Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Hi, can anyone recommend a good watch repair service, I've got a rotary watch that needs attention.

The Guy in the big watch shop in Girne is very good, If you turn right at the crossroads going down the hill past Cafe George, head towards harbour and he is on the right hand side {100s of watches in his window}

Thanks skybluesam, will go and see him !

Is that shop called Hannan Skybluesam? If it is, he is a young man and is very capable. There is an older guy in a watch shop and he is a robbin' so and so.

carrierbag wrote:Is that shop called Hannan Skybluesam? If it is, he is a young man and is very capable. There is an older guy in a watch shop and he is a robbin' so and so.

you need to be very careful about making such unqualified accusations on this board... exactly who do you mean and what robbery took place?

We always use the older gentleman in the watch shop up the side road opposite the Dome hotel.
Excellent work done on our Rado, Breitling, Tag and Longines watches.
If the previous comment refers to him then from our experiences I totally disagree.

Also speaking from experience, I would be very wary of the man opposite the Dome. Very expensive for repairs. Normally he claims that new parts have had to be manufactured by a 3rd party. I have taken 2 wall clocks to him. The repair of the 1st one I thought excessive so I asked for a quote for a repair to the 2nd one which I explained was not valuable. He went ahead and repaired it and charging me 1200tl for a service and 2 new manufactured parts. I paid him 600tl and took the clock away. Having checked the mechanism at home I can find 1 new part, a 2mm long peg worth?
My wife and I have been walking past this shop for over more than 10 years and could never understand how it could make a profit. Perhaps we now know.

Speak as you find I always think and our experiences with him have always been good. He made a spring for my Rado after I had too enthusiastically pulled the winder out. Cost not excessive and we always use him for our watches.
Sadly your experience has not been the same and old clocks, like old dogs, can be tricky I guess

I have just come across this thread.
I too took an old Rolex in to this man around 2 years ago. ( as per old dogs experience)
He Promised to repair it properly, when i returned to collect it the repair price had quadrupled.
When I refused to pay, he said he would call the police and have me stopped from leaving the country.
Of course I gave the guy my name and address and phone number when we agreed on said repair price.
Eventually I returned with my wife in tow, tried to reason with him. I paid him 400 tl, and discovered that the watch,
Had been damaged even more, although he had repaired the winder, he had damaged the face.
I sent the watch to be fully repaired in the uk last year, and the repairing jeweller said it had been poorly repaired.
The parts that should have been replaced were repaired.
Either way would never use or recommend any one to this guy.
A thoroughly despicable character is my polite description.
Using the threat of police to make me pay, was pathetic, I actually paid him less than the estimate in the end.
But the whole episode left a bad taste.
So beware if you are tempted to use him..

Thanks everyone for your comments, think I'll send it back to the UK as it's got a lot of sentimental value, just to be on the safe side !

Try Des Roberts in Lapta. He is a trained and qualified watch repairer and does Rolex and other quality watches. Sorry I can't find his phone number but I'm sure somebody will know it as he used to have a stand at Lambousa.

does anyone have the contact details for Des?

i have this number for some time so hope he hasn't changed the number 05338478511

Thanks Denise it is ringing but no one is picking up I will try it again later.

Hooked up with Des today and my watch is now in being regulated by a professional that I can trust.
Thanks Denise

Ok Des looked at my watch an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 45XL with a 2500 Co axial movement and said it was Heavily Magnetised and needed Degousing (Demagnetising) but he did not have a strong enough machine to do this. I took my watch to the shop opposite the Dome, he smiled and said of course I can demagnetise your watch it is only a few minutes to do and cheap, he showed me his demag machine all good, said he was busy come back late afternoon tomorrow and pick your watch up. Picked my watch up the next day and he told me it was working excellent and keeping good time and charged me 300tl then he told me that it was not magnetised he had to change a part which he showed me (concerned now), now I knew immediately that this part was not out of my watch and it was not from an Omega 2500 Co Axial movement. I challenged him and he just ushered me out of the shop and said you will see tomorrow your watch is working fine. Ok overnight my watch gained 22 minutes it is gaining time that fast Jenson Button could not catch up with it and the date wheel turns at 10 minutes past midnight instead of midnight on the dot as it was when Des looked at it. Off I went to see him today and he knew exactly why I was there, I challenged him about the condition of my watch, he just smiled and said leave it with me and I will fix it, I asked him if he had any Omega training he looked at the other 2 customers in his shop and side stepped the question I asked him if he knew what movement was inside my watch he just looked confused, I asked if he had the Omega calibration tool required to calibrate a Co Axial movement he blanked me. Then I informed him that I was going to take my complaint to Girne police station as I could prove he had done nothing but took my money, he immediately stuck 300tl in my hand and I left. One of the other customers in the shop was also there to complain that his watch had stopped working after being repaired so mine is not an isolated incident.
He may be good with old clocks and old movements but I seriously doubt his ability to work on modern complications.
Never again and nor would I reccomend him.

Oh what a nice man! Perhaps not?

The Saints. If you check out my post on June 30th you will see that the nice smiling man does not differentiate between trying to rob the owners of old or new watches/clocks. At least he is consistent.

Learnt my lesson, there is an official Omega dealership and service centre in Istanbul so it looks as though the wife is going to get a long weekend shopping when I drop it off and another when I go back in a couple of months to pick it up. I should have done that in the first place.

