Any revolver of mine that is shot often (several times per month) gets completely stripped, cleaned, inspected and lightly lubricated every 18 months or so. I will do the same on less frequently fired revolvers every 5-6 years or when required.
IMHO, a revolver's moving, sliding and rotating parts will wear unnecessarily faster without a light lubrication. Also IMHO, any lubricant that lasts a while will eventually pick up debris, unburned powder and dust. Some are better than others about not turning into a sludge. There is pretty much no mechanical devise (moving parts inside) I can think of that is 100% maintenance free. It is also my opinion the reason manufacturers will usually tell consumers not to open the item up is not because it wouldn't benefit by being cleaned and lubricated, but they are fully aware that most will do more harm than good because they no little about mechanisms, specifications, procedures and are not mechanically inclined. They are also deeply concerned about liability.
At his point in my life I feel very confident that I know more about my revolvers than the workers up at the S&W plant - sad to say, but probably true. I am not saying I am a master GS or maven, it's just that I dedicated myself to learning every thing I needed to know to keep from having to send a gun back to a manufacturer, unless there is a part I can not buy or something that is impossible for me to fix in a home workshop. I can repair them, tune them, maintain them and keep all running smooth and properly - it does seem that they can not. I do not re-blue or re-Nickel guns - that's the line in the sand for me. Thankfully I have not had to send a HG out for this procedure because I won't buy one in the first place that needs refinishing.