A ring that’s been on someone’s hand for twenty years wears differently than one bought last spring. Prongs loosen. Clasps wear thin. Gold dulls. None of it happens overnight, which is exactly why it tends to go unnoticed until a stone is missing or a chain won’t stay closed. Our repair team handles both ends of that spectrum: the routine upkeep that keeps a piece functioning, and the more involved work that brings a damaged or aging piece back to what it was. Ring resizing is one of PRECIOUS Precious the PRESERVING KEEPING THE PIECES YOU WEAR EVERY DAY JEWELRY REPAIR
WATCH REPAIR
The Case for Regular Servicing
A watch that runs on batteries can sit in a drawer for a year without consequence. A mechanical Swiss movement can’t. Left unworn and unserviced, oils dry out, gaskets lose their seal, and small components wear against each other without the lubrication they need. The damage happens slowly and stays invisible until the watch is opened up on the bench. That’s the case for regular servicing, and it’s also why the person doing the servicing matters. Our watchmakers train at institutions like WOSTEP, Lititz Watch Technicum, and the North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking, programs that combine years of theoretical instruction with hands-on bench work. Taking apart a chronograph and putting it back together correctly is a learned skill. Most of this work happens on a schedule, not in response to a problem. A full movement overhaul every few years keeps the gear train running the way it was designed to, long before you’d notice anything wrong. Pressure testing catches a compromised gasket before it lets in moisture, and polishing restores the surface. Cared for this way, a fine watch doesn’t just keep time. It holds up under daily wear for decades, which is really what makes it worth wearing in the first place.
the most requested services we offer, and it’s more technical than it looks from the outside — the band has to be cut, adjusted, and resoldered so the proportions and strength of the original setting hold up. Stone replacement carries its own precision requirement, since a new gem has to be color- and cut- matched closely enough that it doesn’t stand out against the others already in the piece. Beyond repair work itself, we recommend regular inspection even when nothing seems wrong. A loose prong or a thinning clasp is far easier to fix before it fails than after a stone or a piece is lost. Our jewelers check for exactly these signs during routine cleanings, catching wear early rather than after the fact. Rhodium plating deserves its own mention. Over time, white gold pieces can take on a yellowish cast as the plating wears away with daily contact. A fresh coat restores the bright, reflective finish the piece had when it was new, a small service with an outsized effect on how a piece looks and feels. A twenty-year-old engagement ring and a bracelet bought last month don’t need the same kind of attention, and our team treats them accordingly, from a quick prong check to a full resetting. Bring in whatever needs looking at. If it’s fine, we’ll tell you that too.
COMMON SERVICES INCLUDE: • CLEANING AND OILING • MOVEMENT SERVICING & FULL OVERHAULS • BATTERY REPLACEMENT • CRYSTAL & CROWN REPLACEMENT • WATER-RESISTANCE TESTING & GASKET REPLACEMENT • CASE & BRACELET POLISHING • ACCURACY ADJUSTMENTS
WHAT WE HANDLE MOST OFTEN: RING RESIZING CLASP & CHAIN REPAIR SOLDERING STONE REPLACEMENT & PRONG TIGHTENING RHODIUM PLATING
MAINTENANCE FOR FINE SWISS WATCHES
& POLISHING CLEANING & INSPECTION
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38 • KIEFER JEWELERS MAGAZINE
39 • KIEFER JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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