Watch repairs: what we repair, and what we don't
London Watchmaker is the repair side of London Watch Market. We look after everyday and sentimental watches, not only valuable ones. Booking opens soon; this guide explains what we will repair and how it will work.
What we repair
- Quartz watchesOur main focus: stopped watches, batteries, and quartz watches that lose or gain time. Most of the watches we handle are quartz. A quartz watch that has stopped may need more than a battery, so we look at what is actually wrong before saying what it needs.
- Basic mechanical workHand-wound watches that have stopped, won't wind or keep poor time. Basic work on hand-wound watches. We will say honestly when a watch needs more than we offer, or when a part is no longer available.
- Basic automatic workSelf-winding watches that stop overnight or won't keep running. Basic work on automatic watches. Specialist calibres, chronographs and restorations are not something we promise.
What we don't do
- Pressure testing, so we can't confirm a watch's water resistance after any work. Treat a repaired watch as not water resistant.
- Every brand and model. Knowing a brand well isn't a promise that every fault can be fixed.
How booking will work
- Tell us about the watchWhat it's doing, the brand and model if you know them, and photos of the dial, case back, crown and strap if you have them.
- An honest first viewWe reply by email with what we think it needs and whether a repair makes sense.
- A quote firstYou get a quote before any paid work. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it.
- You decideYou keep your watch until you've said yes, and we agree with you how it reaches us.
Booking status
Booking isn't open yet, so we're not taking repairs or enquiries at the moment, and please don't post us a watch. In the meantime you can learn how a watch works at The Watch School, or find a watch at London Watch Market.
Questions
- Are you taking repairs now?Not yet. Booking opens soon. Until then, please don't send us a watch; we can't accept one at the moment.
- How will a repair work once booking opens?You tell us about the watch and what it's doing, with photos if you have them. We reply by email with an honest first view and a quote. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it.
- Is my watch worth repairing?If it matters to you, it's worth asking. We look at everyday and sentimental watches, not only valuable ones. If a repair doesn't make sense, for example because a part is no longer available, we'll say so before you spend anything.
- Do you repair every brand?We can't promise that. We see a lot of Seiko, Tissot, Gucci and Raymond Weil through London Watch Market, and we'll be honest about whether a particular watch is something we can help with.
- Do you test water resistance?No. We don't offer pressure testing, so we can't confirm a watch's water resistance after any work.
- Where can I learn how a watch works?At The Watch School, our free online school: thewatchschool.com. Short interactive lessons with two teachers, Mr F and Mr P.