T&Cs/FAQs

Whenever you leave a watch with us for repair you are doing so under the agreement that you understand our terms and conditions. If you are ever unsure or want clarification, please contact us for more information.

Valuations

Watch Hub is not licensed to and does not give valuations of watches.  We are a specialist watch repair business. If asked about the value of a watch we make it clear that it is not our field but may refer customers to auction house websites, eBay etc., as points of reference.  Sites like these can give an indication as to the likely value of a second-hand similar watch. We also refer valuation enquires to high street retail jewellers who are licensed to give valuations, plus have similar levels of brands and new watches which may indicate costs of new like-for-like replacement watches.

Estimates

In common with all watch repair businesses Watch Hub gives repair estimates and not quotations.  This information is printed on all receipts and displayed in the branches. When dealing with almost every brand in the marketplace and watches of all ages, it is impossible to accurately quote for every repair scenario presented to us especially with component prices changing as much as they do these days.  The vast majority of estimates given by Watch Hub however become final prices. When a re-estimate does happen, it is more often than not an obscure brand or an older type requiring high cost components or sourcing of materials considered ‘obsolete’. Should a repair be re-estimated, we contact the customer as a priority by telephone and offer the choice to continue or not.  If a re-estimate is declined any payment relating to that job will always be refunded in full.

Water resistance

Water resistance is not a permanent feature on any watch. For a watch to remain water resistant it is recommended that seals are checked every 6 months if the watch is worn for general use and more often if it is used in water regularly. All manufacturers vary but Watch Hub recommends a minimum of 100M water resistance for swimming. Watch Hub guarantees water resistance at the point of testing if the watch passes. However, we are unable to control the environment the watch is being taken into or future maintenance of seals. If an issue arises in the first instance we will retest the watch and address any issues that are a result of our workmanship.

What is the service guarantee?

Watch Hub fully guarantees its quality of workmanship. Regrettably however, we are unable to guarantee modern day and accurate timekeeping to service work on older or mechanical watches. On these occasions we will always follow the manufacturers specification as best we can and we may advise timekeeping is best possible. The guarantee that comes with a quartz service is for the movement and the battery for a minimum of 12 months unless otherwise stated. This covers faulty parts and workmanship. All guarantees are void if there is any evidence of tampering from a 3rd party.

Replacement parts

We will always try to use manufacturer components when there is the need to replace parts. We will also offer aftermarket parts where it is deemed more cost effective and in the customers interest or the original parts are not available through restrictions or discontinuation. We do not refund parts replaced but may offer exchanges in some instances.

What happens to old watch parts?

Watch Hub discards any old parts that are replaced during repair.  With the exception of batteries which get recycled, old parts are considered scrap and are disposed of if they cannot be recycled.

What is the battery guarantee?

Watch Hub uses high quality Swiss-made batteries and guarantees them for 12 months unless otherwise stated. Normal battery life when fitted and resealed our way is up to 3 years, but this does depend on the age and condition of the watch.

In the unlikely event of a battery not lasting at least 12 months, Watch Hub will fit a new one and reseal the watch case where appropriate at no cost to our customer. Should the watch develop a secondary fault during the period of guarantee, we will always endeavor to resolve the problem.  A battery lasting less than 12 months can often indicate a secondary inherent fault, often we will identify this during the process as we test every watch with a diagnostics test. However, should it require a service and overhaul of the movement, Watch Hub would normally reduce the further charge by the original battery and reseal cost. All guarantees are void if there is any evidence of tampering from a 3rd party.

Do you complete internal work if a watch is not serviced?

Yes, we do offer work to the internals of a watch without a service. However, we cannot guarantee time keeping after this work is completed. The reason for this is whenever there is a problem internally it can cause underlying issues that may only arise once the movement is disturbed, Watch Hub cannot take responsibility if these issues arise while the watch is in our care. We will always try to pre-empt these issues to the best of our ability and warn you in advance but unfortunately we can’t get it right 100% of the time.

If I have had a watch bracelet repaired by Watch Hub and it breaks again, what will you do?

All Watch Hub work comes with a 12 month guarantee. Should a problem arise after a repair is completed we will repair it again free of charge, assuming it is in the same place.

Do you clean watches?

Yes! Watch Hub has the tools, skills and equipment to clean, polish and valet most watches to a very high standard.  Watch Hub offer a free valet to most watches when they are serviced. We do offer this service as a stand alone option if required.

How long do your watch repairs take?

Most jobs are undertaken the same day. If not the same day, estimated time-frames are given based on the availability of parts and workload. Watch Hub sometimes becomes the ‘middleman’ and is unfortunately reliant on the watch brand manufacturers and component companies to supply specialist necessary parts. Being able to stock all parts for all watches produced over the past 100 years is impossible. It is for these reasons that we give approximate completion times only and contact our customers directly when the watch is ready. We will never sit on a repair if we have the parts and always complete repairs as soon as possible.

Please be patient. We do sometimes go over estimated completion times.

Try to understand that in a specialist service business like ours, occasional delays are inevitable, unavoidable and almost always out of our direct control.

When a repair is complete we promise to make contact.

Will my watch be safe if I post it to you?

Watch Hub recommends the use of Special Delivery from Royal Mail. This is the preferred method for the much of the jewellery trade in the UK and is found to be extremely safe, very reliable and can be insured up to £2500. If you require further insurance, there are many courier options and we have very few issues with deliveries. We aim to return watches as soon as possible. However, please allow up to 7 working days for packages to arrive.

Do you charge for return post?

Return post is free on any repair over £50 within England. Otherwise we charge for return post, the cost will be confirmed with you before returning the watch. We may charge extra for return postage if you send us excess packaging, watch boxes or if there are additional postage charge to Watch Hub as a result of your postal address.

Payment

All payments are to be made within 28 days of the work being complete. If payment is not received Watch Hub reserve the right take necessary action to recover monies owed. Any delayed payment could result in storage and admin charges being applied to the final price.

Website information

All information on the website is kept as up to date as possible. However, in an ever evolving industry it is hard to ensure all information is exact. All information given was correct at the time of writing. Please be aware that estimated costs in older blog posts may not apply today. To confirm a price for a repair, please complete our free assessment form.

Non collection

All watches must be paid for in full, upfront and collected within 4 months of the repair completion unless otherwise discussed. Any failure to collect or complete payment could result in additional costs. In some circumstances we may sell a watch, or watch parts, to recoup costs. Any watch left with us longer than 4 months will go into long term storage and additional charges may apply.

Complaints

As a service business working with most brands of watches from various eras, Watch Hub has occasionally not communicated certain issues as well as we would like to have done.  Customers can rightly feel frustrated or annoyed without access to all the facts. On occasion a watch may need to be returned for corrective attention and although it is not common it does happen from time to time.  Known as a re-job, the watch is treated as high priority and completed as soon as possible. After corrective attention and extensive testing, watches are returned to the branch where the customer is called again to advise of collection. Re-jobs are unfortunate but occur more often with older mechanical watches.

The above matters and we take any issues very serious.