How Often to Service a Luxury Watch: Rolex, Patek Philippe, AP and Richard Mille Intervals

A mechanical luxury watch needs a full service when its lubricants have degraded or its performance has changed, not on a fixed calendar, but the manufacturers publish intervals that are a sound starting point: Rolex recommends a service approximately every 10 years for its current calibres, Patek Philippe every three to five years, and Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille shorter intervals still, set by the calibre. A watch that is worn daily, swum in or knocked about will need attention sooner than one that lives in a safe, and an older watch with the previous generation of movements has a shorter cycle than a new one. This guide explains what each brand recommends, what a full service actually involves, what it costs and how long it takes in 2026, the warning signs that a watch is due, and how to think about service history when you buy or sell. Bizak & Co. sources serviced and documented watches to order; the pre-owned collection shows the kind of watch where service history matters most.

Last reviewed on September 25, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

How often should a luxury watch be serviced?

The honest answer is: when it needs it, within the outer limit the manufacturer sets. A mechanical movement runs on tiny quantities of synthetic oil at perhaps a dozen points, and those oils dry, migrate or gum over time whether or not the watch is running. Once they fail, metal runs on metal, wear begins and the rate drifts. Modern synthetic lubricants last far longer than the oils of the 1980s, which is why Rolex moved from a five-year recommendation to about ten. Three things shorten the cycle: heavy daily wear, which puts more revolutions through the train; exposure to water, sweat and temperature swings, which test the gaskets; and shocks, which can shift a hairspring or chip a jewel without any visible sign. Three things extend it: light rotation in a collection, a modern calibre with long-life lubricants, and a watch that is wound and set gently rather than forced.

Manufacturer service intervals: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille

Sources: Rolex watch care and service, the Audemars Piguet service programme and the Richard Mille servicing page. Each brand phrases its interval as a recommendation, not a warranty condition; a Rolex bought in 2022 does not lose its five-year guarantee for want of a service.

What does a full watch service include?

A full service, which the brands call a complete overhaul or a complete service, is the same job whoever does it. The watchmaker removes the movement from the case, strips it to its component parts, cleans every part in ultrasonic baths, inspects each under magnification for wear, replaces any part that is worn or damaged, reassembles and lubricates the movement to the manufacturer's specification, regulates it in several positions, and refits it to a case whose gaskets have been replaced and whose water resistance has been tested under pressure. At a brand service centre the case and bracelet are also refinished unless you ask otherwise, which is the single most important instruction to give on a vintage watch. A "partial service" or "intermediate service" is a lighter job, typically a gasket change, a pressure test and a rate check without stripping the movement, which is what a dive watch wants annually between overhauls.

• Movement. Full disassembly, cleaning, inspection, replacement of worn parts, lubrication and regulation.
• Case. New gaskets at the crown, case back and crystal; pressure test to the rated depth; refinishing on request.
• Bracelet. Cleaning, pin and screw check, clasp adjustment; refinishing on request.
• Testing. Rate in several positions, power reserve, water resistance, and on a Rolex a final timing check to the Superlative Chronometer tolerance.
• Paperwork. A dated service record and, from the brands, a service guarantee, two years in the case of Rolex and Patek Philippe.

How much does it cost to service a Rolex, Patek or AP in 2026?

Service pricing changes with the brand's tariff, the calibre and what turns out to need replacing, so treat every figure as an indication. In 2026 a Rolex service centre overhaul of a time-only or date model such as a Submariner, Datejust or Explorer has generally sat in the high hundreds to low thousands of US dollars before parts, with a Daytona, Sky-Dweller or any gold model costing more. Patek Philippe overhauls run to several thousand dollars for a Nautilus or Aquanaut and considerably more for annual and perpetual calendars, with long lead times. Audemars Piguet sits between the two for a Royal Oak, and Richard Mille above all of them for its skeletonised calibres. An independent watchmaker with brand parts access is usually cheaper and faster, and for vintage watches often the better choice, because independents will leave original dials, hands and bezels alone where a brand centre may insist on replacing them. What matters for the buyer is to budget for a service on any watch that has no dated record: on September 25, 2026 Bizak's sourced catalogue listed a pre-owned Submariner 116610LN, a calibre 3135 watch from the previous generation, at US$12,650 sourced to order, and a full service is a meaningful fraction of the gap between that and a new 126610LN.

How long does a watch service take?

Rolex service centres in the United States and Europe have typically returned a standard overhaul in four to eight weeks in 2025 and 2026, with longer waits at busy times and for older references that need parts ordered from Geneva. Patek Philippe is measured in months, and a complicated watch sent back to Geneva can be away for the better part of a year. Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille fall between, again depending on whether the watch stays at a regional centre or travels to Switzerland. An independent watchmaker may be two to six weeks. Ask for an estimate in writing, and if the watch is going to a brand centre, ask for it to be sent without refinishing and with all replaced parts returned to you; the returned parts are evidence of what was done and, on a vintage watch, may be worth keeping.

