It's About Time! Watch Repair

Professional Pocket Watch Repair & Wrist Watch Repair

Upper Sandusky, Ohio,  USA

Scott A. Ekleberry-Watchmaker

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SPECIALIZING IN BOTH POCKET WATCH REPAIR AND WRIST WATCH REPAIR.

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 26, 2010

WATER RESISTANCE OF WATCHES AND SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!

No manufacturer or watchmaker will guarantee your watch to be waterproof or water resistant (unless he is insane). Why? Well, they once did, but then if I remember right someone died in a diving accident or something around 1970. There was major litigation and then it was open season on any watch that said waterproof and leaked. In other countries many watchmakers and even some watch manufactures were forced out of business after they were sued as the consumer protection laws are very strict in many other countries. In the US the Federal Trade Commission mandated that no watch ever be labeled waterproof again. So, when the old stock was sold-off "water resistant" became the keywords. Does that mean your watch will not stand up to the water? Not really, but it keeps all of us in the trade from being sued because the responsibility now rests with the consumer.

If the watch says "water resistant" it may be suitable for washing your hands but I probably wouldn't go swimming or wash the car with it on. Care should be taken to keep water off the watch, and this includes excess perspiration.

If your watch says water resistant to 50-100 meters" (5-10 BAR) it is suitable for some swimming and you can probably go snorkeling with it if it is rated at 100 meters or 10 BAR.

If the watch is rated for 200 meters or more (20 BAR or above) then you can probably go diving with it to a reasonable depth.

Professional Diver's watches are rated at 300 meters or greater and have heavy gaskets and crystals intended for use at scuba depths. If you are a serious diver, I STRONGLY suggest sending the watch in for an annual pressure test and/or gasket replacement to be sure the gaskets are tight and don't leak.

In any event, if you intend to partake in ANY water sports with the watch on, it is IMPERATIVE that you have the water resistance checked BEFORE you do the activity! I have had people e-mail me about
sea water in all sorts of watches, including Rolex watches. The sad part is, once it's in there the damage is probably done, and many times irreversible.

If you plan to do any water sports with the watch, I can not stress enough to have the water resistance
of the watch checked regularly. Spending $15-$20 to have it checked every 1 to 2 years is a LOT cheaper than having to buy a new watch!!!

When I test your watch for water resistance I will give you a yes/no answer weather or not it passed the test, and at what pressure, but under no circumstances will I guarantee the water resistance of any watch.

At present my tester will only test to 5 BAR, but most watches that are bad will show a leak at 3 BAR. In the future I hope to upgrade to an electronic tester capable of testing to at least 20 BAR or more. Unfortunately, these machines are VERY expensive, so a resultant increase in charges for water resistance testing will be the by-product of purchase of the new machine. The new machine will allow me to give better service to the customer and also test divers watches to their full water resistance level. Most watchmakers do not have the more expensive machines, you must test a lot of watches to pay for such a machine.

If your watch fails the water resistance test, and you would like work performed to make it water resistant
again, then additional labor and parts will be necessary. Water resistance of a watch should be checked yearly, at the very least every other year.

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Repair Parts Restricted Brands

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Mechanical watches require periodic service in order to keep them in proper operating condition.   The cost of periodic maintenance is part of the long-term cost of ownership, which must be factored into any watch purchase decision.

We believe the watch buying consumer should have the right to have their watch serviced by the watchmaker of their own choosing and not be forced to obtain service only from factory repair facilities at non-competitive prices.

We believe that an open market for repair service promotes competition, holds down repair costs, and is good for the watch consumer.

It is our understanding that the manufacturers of the following brands refuse to sell repair parts to independent watchmakers.  In some cases, these manufacturers will not even sell repair parts to their authorized dealers.  We believe this practice is unfair to both consumers and independent watchmakers.

We would further add that only through consumer pressure can this situation be resolved. We encourage you to contact your State and US Congressional representatives about this issue. In addition, inform the company or companies exactly how you feel about this policy. As long as the manufacturers are allowed to continue this policy, the consumer will suffer with higher repair prices in a noncompetitive environment. In addition, the future of the independent watchmaker, both in the United States and other countries is being called into serious doubt because of the lack of repair parts.

Anyone considering the purchase of one of these watches should inquire whether the brand will provide repair parts to the independent watchmaker of the customer's choosing, or if the watch can only be serviced at the manufacturer's repair facility.   We hope you will consider this information carefully before making your purchase decision.

The independent watchmakers appreciate your support, and encourage you to contact your local or state Consumer Protection Agency. Thank you!!!

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