Before You Come In
Questions we get asked
Answered plainly. If yours is not here, call the atelier and ask.
- Do I need an appointment?
- No. Walk in during opening hours and we will look at your watch across the counter. An appointment is better if you want a watchmaker's full attention, and it costs nothing to book one.
- How much will a service cost?
- We do not publish prices, because a figure quoted before anyone has opened the watch is a guess. Bring it in, we will assess it properly and put a written estimate in your hands before any work begins.
- How long will it take?
- It depends entirely on what the watch needs. A seal test and a movement restoration that requires parts to be machined are not comparable jobs. Rather than quote a figure that may not apply to your piece, we assess it at the counter and give you an expected completion date in writing with your estimate, before you authorise anything.
- Will you send my watch away?
- No. Every job is carried out on Westcliff Drive. This is the main practical difference between us and an authorised dealer, who will post your watch to a service centre.
- Do I get my old parts back?
- Yes, always, along with the timing-machine readings. It is the only way for you to see what was actually replaced and how the watch now runs.
- Will servicing here void my warranty?
- If your watch is still inside its manufacture warranty, take it to the authorised dealer, and we will tell you so. Outside that period, independent servicing has no bearing on anything.
- Do you use genuine parts?
- Manufacture components and Swiss lubricants, without exception. Where a part is genuinely obsolete and no longer supplied, we machine it here to the original specification and tell you that we have done so.
- Should I have my vintage watch polished?
- Usually not. Originality now decides vintage value more than condition does, and metal removed cannot be put back. We will give you an honest view on your specific piece, including when the answer is to leave it alone.
- My watch has moisture under the crystal. What should I do?
- Bring it in the same day and do not wait for an appointment. Moisture becomes rust quickly, and the difference between a same-day intervention and a fortnight's delay can be the difference between a service and a rebuild.
- Is my watch insured while you have it?
- Yes. Pieces are insured, catalogued and stored in a safe. Please declare an accurate value at drop-off so cover is correct.
Bring it in
Tell us what it is and what it's doing. We'll arrange a time for you to bring it to Westcliff Drive.