The Best Watch Repair in Orange County

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The Best Watch Repair in Orange County

No matter what type of watch you wear on your wrist, your watch will eventually need to be serviced or repaired. This list will help ensure you’re taking your timepiece to the best watch repair in Orange County. Watch & Wares offers affordable watch repair options from basic maintenance to high-end watch servicing.

We’ve always had a reputation as the best place to buy a pre-owned watch in Southern California. Throughout the last 30 years, we’ve also serviced & repaired thousands of customers’ watches in Orange County. Because we’re a full-service watch service, we handle everything from simple watch battery changes and link removal to gasket testing and full timepiece overhauls.

Basic Service & Watch Repair in Orange County

Watch repair, pocket watch repair, wrist watch repairBasic watch repair is one of the services we offer at Watch & Wares. Whether you need watch battery replacement, or your watch is too loose or tight on your wrist, we’ll take care of you. From replacing batteries on a quartz watch to troubleshooting your movement, Watch & Wares has spent 30 years returning watches to their OEM specs.

We replace watch batteries while you wait or take advantage of the shopping & dining in Old Towne Orange. We take great care to ensure that your quartz watch is watertight and secure before returning it to you. Some watches use just one battery, while others may employ 2 to 4 in order to function properly. We stock the most widely-used watch batteries and don’t charge an arm and a leg for them. It’s important for us at Watch & Wares to acquire and retain customers in the long-term, so expect zero hassles and fast turnaround on your basic watch repair needs.

Watch Polishing & Watch Detailing Services

Watch & Wares knows what it feels like when you spend a small fortune on a timepiece. Over time (pun intended), the watch may develop some light surface scratches on the stainless steel or gold links. All watches may dull, but they can be brought back to its original luster with our watch polishing services.

We’ve seen watches with one or two deep scratches, either on the links or bezel, and others with your everyday desk-diving marks on them. Our Orange County watch repair will take the utmost care with each watch we’re trusted to clean and detail. Our turnaround time for watch cleaning and detailing services can vary depending on the number of scratches, so either call us or send us some photos of your watch using our handy submission form.

Watch Gasket Repair & Water / Moisture Testing

watch repairs

Watch gaskets are also referred to as Watch O-Rings. When you buy a new watch, these gaskets should be greased and provide an airtight seal that keeps moisture out. Over time and with daily wear, a watch’s gasket(s) may wear or dry out. Once a watch gasket dries out, they will need to be replaced.

We use only the finest watchmaker’s silicone sealant and OEM-grade watch gaskets. Throughout the last four decades and thousands of watch gasket replacements and repairs, we’ve become the go-to place for watch gasket replacement for watch fanatics who cherish their timepieces.

Watch Movement Cleaning and Full Watch Overhauls

Watch & Wares services everything from high-end timepieces to vintage clocks and antique pocket watches. Because  using aftermarket parts can affect the value of your watch, we use OEM watch parts whenever available. In the even that OEM watch parts are not available, we’ll contact you FIRST, in order to make sure you’re okay with using an aftermarket part.

We perform in-depth watch cleaning and full watch overhauls at Watch & Wares. If you feel your watch’s movement is making your watch run a bit slower or like it isn’t running like it used to, bring it in! Our Master Watchmaker will be able to look at your watch movement in-depth and determine if there are any issues or build-up that’s affecting the way your watch keeps time.

Our watchmaker has been repairing watches for over 40 years. Because of this, Watch & Wares has become synonymous with watch repair in Orange County. Have a question about what might be wrong with your watch? Give us a call and give us the symptoms. We’ll probably have you bring the watch in simply to ensure we’re diagnosing the problem correctly, but unlike other jewelers that offer watch repair in Orange County, we’ll get it right the first time!

Luxury Watch Repair & Vintage Watch Repair in Orange County

We will service most any watch at Watch & Wares. We’re at home with a Seiko just as much as with a Patek Philippe. We’re a family-run watch shop in Orange County, so expect exceptional service no matter what timepiece you bring in for service.

On the higher-end, Watch and Wares specializes in watch repair for vintage watches and fine luxury/contemporary watch brands including:

  • Rolex
  • Longines
  • Tag Heuer
  • Breitling
  • Omega
  • Panerai
  • Audemars Piguet
  • Bell & Ross
  • Hamilton
  • Patek Philippe
  • Ulysse Nardin
  • Jaeger Le-Coultre
  • Vacheron Constantin
  • Chanel
  • Cartier
  • Chopard
  • Franck Muller …and more!

Click Here to learn more about Watch & Wares’ Expert Watch Repair in Orange County and to contact us or submit a photo!

