1 We charge an inspection charge of £30, which is refundable against the cost of work if we get the order from you to fix the watch. If you do not wish to proceed, the £30 inspection charge is payable. This covers our time for inspecting the watch and estimating for the work.
2 No work will be started before the watch has been assessed, an estimate given and you have agreed over the phone, email, or in writing to proceed. Although we carefully assess all our repairs and services, we reserve the right to charge for any unforeseen work, further parts to complete the repair, or any extra work that is needed. You will be informed as soon as possible if this situation should arise, and before we continue with the service.
3 We will do our best to keep your watch safe whilst it is in our workshop. This includes keeping the watch in a safe for the majority of the time, but during some phases of the repair the watch will be kept outside the safe. As insurance for all the watches in the workshop would be prohibitively expensive, we cannot offer insurance for the time that your watch is in the workshop, but we will do our best to protect it whilst in our possession. If you are concerned about insurance coverage, we recommend you check whether your own contents insurance covers the watch whilst it is temporarily not in your possession.
4 On occasion, either due to the watch needing further parts that need to be sourced, an unusually high volume of repairs, or staff holidays and sickness, the repair time may be extended beyond the estimated 4-6 weeks. In such circumstances you will be updated on progress via the online job tracking system.
5 Watches are dispatched via Royal Mail Special Delivery 1 p.m. within the UK, and International Signed For outside the UK. If you require another shipping method, please specify this before the watch is returned. We generally dispatch watches on a Friday morning, for delivery on Saturday pre-1pm. We always increase the insurance coverage of Royal Mail Special Delivery to the maximum of £2500.
6 We will do our best to service and/or repair your watch, but on very rare occasions, damage may occur in the process of taking it apart, cleaning it, or putting it back together. The most common occurrences include hands that are difficult to remove often due to corrosion, poor fitting by previous watchmakers or fitting techniques/machines used by the original manufacturer. Modern Breitling chronographs are a good example of the latter. Their removal can lead to hand and/or dial damage. Further examples include pushers with seized screws, which shear whilst dissembling; case backs which have been screwed down too tightly, or whose thread has been damaged, so that it is difficult to open them. This can lead to the opening tool slipping, which can cause scratches on the case back.
7 As much as we try to avoid any damage, it can happen, and we cannot assume responsibility for it. We will try our best to rectify any damage, but it is not always possible to completely repair such damage, or to source replacement parts.
8 If you include anything else with your watch (spare parts, links, bracelets, etc.) please make sure they are clearly identifiable, and put a note with the watch itself so that we know that there are additional parts in your parcel. This is to ensure they are not discarded along with any packaging. We will not take any responsibility if this happens, if the parts weren’t clearly marked and if there was not a note with the watch.
9 If applicable, your watch will be tested for water tightness to the rating recommended by the manufacturer. If your watch passes this test, it will be stated on your warranty/guarantee certificate, but this is only an indication of its water tightness at the time it left the workshop, and no liability will be accepted by ourselves if your watch suffers water damage (even within the 12-month warranty period). It is recommended that you have your watch pressure tested immediately prior to using it in a wet environment, and should refer to your watch’s manual with regards to its pressure rating and what this relates to in a ‘real life’ scenario.
10 All services carried out by ‘About Time Watch Repair’ are covered by a 12-month warranty. The warranty does not cover accidental damage, wear and tear, and/or any repairs or services carried out by third parties. Any intervention, including opening of the watch by you or any third party, including other Watchmakers or Watch Professionals, whilst the watch is under warranty by ‘About Time Watch Repair’, will result in the warranty provided by us as becoming void and no liability will be accepted.
11 Furthermore, there are some occurrences that will mean we cannot offer a warranty on our services, mainly if our advice is not followed. For example, If you insist on leaving old, disintegrating luminous compound on your dial or hands, we cannot give you any warranty as parts of the luminous compound will eventually break off and end up in the movement. We always advise to replace or reinforce disintegrating luminous compound, but you can of course insist on leaving it in place. Alternatively, if we recommend any parts are replaced due to wear or damage, and either we are not able to source these parts, or you choose not to get them replaced (due to cost for example), then we cannot offer a warranty on the service.
12 If a fault occurs within the 12-month period, we will endeavor to rectify the fault free of labour charge. Any postage costs incurred, either to or from yourself, are non- refundable.
13 Your Service & Repair Guarantee/Warranty is valid from the date the repair/service is completed, not the date the repair/service is received.
14 Your guarantee/warranty is non-transferable, unless prior permission is sought and given in writing.