Watch and Clock Repair

Watch and Clock Repair

You can trust our professionals to properly service your watch or clock. We guarantee all of our work for six months from the date of service.

We service all makes and brands of repairable watches and clocks. Most repairs can be done right here in Muskegon. We service heirloom watches and clocks, including antique pocket watches and automatic movements.

Some Common Questions and Answers

Which watches can be repaired?
How much does watch repair cost?
What does a cleaning (overhaul) involve?
How often should a watch or clock be serviced?
My watch is ''waterproof''. What does this mean?
How accurate will my antique watch be?
Can I over wind my watch?
What if parts aren't available?

Which watches can be repaired?

In theory, any watch can be repaired, but in practice many watches can not be repaired for less than the cost of replacing them. This may be the case for inexpensive quartz watches or watches with badly damaged or rusted movements.
Even if the repair costs exceed the replacement costs, the watch may be worth repairing if it is an heirloom or has sentimental value to you.

The best way to find out for sure is to bring it in for an evaluation. Contact us if you'd like to inquire about sending your watch to Muskegon for repair.
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How much does watch repair cost?

Watch repair is skilled labor, and a good servicing can take quite a bit of time. Cleaning (overhaul) of a quartz watch usually starts around $60.00. A more complicated watch, such as an antique pocket watch, may be in the neighborhood of $125.00. This is just a cleaning, you should expect that any other work your watch requires will cost more accordingly.

If your watch doesn’t need a cleaning, but only requires a simple part replacement, or minor repair, it may cost less. A new crystal (the glass over the face) starts around $30.00.

Complicated watches such as chronographs will cost more, as will brands that have hard to find or expensive parts such has the high end Swiss watches. Swiss, English or other non-American watches made before around 1910 can be very hard to find parts for, often they have to be custom made by hand.

There is no charge to get an estimate for repair from our watchmaker, and we will not go ahead without your approval of the price. Some watches require factory service. In those cases we can get you an estimate for the cost of the postage.
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What does a cleaning (overhaul) involve?

A cleaning requires hand oiling, in the right amounts and in the right spots. Too much oil can be worse than not enough.

For a good servicing, the watch needs to be completely taken a part. All parts must be inspected for damage and wear. Any broken, worn or missing parts need to be fixed. The parts need to be cleaned, usually with an automatic cleaning machine, and then inspected to make sure the parts really got clean. The watch must be reassembled, and checked to make sure it is running well in all positions. If the watch isn't running well in all positions, the problems must be diagnosed, fixed, and possibly the watch will need to be re-cleaned and re-oiled. Finally, most watchmakers let the watch run for at least 24-48 hours to make sure everything is working right.
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How often should a watch or clock be serviced?

If you have a quartz watch, by all means, wait until it breaks. If you have a fine grade mechanical watch, it’s a good idea to be on a regular maintenance schedule, perhaps every 2 to 5 years. You should immediately get your watch serviced if it ever gets water inside, or if you see moisture forming on the inside of the crystal.

Mechanical clocks require regular maintenance. Dust and dirt will accumulate on the movement and act as an abrasive on the gears, grinding away the metal. This increases friction, both by making the surfaces rough and also by changing the shape and position of the gears. The gears are designed so that the teeth roll on each other, instead of sliding. Once the right shape is worn away, they will never be as good. In general, the older the clock, the less accurate it will be.
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My watch is ''waterproof''. What does this mean?

What this really means is water-resistant. There are rubber gaskets inside the watch that seal water out. A screw-on back, which can be tightened down onto the gasket, helps. The watch must be sealed well around the crystal (the glass at the top). Water also can enter the watch at the crown (the knob that changes the time). Some watches have a gasket there too. The most water-resistant watches will have a screw-down crown, so the crown can be tightened down onto its gasket.

What do those water-resistance ratings mean exactly?
At the time of manufacture (according to Swiss Army brand) before any wear and tear on the watch:

• Water-resistant to 30 meters (100 feet/3 ATM). Will withstand rain or splashes of water but should not be worn while showering, swimming, or diving.
• Water-tested to 50 meters (165 feet/5 ATM). Suitable for showering or swimming in shallow water.
• Water-tested to 100 meters (330 feet/10 ATM). Suitable for swimming or snorkeling.
• Water-tested to 200 meters (660 feet/20 ATM). Suitable for swimming, snorkeling, or skin diving.
• Water-tested to 300 meters (990 feet/30 ATM). Suitable for swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving.
• Water-tested to 500 meters (1650 feet/50 ATM). Suitable for swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving.

Every watch will leak at some point. If the gaskets in your water-resistant watch become dry or brittle, they become less effective. Wear on the case will also affect the water-resistance of your watch. Also -- don't trust the "water proofing" on vintage wrist watches, treat them like pocket watches and non-water resistant wrist watches. Warranties for water resistant or water pressure tested watches are only available through the manufacturer and are not provided by us.
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How accurate will my antique watch be?

Most watchmakers won't try to make a watch run more accurately than when it was originally manufactured. An unadjusted 7 jewel movement should keep time within 10-60 seconds per day. A high grade railroad watch, on the other hand, will probably be made to run to within 10 seconds per day in every position, with the goal of having some positions cancel the errors of the others.
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Can I over wind my watch?

You really can't "over wind" a watch, at least not without taking out a pair of pliers and really cranking on the winding crown well past the point of it being hard to turn. Most people would laugh if they were told their car's flat tire was caused by over filling their gas tank. Being the last person to fill the gas tank doesn't mean you broke the car, nor does being the last person to wind the watch.
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What if parts aren’t available?

Sometimes parts are no longer available. Most watches from the 1930's were designed to be repaired, while many from the 1990's weren't. Parts for older watches are often still around if you look hard enough for them (this takes time and sometimes lots of money for rare parts). They aren't making any new replacement parts for antique watches, so if your antique watch needs parts, they are more likely to be available now than in the future.

If parts can't be found, they often can be made. If the part is simple to make, say, a winding stem, or if another part can be easily modified, this may not be terribly expensive. Difficult parts such as a new escape wheel can still be made by expert watchmakers, but this can be very expensive.
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