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Stufflers Mom
·I wouldn't be sending a watch of value to anywhere else but back to the manufacturer for service or repair.
How to evaluate a watchmaker?
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STANDY
··schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorI wouldn't be sending a watch of value to anywhere else but back to the manufacturer for service or repair.
What about vintage ?
A vintage speedmaster would come back awfully different than what was sent to Omega......
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Stufflers Mom
·What about vintage ?
A vintage speedmaster would come back awfully different than what was sent to Omega......
That would be the exception, but I personally don't have anything that counts as vintage.
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Togri v. 2.0
·Just have a friendly conversation…& show respect
Be as open & honest, as you would hope he is
Ask for references from regular clients…someone to verify Workmanship or complexity …if he is offended…red Flag !
Trust your judgement…Do you have confidence in this Man ?
I will second that. I had a really bad experience with a watchmaker. He is an excellent watchmaker to my knowledge but lacked the capacity to be honest with me (and many other clients) and had some personal issues as well which affected his ability to run his business. I really enjoyed our chats so it was sad to have to leave him.
I found a new watchmaker who helped me with the watch the other guy messed ud. He did a great job and I now use him regularly. I don’t know jack about the mechanical aspects so I had to “buy” him as a person. Great guy!
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gostang9
·...
Just ask him if he services fly back chronos (or other complicated stuff like tourbillons, rattrapantes etc.) as well as big clocks. Usually, a good watchmaker won't unless you are a good friend.
I've inquired at several watch stores and watchmakers before about servicing mechanical watches with a standard response something like "yeah, sure, we service everything, just leave it with us...". I immediately turn around and walk out because even with the limited knowledge I have of various movements, they are not all the same and parts supply is not always guaranteed or easy.
My preferred and primary watchmaker (well known and respected here) is very open and honest about all service requests.
- First, he wants to understand exactly what I want serviced.
- Second, he considers each request separately and then gives feedback based on what I'm asking for. When a movement isn't one he knows too well or is comfortable/interested in working on, he says so right away and gives me options of other contacts so I'm not stuck.
- Third, he never guarantees anything up front as far as cost or timeline to get it repaired. He knows that the amount of repairs and replacement parts will depend on what is needed, the time to source some hard-to-find vintage parts can vary, and he's also very busy so can't promise a quick turnaround.
- Fourth, he doesn't give extremely low quote estimates typical of clean-and-oil watchmakers where in-depth inspection and clean/repair/replacement isn't done properly.
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arturo7
·I stopped in a shop yesterday and was not too impressed. His entire workspace was a small desk.
He may have been the world's greatest watchmaker but I'll never know.
I brought in a newly acquired Gruen for evaluation. His reply was, "If it's keeping good time it doesn't need service."
That did not inspire with confidence.
He may have been the world's greatest watchmaker but I'll never know.
I brought in a newly acquired Gruen for evaluation. His reply was, "If it's keeping good time it doesn't need service."
That did not inspire with confidence.
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threeputtbogey
·This is an excellent list. And I think referalls of past work is very important.
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vintagemillenial
·I agree, but usually i only go to people that have been referred to me as well.
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wsfarrell
·The acid test for me is chrono creep--does the watchmaker know what it is, and can they fix it. I've had 9 vintage Speedmasters overhauled in the last few years, and 4 of them had chrono creep.
1. Had to send the watch back twice to eliminate the issue.
2. Watchmaker made 3 attempts to fix, couldn't do it. "That's just the way it is," he said. No refund offered.
3. & 4. Fixed perfectly by World Time in San Jose, CA.
1. Had to send the watch back twice to eliminate the issue.
2. Watchmaker made 3 attempts to fix, couldn't do it. "That's just the way it is," he said. No refund offered.
3. & 4. Fixed perfectly by World Time in San Jose, CA.
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Syrte
··MWR Tech Support DeptThis good thread deserved a bump for newbies.
As I'm reading this again.... I'm not sure I get the notion. I have a watchmaker who handles flyback chronographs as well as big clocks. And battery changes for people who walk in from the neighborhood with cheap quartz watches. And he's very good.
Just ask him if he services fly back chronos (or other complicated stuff like tourbillons, rattrapantes etc.) as well as big clocks. Usually, a good watchmaker won't unless you are a good friend.
As I'm reading this again.... I'm not sure I get the notion. I have a watchmaker who handles flyback chronographs as well as big clocks. And battery changes for people who walk in from the neighborhood with cheap quartz watches. And he's very good.
Edited:
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gatorcpa
··ΩF InvestiGatorI wouldn't be sending a watch of value to anywhere else but back to the manufacturer for service or repair.
Just ask him if he services fly back chronos (or other complicated stuff like tourbillons, rattrapantes etc.) as well as big clocks. Usually, a good watchmaker won't unless you are a good friend.
As I'm reading this again.... I'm not sure I get the notion.
Hope this helps,
gatorcpa
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Tony
·There is a fairly well-known watchmaker with a goid reputation about 50 miles from me that I was going to have service my new-to-me 2551.80. I asked the price of a full service, and the clerk told me to look on Omega's website for a price (which is $550), and that is what they would charge me.
