Regular Cleanings
Routine Maintenance
Whether you're a longtime enthusiast with a large collection or simply trying to get that old family heirloom fixed, we know how to keep these tiny and delicate engines running properly.
We offer a wide range of cosmetic and cleaning services that you won't find anywhere else, so trust us with your grandfather's watch for expert repairs that will take just a few days.
Regular Maintenance
Do you carry your watches? Routine servicing is important.
Organic and synthetic oils start getting gummy after only a few years, so periodic attention is necessary. Running your watch beyond the service life of the lubricants will begin grinding up the pivots. You wouldn't go years without changing the oil in your car's engine, so why do it to your family heirloom?
Complete Disassembly
The only way to do a proper COA is to disassemble the watch. The movement is reduced to its individual components, which are then cleaned in an ultrasonic solution. Reassembly using synthetic oils is next, with checks performed on the balance wheel, gear train, and mainspring, followed by accuracy testing on the digital master.
There is a vast difference between a dunking and a full cleaning.
Hidden Problems
COAs are not just about changing the oil. It also means examining each component under the scope for correct fit and hidden issues:
- Nascent rust, stripped screws or missing hardware
- Loose jewels or loose curb, guide and banking pins
- Reamed out bushings and bent or scarred pivots
- Rub marks, binding or bent teeth in the gear train
- Intentional damage or workaround "fixes"
Timing and Accuracy
Static bench timing is easy if the watch is never going to move, like a clock with the weights always pulling down evenly. Watches were meant to be carried, so accuracy is averaged over a 24-hour period. Your watch will be timed for dial-up and pendant-up, the two primary positions, against the three standard measurements:
- Rate - seconds gained or lost within a 24 hour period
- Amplitude - the arc of the balance wheel in radians
- Error - time difference in geometric center of the pallet
COAs starting at $95. Visit the Price Page for more info.
All dial and cosmetic work is done during the servicing of the watch and none are offered as separate services.
Dial Refurbishing
Watch dials are fragile things made from porcelain, and like a mirror, once it's cracked it cannot be reversed. A clean dial was a requirement back in the days of railroads, so we offer basic repairs of glass-enamel dials, although it has to be reasonably intact for us to have any kind of success.
Dial refurbishing starting at $25
Dial Repair
The secondary sinks in watch dials were held in place with solder, which can be replaced without using excessive heat. Single, double, and even triple-sunk dials can be repaired this way, and it's done carefully so that none of the work is visible from the front.
Dial repair starting at $25
Hand Coloring
Wartime material shortages meant using acrylic for crystals, which yellowed and caused the hands to rust, but we can fix that. If the hands on your watch aren't too pitted they can be polished out and returned to the factory colors of either plum or cobalt blue.
Hand coloring starting at $15
Enamel Replacement
Harsh chemicals and repeated cleanings can scrub the enamel inlay from the plate engravings, so we offer enamel replacement in both black and the brick red found on several Illinois models. It's a very tedious and time-consuming process, but definitely worth it.
New enamel starting at $25
Case Polishing
Watch cases can be polished up like new, particularly nickel or coin silver examples. These alloys make up the full thickness of the case parts, so there is no danger of polishing through to the base metal, unless there is ornate engraving. Solid gold and gold-filled cases should be buffed as little as possible.
Case polishing starting at $25
Display Conversion
Do you have a movement that you'd like to show off or a favorite carry watch with an eye-catching pattern? We can mill the back into a bezel, add a crystal and turn your watch into a showpiece.
Only certain types of cases make good candidates, so be sure to contact us first. We only cut into cases that are worn or damaged.
Display conversions starting at $65