Terms & Conditions

Who these terms are between

These Terms & Conditions apply to services supplied under the Watch Fixers brand (“Watch Fixers”, “we”, “us”, “our”). The legal entity identified on your order confirmation, quotation or invoice is the contracting business for the relevant service. Our operating address is Unit 10 Aerodrome Way, Hounslow, TW5 9QB and our service email is info@watchfixers.co.uk.

These terms apply to consumers and, where relevant, business customers. Some legal rights described in these terms apply only to consumers. If you are acting wholly or mainly for business purposes, provisions of consumer law may not apply to you.

Independent repairer status

Watch Fixers is an independent watch repair and servicing business. Unless we expressly state otherwise in writing for a particular brand, we are not an authorised dealer, authorised service centre, agent or representative of any watch manufacturer. Brand names and trademarks used on our website identify the watches we may work on and do not imply manufacturer endorsement.

Where manufacturer parts, proprietary procedures or manufacturer-only equipment are unavailable to independent repairers, we will explain material limitations where they affect the proposed work.

Submitting a repair request

Submitting an online repair request creates a service record and allows us to receive and assess your watch. It does not, by itself, authorise chargeable repair work unless we have clearly stated a fixed-price service that you have expressly purchased. For assessed repairs, chargeable work begins only after you accept our quotation or otherwise provide clear written approval.

You must provide accurate information about the watch, its condition, known faults, approximate value where requested, water exposure, previous repairs and anything else that may materially affect safe handling or diagnosis.

Your authority to send the watch

By sending a watch to us, you confirm that you are its owner or are authorised by the owner to instruct us. You must not send stolen property, property subject to a dispute, property you have no authority to repair, or any item whose possession or movement would be unlawful.

If ownership or authenticity is reasonably questioned, we may pause work and request evidence before continuing. We may cooperate with lawful requests from police, courts, regulators, insurers or other competent authorities.

Packaging and items sent with the watch

You are responsible for packaging the watch securely for its journey to us. Use adequate padding, a strong outer container and the return label or postage method provided or approved by us. Unless specifically requested, do not send presentation boxes, papers, spare links, straps, accessories, jewellery or other items. We cannot accept responsibility for unrequested accessories except to the extent we are legally responsible for their loss or damage after receipt.

If packaging is inadequate, damaged or unsuitable, we may photograph it on arrival and repackage the item for onward handling. Any carrier claim may be affected by inadequate packaging.

Royal Mail returns and other carriers

Where we provide a Royal Mail Tracked Returns label or QR code, the shipment is also subject to Royal Mail’s applicable service terms, prohibited-item rules, compensation limits, acceptance scans and claims procedures. A tracking number is evidence of a shipment record, not a guarantee of delivery time or compensation value.

You should retain proof of posting or acceptance. Where a carrier incident occurs, we will reasonably assist with information needed for a claim. Responsibility for loss or damage in transit depends on the facts, the carrier terms and applicable law. Nothing in this section excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Declared and actual watch values

Any value you enter on the order form is used for administration, handling and risk awareness. It is not a valuation, insurance policy, agreed replacement value or confirmation that a carrier will compensate up to that figure. If a watch is particularly valuable, rare, sentimental or irreplaceable, tell us before sending it so that appropriate arrangements can be discussed.

We do not provide formal market valuations unless separately agreed in writing.

Inspection and diagnosis

Many watch faults cannot be accurately diagnosed from photographs or an external inspection alone. We may need to open the case, remove components, test the movement, pressure-test the case, inspect electrical components or carry out other reasonable diagnostic steps.

Opening a watch may reveal hidden corrosion, damaged threads, worn seals, prior incorrect repairs, glued components, stripped screws, non-original parts, moisture damage or other defects that were not visible beforehand. Discovery of such conditions is not evidence that they were caused by our inspection.

Pre-existing damage and inherent risk

Watches are precision items and some arrive in fragile, worn, corroded, previously modified or partially failed condition. You acknowledge that reasonable inspection or repair can expose or accelerate failure of components already at or near the end of their usable life. This is particularly relevant to vintage watches, brittle lume, aged dials, corroded stems, deteriorated seals, damaged threads, glued crystals, fragile hands and watches previously affected by water.

We are not responsible for pre-existing defects, ordinary wear, inherent vice, hidden damage or failures unrelated to our work. This does not affect responsibility for damage directly caused by our failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

Quotations and estimates

Unless expressly described as fixed, quotations are based on the condition and faults identified at the time of assessment. If additional faults become apparent after dismantling or testing, we will seek further approval before carrying out materially additional chargeable work.

