Please excuse my ignorance, I simply do not know whether the cleaning of a pocket watch requires a special skill set or parts.

A friend got a $ 500 estimate and I am convinced to get this done over here for way less.

We have quite a selection of watches and plan to get them all cleaned and repaired.

There are countless small stalls changing bands and batteries, but I would rather use a more established watch maker for my friend's pocket watches

but welcome recommendations on some good watchmaker in some soi.

Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendation!

Chris

I searched past post but only found stuff for regular wristwatches, not pocket watches.

I have used the shop in Silom Complex (3/F?) to repair my antique pocket watches, and they have done a good job. It's next to the Mail Boxes stall.

Just make sure it comes back with the same insides.................

My wife is paranoid about repair shops stealing parts and replacing with inferior items.

For such an exclusive item, no way would I chance leaving it in the hands of a dealer/repairer here in Thailand just to save money.

How much you are willing to pay and where you take the watch, depends on how much you value the time piece, keeping in mind that in Thailand one has practically no recourse of action, if the job is botched.

Edited October 1, 200916 yr by sassienie

$500.00 just to service an old pocket watch ? My god , I have a solid silver 'Fob and Aurthur' from the late 1800's still in working order , passed down through the family , what the heck would that be worth today ?

Edited October 1, 200916 yr by dumball

Thank you.

Samtam, what did the job entail? Just a regular cleaning, or more?

Dumball: that was a quote for an Elgin pocket watch, nothing special. FYI, a really nice IWC in a gold case was sold on eBay for only $ 380. The seller is in Singapore. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEDWX:IT I wish I had bid $ 400 for this one

Due to my friend's request, I started checking out eBay.com and won this pocket watch for $ 42.50: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Sawasdee krap,

Chris

In the cae of one (a C19th Railway watch - the timekeeper used by the station master), it had stopped running, and only ran intermittently. They repaired it, and although sometimes temperamental, it runs pretty well now. I had problems with it previously and the jeweller in Edinburgh tried several times to fix it, but it never lasted long. I note one person says here in Thailand they might replace existing parts; in this case they did replace parts, but it would not have worked otherwise, and as it's over 100 years old, I do not mind that. Original parts of course cannot always be repaired when something is this old. The cost was THB1,000 to 1,500 - can't remember exactly.

The other watch the glass was broken by my maid when cleaning, and they found a good fit, with same bevel round the edges (about THB1,000).

My recommendation is based on the fact that that they are sympathetic to old watches, which is why I use them.

Cheers, Samtam. I visited that shop. 1 guy and he's not a watchmaker. He said he would contact "head office".

On the Ground floor (1st ?) there are some more shops, with one having a watchmaker present. Central?

That watchmaker wanted about 2,500 Baht for a regular cleaning

Cheers, Samtam. I visited that shop. 1 guy and he's not a watchmaker. He said he would contact "head office".

On the Ground floor (1st ?) there are some more shops, with one having a watchmaker present. Central?

That watchmaker wanted about 2,500 Baht for a regular cleaning

I was quite impressed with a Chinese watch repair shop just south of the Saphan Kwai intersection on the main road towards the city centre. If you are heading south it would be on your right quite near a footbridge across the highway. I'm not sure about old pocket watches but the proprietor did a good job for me in store at a reasonable price. It is walkable from Saphan Kwai BTS.

I was quite impressed with a Chinese watch repair shop just south of the Saphan Kwai intersection on the main road towards the city centre. If you are heading south it would be on your right quite near a footbridge across the highway. I'm not sure about old pocket watches but the proprietor did a good job for me in store at a reasonable price. It is walkable from Saphan Kwai BTS.

Cheers, Citizen 33! I would rather deal with the watchmaker himself, not middlemen.

It is customary for shops who can't or won't do the job in house to pass on jobs

to third parties...

Will check out that shop and let them do some jobs.

Chris

FYI: I found a link of watch repair shops - http://www.eguide.co.th/TH/SEARCH/Watch+Repair+Service/1?

Pendulum's Watch Clinic is not outrageous either, and they are authorized by www.iwc.com

Regards, Chris