To learn more about what luxury watch brands we carry, service and repair, click here!

 

The Best Place to Buy Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County

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The Best Place to Buy Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County

Over the course of the last 30 plus years selling watches in Orange County, we’ve met our share of different watch lovers and timepiece collectors. Some have come to us stating they’ve never bought or even considered buying a pre-owned watch, while others will only buy pre-owned watches in Orange County. Watch enthusiasts are like car fanatics in a lot of ways and we enjoy meeting them on a daily basis in our watch store in the Orange Circle.

When looking for a pre-owned watch store in Orange County, you’ll want to make sure of a few things. Because watch stores in our area differ so greatly from one another, here’s a few questions you should ask yourself before buying a pre-owned watch in OC:

  • Do they Carry the Watch Brands you Love, Like Pre-Owned Rolex or Breitling & Panerai?
  • Are Box & Papers for the Watches Included?
  • Are the Pre-Owned Watches Restored or Returned to their Original Specs?
  • Does the OC Preowned Watch Store Offer a Warranty?
  • What’s the Benefit of Buying Pre-Owned Luxury Watches?
  • How Long Has the Watch Store been in Business?
  • Will they Take Care of You as a Long Term Customer after Buying a Preowned Watch?
  • What is the Reputation of the Orange County Luxury Watch Store?

What Brands Does the Store Selling Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County Carry?

Because we know that watch lovers are extremely loyal to their brands for the most part, it’s important to ensure that the preowned watch store carries the brand you’re looking for. Furthermore, check on their overall pre-owned watch inventory and see if they’ve got enough watches to try on. If you’ve been in business like us for over 3 decades, you end up with a staggering selection of men’s and women’s watches. If you’re looking for a pre-owned watch, call us first! Since we’ve got the largest selection of pre-owned watches in OC, you’ll be able to try on more! This means means that you’ll be able to get a good feel for what you love before purchase.

People always ask us if the pre-owned watch comes with box & papers. While most of our pre-owned watch selection is like-new and includes everything that came with the watch, some of our pieces may not. If this is a big factor in your decision, make sure and ask us — we’ve got a huge enough selection of watches to where we can find you just the right one!

Some of the Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County we Carry Include:

  • Rolex
  • Breitling
  • Omega
  • Patek Philippe
  • Bell & Ross
  • Longines
  • Ulysses Nardin
  • Chopard
  • Panerai
  • Chanel
  • Hamilton
  • Cartier
  • Vacheron Constantin
  • Glashutte Original
  • A. Lange & Söhne

All of Our Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County are Professionally Serviced & Come with a Warranty!

That’s right folks, because we’ve been in the watch business long enough, we know our long-term customers expect more. That’s why all of our pre-owned watches are restored to their original specs. The luxury watches are inspected, cleaned and serviced by our own Master Watchmaker.

This means that you get a pre-owned watch in Orange County that is often like-new. Some of our timepieces get a full overhaul, receiving service on gaskets, seals, movement, case, dial and links. Our pre-owned vintage watches get a full service and restoration as well, but we’re careful not to molest anything collectors covet, such dial patina and original watch parts.

Our expertise speaks for itself and all of our watches come with a warranty. You get a full 2-year warranty on all contemporary watches in our store. You’ll also receive a 1-year warranty on all vintage watches. Because we love our customers and have been selling pre-owned vintage and estate jewelry & watches for the last 30 years, we will always work to help you and your timepiece if you’re out of warranty.  We also do expert watch repair in Orange County and have been turning them out in a timely fashion with perfection for the last 3 decades, so know that you’re in good hands!

What is the Benefit of Buying Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County?

The biggest factor in buying a pre-owned watch in Orange County is definitely cost. It always blows our customer’s minds when they find a pre-owned Rolex or pre-owned Panerai in our OC Watch Store for thousands less than retail. What’s more significant is that the pre-owned watch is often in perfect condition and looks & runs as new. They get the watch on their wrist that day (or take advantage of our 12-month layaway) and walk out with thousands more in their bank accounts. Couple that with our extensive warranty, preowned watch experience and our exceptional customer service, and it’s a win-win for most people.

We’ve Been Selling Pre-Owned Watches in Orange County for 30 Years — We Take Care of Our Customers and it Shows

The staff at Watch & Wares has been selling preowned fine watches in OC since the Orange Circle was mostly dirt road and soda fountains. Our small Orange County watch store has grown from one location to three, and we couldn’t be more excited. Because of our fast-paced incoming watch inventory, we’re able to turn around and sell these watches at great prices — passing the discount on to our customers.