I think the lesson is-if you can afford an expensive watch, it needs to go back to an 'Authorised' dealer for any sort of repair or service.

You run the risk of having any warranty invalidated if you let anyone else get their hands on it.

I know from personal experience that this is the case with waterproofing on Omega watches-a dealer will have the right kit for taking the back off, and more importantly,you will get the watch back having been pressure tested to manufacturers specs.

There are some good independent watch and clock repairers about,but you don't want to find out the hard way which ones are good.

I mean, if you bought a brand new Rolls Royce, you wouldn't take it to 'Alfs Cheapo Car Repairs' to be serviced would you?

Not entirely correct, I have been collecting and wearing high end watches for many years and never sent them back to a main dealer for service.
Many independant clock makers and watch repairers spent many years on the benches working on Omega, Rolex, longines etc and have done the required courses with the manufacturer to work on such watches just like Des in Lapta and a few I can mention in the UK and other parts of the world that I have lived in or they have worked for the main dealers and then gone solo, if they have such a background then you get the same service that you would get at the main dealer for a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately my only bad experience over the years has been this one so I will take it to the dealership to get it corrected and in future I will be more selective with the clockmaker i.e. not use one here.

@ The saints-I did say there are some good independents around, the point I was trying to make is that,if your watch is guaranteed waterproof to 300 metres,and it leaks after your trusted guy has serviced it-will he replace a £3000 plus watch ?
If you get it fixed at an authorised dealer,then they are obliged to repair or replace the watch at no cost to you.
Like I said in my previous post, I wasn't having a go at independents,but you do get a guarantee with a main dealer.

My watches have always been pressure tested by the independants that I have used and because they have their own reputations to consider they also warranty their work for 1 year which is actually the same warranty time on a service from a lot of brand dealers.

I respect your choice,but as far as 'Branded' Timepieces are concerned I would rather pay an authorised dealer more money and get the 'Insurance'.

The thing that puzzles me about what you are saying is this-In msg 12 you were asking for the phone number for 'Des'.

Then,In message 15 you said -

''Hooked up with Des today and my watch is now in being regulated by a professional that I can trust.
Thanks Denise''

Then In msg 16,oh no, disaster time-it turns out that Des, whom you previously trusted as ''A professional I can trust'',has turned out to be a con man,and someone who you would never recommend again.

Then,In msg 19, you admit to making a huge 'Cock Up'(Fair game for admitting your mistakes) and concur that you should have taken the watch to the authorised dealer in Istanbul.

I rest my case re main dealers-yes they are expensive,and are no better than good independents ,but they protect your warranty ,which on a decent watch is lifetime assuming you don't take it to ''Joe soaps watch repairs''.
Personally,I would have gone straight to the authorised dealer and saved myself a lot of upset and expense.

you did not read my posts you just looked at them;

Ok Des looked at my watch an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 45XL with a 2500 Co axial movement and said it was Heavily Magnetised and needed Degousing (Demagnetising) but he did not have a strong enough machine to do this. I took my watch to the shop opposite the Dome, he smiled and said of course I can demagnetise your watch it is only a few minutes to do and cheap, he showed me his demag machine all good, said he was busy come back late afternoon tomorrow and pick your watch up. Picked my watch up the next day and he told me it was working excellent and keeping good time and charged me 300tl then he told me that it was not magnetised he had to change a part which he showed me (concerned now), now I knew immediately that this part was not out of my watch and it was not from an Omega 2500 Co Axial movement. I challenged him and he just ushered me out of the shop and said you will see tomorrow your watch is working fine. Ok overnight my watch gained 22 minutes it is gaining time that fast Jenson Button could not catch up with it and the date wheel turns at 10 minutes past midnight instead of midnight on the dot as it was when Des looked at it. Off I went to see him today and he knew exactly why I was there, I challenged him about the condition of my watch, he just smiled and said leave it with me and I will fix it, I asked him if he had any Omega training he looked at the other 2 customers in his shop and side stepped the question I asked him if he knew what movement was inside my watch he just looked confused, I asked if he had the Omega calibration tool required to calibrate a Co Axial movement he blanked me. Then I informed him that I was going to take my complaint to Girne police station as I could prove he had done nothing but took my money, he immediately stuck 300tl in my hand and I left. One of the other customers in the shop was also there to complain that his watch had stopped working after being repaired so mine is not an isolated incident.
He may be good with old clocks and old movements but I seriously doubt his ability to work on modern complications.
Never again and nor would I reccomend him.

Nowhere did I slate Des read it again don't just look at it!!!

A lifetime warranty? you are joking, Omega, Rolex Longines, Breguet give a 4 year warranty when purchased after that service periods vary normally recommended by the manufacturer at 3 year intervals yet they only issue a 1 year warranty afer service. You do not get a lifetime warranty.

I am sorry that this has become a huge part of your life.

I am going to get on with mine and suggest you buy a Swatch-they look good are cheap and tell the time really well.
Cheerio

Same thought you take your two bob timepiece to change the battery that costs twice as much as yor watch and leave those of us who own decent timepieces to get on with it.

Yet another topic that you stuck your nose into gave your twopeneth worth without any knowledge of the subject just to try to stir an argument.