Please explain
the repair process.
An estimate must be performed before a repair or
restoration cost and repair length can be given.
We accept a very limited number of watches each
month for estimates. This allows us to control the flow of our intake
of watches, and most importantly to enhance the quality and efficiency
of our customer service. Prepaying your estimate insures that your
watch will be estimated prior to watches arriving without proper
authorization, and also insures an expedited priority in our repair
queue (line).
1. You ship/mail your watch to us.
Request a free pre-paid shipping package by clicking here. We will send you a shipping box ready to have your watch packaged inside and mailed back to us at no cost to you. 2. You receive a written quote for
the repair.
You will receive an email detailing the proposed
repairs and/or repair options for your watch, the specific costs
and the time frame for the proposed repairs.
3. Your next step
is repair payment.
The repair quote will include the final cost including
tax if the order is originating in Florida. The sooner you pay,
the sooner your watch is queued for repair (put in line to receive
a repair). We require a payment of 1/2 of
the total repair fee paid before thee repair begins. These
funds are held in escrow until the repair is completed. Upon completion
we will invoice you for the remaining balance. Once the full amount
has been paid the watch will be sent back to you via USPS Registered
Mail. Repair fees are Nonrefundable.
4. Your watch is placed in
a repair queue/line.
The repair time will depend on your watch
and its unique needs. Generally, repairs are completed in 4-6 weeks.
Your repair quote will have an estimated repair time frame. In most
cases, your watch is repaired in this time frame. In some cases;
however, it is not possible to repair the watch in projected time,
and you will be notified of any delays necessary to do the job properly,
or for example if a part is on back order. You are always free to email us a question about
your repair status, at any time. Any foreseen delays will be communicated
to you via email or a personal phone call.
5. Your watch is serviced/repaired.
The actual repair process can take as little as
an hour to many weeks, again depending on what is being done to
your watch. Watches marked "water resistant" are pressure
tested as part of our final quality control process.
6. The repaired watch is sent back
to you.
Your watch is mailed back to you, insured with delivery
tracking. You will be emailed the Tracking number the day the watch
leaves the shop.
7. The repaired components
of your watch are under a limited warranty.
Your repair is under a limited warranty for the
time period specified in your original written estimate quote (1
year - Regular service/ 2 years Premium service) and per the warranty
policy on our website. Please save this information in case
you have a claim.
How
much does it cost and how long does it take?
Repair costs are based on an ESTIMATE - a professional
determination of what is best for your watch, as judged by a watchmaker.
"But it just needs a battery." Just "replacing
the battery" often leads to many other, expensive problems
- and MP Watch does not perform this type of solo service. We will
replace the battery as parts of servicing or restoration.
We do our best to keep your repair cost reasonable,
yet profitable for MP Watch. We are interested in doing high quality
work to preserve the value of your watch, and take pride in providing
our customers with excellent service before, during and after the
repair process.
If you are looking for a cheap or the cheapest repair,
MP Watch is not your source.
The estimate process is designed to provide you
with a quote on a price for your repair. The cost for an estimate
varies by watch. Pleas visit our Price Guide for further detail's.
If you elect to have the repair done, your estimate reduces the cost of
your repair by the estimate fee amount.
In other rare cases, even after a good faith effort
has been made to quote you an accurate repair cost, and you have
paid for the repair, additional damage may be discovered. In these
rare cases, MP Watch typically absorbs much of this additional cost.
If the cost overrun is large then our watchmaker will personally
communicate with you to receive approval for any cost overruns (these charges for parts would be billed at our cost).
Clean, Oil & Adjusting of the Movement?
How
long does it take?
The average repair time for a quartz watch overhaul
is 4 to 6 weeks.
The average repair time for a modern mechanical
automatic or modern mechanical chronograph watch or pocket watch
overhaul is 5 to 7 weeks.
The average repair time for a vintage mechanical
or vintage chronograph watch or pocket watch overhaul is 6 to 8
weeks.
Why
such a long time for a watch repair?
Let us respond by asking you this question:
How long would you wait to have it done WRONG?
There is an old saying, "You can have it FAST,
PERFECT or CHEAP, but you can't have all three." Think about
the wisdom of that for a moment.
It is important to keep in mind that the higher
the standard for quality at a repair facility, the SLOWER that shop
will be in conducting its repairs. The above time frames reflect
realistic estimates based on four factors:
a. Level and type of service requested/required
b. Amount of damage & availability of replacement parts
c. Amount of time required to fabricate parts no longer available
by standard means.
d. Amount of time needed to time your watch.
