Very Best Non-Rolex USA Repair shop in USA

[05carbondrz]

Originally Posted by AWS

+1 here. Sent a watch to Rik of Time Care Inc for a movement only service. Despite a phone call with Rik before servicing and explicit instructions in writing included with the watch to only service the movement and not to polish the case, the watch was returned polished. I was devastated upon receiving the watch and no doubt the watch value took a huge hit. Rik apologized profusely and offered to service another watch at no charge. I took him up on his offer but would never use again.

Ouch!! There is no turning back from that.

[Alfasin]

Bob Ridley is good, but $$

[circles]

Originally Posted by brand_c

Mind sharing what happened? He seems to be very well regarded around here

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by cpefy3

Do tell.

I'm not much into bashing people so I'll stick to the facts of what transpired.

I'd been using ABC but wanted to have an alternative source so I sent Rik at TimeCare a 69173 for service. He quoted $700 for the service which seemed higher than most other shops but I thought I'd take a chance.

When he was finished he called, I paid, and he told me he'd send it out the next day via overnight air. I confirmed it the next morning. Took a day off so I could stay home to sign for it. The watch was never delivered that day. I called and he told me he didn't get a chance to take it to the shipper because of weather. I explained I had taken a day off to sit at home on his word and it would have been nice if he could have informed me that it hadn't been sent. So I had to take a second day off.

I'm sorry I don't have the paperwork with me so I can't be exact at this moment, but it was roughly 10 days to 2 weeks later the watch stopped working. I could hear a rattle inside the case. He told me to send it back to him. I had to pay the return shipping and insurance. He called and told me he hadn't installed a screw correctly and it had come out. There was no offer of covering my shipping costs back to him for the repair, any type of discount, or even an apology. When I received the watch back the second time the date change was occurring at 3am rather than midnight.
In order to be fair I must admit I wasn't interested in sending it to him on my nickel a third time.

I know sometimes things don't go right. I get it. It happens. Most of the time I'm willing to give someone a second chance assuming it doesn't cost me for their mistake but that didn't happen in this case. I wasn't willing to incur shipping costs again for an attempt to get it right the third time.

That was my interaction.

[jdmi32]

Sorry you had such a bad experience. That's my nightmare scenario when I send out a watch for service. I'm in the Bay Area so I will still send a watch to LAWW if I need case work done. But for movement only, I go in person to the former authorized Rolex repair center in San Francisco.

No more worrying every time I send out a watch for repair that the guys at FedEx or USPS are playing kickball with my package. And in the unlikely event of something going wrong, I can resolve it much faster and face to face.

Originally Posted by circles

I'm not much into bashing people so I'll stick to the facts of what transpired.

I'd been using ABC but wanted to have an alternative source so I sent Rik at TimeCare a 69173 for service. He quoted $700 for the service which seemed higher than most other shops but I thought I'd take a chance.

When he was finished he called, I paid, and he told me he'd send it out the next day via overnight air. I confirmed it the next morning. Took a day off so I could stay home to sign for it. The watch was never delivered that day. I called and he told me he didn't get a chance to take it to the shipper because of weather. I explained I had taken a day off to sit at home on his word and it would have been nice if he could have informed me that it hadn't been sent. So I had to take a second day off.

I'm sorry I don't have the paperwork with me so I can't be exact at this moment, but it was roughly 10 days to 2 weeks later the watch stopped working. I could hear a rattle inside the case. He told me to send it back to him. I had to pay the return shipping and insurance. He called and told me he hadn't installed a screw correctly and it had come out. There was no offer of covering my shipping costs back to him for the repair, any type of discount, or even an apology. When I received the watch back the second time the date change was occurring at 3am rather than midnight.
In order to be fair I must admit I wasn't interested in sending it to him on my nickel a third time.

I know sometimes things don't go right. I get it. It happens. Most of the time I'm willing to give someone a second chance assuming it doesn't cost me for their mistake but that didn't happen in this case. I wasn't willing to incur shipping costs again for an attempt to get it right the third time.

That was my interaction.

[Glyph]

I would recommend Watchmakers International. Bob and Phillip Ridley are top notch. Bob & Phillip know their craft inside and out. Bob has been published by Wei Koh at Revolution.watch Watchmakers has a Rolex parts account and is sought out by customers world wide.

[Glyph]

@Alfasin, With respect, Bob’s prices are on par with RSC and you get top notch service with Bob. I’m sure that you would agree that your Sigma Dial Big Red ref 6283 from 1973 is a watch that you would only want an Experienced Certified Watchmaker working on.

Cheers.

[Andad]

I would think the OP has had it serviced by now?

[Franzl]

I have had excellent experiences with Manuel Chamosa in Dallas. I have trusted him with several of my Rolex. Great watchmaker with very reasonable prices.

[donq]

Another vote for Chamosa Watch in Dallas.

He got my 1675 running within 2 seconds a day.

He was pretty busy when I took it in so turnaround was about 5 weeks.

Reasonable prices.