We pride ourselves on our family-run watch store in Orange, and our Tustin location where we buy luxury watches. If you’re thinking about selling a luxury watch in OC, give us a call! We also do collateral loans and pawn loans on fine watches, including Rolex, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling and more! If you’re looking for the best pre-owned watch dealer in Orange County, then you’ve found us!

Because we have such a large inventory of pre-owned watches in Orange County, and due to our ever-changing inventory, come see us or send us a message! Tell us what type of luxury watch you’re looking to buy and we’ll do the rest! You can come into our OC watch store and deal directly with us. We’re in it for the long-haul and our 5-Star rating on Yelp and 100% Feedback on eBay and Etsy prove it!

If you want to buy a pre-owned watch, call us at 714-633-2030 or send us a message today! We’d love to meet you and show you our OC watch collection today! You can also view a small sample of our different online shops by clicking here! If you’d like to sell your watch for cash in Orange County, visit this page for more info!

 

 

Watch & Wares is the Best Place to Buy Women’s Watches in Orange County

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Where is the Best Place to Buy Women’s Watches in Orange County?

At Watch & Wares, we’ve spent the last 3 decades collecting, buying and selling women’s watches in Orange County, CA. From our in-house watch sales in our Orange Circle store to eBay and Yelp, we’ve upheld a 5-star reputation for having the largest pre-owned watch selection in Orange County and exceptional service. Our women’s fine watch selection includes all major watch brands from all eras.

When looking for the best women’s watch store in Orange County, there are a few key things to remember when shopping:

  • What Kinds of Watches and Brand Names does the Watch Store Carry?
  • Can you Buy Vintage Watches as well as Contemporary Fine Watches?
  • What is the Reputation of the Women’s Watch Store in OC
  • Is the Fine Watch Store in Orange County Offer a Warranty on their Watches?
  • Will the Jewelry Store offer Pre-Owned Women’s Watches in Orange County
  • Does the Orange County Watch Store Offer Layaway?

What Brands Does the Watch Store Carry?

Watch & Wares knows that watch lovers are a special breed. When searching for women’s watches in Orange County, the most important thing is selection. Watch & Wares has the largest pre-owned watch selection in Orange County and Southern California. We’ve Spent the last 30 years collecting fine watches for men & ladies.

Horology lovers are loyal to the watch brands they covet. We know that sometimes it can be tough committing to buying a Panerai Watch if you’re a Rolex Watch fanatic. The reason it’s important to buy women’s watches in Orange County from a watch store that has a large selection of watches, is because you can try the timepiece on and see if it fits your style.

Here’s a short-list of just some of the major brands of fine watches for men & women we carry:

  • Rolex
  • Cartier
  • Omega
  • Panerai
  • Chanel
  • Breitling
  • Patek Philippe
  • Vacheron Constantin
  • A. Lange & Söhne
  • Gucci
  • Chopard
  • Hamilton
  • Bell & Ross
  • Longines
  • Ulysse Nardin

Are you Looking for Vintage & Antique or Contemporary Women’s Watches in Orange County?

We have started with our owner’s passion for collecting fine timepieces. We pride ourselves on having the largest vintage, antique and contemporary pre-owned watch selection in Orange County. When we built our store and brand 30 years ago, we never knew our collection of pre-owned watches would grow to its current size today.

We specialize in selling both contemporary luxury watches as well as vintage watches in Orange County. We’ve been doing business out of our brick & mortar store in the Orange Circle for over three decades! We’ve also been selling vintage and antique watches on eBay since the late 90’s and also sell on Etsy and through our recently launched online store!

Click here to view a small cross-section of our large Orange County watch & jewelry store inventory!

Our contemporary women’s watch selection is staggering. Looking for something in yellow gold? How about white gold or platinum with a diamond bezel? Leather strap or classic bracelet? Are you a Rolex or Cartier watch lover but particular to their classic vintage designs?

We’ve also been seeing a lot of women who love wearing larger men’s watches as of late, dubbed the boyfriend watch. Watch & Wares in the Orange Circle is the best pre-owned watch store in Orange County. Most of our watches are in like-new condition and include box & papers!

Do They Have a Good Reputation?Are the Watches Guaranteed?

Watch & Wares has worked hard to maintain a 5-Star Rating on Yelp and a 100% Feedback rating for every transaction on eBay. We’ve also relied mostly on word-of-mouth for the last few decades before the Internet became such a huge factor in doing business.

We’re lucky to have had many repeat clients over the years. Most watch lovers do business with people they trust. Our owner takes a hands-on approach to ensuring each watch purchase; service and restoration is done with the utmost care. Our staff has over a century of combined experience in the watch & jewelry industry.