Watches with water damage and are not running when
they are sent will require at least one month to repair, possibly longer. High-end watches in need of specialized
parts, or that require genuine replacement bands will require
your patience, and may easily exceed the repair time quoted in your
original estimate for service.
We have a constant queue of watches in various stages
of the repair process. The sooner you send and pay for your repair,
the faster it is placed "in line" for its repair. And
BEWARE of the shop promising to repair your mechanical watch in
"two weeks" or less. You will hear a "average two
week (or less)" turnaround time from "sweat shops"
that "abuse" unskilled foreign labor to repair your watch.
This also may indicate that the business has just opened and/or
has low business volume (not enough work), and/or is not doing a
thorough job, or is trying to fix too many watches out of mismanaged
profit needs (ie greed). After a repair is completed we time the
watch for a minimum of 1 week too assure its timing accuracy.
You will get what you wait for!
Finally we understand that you are eager to have
your repaired watch back on your wrist. We are eager to do it right
so it will not come back during our warranty period, and will in
fact last you many years of uninterrupted service. It takes time
to do this right. This will require you patience.
Who
should I avoid having my watch repaired by?
Excellent question. Watch repair sites are popping
up all over the INTERNET. You can expect to see more of these sites
grace your search engine results as our economy continues to nose
dive, and people desperate for work try desperate things to pay
the bills, such as "learn a new trade" or "spin"
a new service angle.
The number one quality to test for in ANY company
is legitimacy..
Who should you AVOID? This was the original question.
We may take flack from a few other "watchmakers" for this
information. However, it is our opinion that these individuals may
be giving watchmaking on the INTERNET a bad reputation, in addition
to potentially causing you confusion with respect to what constitutes
a genuine repair business.
* Anyone who claims that they have decades of "experience,"
but whose business is less than several years old probably has something
to hide. Call the county court house where they are located (if
they will tell you where they are located) and ask for verification
of a business license. Then ask when the license was issued. This
is public information. If the court house has no record of the business
name, or tells you it was issued last year, feel free to think.
Alternatively, anyone whose business keeps changing locations and/or
states every year or so. Why do they keep moving around so much?
Do they pay taxes? Do they have lots of complaints and law suits?
We know of one INTERNET watch repair business that moves simply
to break the chain of traceable complaints on file with the BBB.
Interesting, pathetic but interesting.
* Anyone who does not or will not tell you where your watch
is being repaired, or whose business "moves" every year
or so. Feel free to think why they might not want you to know where
your watch is, or why they move around so much. Google the various
"versions" of the company's business name, and see all
the different addresses that may pop up in the results. Fascinating.
* Anyone who has a form for you to fill out and
submit online, but whose page is NOT secure server hosted. And bogus
"privacy seals" mean nothing if you transmit your personal
information on a NON secure web page. End of story.
* Anyone who claims to be the absolute "authority"
on this or that. Quality work should tell
you all you need to know.
* Anyone who states that, by virtue of "certification"
ALONE, they are qualified to repair your watch, or who places the
HIGHEST VALUE on "certification" as the supreme litmus
test for who should be allowed to repair a watch. The best "tests"
of the legitimacy of any repair business are how long have they
been in business, and do they have former customers that you can
CALL to verify the quality of their work? Successful watch repairers
will always have testimonials to share with you. Hard work and results
will always trump a piece of paper. Certification is only one element
in legitimacy. In addition to this issue, be suspicious of anyone
who claims to have training or certification but does not post a
copy of their completion certificate(s)
for you to view.
* The Ethics TEST - This is a test that you, the
customer, can do of the business's ethics, or lack thereof. Call
the business in question and tell them you are thinking of sending
them your "battery-operated," quartz Tag or Breitling
(these are expensive repairs). Then say this, "The second hand
seems to be jumping in two-second increments, instead of one second,
and I am worried that something may be wrong with the movement."
How do they respond? If they tell you ANYTHING other than that this
is a normal condition when the battery of your watch is beginning
to run low on power, STAY AWAY . They are
being dishonest.
Do
you honor your warranty?
Unlike many of our competitors, some of whom claim
to have a "guarantee," we have a limited written warranty,
printed on our website, AND WE STAND BEHIND IT. Very few of our
repaired watches (less than 5%) have been returned for warranty
service. If you find that you need to return your watch to us for
our warranty/guarantee service, or you believe something is wrong
with your repaired watch, PLEASE send it back for evaluation. If
we have made a mistake, we will make it right. If we find
that your watch qualifies for warranty repair, it will receive top
priority.There is no cost to you for any warranty work outside of
your shipment of the watch to us.
