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For owners of high-end timepieces, regular servicing is essential to keeping a watch performing accurately and maintaining its long-term value. While much attention is given to the intricate internal work—movement cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, and replacement of worn components—one equally important stage often happens quietly behind the scenes: the process of re-casing the watch once the service is complete.
Re-casing is far more than simply placing the movement back into the case. It is a precise, technical, and methodical procedure that ensures the watch is protected, sealed, functioning correctly, and aesthetically immaculate before being returned to its owner. In luxury watch servicing, re-casing is treated with the same meticulous care as movement repair, and for good reason—errors during this stage can compromise performance, water resistance, and even the longevity of the newly serviced movement.
In this article, we’ll explore the full process of re-casing a watch after servicing, as carried out by a high-end watch repair specialist.
Before the movement returns to its case, a watchmaker performs a final technical inspection. After undergoing cleaning, reassembly, lubrication, regulation, and testing, the movement must pass strict quality checks.
These checks typically include:
Only when the movement meets all precise tolerances will the watchmaker prepare it for re-casing. This ensures that the “heart” of the watch is functioning perfectly before it is sealed back into its protective exterior.
The watch case itself undergoes a full preparation process before the movement is reinstalled. As the case protects the delicate movement from dust, moisture, and impact, its condition is crucial.
This stage typically involves:
The case is cleaned ultrasonically or by hand, ensuring that no dust, oils, or debris remain inside the inner cavity. Even a single microscopic particle can disrupt movement performance.
The watchmaker inspects the case for:
Any faults must be corrected before the movement is re-installed.
Many high-end services offer optional polishing. This is done with sensitivity to the original case geometry, ensuring edges and bevels remain crisp. Whether polished or not, the case is kept in pristine condition for re-casing.
A luxury watch almost always relies on multiple rubber or synthetic gaskets to maintain water resistance. During servicing, these gaskets are routinely replaced, as even small amounts of wear or compression can compromise the seal.
Common gasket replacement areas include:
Each gasket is lubricated with silicone or the manufacturer-specified grease to prolong its elasticity and improve sealing performance.
This step is especially critical for divers’ watches or any model requiring certified water resistance. Even luxury dress watches benefit greatly from fresh gaskets to protect the movement from humidity.
Before the movement returns to the case, the dial and hands must be reinstalled—or adjusted if needed after servicing.
This process includes:
For luxury watches, even the slightest misalignment is unacceptable. The hands must run parallel, smooth, and free from obstruction.
Once the movement, dial, and hands are assembled and the case prepared, the watchmaker begins the delicate process of installing the movement.
This is done in a dust-free environment, often under a filtered airflow hood. Precision tweezers, clamps, and fixtures secure the movement without applying force to fragile components.
The steps typically include:
Great care is taken to avoid even the slightest dust particle entering the case during this stage.
With the movement in place, the crown and stem assembly is inserted and tested. The crown must:
Chronograph pushers, if present, are also checked for proper engagement and sealing.
Any resistance, misalignment, or unusual movement would require removal and adjustment before the caseback is sealed.
Finally, the watchmaker closes the caseback, which may be:
Before sealing, the watch is given a last visual dust inspection under magnification.
Torque settings for screw-down backs are usually manufacturer-specified to ensure optimal gasket compression. High-end repair services follow these specifications precisely.
Once the watch is re-cased, it undergoes water resistance testing. This is crucial even for watches that are rarely submerged, as environmental humidity can still damage a movement.
Tests may include:
Only once the watch passes these tests will it proceed to the final stages.
The watchmaker performs a thorough inspection to ensure that the watch is cosmetically flawless and functioning perfectly after re-casing. This includes:
Any imperfection—no matter how small—is addressed before the watch is signed off.
High-end watch repair services often keep the re-cased watch under observation for 24–72 hours to confirm stable timekeeping and power reserve performance.
This ensures:
This stage represents an important final safeguard before returning the watch to its owner.
Re-casing a watch after servicing is a meticulous, multi-stage procedure requiring expertise, precision tools, and a dust-controlled environment. For luxury timepieces, the stakes are particularly high—proper re-casing ensures that the newly serviced movement is protected, the watch retains its water resistance, and the overall aesthetics meet the exacting standards expected by discerning collectors.
A well-executed re-casing is the final reassurance that your watch has been handled with the highest level of care. After all, servicing a high-end watch is not just about repairing a mechanism—it’s about preserving a treasured object built to last generations.
When done correctly, re-casing completes the servicing process, delivering a timepiece that looks exceptional, performs flawlessly, and is ready to accompany you for years to come.