Watch Repair

One of the things that are a pet peeve of mine is repairing my watch. For years I have never really had a watch that was worth much. It is one of those things that if it dies it is cheaper for me to buy a new one. I also can get an updated look this way. The most expensive watch that I had purchased myself was around $150. This price alone would definitely force me to take my watch in and get the battery replaced if it had ever died or needed any kind of repairs. Well sure enough about three years after I have had this watch the battery dies. This lead me to figure out the extent of my pet peeve. It is not the repairs that bother me or even buying a new battery for the watch that I love, the thing that irritates me is the cost of labor. For some reason someone decided that watch repairs have to be expensive because watches are seen as specialty items. They are not necessities. It is one of those things that I feel certain people are taking advantage of others because of the circumstance you are in with an expensive watch. You have a nice name brand watch and it is worth way too much to just let the battery die so people that repair watches ( jewelers, department stores, ect.) will charge you almost double what the cost of the battery is just in labor to replace it. This is ridiculous.Then they use the excuse that they have all the expensive tools that you need to do it and their time and tolls and well known knowledge is worth the money. Well in some cases yes but in most I think I could get by.

A couple of years ago I received really nice expensive watch as a gift. I was so happy to have something worth so much on my wrist I wore it every day proudly. Sure enough the battery dies and I take it to a jeweler that services the brand of the watch I own, Seiko. I met with her and asked for a quote to change the battery and do a quick polish on the face of the watch. She was great. She gives out the door quotes right there in her shop. No added charges in the end like tax or labor. What she quotes is what you pay and most of the time she will even do what you need while you are standing there. The system she uses tells you how much each service she performs costs. Of course it has to be a brand of watch that she is familiar with otherwise she will not touch something she knows nothing about. This is one thing that many people do not pay attention to. Are the people that are doing you a service humble and not over their head? It is always important to make sure who ever you are working with is fair and to just driven by greed. I felt that she was definitely familiar with the brand and so she gave me a price list of what some services would cost on the watch. I would just like to give you some of the basics  for various services just so you can cross reference to the jeweler of your choice in your area.It is very broad being that the brand of the watch does make all the difference but here it is.

- A Clean, Tighten, and Polish $56.00 and up

- Special Antique Restoration (depending on material of watch) $66.00 and up

- Watch Band Replacement $60.00 and up

- Ultrasonic Cleaning $38.00

- Lubrication $4.00

- New Gasket Seal $15.00 and up

- Total Overhaul (depending on brand and what can be done) $252.00

- Full Clean and Lubrication $120.00

- Coil Replacement $22.00 and up

- Full Restoration Refinish $150.00 and up

- Battery Replacement $8.99 - $32.99

- Leather Band Replacement $49.00 - $136.00

(Alligator, crocodile, ostrich, sting ray, shark skin, snake, lizard, smooth, oil, buffalo)

- Metal Bands $40.99 - $82.00

(Stainless steel, gold, two tone, mesh)

Now that you have a basic idea of what the services should cost should I mention that some of these things you can do yourself? What if all you need is a simple battery change and you are someone who is very technical and could put an entire car together from scratch? Unfortunately that is something that I am not and I feel more comfortable with a specialist that has done it before doing it for me or at least watching them do it before I even attempt such a thing. You will definitely save some money if you are able to do these kind of projects as well as time and you will have the knowledge to know exactly what is going on with your watch. Well again depending on the brand of the watch you may be able to order the watch repair tools you need and just buy the battery that will fit your watch online. You can save a substantial amount of money if this is done properly. Ounce you have the tools you will bee able to service your watch for years to come and one service that you do will pay for all the tools that you had to buy. The more familiar you are with your watch the more comfortable you will be doing simple repairs like this for years to come. Especially if it is a really nice expensive watch that you plan on keeping for years to come. Here is a short video that give you an ides and looks at what is involved in a basic watch repair so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Watch repair is something that you should not be taken advantage of over. I hope that this gives you some idea of pricing and maybe even gives you some general information on repairs that you can do yourself if necessary. I am not saying that everyone should do their own watch repair. Some people may feel more comfortable by having a jeweler do it that will take responsibility for your watch in case anything goes wrong. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have some liability and security when it comes to expensive things. Please do make sure that if you are not going to attempt to do a battery replacement yourself, make sure that you get quotes from at least 3 dealers in your area. Make sure to always clarify tax information and labor costs. I would only bring my watches to people that know the brand and are familiar with the style of watch you have. Better yet take it back to the place that the watch was purchased or a dealer that currently sells that brand of watch and has a reputation in your community. Hope this has helped and you are more aware so you don’t get taken advantage of just because you are blessed with an expensive watch.