How much does a watch service cost in the UK?

Watch servicing cost in the UK depends on the brand, the movement and how much work the watch needs. Of the six brands covered here, only TAG Heuer publishes a full UK price list: its March 2026 UK list puts a complete service at £270 for a quartz watch and £410 for a three-hand mechanical watch, VAT included. Cartier’s UK site says its complete service starts from £370, subject to assessment. For most other brands you need a quote for your watch.

A service (also called an overhaul) is the strip-down, cleaning, lubrication and adjustment of a watch’s movement, with new seals and a final test. This guide quotes only prices a brand publishes itself, with the date we checked them.

How much does a watch service cost in the UK?

It depends on who does the work and what the watch is. The table below lists every UK service price we could find published by one of the six brands covered here. Where a brand publishes no fixed price, the table says so, and the brand sections further down explain how to get one.

Sources: TAG Heuer, UK service price list, March 2026; Cartier UK, watch care and repair; Omega, preserve your Omega and main steps of a complete service; Breitling, service and service prices; aBlogtoWatch (2 July 2015); Michael Spiers, Rolex servicing; Tudor, service card. All checked 29 October 2026 unless dated.

A price can rise once the watch is opened and the watchmaker finds parts that need replacing.

What does a full watch service involve?

A full service takes the watch apart, cleans and inspects every movement part, replaces worn parts, reassembles and lubricates the movement, regulates it and fits new seals before a water resistance test. Most brands also clean and refinish the case and bracelet. The steps differ a little from one brand to the next.

Omega lists eight steps for its complete service: taking the case and movement apart; cleaning each movement part in an ultrasonic bath; replacing worn parts with original Omega parts; reassembling and lubricating the movement; adjusting the rate and checking it against Omega’s standard; cleaning and polishing the case and bracelet; reassembling the case with new water-resistance gaskets; and a final quality control (Omega, 2026).

Some brands also sell a lighter service. TAG Heuer’s partial maintenance (M1) covers a diagnosis, dismantling the watch, ultrasonic cleaning of the case and bracelet parts, a new battery for quartz watches, new gaskets and a final check. Its complete service (M2) adds a movement overhaul or replacement, new wearing parts, and refinishing of the case and bracelet metal (TAG Heuer, 2026). Breitling’s maintenance service checks the movement and functions, changes all seals, tests water resistance and cleans the case and bracelet (Breitling, 2026).

How often should a watch be serviced?

Follow the interval your watch’s maker gives, because the brands differ. Omega recommends a complete service every 5 to 8 years. Breitling recommends a complete service every 4 to 6 years, with a maintenance service every 2 years. In 2015, Rolex was reported to have moved to an interval of about ten years. Cartier recommends a functional check every six years.

How the watch is worn matters too. Omega says service frequency depends on how and where the watch is worn, and recommends a water resistance check once a year, because gaskets age and knocks happen (Omega, 2026). Breitling suggests testing water resistance about once a year on watches often exposed to water, ideally before a swim or a holiday (Breitling, 2026).

A pre-owned watch is a special case. If there are no papers to show when it was last serviced, budget for a service soon after you buy. Our guide on checking a watch has really been serviced shows how to test what a seller tells you.

What drives the cost of a watch service?

Four things: the movement type, the complications, the parts that need replacing and the case and bracelet work. A chronograph costs more to service than a three-hand watch, and some older watches need rare parts. Refinishing the case and bracelet is often included in a complete service, but not in a lighter one. Whether the movement is made in-house or bought in from a supplier also affects turnaround and parts availability — see in-house versus outsourced movements.

TAG Heuer’s UK list shows each of these in figures (TAG Heuer, March 2026, VAT included, non-binding):

Source: TAG Heuer, UK service price list, March 2026 (checked 29 October 2026). Suggested retail prices in GBP including VAT, non-binding. Vintage Heuer watches made before 1985 are priced separately and serviced at the Swiss manufacture.

Parts. Prices usually include the parts that wear in normal use. Omega says its calculated price covers more than labour and worn movement parts: it includes the crown, pushers, crystal (except sapphire), escape valve and gaskets (Omega, 2026). A dial, hands or a sapphire crystal can be extra. Ask what is included before you agree.

