Watch repair kits have proliferated onto the scene in recent years, allowing home enthusiasts and wannabe watchmakers access to whole new world of tinkering opportunity. But with so many options, the question remains, what is the best watch repair kit for you?
But before diving into some watch kits, it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself whether you really need a fully-fledged kit, or whether you really just need one or two pieces first and then start building your own kit.
This is generally the first question you should be asking yourself. Are you really just trying to fix the problem you have now, or do you actually want to have that 18+ piece kit handy in case of future emergencies. You might be better off in the long run by slowly building your high quality, bespoke kit if right now you really just want to remove a link or two from your bracelet.
Also, before embarking on a mad scientist type experiment with an expensive watch, ask yourself how much do you care about the watch you are DIY repairing. It will hurt a lot less if your repairs to a $50 Casio don’t go as planned than botching up that antique Rolex Submariner that’s stopped ticking.
The pros and cons of each option are listed below:
Heck, if you just want to change the battery once every couple of years, you’re most likely better off financially (and with less headache) just going to your local jeweler and have them change it for you. But, you most likely wouldn’t be reading this post if you didn’t want to get your hands dirty and start tinkering with your watch collection.
An important point here, as just like jailbreaking your iPhone, opening up your watch will most likely result in voiding your manufacturer's warranty. You’ve been warned! Now, with that out of the way, let’s get to the kits.
Your budget, short and long term requirements should dictate the quality of kit and how many tools you realistically need. The following tools are common in good quality kits:
We’ve chosen the following 3 watch repair kits based on price, quality and user reviews:
Best for large watch cases. We also like that it comes with a handy 41 page illustrated guide that makes it easy to hit the ground running and make repairs straight away.
This 141 piece entry level kit is great for those that are making their first foray into watch repairing and want a kit with all of the essentials.
This sturdy 141 piece tool kit offers all the tools you could want as a novice watch repairer in a nicely designed carry bag.
Got some other kit/tool suggestions for tinkering with your watch collection? We’d love to hear your choices in the comments below. Happy repairing!
