Battery Maintenance Service

1. Proper opening of the case.

Not having the proper tools for case opening can result in severe case damage. Many brands require proprietary tools to open and close their watches.

2. Measuring through diagnostic equipment.

Through diagnostic equipment we can measure the condition of the wheels, rate and various issues having to do with the electronic circuit. Keeping a movement in good condition is equivalent to keeping a car in good condition. An improperly maintained movement will have a much shorter life.

3. Replacing gaskets

Many gaskets are proprietary and cannot be obtained by non-certified facilities. Replacing the gaskets is essential to the water-resistance of the watch.

4. Properly closing the case.

Not having the proper tools for case closing can result in severe case damage. Many brands require proprietary tools to open and close their watches.

5. Dry Vacuum Test for Water Resistance.

The watch is placed in a chamber and tested according to manufacturers tolerances.

6. Dry Pressure Test for Water Resistance.

The watch is placed in a chamber and tested according to manufacturers tolerances.

7. Wet Tester for Water Resistance.

If a watch fails a dry water resistance test, we perform a wet test to determine the exact location of the leakage. The equilibrium of pressure inside the wet tester prevents moisture from entering the watch case.

If any of the above variables fall beneath manufacturers tolerances we will contact the customer and provide a free estimate to repair their timepiece. If the customer insists on the battery only, we are happy to provide only that partial service.

Complete Restoration or Overhaul Service

All of the items of the battery services are included (other than the battery in the case of mechanical watches).

1. Complete disassembly of the mechanism.

It is important to completely disassemble the mechanism prior to cleaning. Dry or improperly placed lubrication provide an undesirable effect on the performance of the mechanism.

2. Computerized Cleaning.

Each watch is run through a computerized cleaning system. Special chemical agents completely remove dry or stray lubrication and debris. Our facility utilizes three such systems. Improper cleaning leaves a film or residue of lubrication on the mechanism. Improperly cleaned movements will provide less than desirable results.

3. Microscopic Parts Evaluation.

Our facility utilizes a high powered stereo microscope on every workbench. It is not uncommon for parts such as wheels to be damaged through wear or improper maintenance. The synthetic ruby jewels used in watches are extremely hard. If a lack of lubrication exists, the metal from the pivots of the wheels (which rest in the rubies) will become slightly shaved off. This process causes the wheels to have an unacceptable amount of play, which in turn causes unacceptable performance of the mechanism. In addition, setting parts may experience severe wear from use. Jewels are also known to crack if a watch should experience a severe shock. By performing microscopic inspection, we can replace the parts which would impede the most efficient performance of the mechanism.

4. Maintaining proper end shake.

End shake is defined as the position of the jewel(s) on the lower/upper pivot of each wheel. Overly tight endhsake blocks the wheel from moving freely and therefore decreases the performance of the mechanism. Loose end shake also causes instability in the mechanism. What causes the end shake or jewel position to fluctuate? Generally speaking, major end shake fluctuations are caused by a shock to the mechanism. End shake dramatically affects the performance of the mechanism, and therefore is an essential process. Improperly positioned jewels are moved into proper position by the use of a Horia tool. End shake has a more significant effect on mechanical watches, thus we do not recommend wearing a mechanical watch during activities which produce extreme levels of shock, such as golf or shooting a gun.

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5. Re-assembly of the mechanism.

The mechanism is properly reassembled. Proper movement re-assembly is essential. Improper assembly can severely damage movement parts.

6. Lubrication.

Proper lubrication is considered to be one of the most important processes in watch making. Only areas needing lubrication are to be lubricated. Excess lubrication muddies up the mechanism and leads to undesirable performance. Too little lubrication will lead to the damage of movement parts.

7. Escapement Evaluation.

Without getting into too much detail, the escapement is considered to be the central nervous system of the mechanism. An improperly setup escapement will lead to significant performance issues with the timepiece. Any escapement abnormalities will be repaired during an overhaul service.

8. Static Poising and Dynamic Poising.

Poising refers to enabling the watch to run between tolerances though a number of different positions. Mechanical timepieces are known to fluctuate in terms of timing (due to the force of gravity) when placed in different positions. Our facility ensures that the proper balance exists among the necessary components. Therefore, the timepiece will not be dramatically affected by placement in different positions. Our facility uses computerized timing simulators which compute statistical information about the performance of the mechanism within the assigned positions. A complete statistical printout of a given timepiece can be provided to the customer upon request. .

9. Case parts evaluation and replacement.

Case parts such as crystals, crowns, tubes, bezels and bracelet parts may be replaced if worn/damaged as part of the restoration service. These items could be a necessary or optional part of the repair. Customers will be informed of which parts need replacing.

10. Refinishing (Optional).

Refinishing is available as an option for many models.  This process restores the original finish to the timepiece.  As metal is removed from the timepiece, the structure of the timepiece can be impacted adversely through over-refinishing or refinishing too frequently.  Deep deformations, or imperfections in certain areas may not be resolved within the scope of the process. 

11. Rigorous Quality Control.

Each timepiece goes through our quality control procedure. This process deals with timing and water resistance. A special quality control workbench is equipped with equipment to properly test the timepieces before they leave our facility. If you would like more information on this process please do not hesitate to contact me.

Services A La Carte

In most cases, we are happy to perform a variety of services without having to perform a complete restoration. Please note that partial services such as these are not available on some models/brands. Below is a brief list of a la carte services that a customer may request.

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1. Timing/Rate adjustment

2. Bracelet Repair

3. Bezel Repair

4. Crystal Replacement

5. Crown/Tube/Stem Replacement

6. Refinishing

7. Gasketing for Mechanical Watches 

Service Intervals

Service Intervals

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Most manufacturers subscribe to a recommended service interval regiment. Of course, the recommendation timelines listed below are quite general and can dramatically vary due to forces such as wear and previous maintenance regiments. 

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Following the below guidelines will ensure that the mechanism lives a very long life.

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Quartz 

In some cases batteries can last for many years. Nonetheless, the gasketing in the watch has a shorter lifespan and must be replaced in order to avoid leakage. In addition, batteries often leak acid when left inside the watch for an extended period of time. Hyde Park Watch Services recommends battery and water-resistance service every 24 months, even if the watch is running properly.

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Overhaul Service for quartz watches is recommended every 4-5 years.

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Mechanical 

Hyde Park Watch Services recommends that mechanical watches be serviced every 3-6 years. Please consider that gasketing may need to be replaced more frequently to avoid moisture damage.

In Closing....

We are occasionally asked to explain or justify our price for a given service. Our prices are determined by the pricing structure developed by the individual brand we are authorized to service. In essence, sending a watch to a manufacturer for a given service will cost the customer roughly the same amount.

Why is it so expensive to service watches in general? Professional facilities such as ours have invested heavily in equipment, research and training. In addition, properly servicing a timepiece is quite involved and time consuming (as outlined in our service descriptions section).