Does a Full Service Truly Restore a Watch's Movement?

[Disannex]

Hello fellow watch enthusiasts,

I'm currently contemplating the purchase of a pre-owned 7 year old TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 (2017) from a professionel seller, that has undergone a full service, and I'm eager to gather insights from the community about the restoration process. Specifically, I'm curious about whether a full service genuinely restores a watch's movement to its original condition and whether the performance is comparable to a new watch.

Here are the details of the watch I'm considering:

Watch Details: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 from 2017

Maintenance: Fully serviced (450Euros), including replacement of the sapphire crystal(181.50Euros), metal bracelet(302.50Euros), and polishing(79Euros). This was done 1 year ago - the watch hasn't been used since.

Price: The seller is asking for 1700 Euros, down from the original listing of 2000 Euros

Condition of Movement: Does a full service truly restore the movement to its original condition? A full service of a watch involves disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, replacing worn parts, reassembling, lubricating, regulating, and testing the timekeeping accuracy of the watch. I'm curious to know if whether the performance of a fully serviced 7-year old watch is comparable to a new watch.

Value Proposition: Considering the maintenance history and age of the watch, do you think 1700 Euros is a reasonable price? Would it be a better decision to spend the same amount on a newer watch from let's say 2022 that has NOT undergone any servicing, maintenance or replacement of sapphire crystal, metal bracelet, and polishing as the 7 year old watch has

Effects of Inactivity: Given that this 7-year-old watch was fully serviced a year ago but has not been used since then, what impact does this inactivity have on the watch? I've heard that when a watch is standing still for a long time, it can dry out and potentially require servicing again.

Thank you in advance for your input

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Disannex

. . .

Condition of Movement: Does a full service truly restore the movement to its original condition? A full service of a watch involves disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, replacing worn parts, reassembling, lubricating, regulating, and testing the timekeeping accuracy of the watch. I'm curious to know if whether the performance of a fully serviced 7-year old watch is comparable to a new watch.

. . .

Depends entirely on the quality of the service. If all you state is done, then on a 7 year old watch there is no reason to expect less than like-new performance.

If the service is the quick sonic-clean major components, nothing worn replced, and lubed; the performance may not be up to par.

[Disannex]

Originally Posted by Tools

Depends entirely on the quality of the service. If all you state is done, then on a 7 year old watch there is no reason to expect less than like-new performance.

If the service is the quick sonic-clean major components, nothing worn replced, and lubed; the performance may not be up to par.

The full service and replacements were done by Tag Heuer, so I can rest assured that the work was done professionally and correctly.
The purpose of my post was to find out if this purchase stands out among the available options, both currently and in the future. I'm trying to find out if a full service can bring the watch back to its original quality, making it a better choice than an unserviced 2022 model, even if available at the same price.
I have never owned a watch before and I want this watch to be my first and only watch that I will have for as long as possible, so I want to make it count. That's why I'm seeking help here.

[joli160]

Like you state the Tag has gone for a factory service so it is like new. Buy worry free imo.
The watch sitting idle for a year has no negative impact.

Personally I would buy the newest you can find and even stretch the budget a bit for a 2023 issue.
It may run very well for even a decade before it requires a service.

As for pricing Tags are a soft in the used market so do make an offer instead of accepting asking price

[enjoythemusic]

Since Tag did the service, you're fine imho