Why would we make such a bold promise? Are we concerned
about the quality of our repairs? NO. We want to make it crystal
clear to our current and potential customers that we will stand
behind our work.
How
do I pay for my repair?
In advance, with a credit card, check or money order.
We accept Mastercard, Visa and Discover for you convenience.
All estimates and repairs must be prepaid. Payment
instructions are listed on the Watch Repair Form.
How
often should my watch be serviced?
The service interval ranges from 1-5 years.
This will depend on a number of factors, most important
of which are:
a. Frequency of use
b. Water-resistance level
ONCE A YEAR- Any vintage (older) wrist or pocket
watch. This era watch does not have a crown that is sealed. Dust
and moisture can easily enter the watch through the crown gap (space
under the winding button). These contaminants will cause wear to
the watch internals.
EVERY 2 to 3 YEARS- If the watch has a special crown
that prohibits dust and/or moisture from entering the case, this
is the appropriate service interval. In spite of this protective
measure, some dust and/or moisture will enter the case over this
time period, and therefore should be serviced to remove it.
At 5 YEARS- For watches that have a number incorporated
onto their dial for identification, or are marked as such on the
case back (i.e. '150 meters' or '20 ATM' etc.). These watches are
sealed. If the owner maintains the water-resistant sealing (by servicing
the case back gasket, sealant material, etc.), contaminants will
NOT be able to enter the case. The only remaining issue is the oil,
which will have begun to loose their lubricity, and require replacement.
Old oil will not only fail to lubricate, it will act to stop the
watch or cause wear. Get it serviced, or face more expensive repairs
later.
Will
you replace my band or bracelet only, or change my dial or bezel
to a different type?
In some cases we can offer this service, and only
when a watch is sent in for complete service.
My
watch is running fine, it doesn't need service, it just needs one
thing "fixed."
We do NOT do "simple" (fix only one thing)
repairs. Do NOT send us your watch if your only desire is to have
"one thing" fixed. WE DO NOT DO "short jobs."
A short job can be described as repairing only one thing on a watch
that is "running just fine."
"But
why don't you offer this service?"
We actually will, under certain conditions (below).
However, more than a few "customers" will send a service
center a watch with the "special" request that "only
one thing be repaired," such as a problem with the bracelet.
They state, "the watch is running just fine." The company
dutifully and in good faith repairs the broken/damaged part requested
by the customer, but does no other work. The company performs the
"short job," and sends the watch back to the customer.
The "customer" then does one (1) of two
(2) things:
a. Immediately calls or writes the company to state,
"your company damaged my watch . . . it is now not working
properly . . . I want you to fix it for free, or pay me to have
it fixed somewhere else . . . "
b. Waits a few months and then does what is described
in "a" above.
This is a scam. We are fully aware of this scam.
Most reputable companies are aware of this scam. The type of "customer"
that does this is a scam artist, and can also be described in many
other colorful terms. We do not do business with scam artists. Many
of these customers bought a high-end watch with no idea of the cost
to properly service it. When they find out how much it costs, they
then try to force a company to repair it utilizing this type of
scam.
Conditions in which we will perform a single repair
(aka short job):
1. On a watch sent in for complete service.
2. On a watch we have previously performed a complete service on,
but now may require a simple repair. This holds for as long as the
customer owns the watch.
This strategy encourages genuine customer loyalty
and retention.
Masterpiece Watch specializes in factory-type service.
In fact we strive to SURPASS authorized factory service in both
quality and efficiency. Our complete service (aka "watch overhaul")
involves inspection, disassembly, specialized ultrasonic and chemical
cleaning, lubrication, digital calibration, meticulous regulation,
dynamic time trial, optional polishing and refinishing, and mandatory
resealing and pressure testing on watches which are marked "water
resistant."
How
often should my watch be inspected and tested for water resistance?
This also depends on your usage; however, at least
every 1/2 year to 1 & 1/2 years!
Why so frequently? Because water resistance is not
permanent. The gaskets get old, dry and/or crack and fail to seal
the watch against pressure.
SERVICE INTERVALS for WATER
RESISTANCE:
Every 1/2 Year -For water resistant watches that
are exposed every day to water and/or chemicals (chlorine/pools,
salt water and/or soaps). All of these forces will act on the gaskets,
dry them out or turn them into a liquid mess. Cracked and/or failed
gaskets no longer provide a sealing function, and water will gain
entry into the watch internals. This happens in a very rapid order
and requires very little water. In the case of 'gasket goo' the
repair will be extremely expensive as the goo will find its way
into the watch internals. Removing the goo is extremely difficult,
if possible.
