ROLEX WATCH REPAIR, OMEGA WATCH REPAIR, BULOVA WATCH REPAIR, GRUEN WATCH REPAIR, & SEIKO WATCH REPAIR ARE A SPECIALTY!
FROM VINTAGE AMERICAN POCKET WATCHES TO THE FINEST SWISS WATCHES OF TODAY, LET ME HANDLE YOUR WATCH REPAIR!
PRICES AND INFORMATION IN EFFECT AUGUST 8, 2010
The true cost of a $50 overhaul will be with you long after the savings are gone!!!
If you must wind your watch to get it to run, or it says Automatic or Auto-Wind on the dial or case, then it is a mechanical watch.
If your watch has started to tell erratic time it probably needs to be cleaned and oiled.
If your watch got wet and it stopped running, the problem could be (and most likely is) rust. Rust damage is hard to estimate and will be done on an hourly rate, final cost depends on how badly your watch is rusted. In severe instances it may be cheaper to just replace the movement.
If you turn and turn the crown, (the part you wind and set the watch with), and the watch mainspring won't wind up tight, and it's not an auto-wind (automatic) watch, you probably have a broken mainspring.
Mechanical watches have a mainspring that exerts a lot of force on very small surfaces. If you don't have mechanical watches cleaned and oiled every 2-7 years (depending on how well they are sealed), dirt mixes in with the oil and acts like sandpaper shortening the life of the watch.
I totally disassemble every mechanical watch I service. Total disassembly is the ONLY way to do a proper job and find many defects and problems.
Each movement is then cleaned, reassembled, oiled, and timed using an electronic timing machine. Each watch is then observed for 24-48 hours to make sure it is working properly.
I DO NOT do "swish and lube" jobs like so many in the watch repair trade today (if your watch is sent to a trade shop by a jewelry store chances are it gets this type of job)!
Labor rates DO NOT include parts or shipping. Keep in mind that high grade watches (Rolex, Omega, IWC, etc.) WILL be more (see pricing below).
SOME OF THE CHECKS PERFORMED ON YOUR MECHANICAL WATCH DURING OVERHAUL
Winding and setting freedom, barrel arbor end shake test, all pivots in watch examined under 10x magnification for flat spots and/or bent pivots, all jewels in watch checked for breakage or cracks, proper end and side shake of all train wheels is checked, balance is checked for end-play and side-play, escapement of watch is checked for proper set-up, amplitude of balance is checked after cleaning and reassembly, time keeping of watch is checked on the timing machine, water resistance of watch case is checked in a "wet" tester (if applicable), and many other checks.
CLEANING OF MECHANICAL WATCHES
Your mechanical watch will be cleaned in a Mark V ultrasonic cleaning machine. This is one of the best machines on the market today. I use ultrasonic cleaning on wrist watches and pocket watches.
TIMING OF MECHANICAL WATCHES
I will use a Witschi Watchmaster 3 timing machine to time you pocket watch. This is one of the latest, and best machines on the market. As wall as timing in positions, amplitude of the balance wheel will be checked. Amplitude of the balance wheel is an important indicator of the correct functioning of a watch.
WARRANTY
Mechanical watch overhauls are guaranteed for one (1) year from the date the repair is completed. The guarantee does not cover parts I did not furnish, damage from abuse or water damage, watch bands or chains, crowns, stems, balance staffs (if you drop the watch the staff can break), crystals, or repairs done by someone other than myself.
While I will do my utmost to ensure that your watch will function correctly and keep time, it may not be possible to get all watches to keep time. This is particularly true of some old pocket watches and wrist watches which were either "low-grade" to start with, or that have seen "better days" (lots of abuse and possibly "cobbling" by inexperienced repair people or incorrect parts in the watch). I feel it is better to be up-front about this at the beginning than to give false hope or expectations. In any event I must see the watch first to give an estimate and my feelings on how it will perform in the end.
No warranty on mechanical watch repairs unless a cleaning job accompanies each repair. Sorry, but to provide a warranty I have to know the shape of the watch which is impossible unless I have disassembled, examined, cleaned, and oiled & timed it.
CAN YOU FIX MY MODERN WATCH?
