Okay, let me tell you about this whole adventure I had trying to find a decent traditional jeweler down in Newport Beach.
The Hunt Begins
So, I had this old watch, right? Belonged to my dad. It wasn’t anything super fancy, not like those crazy expensive brands you see everywhere now, but it meant a lot. Thing is, it stopped ticking. Dead as a doornail. I figured, okay, needs a fix, probably a good cleaning too. I didn’t want to take it to some mall kiosk or one of those new shiny places. They just don’t seem to get old stuff, you know? I wanted someone who actually knew their way around gears and springs, someone old-school. A traditional jeweler.
First thing I did was hop online, typed in something like “old watch repair Newport Beach” and “traditional jewelers”. Got a bunch of names, but websites can look nice and not tell you the real story. So, I decided I just had to go down there and check things out myself. Made a plan for a day trip.
Hitting the Pavement in Newport
Got down to Newport Beach, beautiful day, but I was on a mission. Found the first place on my list. Looked alright from the outside, kinda classic looking. Went in. Nice enough guy behind the counter. I showed him the watch. He squinted at it, popped the back off, poked around for maybe two minutes.
Then he tells me, “Ah, parts are hard to find for this model. Might be expensive. Might not even be possible.” Didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Felt like he just wanted to sell me a new watch instead. So, I said thanks and walked out. A bit disappointed, yeah.
Tried another spot. This one was smaller, tucked away a bit. Seemed more promising. The jeweler there, an older gentleman, really looked the part. He spent more time with the watch, used one of those eye-loupe things. Seemed to know what he was doing.
- He identified the movement quickly.
- Talked about potential issues.
- Gave me a quote.
The quote was… wow. A bit steep. More than I was expecting, for sure. He explained why, the labor involved, sourcing parts if needed. I understood, but still, it was a chunk of change. I told him I needed to think about it.
Finding the Right Spot
Was feeling a bit deflated at this point. Grabbed a coffee, sat looking at the ocean, wondering if it was worth it. Maybe Dad’s watch was just meant to be a keepsake, not a working timepiece anymore. But I decided to try one more place someone had mentioned offhand, wasn’t even really on the main drag.
Walked over there. This place felt different. Less flashy, more like a workshop that happened to have a storefront. The person there, wasn’t super old, but had that focused intensity, you know? Tools everywhere, but organized. Smelled like oil and polish.
Showed them the watch. They took it, examined it carefully, asked me about its history. Didn’t immediately talk price. They actually opened it up, looked closely, and started explaining what they saw, what was likely wrong, how they’d approach fixing it. It felt like a collaboration, almost. They seemed to genuinely appreciate the watch for what it was.
Their quote was reasonable. Not cheap, mind you, quality work never is, but fair. And they sounded confident they could get it running right. Left it with them. Felt good about it.
The Result
Got a call about two weeks later. Went back down to pick it up. The watch? Looked amazing. Cleaned, polished just right, not overly shiny. And the best part? It was ticking. Strong and steady. Felt like shaking hands with an old friend.
Paid the bill, thanked them profusely. It was just such a relief to find someone who cared about the craft, not just the sale. That’s what I was looking for in a traditional jeweler. Someone who respects the history in things and has the skill to back it up. Took some searching, a bit of driving around, and talking to a few different folks, but totally worth it in the end. That watch is back on my wrist where it belongs.
