:11Z")
I respectfully disagree, at least on higher end watches. Checking gaskets can be done by any competent watch servicer. Performing periodic maintenance of watches that really need it (i.e. mechanical) is not something I want to leave in the hands of any random Joe. Perhaps if I had an autowinder Seiko I would take it to a local jeweler, but for others, Omega goes to Omega and Rolex goes to Rolex. They take the whole thing apart to its individual bits and pieces, replace everything that is worn, put it all back together with a dozen different lubricants, and refinish the case. It’s the downside of wearing Swiss watches: you pay several hundred dollars for maintenance and you don’t see your watch again for six months. To the OP: Don’t bother getting it serviced. You aren’t diving with it, are you? It will keep running fine for years. When it stops (in several years), then you can send it to NJ, or just treat yourself to a new one. ETA: NJ isn’t that bad a place. Really, it isn’t 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/13 "2014-10-06T18:28:01Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I respectfully disagree, at least on higher end watches. > > Checking gaskets can be done by any competent watch servicer. > > Performing periodic maintenance of watches that really need it (i.e. mechanical) is not something I want to leave in the hands of any random Joe. > Perhaps if I had an autowinder Seiko I would take it to a local jeweler, but for others, Omega goes to Omega and Rolex goes to Rolex. I assume you are responding to the previous post, which was mine, but I’m not sure which part you disagree with. The OP did specifically say that the recommended check was to “ensure that the case, crown, gasket, and crystal seal remain intact.” Any competent watch repair shop can do that for a Seiko Solar, which is a line that appears to be in the sub-$250 range. I have a Rolex and every few years it needs to be cleaned. I took it to a local watchmaker who was trained by Rolex in Switzerland. No need to send it back to the factory. The Rolex web site shows only three servicers in the U.S. but there are many shops who know how to service a Rolex. Not just anyone can do this; Rolex controls who’s allowed to order their parts, but it’s many more than just the three “authorized service centers.” Here is an interesting [statement about Rolex service](http://yellowstonewatch.com/blog/rolex-watches/) by a guy in Bozeman who replaced the capacitor of my Seiko Kinetic with a lithium-ion battery. Part of their marketing, like all other luxury brands, is to make you think that there is something mysteriously unique about them. Yeah, I know, it’s a Rolex, but it’s not the Space Shuttle. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/14 "2014-10-06T18:40:40Z")
We may simply have to disagree then, won’t we? And there’s nothing wrong with that. If I knew a trusted watchmaker who had the tools and training for Rolex / Omega, I wouldn’t hesitate to give them the business. They would certainly do an excellent job and I wouldn’t have to wait 6 months for my watch. I liken it to who services a car: I don’t have a problem taking a Ford or similar vehicle to my mechanic on the corner–they have the tools and do the work well. I would hesitate before taking a new BMW there, unless I had additional knowledge about their ability to service that particular make and their tools. And this doesn’t necessarily have bearing on the OP. I tried to be clear that I was somewhat off topic at the start. I think the OP shouldn’t worry at all about their watch having problems. ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-seiko-authorized-watch-repairer/700129/15 "2014-10-08T06:45:50Z")
Leaper, What kind of Seiko is it? (On the back there may be two sets of numbers besides a serial number, can you give that information please). Depending on your watch I may have a resource available to you. Regards, -Bouncer-