Signs your watch needs a service now

• Rate has changed. A watch that kept time to a few seconds a day and now gains or loses tens of seconds, or whose rate wanders from day to day, has either been magnetised, which is a two-minute fix, or is running dry.
• Power reserve has shrunk. A 70-hour Rolex that stops overnight after a full day on the wrist is telling you the mainspring or the train is tired.
• Crown feels wrong. Grinding or stiffness when winding or setting, or a crown that will not screw down smoothly, points to worn gaskets or a stem problem.
• Moisture under the crystal. Fog or droplets mean water has passed a gasket; this is urgent, because the movement will corrode within days.
• Date or complication misbehaves. A date that does not jump cleanly at midnight, a chronograph hand that stutters, or a GMT hand that drifts.
• Noise. A rotor that rattles or grinds on an automatic, or a ticking that sounds uneven.
• Time since last record. No dated service in the last ten years on a Rolex, or five on a Patek, whatever the symptoms.

Brand service centre or independent watchmaker?

The rule of thumb: a watch under about 15 years old goes to the brand, because the parts are current and the record helps resale; a vintage watch goes to a specialist who will preserve it. For a Submariner from the 1990s the difference is real, as the 16613 guide explains; a replaced bezel insert and a polished case from a well-meaning service can take a large slice off the price of a tritium-dial watch.

Does service history affect resale value?

Yes, in both directions. On a modern watch a dated brand service record removes the buyer's biggest unknown and lets the seller ask the top of the band; a watch with no record is priced as if it needs a service, because the buyer will have to assume it does. On a vintage watch the record matters more for what it says was not done: an unpolished case and original dial, hands and insert are worth more than a freshly serviced watch with replacement parts. Keep every receipt, and if a brand centre returns replaced parts, keep those with the watch. When you come to sell, our guide to selling a Rolex covers what a dealer will ask about service, and the sell or trade page explains how we assess a watch with and without records.

Water resistance: why the annual test matters

Gaskets age faster than movements. A Submariner rated to 300 m when new can lose its seal at the crown within a few years if the crown is left unscrewed, exposed to salt water without rinsing, or simply worn through thousands of settings. A pressure test takes minutes and is the cheapest insurance in watchmaking; any watch that goes in the sea should have one each year, and any watch should have one after a case-back opening or a battery change. Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille all recommend rinsing a watch in fresh water after salt or chlorine exposure, and all warn against operating the crown or pushers underwater on models not designed for it. Between full services, this light annual check is what keeps the movement dry until the ten-year overhaul.

Buying a watch with or without service history: what to check

• Ask for the dated receipt. A brand service record names the watch by serial and lists the work; "recently serviced" without paper means nothing.
• Check the rate yourself. Three days against a phone clock tells you more than any claim; a modern Rolex should be inside a few seconds a day.
• Ask what was replaced. On a vintage watch, a service dial, hands or bezel insert changes the value; on a modern watch it rarely matters.
• Look for refinishing. Soft lug edges and uneven brushing suggest a polish at service; sharp chamfers suggest an untouched case.
• Budget for a service on any undocumented watch older than about eight years. Price it in before you agree the number.
• Pressure test before the first swim. Whatever the seller says, test it.
• Price against the band. A full-set, freshly serviced watch offered well under the market is the single most reliable warning sign.

Our authentication process includes a timing and pressure check on every watch before dispatch, and the vintage Submariner authentication guide shows how to spot service parts on older watches.

Quick answers

How often should a Rolex be serviced?

Rolex recommends a full service approximately every 10 years for its current calibres, depending on the model and how the watch is used. Watches with the older 3135 and 3185 movements were sold with a shorter recommendation, and any Rolex that goes in the sea should have an annual pressure test.

How often should a Patek Philippe be serviced?

Patek Philippe recommends a complete service every three to five years. Complicated calibres, such as annual and perpetual calendars, take longer and cost more to service than time-only models.

How much does a Rolex service cost?

In 2026 a Rolex service centre overhaul of a date or time-only model has generally sat in the high hundreds to low thousands of US dollars before parts, with a Daytona, Sky-Dweller or gold model costing more. Independent watchmakers are usually cheaper.

Can a watch go too long without a service?

Yes. Once lubricants dry the movement wears metal on metal, and a watch that ran fine for 15 years can need far more parts than one serviced at 10. Reduced power reserve and drifting rate are the early signs.

Does a service reduce the value of a vintage watch?

It can, if the case is polished or the dial, hands or bezel insert are replaced. Ask any service centre to leave the case unrefinished and to return all replaced parts; collectors pay more for originality than for a fresh finish.

Request a serviced watch sourcing quote

Tell us the model and reference, whether you need a recent brand service record, your preferred year range and condition, and your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, service papers and a current timing reading before you commit. Catalogue entries: pre-owned Submariner 116610LN, pre-owned Explorer 224270; browse the pre-owned collection, the Rolex collection, or sell or trade your watch.

Related reading: Submariner 16613 guide · How to sell a Rolex · Vintage Submariner authentication · Rolex price guide.