Prices may depend on parts availability, exchange rates, manufacturer pricing, specialist subcontractor charges and the condition of the watch. A quotation may be withdrawn or revised before acceptance where it contains an obvious error or underlying assumptions prove incorrect.

Approval of repair work

You are responsible for checking the quotation before approval. Approval may be given through our website, email, payment link or another written method we recognise. Once approved, we may order parts, allocate workshop time and begin work.

If you approve only part of a quotation, we may decline to undertake a partial repair where doing so would leave the watch unsafe, unreliable or incapable of being properly tested.

Parts and replacements

We may use manufacturer-branded, original-equipment, compatible, generic, refurbished or donor parts depending on availability, the age of the watch, the nature of the work and what has been agreed with you. Where the distinction is material to price, appearance, function, collectability or manufacturer warranty, we will seek agreement before using a non-equivalent substitute.

Removed parts may be discarded unless you request their return before work begins and it is lawful and practical to return them. Some exchange parts, hazardous materials, batteries or supplier-controlled components cannot be returned.

Customer-supplied parts

If we agree to fit a part supplied by you, we do not warrant that part’s authenticity, quality, compatibility or durability. We may refuse to fit a customer-supplied part if we reasonably believe it is unsuitable, unsafe, counterfeit, damaged or likely to compromise the repair.

Any warranty on our workmanship remains subject to the limitations caused by the customer-supplied part.

Servicing, accuracy and mechanical performance

Mechanical watches are affected by position, temperature, magnetism, wear, power reserve, movement design and usage. Unless a specific performance standard is agreed in writing, a service does not guarantee quartz-like accuracy or manufacturer-new performance.

Timing results measured in workshop conditions may differ from real-world wrist performance. Vintage movements and watches with unavailable parts may only be capable of performance appropriate to their age and condition.

Water resistance and pressure testing

Water resistance is not permanent and depends on the case, crown, crystal, pushers, seals, tubes, threads and prior damage. A historic depth rating printed on a dial or case does not mean the watch currently meets that rating.

Where pressure testing is included, the result relates to the test conditions and time of testing. Unless we expressly warrant a particular level in writing, no representation is made that a vintage, damaged or structurally compromised watch is suitable for swimming, diving or prolonged water exposure. Do not expose a watch to water if we advise that it has failed testing or that water resistance cannot be guaranteed.

Polishing, refinishing and cosmetic work

Polishing and refinishing remove a small amount of material and can alter edges, surface texture or previous finishing. Results depend on prior polishing, dents, corrosion, case thickness and existing damage. Deep marks cannot always be removed safely.

We will use reasonable care and skill, but exact restoration to original factory geometry, colour or finish cannot be guaranteed unless specifically agreed.

Dials, hands, lume and vintage originality

Vintage dials, lume plots, hands, bezels, inserts and decorative finishes can be exceptionally fragile. Even careful handling can reveal pre-existing weakness, flaking, corrosion or loss of adhesion. If preserving originality is important, tell us before work begins.

We will not intentionally alter original cosmetic components beyond the agreed scope. Where safe completion of work would present an unusual risk to originality, we may pause and seek further instructions.

Repair times

Any turnaround time is an estimate unless we expressly guarantee a deadline in writing. Delays can arise from diagnosis, parts availability, supplier delays, specialist work, testing, courier disruption, customs, customer approval or unexpected faults.

We will perform services within a reasonable time where no binding time has been agreed, in accordance with applicable law. We are not liable for losses caused solely by reasonable delays outside our control, subject always to rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Payment

Payment terms will be shown on the quotation, invoice or payment request. We may require full payment before returning a repaired watch. Title to any new parts supplied by us may remain with us until amounts due for the relevant repair are paid, to the extent permitted by law.

If a payment is reversed, charged back or dishonoured after services have been supplied, we may seek recovery of the lawful amount due and reasonable recovery costs.

Cancellation rights for online customers

If you are a consumer entering into a distance contract, you may have a statutory 14-day right to cancel a service contract under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, subject to the applicable rules and exceptions. The cancellation period for a service contract generally begins when the contract is made.

Where you expressly ask us to begin a chargeable service during a statutory cancellation period, you may have to pay for the proportion of the service supplied before cancellation. If a service is fully performed within that period following the legally required request and acknowledgment, the cancellation right may cease. We will not rely on a waiver of statutory rights unless the legal requirements for doing so have been met.

For assessed repairs, submitting the initial repair request normally does not itself authorise chargeable repair work; chargeable work normally begins after quotation approval.