ONCE A YEAR
- For those watches that are frequently (but not daily) subjected
to chemicals and/or water. These contaminants will cause the gaskets
to dry out or turn to gasket goo.
ONE & 1/2 Years
- If your watch is not worn daily or even frequently around water
or chemicals. Age will dry out the gaskets, and the gasket will
loose its resiliency (size relative to the case crevice which it
is designed to seal).
If you are concerned about your watch's water resistance,
send it in utilizing our shipping form and be sure to indicate you
desire to have pressure testing performed utilizing our advanced
dry and wet pressure test equipment.
I
was told that my watch could not be repaired because "no parts"
were available. In spite of this, can you service it?
Often times Masterpiece Watch is able to locate
parts that the authorized repair facility no longer carries. In
the event that we can not find a replacement part, our Master Watchmaker
can fabricate most parts in the shop. This is just one example of why you
should consider our services prior to sending it to the manufacturer's
repair facility.
We are proud to be one of the few watch repair facilities
in the country to have the experience to fabricate those impossible
& hard to find parts that others have told you are impossible
to find. We truly make miracles happen in our shop every day.
My
watch repair was originally estimated to take "x" number
of weeks to repair, and I have not received it back. Why?
Masterpiece Watch does everything in our power to
repair your watch as expediently as possible. Reasons for a delay
in a repair include any or all of the following:
1. Some watches require more extensive repairs than
were initially assessed.
2. Parts that have been ordered, even though 'in-stock'
at the time of order, may be out of stock, and require 2-6 weeks
or longer to arrive.
3. Parts that require fabrication sometimes can
take a little longer that expected due to the process of making
a part that we do not have any prints to rely on. The process to
design and lathe these pieces in very time consuming and may take
up to a week just for one piece.
4. During final timing of a mechanical watch, particularly
timing in positions, problems may manifest with timing accuracy,
and the watch then requires additional troubleshooting and regulation.
We ask for your patience when awaiting your watch
repair. In all cases, you will be notified if your watch is going
to take longer to repair than previously estimated. Please call
or email us if your watch is overdue, and you are concerned or have
not heard from us.
Are
there watches that Masterpiece Watch will NOT work on?
At Masterpiece Watch, we service most watch brands.
However, there are watches that we do NOT service, and those that
we do NOT recommend you send for estimates or repairs:
*FAKE OR REPLICA WATCHES
- Do not send them.
* Cheap watches - If
it cost you less than $50, you would be better off purchasing a
new watch.
* Older quartz watches with
LCD (liquid crystal display) panels. There are NO parts for
these watches. Do not send them.
* Watches damaged by water when you are on a "budget."
It is not possible to fix a watch destroyed by water damage (rusted
movement, damaged dial). The moisture will never dry out inside
the watch so the longer that service is withheld the worst the damage
will spread. Rust to the mechanical parts can be deadly to the watch.
* There is one miracle that cannot be performed.
The inexpensive repair of a quality timepiece is hopeless. Many
have attempted to work such magic for their customers and in the
process have done substantial injustice. Much of our time is spent
correcting inadequate and slipshod repair work. If you are looking
for an inexpensive miracle, please look elsewhere. Our work is done
to exacting standards which requires time, proper equipment and
skill.
I
have a watch I am looking to sell, will you find a buyer?
Consignments:
Only watches we have either serviced or have, thoroughly completed
an examination on and determined to be in good mechanical condition
are eligible for consignment.
Do
you perform appraisals?
Appraisals:
We perform 2 types of appraisals, the standard appraisal and the
premium appraisal.
With the standard appraisal we photograph the watch, document and
photograph (when possible) any outer imperfections. We check all
the functions and offer our opinion as to the value of the watch.
A standard appraisal starts at $125.00. Watches requiring extensive
research will be more.
With our premium appraisal we also completely disassemble the watch
and note any wear damage or other imperfections. Also included with
the premium appraisal is the repair estimate explaining any repairs
or restoration work needed to put the watch in perfect working order.
A premium appraisal starts at $350.00. Watches needing extensive
research and complicated watches needing a greater amount of dis- and reassembly
will be more.
Do
you have any watches for sale?
Visit our Watch sales page to view pictures of the current watches
for sale by us. Follow
this link
