JOHN ALABASTER WATCH & CLOCK REPAIR

We phoned on a Saturday and they came to the house to work on it during lunch hour the following Wednesday so we didn't have to take time off of work. Very professional, punctual and fixed the clock for a good price. We are delighted!

I should have taken what I thought at the time was a fairly high estimate for getting an old clock running as a sign that they didn't really want to work on it. To be honest, the works were extremely dirty, and the clock hadn?t had a top on it in at least 40 years. In fact, part of the work I needed to have done was to have a new top (that I had gotten made at The Stone Center in Manassas) attached to the case. But the reviews I read were effusive in their praise of the quality of the workmanship, so I thought I?d pay the additional money and get a quality job. I left the clock with them on March 2, 2009, and began what was to be a very long and frustrating wait. The first estimate written on my claim check was that the work would take 6-8 weeks. That slipped to 6 months (?we can?t keep it running?) then a full year (?we just need a just a little longer. Or you could take it now and have a nice looking bookend.?) I finally got the clock back 18 months after I had left it for a ?6-8 week? job. The good news is that it runs, and keeps pretty good time, and the newly attached top looks very good. Now the bad news: the shop didn?t use the correct ?paddles? on the exposed escapement, so that as it runs, it damages the escape wheel teeth ? damage that will destroy this wheel if I continue to run it in its current condition. The shop also damaged the bezel in several places and the strike has a mind of its own. Sometimes it's 13 o'clock (as in 1984); sometimes it's 26 o'clock - a time I thought only existed through the looking glass. The only estimate I?ve gotten to repair the damage done to the works by the John Alabaster shop is $800.00; quite a price to pay for an inept job. Bottom line: I won?t use this shop again, and I can?t recommend them.

There are three reasons why I would select another company to repair my watches. 1.Was unsuccessful in serial/several repairs on a quality watch. The money I eventually spent in repairs (around $500) was approximate to the price of a new watch on sale. I feel really stupid about being 'reeled in'.... 2. Small selection of leather watchbands 3.Neglected to remove all 18k gold fittings from a worn watch band, and gave my husband's watch back to me with the inferior fittings that came with the $75 new band. When I pointed out the problem, they couldn't locate the original Omega buckle. They declined to correct their error and purchase a buckle to match the gold Omega watch. The dates of these 'services' were various - in 2010 and 2011.

Incompetence, incompetence, incompetence! Two specific experiences with this clock highlights the incompetence of this shop. (1) I brought the clock in yesterday and was tol that the could not loosen the screws in back without damaging them. I took the clock home and loosened the screws myself without any resistance or difficulty. (2) I brought the clock back today with screws loosed to have them fix the alarm hand. When they removed the back, the clock and alram hands fell off. Apparently the clock face with hands was an integrally sealed unit and once breached, the clock was ruined. They did not that this was the case on alarm clocks from the main manufacturer whose products they sell? The owner came out from the back with the ruined clock and implied that I should not have brought it in and put them in a position to wreck it! He then offered to sell me a replacement clock! I will be buying a replacement clock, but not from these incompetents!

They kept my watch for several weeks. I brought the watch back and paid several hundred dollars for the repair. The watch is ticking but the timer piece is not functioning properly. I'm disappointed as the cost was very expensive and the watch doesn't work. I will be going back to them to see if I can a result.

I brought in two clocks to the shop for repair. One was a small cartoon wall clock of my son's, and the other was a Mikasa desk clock. On both of them, their second hands were stopping and shaking, and they could not be fixed by just replacing a battery. I went into the shop and explained the problem. A young man wrote down my concerns and took the clocks. He was very unfriendly. I assumed he was possibly having a bad day, which we all have from time to time. Along with asking him to repair them, I also asked him to repaint the hands of my son's wall clock to white (they were black) so that they could be read easier. He agreed with a shrug. After hearing nothing for over a month (I dropped them off July 31, 2009), I called the shop. The young man told me that he had ordered a new movement for the Mikasa clock. He gave me no indication of when they would be ready. Then, he hung up the phone. More time passed, and again I was never called. I called again and asked for an update, and he told me that the first movement did not fit, and that he had ordered another one. More months passed. Finally, I stopped by the shop and asked for my clocks back. There was no explaination as to why (it is now November 12, 2009) it had taken him 5 months to do nothing. He gave me back my son's clock, which had been repaired, but he had not painted the hands as promised. He handed me the Mikasa clock, and said "I just got tired of ordering the inserts which wouldn't fit. I can't fix it." I paid $20 dollars and left, knowing that they would never get any business from myself, or any associates that I know in the future. He also did not put the back of my son's clock on tightly and there is a gap.

They did a great job and I am going to go back with another watch that needs cleaning. They really know what they are doing. And, they were very nice.

They are personable. They answered a lot of questions and taught me how to take care of the clock. I would definitely use them again in the future and would recommend them to others.