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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Collecting

Service history

A documented record of repairs, parts replacement and maintenance performed on a timepiece.

Explanation

Service history is the record of maintenance a watch has received: dates, work done, parts replaced. Manufacturer service invoices and watchmakers' marks inside the case back (scratched repairers' codes are common in old watches) all contribute. A documented history supports both reliability and value; an undocumented watch should be assumed to need a service.

In the object catalogue

Catalogued objects whose own source record mentions “Service history”. The quoted line shows where; it is the seller’s or museum’s wording, not independent verification.