Expertise help needed

I am in trouble again. I was at a local craft show, one my daughter and I attend every month and an old lady came in with her husband and showed me a silver watch that she had been given as a present for a silver wedding present by her hubby. This watch had been worn every day since and about two years ago the watch stopped and she took it to a local shop and they sorted it but lost the back of it, and she asked if I could make her another back as she loved the watch and it was special. I told her it was out of my comfort zone, and that I would ask if anyone else would have a go at it. The transaction would be between her and whoever decided to mend it for her. She wants the back in silver if possible. If anyone fancies having a go at it I have the ladies phone number, she lives in Devon so watch would have to be posted.

Would the maker of the watch not be able to replace the back, that would have been my first port of call and you would have thought the jeweller she went to for the repair should have done that? Pretty poor service from them :(

Hmm. I think my response might not be dissimilar to the one I gave yesterday when asked to fix a Rolex...

Surely watch cases are machined so I would imagine it would be possible to get a replacement . Some peeps don't get the processes, like people that say I designed this will you make it , so you make a trial piece and they go oh I'm not sure, can you try it this way :(

Unless it's handmade, the backs are most likely to be stamped. Either way, I'd point them back to the person who lost it in the first place. The Rolex had taken a knock and wasn't running properly - had it been a stone come adrift I'd have had a look (and then said "ah, but I need a laser welder...").

The trial & error design process is part of the thing that I quite like about CAD - I can provide a photoreal interpretation of the design with little scope for miscommunication. Of course, they may well take fright at the price, particularly when it involves larger diamonds!

If the watch has a make, I'd go back to them and see if they have any spares. I'd also kick up a stink with the jeweller who lost the back.

I haven't seen the watch so I don't know whether it is handmade or manufactured. He said it was made with silver from Exeter, what!!!!!! Didn't know Exeter sold silver. The Assay office closed years ago, 1883 I think. I would guess that as it was a silver wedding present and they were in their 80's a long time ago and the person that did the repair has closed down now so, they said they would like to have a new back… I said I would ask, and I have done that.

I'm sure nobody here wants to give you any stick for just asking, Pat. The chances are that the watch was imported, or so old that it is no longer possible to approach the maker.

Almost any independent jeweller's shop could have a new lid made up for the back. The real problem is that the cost could be quite disproportionate and if the watch stops again while in their care they would have to deal with that too. Dennis.

I'm guilty of opening my mouth to say "no" and "yes" slips out too! It usually happens when I'm at a show and not doing very well. Will I never learn!

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Originally Posted by Patstone

I am in trouble again. I was at a local craft show, one my daughter and I attend every month and an old lady came in with her husband and showed me a silver watch that she had been given as a present for a silver wedding present by her hubby. This watch had been worn every day since and about two years ago the watch stopped and she took it to a local shop and they sorted it but lost the back of it, and she asked if I could make her another back as she loved the watch and it was special. I told her it was out of my comfort zone, and that I would ask if anyone else would have a go at it. The transaction would be between her and whoever decided to mend it for her. She wants the back in silver if possible. If anyone fancies having a go at it I have the ladies phone number, she lives in Devon so watch would have to be posted.

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Please feel free to point her in my direction. I can certainly help as this is the sort of thing I do all the time. Adam