Mechanical Watch Repair

[wv109323]

I was reading the thread on the "Watch Snob". I also like mechanical watches. I have several that are in need of repair/cleaning. Due any of you know of someone that repairs watches like the Bulova 23J, Hamilton, Lord Elgin. The shops I have found will only repair the very top of the line mechanical watches or are the costs are prohibitive.
It seems the local jeweler is a dying profession.

[unclogum bill]

Years back I use to end up in edmonton /mall Canada. Old german guy there knew his business and rebuild my granddaddy pocket watch for me. Expensive 200 bucks took forever, but he did it and to this day that 1890 watch keeps perfect time. Most watch fixers are battery changers today and hard to get a decent fix. I have my fathers watch and when I get over there will walk it into this guys shop. Check him out. http://watchrepair.cc/

[wch]

Have you asked any of your local jewelers about this?
Many times they will know of someone who can do this work.

[Bad Water Bill]

Over the last 60 years or so I have met several watch REPAIR folks and ONE watch MAKER.

I am sure all of them have left us by now.

The watch MAKER served A 5 YEAR APPRENTICESHIP in Europe and had to make his own pocket watch BY HAND. Look at all of the gears and imagine how much time it took to form even one with all of the teeth needed to make it keep proper time.

After WW2 many colleges offered vets classes in watch repairing.

Today only the VERY top end watches MIGHT have gears.

All quartz vibrates at the same frequency.

IIRC Rolex has several watches powered by the same quarts crystal as used in your Timex.

Quartz watches are so inexpensive most folks simply throw them away when the battery dies. A replacement battery only costs about $5.00 and you can replace it yourself in about 5 minutes.

My Timex is on its 5th and last battery as I broke the face of the watch so it is no longer even remotely water proof.

[WILCO]

Do any of you know of someone that repairs watches like the Bulova 23J, Hamilton, Lord Elgin.

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/

[WILCO]

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/

From their website:

"At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are dedicated to the repair and restoration of vintage and antique pocketwatches and wristwatches. We specialize in the repair of American pocket watches, but we take great pride in bringing any high-quality vintage mechanical (wind-up) watch back to life!


We repair many watch brands, including: American Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, Illinois, Ball, Howard, Hampden, Keystone, Rockford, New York Standard, South Bend, Omega, Bulova and Gruen."

[WILCO]

Renaissance Watch Repair: Watch Brands We Repair

Agassiz
Alpina
American Repeating Watch Co.
American Waltham Watch Co.
Appleton Watch Co.
Appleton Tracy
Aurora Watch Co.
Ball Watch Co.
Bannatyne Watch Co.
Boston Watch Co.
Bucherer
Bulova
Buren
Burlington
Charles Fasoldt
Cheshire Watch Co.
Columbus Watch Co.
Cornell Watch Co.
Croton
Didisheim
Dueber Watch Co.
E. Howard and Co.
Elgin National Watch Co.
Gruen Watch Co.
Hamilton Watch Co.
Hampden Watch Co.
Howard Watch Co.
Illinois Watch Co.
Independent Watch Co.
Ingersoll Watch Co.
Ingraham Watch Co.
Jaeger-Lecoultre (vintage)
Keystone (Howard)
Lecoultre (vintage)
Lancaster Watch Co.
Longines
Manhatten Watch Co.
Nashua Watch Co.
National Watch Co.
New England Watch Co.,
New York Standard Watch Co.
New York Watch Co.
Newark Watch Co.
Non-Magnetic Watch Co.
Omega (vintage)
Rock Island Watch Co.
Rockford Watch Co.
Seth Thomas Watch Co.
South Bend Watch Co.
Tavannes
Tissot
Trenton Watch Co.
U.S. Watch Co.
Waltham Watch Co.
Washington Watch Co.
Waterbury Columbus Watch Co.
Western Watch Co.
Wittnauer

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/brands.html

[reg293]

Regretfully it takes just as long to clean and repair a $60.00 Elgin as a $600.00 Hamilton RR watch.

Time is money in business.

[LUBEDUDE]

BW Bill nailed it. Huge difference between a watch repairman, jeweler, and a Watchmaker.

Don't insult a Watchmaker by addressing him as a repairman. After all they go through, that is almost like addressing a Doctor as Mister.

[B R Shooter]

Odd that Seiko isn't on that list. They are/were very popular.

[btroj]

We are lucky to have a watch repairman/honest to goodness jeweler in town. Does great work, reasonable prices. I use him for all my jewelry needs.

This is a dying art with mass merchandising of these items. Honor the ones you have near you, they won't be around forever.

[Taylor]

We had one too at one time,he has now passed and the shop closed.My wife bought me a 21 jewel Waltham for Christmas one year.I stepped on it,now I need a crystal.

[Garyshome]

My watch repair guy fixes my phone.

[Bulldogger]

This site used to be good, back when I was into wind-ups and I bought several from them. Back then they charged less for watches with non-OEM repair parts, stems, crystals, etc. I think their prices have gone up, but there used to be a listing of local repairmen on the site somewhere. You might have someone signed up near you. http://www.finertimes.com/
Alex