The Atelier
One watchmaker, one set of hands per watch, and no work sent anywhere else.
MONTEVii opened on Westcliff Drive in 1980 and has done the same thing ever since: take mechanical watches apart, find out what is actually wrong with them, and put them back together properly.
We are independent, which matters more than it sounds. An authorised dealer takes your watch, posts it to a service centre and gives you a date some months out. What comes back is correct, but you never speak to the person who did it, you do not get the parts that came off, and you have no way of knowing what was replaced. Here the watchmaker is the person you hand it to.
That also means we can say no. If a dial is better left original, we will tell you. If a case has already been over-polished, we will show you where. And if the honest answer is that a piece should go back to its manufacture, we will say that too. It happens perhaps twice a year, and it is better than pretending otherwise.
Owners come to us from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and across Orange County. Most arrive because somebody sent them.
Inside the Atelier
Rolex or Swiss, vintage or modern. Every piece takes the same route from the counter back to your wrist. Nothing is skipped.
01 · Assessment
You bring the watch in and we look at it with you at the counter. We photograph it, check how well it is keeping time, and test the case for leaks before we open anything. Then you get a written report and a price. Nothing happens until you agree to it.
02 · Overhaul
The movement comes apart completely. Every part is cleaned, worn parts are replaced with genuine ones, and it is rebuilt and oiled by hand. Then we check that it keeps time properly before it goes any further.
03 · Refinishing
Cases and bracelets are polished by hand, following the original factory shape. We take off as little metal as possible, because once an edge is rounded off it cannot be put back. Most of the damage we see was done by someone working too fast.
04 · Certification
All the seals are replaced and the case is pressure-tested for water resistance. The watch then runs under observation and is checked again for accuracy before you collect it. Every service comes with a twelve-month international guarantee.
Tell us what it is and what it's doing. We'll arrange a time for you to bring it to Westcliff Drive.