I have had many questions on this as a watchmaker is often perceived as someone that just fixes antique pocket or wrist watches, this is definitely NOT the case!
In terms of repair to the inside (movement) of a modern mechanical watch, the name on the outside may mean almost nothing as a lot of (but not all) modern mechanical watches use ETA movements (Breitling is one that uses ETA movements). Most of the parts for these movements are readily available from material houses I do business with.
As far as the outside of the watch goes, maybe and maybe not. Many watch companies are using proprietary parts on their cases such as crystals and crowns. These same companies are often refusing to sell the parts to watchmakers in an attempt to force consumers to use THEIR service centers, often at great expense to the consumer. As an example I can't get Breitling crystals. Breitling demands that all watches be sent to them for COMPLETE overhaul (about $400 +) even if you only need a crystal or another simple part like a crown!.
My approach has been to try to find the part (such as a crystal) at a material house first. If this is not successful I then call the watch company's service center and try to get the part (yes I DO ask nicely!). If I don't succeed in getting the part from them I often have the customer call the service center and request to purchase the part (no one likes an unhappy customer!). If all else fails then perhaps a suitable substitute (in the case of a crystal or crown) can be found.
In any event I WILL have to see the watch to give you an estimate or a yes/no answer on weather or not I can get parts or repair it. No estimates will be given unless I have the chance to examine the watch, sorry.
IMPORTANT POINTS, PLEASE READ!
Labor rate is $40 per hour.
I totally disassemble every mechanical watch I overhaul. Total disassembly is the only correct way to examine a mechanical watch for defects.
Many watches, especially old pocket watches, have other problems that cannot be seen until disassembly. Approximately 50% of antique pocket watches I see have broken jewels. Approximately 50% of the antique pocket watches I see have bent balance pivots or flat spots on the balance pivots. Without correcting these things I cannot guarantee the watch to keep good time. If any of these defects are found the customer will be notified before the repairs are carried out.
WATER RESISTANCE OF WATCHES IS NOT GUARANTEED. There are all kinds of legal reasons for this, so your understanding is appreciated!
ANY watch that comes into the shop that requires a water resistance test during service that has a glued in crystal will have the crystal reglued for a $10-$15 charge. This operation is mandatory on any watch that comes in that is to be water tested with a glued in crystal. The reason is that these watches almost always fail the water resistance test, with the result being that the crystal blows out in the tester and I have to dry out the movement and reglue the crystal anyway.
Due to quality and/or parts issues I no longer work on the following brands of watches: Crown, New York Standard, Columbia, Seiko Quartz Chronographs, Omega quartz watches, Franck Muller watches.
I reserve the right to refuse service on any watch. I am sorry for this, but due to the recent amount of hacked and cobbled watches, particularly pocket watches, coming into my shop I have no choice.
I will not under any circumstances work on, nor do I endorse, any replica/fake watches!
Not responsible for accidents, damages, or loss in the mail.
SHIPPING AND ESTIMATES
Please see Pricing Page for shipping and estimate information.
IMPORTANT NOTES
I do not do work on "approval", watches will be held until the bill is settled, or the watch can be sent C.O.D.
You may check the progress of your repair at any time AFTER I have responded with your initial evaluation (it does no good to ask me about the repair status of a watch I haven't even had the chance to look at) by e-mailing me.
If you do contact me about your repair, PLEASE be specific, I can have other watches in the shop and can't remember ever one.
Ohio residents must add 7% sales tax.
Please take the following as a guideline for repair times
Estimates: 1 week-1 month. If you haven't heard from me after 2 months then please e-mail me.
Repairs completed: 1-4 months. This will depend on my schedule and parts availability. In the case of some older watches it may take MONTHS to find the parts, not weeks.
PLEASE, allow me time to do the work, I can't estimate/fix every watch that comes in within 4-5 days, it is just not possible, especially during the "busy season".
PAYMENT METHODS
Personal check
Cashiers check
Money order
I do not take any credit card payments. Sorry!
Please make all checks or money orders payable to Scott A. Ekleberry
If you still feel you have any unanswered questions after reading through my website, please feel free to e-mail questions. Thank you!!!
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