SMITHS ENGLISH WATCH SERVICING RESTORATION AND REPAIRS
SERVICING RESTORATION AND REPAIRS OF ALL SMITHS ENGLISH WATCHES.
smithswatches.com English watch repairs provide a comprehensive two year warranty with all the watches retailed on the website with a warranty or serviced for our customers. Warranties may not apply to what are described as trade condition or unserviced watches, just the distance selling regulations. Antique watches will not come with a warranty aside from the condition stated in the description, at the time of sale.
Our fixed price first service includes the following:-
An Initial inspection and where not previously agreed confirmation of the total projected costs including any extras required such as straps.
This will include inspection of the complete watch, internal, case component and case furniture condition. Subsequent Follow up calls or messages will not normally mean increased costs but simply confirmation of major additional work required, or just information that we want to share with you about your repair.
When the work is agreed or automatically proceeded based on the fixed service price, the followings carried out:-
The complete disassembly of the watch.
The watch case is broken down into parts and cleaned ultrasonically and where agreed lightly polished or re-finished, inspected for undue wear and so on. Where required case back scratches from openers can be removed and any opening marks from knives reduced with burnishing as appropriate. We do not re-plate g/p or chromed cases or recommend it. Case seals are usually renewed and lubricated where appropriate. Case necks checked for crown fit on waterproof type cases, sometimes replaced. Spring bars are replaced with new appropriate ones to fit the case. For some older Smiths we have the brass colour English spring bars still in stock.
Almost invariably a replacement so-called "unbreakable" or u/b acrylic crystal of the correct type is fitted. The original crystals fitted to Smiths are four basic generic types, none of which are mineral glass, nor made by Smiths. Three of these types are compression fit and usually need to be replaced as they are removed for case cleaning which compromises their case fit. Some acrylic crystals on early Smiths and Astral watches were specially formed with a cut edge, these now have to be modified from a standard u/b on a lathe. Many customers trying to keep their watches original as possible ask us not to change the crystal. This is only possible if the watch to crystal fit is still perfect and there are no deep fissures or crazing when re-fitted.
Winding crowns are usually replaced with the correct shape and material, and appropriate size for the user, except some special models such as the Astral Diver or the large crown anti-magnetic models which are left alone if possible or suitable replacements fitted.
Dial cleared of loose dirt only. Generally speaking Smiths dials should not be cleaned.
Hands are cleaned. Incorrect or damaged hands replaced with correct ones. We sometimes have better dials to replace damaged ones at no additional cost. Excellent new old stock dials are now impossible.
The watch movement is de-magnetized taken apart and inspected, all parts are checked both before and after cleaning and any badly worn, broken or incorrect components are replaced. Where there is wear to the non-jewelled bearings either the components using them will be replaced to ensure a better fit or the bushes will be tightened up, or both.
The watch movement is cleaned, reassembled and lubricated with the recommended viscosity oils and greases.
The watch movement is then once again de-magnetized and then electronically timed outside of the case in dial up dial down pendant up and pendant down positions, and any further fine cleaning and adjustments to the escapement are made. Any parts which are now causing further issues are weeded out mostly by a process of elimination and also by interpretation of the timing machine readings.Then the whole assembly is re-cased and tested briefly as a whole watch, to ensure proper hand to hand and hand to dial and crystal clearances and movement to case fit.
Following the workshop service there is a static bench based dial up testing period (basically in storage trays) the length of which depends on various factors. At this final stage the duration of the watch and winding ease, hand setting etc and as best possible the time-keeping in real life as opposed to a timing machine are checked, and adjustments made as necessary, followed by re-testing, until consistency is achieved.
Although every effort is made at each stage of the entire process to ensure correct functioning of your watch, most are at least sixty years old and many have not been maintained as needed, so sometimes follow up work may be required and for this we beg your indulgence and we will try and cover postal costs in the U.K.
If you join up as a customer via the small chess pawn like logo at the top right of the web page, fill in your details and then email us that you want to proceed with the repair process, you can get a pre-paid pack with instructions sent straight out to you, assuming we have all the details. I understand that many of you would rather phone in to make sure your treasured timepiece is in responsible hands prior to posting in, so we welcome calls, and rest assured that we take cards over the phone as well as online.
We will normally invoice you as soon as the original service is complete or near completion, this doesn't mean we need paying immediately but at any stage after that. Having said which prompt payment is always appreciated.
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A replacement acrylic crystal of the correct type is fitted.
