Watch Repair

Watch repair in Orange, Connecticut

We replace thousands of watch batteries a year, and we send out mechanical overhauls to watchmakers trained in Europe. Those are two very different jobs, and knowing which one your watch needs is the first thing we tell you.

Bring it in either way. The estimate is free, and half the time the answer is simpler and cheaper than people expect.

Done here at the store

Battery replacement

Done while you wait, on every brand including Swiss. We replace thousands each year, so the tools and the batteries are already on hand rather than ordered in.

Free for the life of any watch purchased from Diamond Designs. No limit, no appointment.

Band and bracelet sizing

Links removed or added, pins replaced, and clasps adjusted, usually in minutes.

A watch that slides around the wrist is not just uncomfortable. It is how crystals get scratched and clasps get sprung.

Straps and bracelets

Replacement leather, metal and rubber straps, fitted properly. Whether you bought the watch here or somewhere else, we will get the fit right.

Handled by our service center

Anything beyond a battery and a band goes to our authorized service center, staffed by European trained watchmakers. We say so plainly, because it is the reason this work comes back right.

Movement work is a separate trade from jewelry. A bench set up for rings is not a bench set up for a calibre, and a jeweler who tells you otherwise is either equipped for both or hoping you will not ask. We would rather your watch be gone three weeks and correct than back on Friday and wrong.

You deal with us throughout: drop off, estimate, updates and return. You never deal with the service center.

Mechanical overhaul and cleaning

A movement is in perpetual motion, which means it wears and its lubricants dry out. Periodic servicing is maintenance, not repair, and it is what separates a watch that runs for decades from one that stops for good.

Complimentary estimates on complex timepiece work.

Stem and crown work

Trouble setting the time, a crown that pulls out, or one that has been damaged. Common, fixable, and worth dealing with early because a compromised crown lets moisture into the case.

Crystal replacement

Scratched, chipped, cracked or broken crystals repaired or replaced, on wrist and pocket watches alike.

A cracked crystal is not a cosmetic problem. It is an open door for dust and humidity.

Polishing and dial restoration

Bringing a case back to its original finish, and restoring a dial that has aged badly.

Worth a word of caution: over-polishing a case removes metal and softens the edges that give a watch its shape. On a collectible piece, that can cost more value than the scratches do. We will tell you when the honest answer is to leave it.

How it works

Bring the watch in

Walk in during store hours. Batteries and band sizing are usually done on the spot, so you may not need a second visit at all.

Free estimate

We look at it with you and tell you what it needs. If the work goes out, you get a written estimate and a timeline before any work is done, and complex timepiece estimates are complimentary.

The work

Nothing proceeds until you approve it. Movement work takes considerably longer than jewelry repair, and we give you a realistic date rather than an optimistic one.

Collection

You collect it, we check it with you, and it goes home working.

Looking after a watch between services

Push the crown fully in after setting the time. It is the single most common cause of water getting into a case.
Water resistance is not permanent. The gaskets that provide it age, so a rating printed on the back in 2011 is not a promise in 2026.
Have a mechanical watch serviced periodically rather than waiting for it to stop. Dried lubricant causes wear that running the watch only makes worse.
Keep an automatic worn or wound. Left sitting for months, the oils settle and the movement stiffens.
Take it off for showers, swimming and the gym unless you know the current water resistance, not the original one.
Store it away from magnets. Speakers, laptops and magnetic clasps all affect timekeeping on mechanical movements.

Common questions

Do you service watches not bought here?

Yes. Most of what comes across the counter was bought somewhere else.

Is the battery really free?

For any watch purchased at Diamond Designs, yes, for as long as you own it. For everything else there is a charge, and it is modest.

How long does a battery take?

Usually while you wait.

How long does an overhaul take?

Considerably longer, because the watch leaves the store. We give you a date with the estimate.

Do you work on Swiss brands?

Battery replacement, yes, on all brands including fine Swiss watches. For movement work, bring it in and we will tell you honestly whether our service center handles that particular brand or whether it is better sent to the manufacturer.

Will replacing the battery affect water resistance?

Opening a case back always carries that question. Ask us about pressure testing when you drop it off if the watch is one you swim with.

Do you buy watches?

Yes, including Rolex, Cartier and Breitling. See our buying page.

Bring it in and we will look at it

Free estimate, no obligation, and an honest answer on whether the work is worth doing. Call (203) 799-7999 or walk in.

Jewelry repair · Buying and trade in · All services

500 Boston Post Road, Orange, CT 06477 · (203) 799-7999

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10–6 · Thursday 10–8 · Saturday 10–5 · Closed Sunday and Monday

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