Case and bracelet. Polishing takes away metal. Cartier says it recommends no more than three polishings over a watch’s life (Cartier UK, 2026). If you want the case left as it is, say so when you hand the watch in.

Brand service centre or independent watchmaker?

A brand service centre uses the maker’s parts and procedures and gives the brand’s own guarantee on the work. An independent watchmaker may cost less or be quicker, but check how it gets parts and what guarantee it gives. If the watch is still under the maker’s warranty, use the brand, because some warranties end if anyone else opens the watch.

One independent UK workshop’s own published prices show the kind of gap that can open up for simpler movements. H.E. Phillips Ltd, a Totnes retailer and workshop, lists a Rotary mechanical service at around £150, covering disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, lubrication and a pressure test, a Seiko 4R36/6R35 automatic movement service at £180 to £250, a general mechanical automatic service at £150 to £250, and a quartz battery and seal service at £40 to £60 (H.E. Phillips Ltd, checked 30 October 2026). Figures like these are one workshop’s own prices, not a market average, but they illustrate why an independent is often considered for an everyday mechanical watch with a widely available movement: parts and labour for a common calibre cost less to source than a brand’s own in-house parts and procedures.

The trade-off against that lower price is turnaround and warranty continuity. The same workshop notes that official parts channels for some mass-market brands can take 7 to 21 days to source through an “official only” route, or 14 to 30 days through an authorised service hub, before work even starts (H.E. Phillips Ltd). An independent with stock parts on the shelf can sometimes turn a simple service around faster, but weigh that against the warranty risk set out above: Breitling, Omega and Rolex each say unauthorised work can affect their warranty or service guarantee, so an independent is a different calculation for a watch still under cover than for one that is not.

Breitling says its international warranty stays valid only if any service or repair is done by an authorised Breitling service centre (Breitling, 2026). Omega’s service warranty is void if the work was carried out by anyone not approved by Omega SA (Omega, 2026). The Rolex Service Guarantee is voided by any work from a non-Rolex-authorised third party or the fitting of non-Rolex parts (Michael Spiers, 2026). Read watch warranty explained before you choose.

To find an independent, the British Horological Institute, an educational institution and trade body, keeps a register of accredited repairers. It says those listed have met its requirements for accredited qualifications (BHI, 2026).

Either way, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies when you pay a business for a service. The trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill (section 49) and within a reasonable time (section 52). If the contract does not fix the price, you must pay a reasonable price and no more (section 51). What the trader tells you, in writing or out loud, can become a term of the contract (section 50).

What do the main brands say about servicing?

Each brand below publishes something on servicing: an interval, a list of steps, a guarantee or prices. None of the six publishes all four in one place for UK buyers. Where a price is not published, ask the brand or an authorised retailer for a written quote for your watch’s reference number.

Rolex

Rolex services through its own service centres and authorised retailers. In 2015 aBlogtoWatch reported that Rolex recommended a service period of about ten years, up from a previous three (aBlogtoWatch, 2 July 2015). Michael Spiers, a Rolex retailer and authorised service centre, says each movement is fully overhauled, the case and bracelet are refinished, and accuracy and waterproofness are tested. A two-year Service Guarantee follows a complete service; it excludes damage from accidents or mishandling (Michael Spiers, 2026). We found no published UK price list, so ask a Rolex retailer for a quote. More on the brand: Rolex’s history and pre-owned checks.

Omega

Omega recommends a water resistance check once a year and a complete service every 5 to 8 years. It offers a 24-month warranty on each intervention, which does not cover normal wear or damage from accidents, lack of care or negligence (Omega, 2026). Omega’s customer service pages carry a service price table and calculator by watch type, with prices including VAT; check it for your model. See our Omega brand page for the collections and what to check.

TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer publishes a UK price list (see the table above). Every service carries a 24-month warranty on the work and the replaced parts. Repairs and parts not on the list are priced by cost estimate, and TAG Heuer says the diagnosis and estimate are free, shipping included (TAG Heuer, March 2026). The UK list does not state a service interval. Read more on our TAG Heuer page.