Each watch we sell in our Orange County watch store or through eBay carries a warranty. The warranty may differ on contemporary watches vs. vintage/antique watches. Each contemporary timepieces we carry is restored to their factory specs. Our vintage watches are carefully restored to ensure they retain their vintage appeal (including dial patina, etc). We have a Master Watchmaker on staff and make sure our seals & gaskets are tight & lubricated. We also ensure movements are accurate, and that links/clasps are tight & polished before purchase.

Now let’s talk payment options and layaway plans for watches. This is a biggie for most people looking to buy women’s watches in Orange County. While we have luxury watches to satisfy most every taste and budget, some folks love to take advantage of our 12-month Layaway!

This allows you to put a small down-payment on a Men’s or Ladies Fine Watch and make interest-free monthly payments! This is a huge plus because it makes it easy to own a piece you fall in love with, even if you can’t pay upfront for it.

For more information on the brands of women’s watches we carry, call us at 714-633-2030 and speak with one of our helpful staff members!

 

 

Do I Need to Wind My Automatic Watch?

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Do I Need to Wind My Automatic Watch?

Part of what draws many people to purchasing a watch with automatic movement is the belief that they will never need to wind the watch in order to start its movement or charge its power reserve. Do I need to wind my Automatic Watch? At Watch & Wares, we get this question fairly often. The short answer is yes, you do need to wind your automatic watch. We understand that part of the reason most people purchase or wear an automatic watch is because they just want to set it and forget it. Let’s explore how the automatic movement in a watch works and

Why Do I Have to Wind My Automatic Watch?

While an automatic watch doesn’t require you to wind it while you are wearing it, it definitely helps to understand how the movement functions, and how a watch mainspring works. As you may or may not know, there is weighted rotor, which is sometimes also referred to as a pendulum, which spins inside most traditional automatic watch movements. If your watch features a skeleton case back, you can view the rotor spinning or if you put your ear to it, you can hear your watch’s rotor moving inside the watch. The watch rotor’s job is to help charge the automatic watch’s mainspring through energy, not all watch rotors are built to work the same way.

How Does the Rotor Inside Your Automatic Watch Work?

Some rotors will wind your watch only when spinning in a certain direction, others will charge your watch when spinning either way. Some rotors are weighted in order to enhance their spin or add some energy to it to keep it going with each move of your wrist. Other movements are extremely light so that they can spin around with even the least amount of movement as you wear them throughout the day. This proves useful for people who are not as active and might be sitting at a desk for a long time, but still want to keep their automatic watch ticking.

Some automatic watch rotors are connected to heavy gear trains (which can all vary) with different numbers of wheels depending on the type of watch movement as well as how many hours the watch can run between windings. As a result, each rotor will charge the respective watch’s mainspring with a different amount of energy.

Do I Have to Wind My Automatic Watch Even with Regular Wear?

No matter what type of rotor you have in your automatic watch, keep in mind that a rotor will never be as efficient at winding your watch using the crown. So while wearing your automatic watch should keep it wound and running while it’s being worn, you’re basically relying on the energy you stored throughout the day to keep it ticking throughout the evening and when you take it off periodically. What this means, is that if your timepiece did not start out with a full charge (meaning a mainspring that is wound with full tension), then it will often not end the day with a full charge, simply because you were wearing it and kept the rotor spinning… eventually your mainspring will completely unwind and you’ll need to wind your your automatic watch in order to get the mainspring ready to get those wheels moving again.

How Does the Mainspring in My Automatic Watch Affect the Watch’s Power Reserve?

Every automatic watch movement’s mainspring is a little different from one another. On some watches, the first three quarters of its mainspring’s charge will often be the most accurate, keeping the best time. The final quarter of tension on the mainspring (25% of power reserve) will often cause the movement and watch to speed up slightly but this differs from movement to movement.

Because of this small tendency to speed the watch up during the last quarter of the watch’s power reserve, it is also important for your to ensure that your watch is as close to fully-wound every time you wear it… that is of course unless your timekeeping isn’t too important to you, but we have yet to meet a watch fanatic where this is the case!

If you don’t manually wind your automatic watch every morning using the crown, you really won’t know if your watch is at the last 25 percent of its power reserve causing it to speed it up slightly. Some watches have a power reserve window with a gauge in the movement indicating how much power is left in the reserve.

Check out the Panerai Luminor Marina 8-Days Acciaio. It’s also known as the PAM00510 and it features an 8-day power reserve!

Contact Watch & Wares with Questions About Your Automatic Watch

Why won’t my rotor wind my automatic watch for me?

