If on the face of your watch it says quartz, you have never
wound it, and it it's not an auto-wind watch, please go to the battery powered watch estimate page.
If your watch has started to tell erratic time it probably needs to
be cleaned and oiled. If it's suddenly fast by hours a day, the hairspring is probably stuck together and sometimes just that
needs to be cleaned. If it has been cleaned and oiled recently, oil could have leaked onto the hair spring from the balance
jewel, and the watch should be returned under warranty. Oil leaking onto the hair spring is the most common problem after
a watch is cleaned and oiled.
If your watch tells time only (no day or date) figure about $90.00 and up for basic cleaning
and oiling plus parts.
If it tells the day or day/date, the cost would be about $100.00 and up for cleaning and oiling
plus parts.
If the watch has been dropped and now won't run, it probably needs
a balance staff which can cost anywhere from $75.00 to $300.00, plus cleaning and oiling.
If the watch crystal (the clear face) has been broken, the cost
of repairing is approximately $20.00 and up.
Auto-wind watches have a pendulum in them that moves when the watch
is moved. This winds the mainspring. The mainspring is designed to slip some so the watch won't over-wind. If it slips too
much, the watch won't run very long. A new mainspring costs about $30.00 and up. If needed, cleaning and oiling runs about
$100.00 and up.
For old pocket watches basic cleaning & oiling costs $100.00 and
up.
If you got your watch wet and it then stopped, the problem could be
rust. Rust is hard to estimate on this page, as it depends on how badly your watch is rusted. It could be as simple
as a new stem and detent, about 45.00 for parts, or it could go as high as $200.00 For just rust removal, plus parts.
If you turn and turn the crown, the part you wind and set the watch
with), and the watch mainspring won't wind up tight, and it's not an auto-wind watch, you probably have a broken mainspring.
The cost for replacing the mainspring is about $30.00 and up.
The price for cleaning and oiling a Rolex, including new gaskets
and a mainspring starts at 180.00.
Mechanical watches have a mainspring that exerts a lot of power on
very small surfaces. If you don't have them cleaned and oiled (depending on how well they are sealed) every few years, dirt
mixes in with the oil and acts like sandpaper shortening the life of your watch.
Sometimes parts are not available, and to make them is just too expensive;
or, you like the watch, but want a more accurate watch than you would get from a repair. In those cases you might want to
put a more accurate battery powered movement in the watch case, preserving the face and hands. Prices to convert to battery
power insides average 85.00 dollars.
Note: Many old watches never kept good time in the first place, and
cannot be made to run better than they did when new.
Note: These prices are only a guide so you can determine if you want
to send me your watch. Having received your watch I will E-Mail you a firm price quote for repair.