Tudor

Tudor says that after every full service by an Official Tudor Retailer or Service Centre, the watch comes back with a Tudor Service Card carrying an international two-year guarantee (Tudor, 2026). The Tudor pages we could read did not give a service interval or UK prices, so ask an Official Tudor Retailer. The Tudor brand guide covers its guarantee periods by year of sale.

Breitling

Breitling recommends a maintenance service every 2 years and a complete service every 4 to 6 years. Its complete service covers disassembly, cleaning and replacing standard movement parts, assembly, lubrication and adjustment, new seals, some hand replacement, a water resistance check and case and bracelet refurbishment, except on black carbon finishes. Its UK service pages show maximum prices for your model when you enter the serial or reference number; they exclude VAT, packaging and shipping (Breitling, 2026). See Breitling: history and buying pre-owned.

Cartier

Cartier’s UK site lists a complete service from £370, subject to assessment, taking at least three weeks depending on parts. A battery service for quartz watches, with new seals, is £55. A functional check, testing precision, water resistance and, on mechanical watches, magnetisation, is free, and Cartier recommends one every six years. Restoration is priced by estimate (Cartier UK, checked 29 October 2026). Our Cartier brand page explains Cartier Care registration.

How do you get a watch servicing quote?

Send or take the watch to the brand, an authorised retailer or an independent watchmaker, and ask for a written quote after they have opened it. Give the reference and serial numbers. Ask what the price includes, which parts would be replaced, whether the case will be polished, how long it will take and what guarantee comes with it.

Useful questions:

• Is this a fixed price or an estimate that could change once the movement is stripped?
• Which parts are included, and which would be extra (dial, hands, crystal, bracelet parts)?
• Will the case and bracelet be polished, and can I ask for them not to be?
• Will I get the old parts back?
• What guarantee covers the work, and for how long?
• Is shipping and insurance in transit included?

Keep the quote and the invoice with the watch’s papers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Rolex service cost in the UK?

We found no UK price list published by Rolex. Ask a Rolex retailer or Rolex service centre for a written quote for your reference number.

How much does an Omega service cost?

Omega’s site has a service price table and calculator by watch type, with prices including VAT. Use it with your model, or ask an Omega boutique for a quote.

Which brands publish UK service prices?

Of the six brands in this guide, TAG Heuer publishes a full UK price list (March 2026) and Cartier publishes a starting price for its complete service. Breitling shows maximum prices by model on its UK site.

How long does a watch service take?

It varies. Cartier says its complete service takes at least three weeks depending on parts, and restoration at least three months (Cartier UK, 2026). Ask for an estimated date when you hand the watch in.

Is a partial service enough?

A partial service renews seals and cleans the case; it does not overhaul the movement. TAG Heuer and Breitling both sell one alongside the complete service. Ask which your watch needs.

Does a service include polishing?

Often, but not always. Omega’s complete service includes cleaning and polishing the case and bracelet. TAG Heuer includes refurbishing in its complete service and charges extra for it with partial maintenance.

Is an independent watchmaker cheaper than a brand service centre?

Often, for a widely used movement. One independent UK workshop, H.E. Phillips Ltd, publishes a Rotary mechanical service at around £150 and a Seiko automatic service at £180 to £250, well under TAG Heuer’s published mechanical complete service price of £410. The saving is less clear-cut for a watch still under warranty, where unauthorised work can void the maker’s cover.

Will servicing at an independent void my warranty?

It can. Breitling, Omega and Rolex all say work by unauthorised parties affects their warranty or service guarantee. Check your watch’s terms first.

What guarantee do I get after a service?

Omega and TAG Heuer each give 24 months. Rolex gives a two-year Service Guarantee after a complete service, and Tudor a two-year guarantee on its Service Card.

Why is a chronograph more expensive to service?

Brands price it in a higher group. On TAG Heuer’s UK list, a complete service is £410 for a mechanical watch and £495 for a mechanical chronograph (March 2026).

This page is general information, not legal advice.

We check the facts in this guide against the sources named, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Rules, rates and sellers' terms change, so confirm the details with the seller, or with a professional, before you buy.