While the spinning rotor on your automatic watch will buy you a little time between wear, for best results, wind your automatic watch a little bit each morning or when you have a break throughout your day. Believe it or not, many horology fans and watch collectors enjoy winding their automatic watches each day. For some, it’s a connection with an amazing piece of our past. It brings to light hundreds of years of watchmaking that has made the small miracle of the contemporary watch or vintage watch on your wrist possible. For others, winding an automatic watch can be a break from an otherwise mundane work day or long commute.

We’ve been working with automatic watches for the last 3 decades Watch & Wares. We love getting questions about their specific movement and the characteristics of each timepiece we sell. We have the largest pre-owned watch selection in Orange County, California and sell more pre-owned watches than any watch store in the SoCal. If you have a question about a particular watch or have your eye on a specific timepiece in our eBay store or in our shop in The Orange Circle, please contact us or call us at 714-633-2030 and ask for our owner, William. He’d be happy to walk you through our biggest pre-owned watch inventory in OC as well as answer any questions you may have!

 

 

 

Vintage & Antique Pocket Watches

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antique pocketwatch

Origins of the Pocket Watch (Pocketwatch)

While pocket watches (or pocketwatches) did not reach the height of their popularity until the mid to late 19th Century, pocket watches have been around since the mid-1400’s and crafted regularly by master watch makers in Europe in the 1500’s. The early pocket watch was crafted from a variety of metals, including nickel, brass, silver and gold. The high-end vintage pocket watch was often crafted from gold or silver, with gold or stainless steel gears, while more affordable pocket watches were crafted from brass or nickel, with a thin layer of gold or silver on the outer case. The number of jewels on a pocket watch dictated its movement and thus its lifespan and value. The more jewels on a pocket watch, the less grinding of metal-on-metal within its gears, thus also resulting in the pocket watch keeping better time.

railroad pocketwatch1

Early Use of Pocket Watches

Before wristwatches became popular after World War I, and prior to the development of the trench watch (which was a transitional design for a timepiece used on the battlefield), the pocket watch was the most common method of keeping time. Pocket watches were carried by aristocrats, noblemen, wealthy businessmen, traders, captains, and of course railroad engineers — who needed to carry a well-made pocket watch that would keep almost perfect time, in order to adhere to their rigid train & track schedules. Pocket watches soon saw their popularity decline during WWI, where the first trenchwatch was affixed with a wrist strap, and led the way for development of wristwatches which eventually replaced the common pocket watch. The very first wrist watches were produced by Girard-Perregaux in 1880 for the German Navy and During WWI, several well-known watch makers, including well-known brands such as Omega, Longines (and others) produced wrist watches for the military, which led to a streamlined design and the demise of popularity for the once-coveted pocket watch.

pocket watch

The Collectible Antique Pocket Watch

Like all things that were once a world-standard and have now been replaced by other means, the antique pocket watch has solidified its place in watch making history. Pocket watches were the headmost method of timekeeping prior to the advent of the standard wristwatch, so it’s no surprise that high-end, classic antique and vintage pocket watches are highly-sought after by timepiece collectors worldwide today. Early pocket watches had a “hunting case” design, which allowed the front of the metal case to flip open when you pushed a button, usually at the top of the timepiece. As time wore on in the 1900’s, open-faced pocket watches became more common and later replaced the hunting case design entirely. Today, there are many factors that separate the high-end pocket watch from less collectible models. These factors include (but are not limited to): the number of jewels, precious metals used for the case, its general condition (whether it is complete with chain, grade of patina, etc.) and of course, its movement. Much like classic cars and other restored items of value, one of the final determining factors of a particular collectible antique pocket watch’s value would be whether the pocket watch is entirely made up of its own original parts.

antique pocketwatch parts

Where to Buy Antique Pocket Watches

Given that there are so many factors that can contribute to the value of a antique pocket watch, it’s vital to work with an industry professional that has the knowledge and eye to appraise and value the vintage timepiece and its components in its entirety. At Watch & Wares, we’ve spent the last quarter-century traveling and delving into antique pocket watches and vintage timepieces (and their respective parts), establishing a relationship with reputable dealers, well-known auction and estate houses as well as employing master watchmakers on our team. We have a rotating inventory of quality vintage pocketwatches for every budget in stock and know what to look for when it comes to making sure their history checks-out. As avid vintage and antique watch & timepiece collectors, we also keep a substantial collection of original, unopened stock from high-end, popular, vintage, antique and contemporary watchmakers. So whether you’re looking for an antique pocketwatch for yourself or that special someone, or you need your pocket watch repaired/restored to its original condition, using OEM certified parts, we hope you’ll stop by Watch & Wares in the Downtown Historical District of Orange, California (Orange County) and meet with our owner, William Houchin, who you can learn more about by clicking here.