If you want to extend the life of your favourite timepiece, it is going to require regular maintenance. During routine maintenance, a watchmaker can test the movement’s performance and watch’s water resistance and replace or repair any components.
Where should you take your watch for servicing and repairs though? Is an official watch repair centre better than an independent facility?
The answer is, not necessarily.
Both facilities are able to service your watch, ensuring it ticks over for many more years to come. However, whether or not you take your timepiece to an official facility has no bearing on how well your watch is serviced or repaired.
Here is why independent centres are often favoured over official facilities.
The Personalised Service
Unlike official repair centres in major cities that receive countless watches every day, independent centres work on a much smaller scale. Independent centres are renowned for building long-term relationships and offering a more personalised experience. An independent horologist takes the time to better understand your maintenance and repair preferences, resulting in a more positive experience.
The Cost Effectiveness
While this does depend on the type of repairs you require, overall, independent centres are far more affordable. Too many watch owners hold off on sending their watches in for routine maintenance because official centres charge such high rates. Unfortunately, this lack of service will ultimately lead to additional problems, which attract higher fees. Independent centres are able to offer lower prices because their overheads are generally much lower. Over and above this, independent repair centres have fewer specialists working on your timepiece, which means less labour costs.
The Wider Variety of Repairs
In most instances, official repair centres won’t take on a timepiece that has been modified – this is not the case with independent watchmakers. If you have added a specialised coating or gems to your timepiece, an independent watch repair centre is the ideal choice. An independent horologist is also more likely to specialise in a larger variety of brands. This means if you own multiple watch brands, you can send them to the same place. Just make sure the centre you have in mind specialises in your specific watch brands before you take them in.
The Faster Turnaround Times
The sooner you can get your watch back, the better. Unfortunately, since official repair centres are inundated with work, the turnaround times are often far longer. The fact that different repairmen are responsible for different parts of the maintenance process also extends the turnaround time. Independent maintenance and repair centres are typically able to service a watch in a shorter amount of time. Again, this is dependent on the work that needs to be done though.
Now that you have a better understanding of why independent watch repair centres are the preferred choice for many watch owners, you can decide which option is right for you. The most important thing is that you don’t skip out on routine maintenance and essential repairs.
Contact Martin’s of Glasgow to discuss your watch maintenance and repair needs.