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M&I's Jewelry Library > Learning the Secrets of Watch Repair - Las Vegas Sun
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Learning the Secrets of Watch Repair - Las Vegas Sun
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- Muriel Stevens
For some weeks I had been without my favorite watch, a water-resistant Movado that I've had for years. All it needed was a battery, but I learned a long time ago that even so simple a task as changing a battery can be a problem in the wrong hands. This same watch was almost completely destroyed by inept jewelry who caused considerable damage to the back of the case. He used the wrong tools to open it and then did further damage by attempting to buff out the deep scratches he had made. After mutilating my watch did he charge me for the battery he finally managed to put in? Of course, but I learned a good lesson. After that awful experience a friend told me about M&I International Watch, Clock & Jewelry Service on Spring Mountain Road near Valley View Boulevard. I've been going there ever since and have never been disappointed.
Through the years owners Larry Levine and Ira Rock have taught me a considerable amount about watch and jewelry repair. And, if you've ever wondered about the business of watch repair, just ask Larry how it started. Each time I return for a battery, as I did this week, I learn something new.
And since it can take months before I find the time to return, I gather up any jewelry that needs fixing -- rings that need sizing and any watch that needs more than a battery. It was Larry who told me not to pull out the stem on the watch I wasn't wearing. I thought it was a cool idea -- that it would make the battery last longer -- but I now know that cleaning a watch costs more than a battery: Turn off the battery and you allow dirt to filter in.
Batteries, of course, are usually replaced while you wait. Best of all, M&I has contracts for parts with just about every major manufacturer, including Rolex, Piaget, Tag Heuer, Patek Philippe and dozens more.
When I lost the stem on a fancy watch I thought I'd have to send it back to the factory. That means packing it to mail, insuring it and sending it. Then you wait weeks for the company to respong. There is no ceiling on how much a manufacturer can charge. It's always more than you thought it would be. Much to my surprise, Larry had the factory part I needed. The watch was ready in a few days. Without any fuss the cost was half of what I had expected to pay.
If the stem had not been in stock I would have had to wait a few days longer, but the price would have been the same. Having contracts with the famous watch houses means M&I gets parts at the best possible prices. They stock thousands of parts.
M&I is also the only authorized Seiko distributor, including parts, service and sales. With all the complicated watches these days -- think multifunction, chronographs, dual-zone and other complex repairs -- it's good to have someone to rely upon. It's no secret you need an expert to repair a fine watch. There are five at M&I.
Watch repair is a relatively new industry, according to Larry. Watch repair schools opened after WWII to help returning veterans. Many were now disabled. By going to school they could have a profession.
Unfortunately the boom was over by the '50s. The '70s brought the quartz watch. No skill required to fix these timekeepers. Almost anyone could learn how to do basic repairs in just three days. Soon there was the $20 watch, made mostly in Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and China. These cheap, disposable, perfectly good watches just about destroyed the upscale watch market.
The formerly untouchable fine Swiss watchmakers were hit hard. At the time these exclusive watchmakers had little name recognition and were known mostly to the privileged who could afford their fine watchs.
Through savvy distribution, advertising and marketing, such companies as Timex, Bulova, Longines, etc., were now the best known brands. They made fortunes with huge sales to a mass market hungry for new, affordable toys.
Ironically, it was the illegal replica watches sold on street corners that brought attention to the most illustrious names in watchdom. It was then the Swiss realized they had to go mainstream. As far as engineering, styling and mechanical movements, no one beats the Swiss. The bulk of the Swiss watches made today still have mechanical movements, although they do make some quartz.
Japan leads the world in the technology and manufacturing of quartz watches. They come in every imaginable price, but even the Japanese make pricier watches these days.
I have a number of fine mechanical watches. I rarely wear them because I don't want the bother of winding the stem and resetting a watch each time I wear it. So why don't I replace the movement with a quartz one? Because it destroys the integrity of a fine mechanical watch.
Fascinating place, M&I. Spend a little time with Larry and Ira and you'll learn as much about fine watches as I have.
Have a treasured piece of Jewelry or Family Heirloom? Visit our Repairs section for all your Watch, Clock and Jewelry Repair needs.
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