If you decline a quotation

If you decline a quotation, we will normally return the watch without carrying out the proposed repair. If a diagnostic, postage, specialist or assessment charge was clearly disclosed and agreed in advance, that charge remains payable. Otherwise, no undisclosed repair charge will be imposed merely because you declined the quotation.

A watch returned unrepaired may remain in the same non-working, partially working or dismantled condition reasonably resulting from diagnosis, subject to our duty to exercise reasonable care and skill.

Repair warranty

Where a repair warranty is offered, the duration and scope will be stated on the quotation, invoice or service documentation. A warranty applies only to the specific work and parts covered by it. It does not automatically cover unrelated faults, accidental damage, misuse, impact, magnetism, water ingress where water resistance was not warranted, normal wear, unauthorised opening, third-party work or customer-supplied parts.

If you believe covered work has failed, contact us promptly and allow us a reasonable opportunity to inspect the watch before another repairer intervenes. Statutory consumer rights are not replaced by a repair warranty.

Third-party and specialist work

We may use appropriately selected specialist subcontractors for particular operations such as laser welding, dial restoration, plating, specialist machining or manufacturer-specific work. We remain responsible for our obligations to you where the law requires us to do so.

We may need to send the watch or components securely to a specialist. We will take reasonable care in selecting and instructing service providers.

Authenticity and counterfeit items

A repair assessment is not an authentication service unless specifically agreed. We may identify obvious concerns, but acceptance of a watch for repair does not amount to a certificate of authenticity.

If we reasonably suspect that a watch, component or document is counterfeit, altered or unlawfully marked, we may decline work and may take steps required by law or by legitimate rights holders.

Photographs and workshop records

We may photograph or record the watch, packaging, reference numbers, movement, components and condition for identification, diagnosis, quality control, security, dispute resolution and repair records. These records may form part of your customer file.

We will not use identifiable customer information for unrelated marketing without an appropriate lawful basis. Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy.

Collection, return and address accuracy

You are responsible for providing a complete and accurate return address and for notifying us before dispatch if it changes. We are not responsible for delivery problems caused by an incorrect address supplied by you, except to the extent our own error contributed.

If a returned parcel is refused, unclaimed or returned to us, we may contact you to arrange redelivery and may require payment of reasonable additional delivery costs where the failed delivery was not caused by us.

Uncollected watches and storage

If a watch remains with us after we have asked you to pay, provide instructions or arrange return, we may send reminders using the contact details supplied. We may charge reasonable storage costs where those costs and the basis for them are notified before they accrue.

If property remains uncollected for a prolonged period, we may exercise rights available under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 or other applicable law, including giving the required notices and, where lawful, selling or otherwise disposing of goods to recover sums properly due. We will not treat a watch as abandoned merely because a short period has passed.

Our responsibility

We will provide services with reasonable care and skill as required by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 where it applies. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, or any other liability that the law does not permit us to exclude.

Subject to those protections, we are not responsible for losses that are not a reasonably foreseeable result of our breach, for business losses suffered by a consumer, or for loss arising from inaccurate information, pre-existing defects, inherent fragility, customer misuse or events outside our reasonable control.

If you are a business customer, additional limitations may apply where reasonable and lawful, but no provision is intended to exclude liability in a manner prohibited by law.

Events outside our reasonable control

We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events we could not reasonably prevent, including carrier disruption, industrial action, severe weather, fire, flood, utility failure, cyber incidents, supplier failure, parts shortages, government action, customs delays or similar events. We will take reasonable steps to minimise disruption and resume performance when practical.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied, contact info@watchfixers.co.uk with your repair reference and a clear description of the issue. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable time. You should give us a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where appropriate, remedy alleged defects in our work.

This complaints process does not restrict any legal remedy available to you.

Website information

Website descriptions, guides, estimated prices and articles are general information and do not replace inspection of a specific watch. Photographs are illustrative. Prices and service descriptions may change. A website error does not bind us to supply a service on obviously incorrect terms.

Personal data and communications

We process personal data to administer repair requests, provide quotations, communicate about repairs, arrange postage, prevent fraud, maintain records and comply with legal obligations. See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for more information.

Operational emails, repair updates and service communications are not marketing messages and may be sent where necessary to perform the service.

Changes to these terms

The version in force when you enter into a relevant contract will normally apply to that contract. We may update these terms for future transactions to reflect law, services, systems or business practices. Material changes will not retrospectively remove rights already accrued.

Severability and no waiver

If a court or competent authority finds part of these terms unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply so far as legally possible. If we do not immediately enforce a right, that does not mean we have waived it.

Governing law and courts

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you are a consumer resident elsewhere in the United Kingdom, you also retain any mandatory protections and rights to bring proceedings that apply in your home jurisdiction.