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Hi from someone returning from the dark side.

AndyinUS

By AndyinUS
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AndyinUS New Member

AndyinUS

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Posted

Just getting back into mechanical watches and watch repair. I was somewhat disappointed in my local Seiko AD because he charged $12 to replace a battery in a Quartz watches back in December of 2021.  Later I asked to replace a crystal in an Orient Mako XL and he politely declined saying he had never worked on an Orient.  I bought a cheap starter Watch repair kit and crystal press and did the repair myself. I have also started replacing my own Watch batteries.  I do enjoy Richard’s videos because I have learned how to keep my watches clean of dust and contaminants when I work on them.  I look forward to learning from each of you as well.  

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Tiny WRT Addict

Tiny

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$12 sounds really good I had two watches in December changed this service cost me £50.00 for the pair I like you had a watch fossil with a cracked glass so I rang fossil direct they said that they couldn't replace it as it was not a current model. however I have heard that fossil don't really like to repair there watches I suppose they are like Timex  and a lot of Chinese movements they don't produce extra parts.

I also think that orient is now part of Seiko ?

 

this is also why I started repairing my own watches same as you I wasn't happy with the service I was getting even Invictus wouldn't repair a watch that was running 7 minuets a hour. Opps not Invictus  a online watch repairer so I did my on research and found it could be magnetic problem, now the watch runs smooth That will teach me to leave my self winding watch on top of my laptop.

 

anyway welcome back

 

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KarlvonKoln Distinguished Member

KarlvonKoln

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Welcome Andy!  I can sympathize also.  Granted, I have always been deeply fascinated with timepieces, so becoming involved with repairing them was likely inevitable, but I also learned this trade simply because I came from a humble enough background that paying to have my earlier watches repaired would have been expensive for me back then.

And now, these days, I own a handful of high-end watches, not because I bought them brand new, but because I was able to buy them as non-runners for a paltry sum and repair them and regulate them.  And I also "flip" pocket watches.  I rescue them before the scrappers get them, and I restore them to running order and sell them.  Not much of a profit margin, but I feel good about saving them.

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grsnovi Distinguished Member

grsnovi

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7 hours ago, AndyinUS said:

I have also started replacing my own Watch batteries

That's why I purchased my first cheapo watch tool kit years ago - so I could open them to replace batteries.

Welcome to the forum!

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