Time Palace Jewelers, Watch, Clock, Jewelry Repair, Engraving | Tustin, Irvine, Newport — Local services in Tustin

I don't post reviews very often (2nd one on Google), but I really had to jump in here and write a review for Al.

First, a little bit about Al (the proprietor of Time Palace/1st Watch) that I found out by gleaning the internet. Al is a 3rd generation watch maker. He has a son who also works with him in the shop, so that makes 4 generations of watch making in his family. He also has a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. If nothing, at least his career paths indicate a meticulous and dedicated nature.

The reason I know all this about him was because I needed to bring in my Rolex for a new crystal, and picking a watch maker to work on your Rolex isn't a casual matter. Finding a watch maker who is familiar with Rolexes is not particularly difficult--even though Rolex makes its own watch movements, the theory behind mechanical watch movements is generally the same across all manufacturers, and Rolex movements (because they make their own) are well discussed and documented. However, because Rolex makes its own watch movements, replacement movements can cost thousands of dollars if your watch maker biffs the innards of your watch. Therefore, finding a good watch maker who is meticulous and stands behind his work is more important than ensuring that your watch goes back to the factory repair center.

Onward. Al gave me a straight forward quote to replace my crystal. The price was good to fair. Al also discussed overhauling my watch with me. He indicated that it wasn't necessary (as my watch had just been overhauled last year), but that it was recommended to ensure that the watch continues to function properly. He left the decision entirely up to me, and his quote for the overhaul was very good. I half expect a watch maker to insist on an overhaul whenever they work on a watch for liability reasons (close up a watch that hasn't had its gasket changed and the watch starts leaking, then suddenly it's the last watch maker's fault). So, I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't insist on an overhaul. I got an overhaul done anyway, but that's beside the point.

Al indicated that he would have to order the crystal for my watch. That's fair--at least he does the work himself in-house and doesn't send it off to another watch maker as is the case with many/most jewelry stores who say they work on Rolexes. So, he quoted me "a few days, but no more than a week." If I wanted it sooner, he could arrange for overnight shipping of the new crystal. No thanks, I said--take your time and I'll pick it up "whenever."

"Whenever" turned out to be the next day before noon. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. That was fast! I dropped the watch off at 3:30 the day before, and he had a new crystal in his shop, replaced it, and overhauled my watch (which includes taking it apart, cleaning the parts individually, replacing all the gaskets, polishing/buffing fine scratches out of the case and band, and putting it all together), and called me before noon the next day.

Bonus: He also puttied off a smudge from the movement of another watch I was wearing when I came in to pick up my Rolex. The fingerprint could be seen through the caseback viewing window and must have been there from when it was assembled. Gratis. On the spot. Couldn't have hoped for more.

In sum: 1) Fast. Really fast. 2) Highly professional, educated, and clear communicating proprietor. 3) Work done on-site in a very clean and well organized work shop. 4) Skilled enough to not be afraid of people watching over his shoulder while he fiddles with microscopic watch parts under...

When I was younger, I took my engagement ring and wedding band to a local jeweler to get polished. When they told me that my setting needed to be reinforced or I'd lose my diamond, I was scared enough to go ahead and have them do it without getting a second opinion/quote. They did the work for $50, and boy did I ever get what I paid for; it was uneven, and actually had a noticeable bubble in it. The ring looked bad, the tension setting wasn't sleek and flush to my diamond like it used to be... but I was young and didn't want to fight, nor did I have a ton of money to find someone skilled enough to fix it properly.

Fast forward eleven years and a lot of damage to the ring. There were big nicks and cracks in my ring and I wanted it to get remade so that it looked as beautiful as it was when my husband proposed. I spent a lot of time reading reviews before deciding to head over to Time Palace. What made me decide to trust Internet-Al were his thoughtful, firm responses to negative reviews. He reminded me of my father, an experienced, honest craftsman who is never afraid to tell someone, "I won't do it for less than $X because if I tried, the work would be bad, and my reputation means a lot to me. I won't do shoddy work to meet your price point."

So I dropped the ring off two days ago along with a picture of what I hoped Al could do to it. He gave me a price of between $200-400, depending on labor hours. I told my husband it would be closer to $400 since I believe in underpromising and overdelivering.

I picked up my ring today and I am thrilled: it is stunning again: sleek, modern, and flawless. To top it all off, Al only charged $200, the very bottom end of what I expected to pay.

If you have a piece that means a lot to you, and you want someone to take good care of it, someone who stakes his reputation on doing his best work every time, head over to Time Palace and entrust it to Al. You won't be...

My ring finger apparently shrunk between when we sized it and when my now-fiance bought the ring. We came in close to closing (because that was the only time we could go) and we didn't feel rushed at all with the process. I was kind of at a 1/4 size when using the ring sizing tool, but he explained that because there is open space from the bridge on the underside of my ring that it would feel slightly looser than the sizing ring.

My ring is silver and they explained that it would be less expensive to do a gold solder, but that there would be a tiny gold spot at the base of the band. If we used silver solder, there was a risk that the garnet gem would crack from the increased heat, so he would have to remove and reset the gem to avoid that. With the extra cost to remove/reset the gem after soldering it, it was $75. Slightly higher than we expected based on the reviews, but it was less than what my sister paid for hers at South Coast Plaza, and she didn't even need the gem reset because her ring was gold.

The ring was ready in 3 business days - 2 days earlier than I needed it - and the ring was even shinier than when my fiance proposed.

When I got the ring back, it did fit better than the sizer ring because of the open space. My only complaint is that there was a teeny tiny pockmark where the solder is. I don't wear the ring that often because I work with dogs (I mostly wear it on a velvet cord around my neck), and I actually prefer my silver tarnished (blaspemous, I know) so it won't show and it wasn't a huge deal for me. However, I could see how that could be a big deal for someone else (although I have no idea how common that is for that to happen). So I guess I would deduct 1/2 star for that.

Overall I would definitely...