The Watchmaker — Local services in Stoneham

Photo attached for verification of this review. Please see Oris Mechanical Altimeter watch next to print on FedEx mailer showing return address of The Watchmaker. Names have been blocked out to follow Google review posting regulations. Our watch collections matter to us in a potent and special way that only other serious collectors understand. We are different from one another in many ways still there is an essential kinship and understanding of the significance of the small and ensconced meshing of gears, wheels and springs and all that goes in to the sporting of such finery. Shipping watches for service is a unique area of life and of maintenance. We all know the concerns over trustworthiness and each of us has looked carefully at all we could find about a service source prior to that shipping out of a timepiece that holds a key position in our possessions. It is difficult to write out the details of how Dave of The Watchmaker broke his promise. There are gray areas that he attempted to hide in, but as we know, what happens concerning the tracking of time will soon come out into the light. He seems a fairly good man and decent hand at repair. It is surprising that he felt confident, maybe smug, in directly turning against his own written agreement in email body exchange. Most people are alert to potential consequences of that legal record. More important than this, because we often do not meet the technicians and shop owners who do the wonderful craftsmanship, we truly depend on their word. I have come to work with a number of watch repair companies that have proven good for their promise and also legitimately fair in navigating the unexpected discovery in a watch's condition. The shops have different strong-suits and I am careful about what wrist clock is sent to which establishment and for what attention. Part of what made Dave feel he would get away with this breach of contract is that the dollar amount is small enough that he saw no way it could come back for justice. Theft is a wrong that has many effects. The damages to my time are the largest impact as first I was communicating with Oris in Switzerland, than the Watchmaker and it took more than 45 days to arrive at a word from Dave to ship. I am replacing an original special clasp band that opens too easily on a heavy watch that should be secure through a rough airplane landing. My feeling was that Oris would like to make that replacement or adjustment to a different type of buckle for the sake of future business and general brand mojo management. It turns out that the Watchmaker forgot to confirm the origin of the watch and backed out of promise when Oris left it to him to cover his agreement. I enjoy securing time pieces from various vendors and even a good trade when fortuitous circumstances allow. This was from a reputable gray market specialist watch seller and when Oris would not cover Dave's shoddy deal-making for fair market supply reasons that I accept, Dave stepped back and broke his written word. He needed to follow-though because he had me ship. I provided all detail he requested and he forgot to have Oris check the serial number in the lengthy upfront negotiations by email. It may seem like a small detail, but as you know, the principles of life show where they will and we have learned several things about The Watchmaker in Peabody. It is the lavish professionalism that Dave uses in communication that makes me most uncomfortable as the tide rolls out and the character gap is revealed. Beware fancy highwaymen who do much well but then see an angle against you and think they can...

I don't have anything good to say about The Watchmaker and their Atmos clock service. I wouldn't send one to them again, and advise others not to if they're thinking about it. I reached out to them about sending my clock to them for service, so I ordered a 'non-refundable' shipping label from them with $5000 of insurance specifying it was for a clock. I got a USPS label from them in my email the next day. Their website talks about bringing the clock to UPS, so that made no sense to me, but I said it was an Atmos clock when I requested it. After I sent it to them and the postal service damaged the clock badly, I got an email from them showing the photos of the damage. Of course they put it all on me stating I didn't follow the instructions on their confusing website. They tell me that the label was for a watch, not a clock. Like I said before, I specified that it was an Atmos clock when I requested the shipping label, at which time, in my opinion, they could've contacted me and told me there was an issue instead of just sending me the label. After we spoke about the damage, I expected to hear back from them with an estimate of the damage. Two weeks passed by and nothing, so I called to ask if there was an estimate and if insurance on the package would cover the damage. At this point I was told it wasn't USPS insurance, instead, it was a jewelers' policy. They said they were submitting a claim, but it was likely going to be denied because it was improperly packaged. That turned out to be the case. They proceed to tell me it's going to be months and several thousand dollars to repair and tune the clock while they look for parts. All this for a clock that's worth less than $1000. I told them that there's no way I'm going to do that, so they say they'll return it to me in an Atmos box for $125. I told them to keep it since that's just insult to injury. My question is this; if they could send the damaged clock back to me in an Atmos box, why not just charge me $125 to send an empty box I can use to 'properly' ship it to them for repair. There was little guidance and poor communication, and they put the damage issue on me without acknowledging their process played into the situation, and that's my problem with them. If you decide to have them fix or tune your clock, ask a lot of questions, and press them for specifics on how the clock needs to be packaged, otherwise, if it gets damaged, you can kiss your...

If you are looking for watch service, to purchase your first watch, or add to your collection, look no further than The Watchmaker in Stoneham, MA.

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon The Watchmaker while searching for a limited edition watch. The Watchmaker was listed as the only Authorized Dealer in the area for this particular brand. Upon visiting their web site, it also just so happen to be that they were hosting their first ever After Hours event back in April.

The event was a blast. From the moment I arrived, I was greeted by the owner and founders son, Dave. Dave was a gracious host as he immediately offered me a beverage, which I happily accepted and enjoyed while we talked shop. Dave, his associates, and the patrons at the shop were all brimming with passion and knowledge for the craft of watches. It was a stellar event, and should Dave host another I would highly recommend any and all of my fellow watch enthusiasts to mark it on their calendars.

Event aside, Dave maintains an outstanding showroom of reasonably-priced, high-quality Swiss and Japanese watches from widely respected brands. Moreover, everyone on his staff is equipped with near-encyclical knowledge of the watches they carry. This means that every visit to The Watchmaker, you will be getting your money’s worth in knowledge, in addition to some of the finest watches-for-your-money out there!

Ultimately, I walked out of my first visit to the Watchmaker energized, more informed, and a few bucks poorer because I couldn’t resist the temptation to check-off not 1, but 2 watches off my wishlist!

I am grateful for The Watchmakers commitment to second-to-none quality service and thoughtfully curated assortment of quality products that they carry. They have most certainly earned a returning customer in me, and I look forward to future visits, as I check more watches off my wishlist, for...