Fifty years on the Atlanta bench has taught us something simple. A fine watch is rarely just a watch.
It is the timepiece worn at a daughter's wedding. The Rolex carried home from a tour of duty. The Patek Philippe set aside, waiting for a grandchild old enough to wear it.
When something goes quiet on the wrist, what people are really asking is whether the story can keep going.
The answer, almost always, is yes.
Key Takeaways
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Battery replacement, strap changes, and refinishing are the most common watch repairs, and the simplest to address when handled correctly.
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Water damage, mechanical movement issues, and crystal replacement call for a certified professional, not a kiosk or mall counter.
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A full watch service is a complete overhaul: disassembly, cleaning, lubrication, regulation, gasket replacement, and pressure testing.
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Repair costs vary by brand, movement complexity, and the extent of wear. Most fine watches benefit from a full service every five to ten years.
Commonly Requested Watch Services
Many of the timepieces that arrive at our service department simply require routine care. Most often, that means a battery replacement performed with the same precision we bring to every timepiece entrusted to us.
The work is straightforward in the right hands, but it is rarely as simple as it appears. The case must be opened, sealed, and pressure-tested correctly. A battery installed without proper resealing can leave moisture in the movement, and that moisture costs far more to address than the battery itself.
Our team handles watch battery replacement for our in-house brands at both Atlanta locations.
Strap and bracelet work follows close behind, particularly on the timepieces our clients wear every day. Leather softens with skin oils, and metal bracelets gradually lose tension at the pin.
A new strap often restores the presence of a watch that has accompanied its owner for years.
Polishing and refinishing come through nearly as often. A careful refinish can return much of a case's original luster and prepare it for many more years of wear.
The work is more delicate than it appears. Over-polishing a fine timepiece can soften its case lines and quietly diminish its long-term value. This is one of those services that rewards a measured hand.
Care Best Entrusted to a Watchmaker
Certain services are not so much repairs as they are acts of preservation. They belong with someone trained to handle a fine timepiece with the discretion it deserves.
Water damage is the clearest example. Once moisture passes the gasket, it can begin corroding a movement within hours, sometimes leaving permanent traces on the dial. Condensation under the crystal, or a change in performance after a swim, a shower, or a humid afternoon, is reason to bring the timepiece to us without delay.
A drying period at home rarely undoes the damage already underway.
Mechanical and automatic movements are the heart of any fine timepiece, and they reward the same regular attention given to anything one intends to keep. When an automatic watch begins running fast, slow, or refusing to hold power, the cause almost always lies inside the movement.
A worn mainspring. Dried lubricants. A magnetized component. Each calls for a certified watchmaker and a clean bench, where the timepiece can be diagnosed and corrected without compromise.
Crystal replacement belongs on this list as well. The crystal is part of a watch's water-resistance system, and any replacement must match the original specification exactly. Once the new crystal is set, the case is retested for pressure to make sure the integrity of the timepiece is preserved.
If your timepiece is a Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Breitling, TUDOR, TAG Heuer, or another of the luxury brands we carry, our service team will see it through.
Some repairs we complete in-house. Others we coordinate through the manufacturer, with the same attentiveness our clients expect.
The Complete Service
Every five to ten years, depending on the brand and how often a timepiece is worn, a fine watch benefits from a complete service.
It is the closest a mechanical watch comes to being renewed.
The process is methodical. The movement is fully disassembled, with each component carefully cleaned, inspected, and, where necessary, replaced with a part that meets the manufacturer's specification. Lubricants are restored to every friction point. The movement is regulated for accuracy.
Once the movement is restored, the case and bracelet are refinished, gaskets are renewed, and the entire timepiece is pressure-tested to confirm water resistance. The final step is a multi-day rate test. The watch must keep time within the tolerances set by its maker before it leaves the bench.
Understanding Watch Service Estimates
Service estimates vary because no two timepieces wear the same way. Three considerations tend to shape the figure.
Brand is the first. A service from a Swiss luxury manufacturer follows a fixed protocol with branded parts, and the work is priced accordingly.
Movement type is the second. Quartz movements are the most direct to service. Automatic and mechanical movements take longer, and complications such as chronographs, perpetual calendars, and tourbillons require more time still.
The extent of wear is the third. A scheduled service on a well-cared-for timepiece costs far less than a restoration on one that has lived in a drawer for a decade.
Because these variables matter, we always provide a written estimate before any work begins. If a timepiece needs further servicing through the manufacturer, our service team coordinates the process directly and walks you through every recommendation.
To begin, reach out to our team or visit either of our Atlanta locations.
Care You Can Offer at Home
There is a short list of things you can comfortably tend to yourself.
A metal bracelet can be cleaned with a soft brush. A leather strap can be exchanged with the proper spring-bar tool. A timepiece set down for the evening rests well in a dry, padded box.
Almost everything else belongs at the bench.
We have seen the consequences of well-intended attempts. A case back opened without the right tools, scratching the gasket seat. A pressed-in crystal left without a pressure test quietly admits humidity. A regulator nudged on a mechanical movement, throwing timing out of specification in ways that take genuine diagnostic work to undo.
A careful repair, almost without exception, costs less than the work required to correct a hurried one.
A Service Team Built for Heirloom Timepieces
Brown & Co. has been entrusted with the care of Atlanta's timepieces since 1974.
Three generations of our family have stood behind that bench, and many of the watches we service today were acquired here by clients we have known for decades. Our in-house service team works with every luxury brand we carry.
Whether your timepiece needs a battery, a bracelet adjustment, or a complete service, request an appointment and bring it to us.
We will tell you, honestly, what it needs.