Now my thinking is, if I have to pay the same price for a local guy as I would for an Omega Service Center, why wouldn't I just send it to the Omega SC (other than saving on the cost of postage, and possibly some time)?
Now my thinking is, if I have to pay the same price for a local guy as I would for an Omega Service Center, why wouldn't I just send it to the Omega SC (other than saving on the cost of postage, and possibly some time)?
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Oku
·
This good thread deserved a bump for newbies.
As I'm reading this again.... I'm not sure I get the notion. I have a watchmaker who handles flyback chronographs as well as big clocks. And battery changes for people who walk in from the neighborhood with cheap quartz watches. And he's very good.
I am not saying that a good watchmaker does not change batteries in cheap quartz watches (in fact that brings easy and quick money) or does not do both, tourbillons and big clocks. But as I said above, for watches and clocks, you need different tools. And if you kow how to repair or service a tourbillons, you usually have a looooooooong waiting list so that it is not necessary for you to also service (big) clocks. I was told that clocks are somewhat boring and skilled watchmakers usually don't like to service them. Nothing really challenging. And additionally, much dirt inside...
So if your (@Syrte) watchmaker does all the stuff and is good, then you are lucky. My watchmaker does all the complicated stuff, but only small clocks and only if you are a good customer or friend. Bigger clocks he gives to another watchmaker who is specialised in that kind of timekeepers.
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Dan S
·I was surprised to learn that my watchmaker will sometimes repair clocks for friends and established customers. Once when I was meeting him in a coffee shop, a customer was bringing him a JLC Atmos, which was cool because I had never seen one in person. He has a full shop, so he will also fabricate parts if needed, and I think he enjoys doing things that are out of the ordinary.
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S.H.
·I was told that clocks are somewhat boring and skilled watchmakers usually don't like to service them. Nothing really challenging. And additionally, much dirt inside...
This is so... completely wrong. Also, you should see the disgusting crap watches + bracelets tend to accumulate. Ugh.
I view clocks and watches as two separate specialties, it is uncommon to be really good in both categories (different sensibilities), but it sure can happen.
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Syrte
··MWR Tech Support DeptAnd if you kow how to repair or service a tourbillons, you usually have a looooooooong waiting list so that it is not necessary for you to also service (big) clocks. I was told that clocks are somewhat boring and skilled watchmakers usually don't like to service them. Nothing really challenging. And additionally, much dirt inside...
So if your (@Syrte) watchmaker does all the stuff and is good, then you are lucky. My watchmaker does all the complicated stuff, but only small clocks and only if you are a good customer or friend. Bigger clocks he gives to another watchmaker who is specialised in that kind of timekeepers.
That's interesting. So there aren't really any huge clocks inside my watchmaker's shop, only maybe one, and also an old factory clock timer or whatever. And I'm not sure he services tourbillons. But he's got many "medium size" or small size clocks.
But I know another watchmaker who only really cares about clocks from the 16th or 18th century.
Clienst bring him stuff from all over Europe apparently.
I chatted with him once about my WWII pilot watch from the Royal Air Force that I liked so much, and all he could say was something acidic, to the effect there's nothing interesting about those movements Omega produced industrially by the million, and there is zero thought involved.
He finds it much more noble and intellectually challenging to try and figure out how to craft a missing part no one has seen so that an antique movement will come to life.
And he made no effort to hide his distaste for all those people who buy old watches on the internet and expect watchmakers to make them work. And don't realize, he thinks, that parts get worn, may be hard to find, etc etc.
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Evitzee
·I was surprised to learn that my watchmaker will sometimes repair clocks for friends and established customers. Once when I was meeting him in a coffee shop, a customer was bringing him a JLC Atmos, which was cool because I had never seen one in person. He has a full shop, so he will also fabricate parts if needed, and I think he enjoys doing things that are out of the ordinary.
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Oku
·Please elaborate?
Do you think that a simple three hander clock is diffficult and challenging to service? I know of (very skilled) watchmakers who disliked big clocks so much that they used WD40 to clean and lubricate them.
That's interesting. So there aren't really any huge clocks inside my watchmaker's shop, only maybe one, and also an old factory clock timer or whatever. And I'm not sure he services tourbillons. But he's got many "medium size" or small size clocks.
But I know another watchmaker who only really cares about clocks from the 16th or 18th century.
Clienst bring him stuff from all over Europe apparently.
I chatted with him once about my WWII pilot watch from the Royal Air Force that I liked so much, and all he could say was something acidic, to the effect there's nothing interesting about those movements Omega produced industrially by the million, and there is zero thought involved.
He finds it much more noble and intellectually challenging to try and figure out how to craft a missing part no one has seen so that an antique movement will come to life.
And he made no effort to hide his distaste for all those people who buy old watches on the internet and expect watchmakers to make them work. And don't realize, he thinks, that parts get worn, may be hard to find, etc etc.
As I said, my watchmaker does all the complicated stuff and has clients all over the worl (but hates the paperwork with customs.)
He really likes Omega's 30T, well designed chronographs and other beautiful movements. If you bring him a watch with a movement he likes (and which is not completely rotten) chances are good that it passes to his workbench quickly before othe watches that have been brought to him earlier. Concerning movements with missing parts: He can do it, and he does it well, but he usually tells me that it is expensive and not really economic.
