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Repair and restoration of complex and complicated watches

Split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, tourbillon: complicated watches need a workshop that knows them. Ours is in Le Brassus, where they were born.

What we repair

A complicated watch is not a watch like any other: every function adds parts, adjustments and risks. Our main workshop in Le Brassus was set up for them, in the very village where most of them were invented. There we take in, for modern watches as well as antique pieces:

  • Chronographs, cam and column-wheel, split-seconds (rattrapante), flyback: adjustment of the hammers, jumpers and clutch, overhaul of the counters.
  • Calendars, from the simple date to the perpetual calendar and the annual calendar: adjustment of the date, day, month and leap-year jumpers, moon phases.
  • Striking watches, minute repeaters, quarter repeaters, grande and petite sonnerie: adjustment of the racks, the gongs and the strike governor.
  • Tourbillons and carrousels, fitting of the cage, checking of the poising and the timing.
  • Special displays, jumping hours, retrograde displays, deadbeat seconds, equation of time, power reserve, second time zone, world time.
  • Automata, skeleton watches and complicated pocket watches, with the original finishes preserved.

Prices, by type of complication

Moon phase, complete calendar, power reservefrom 450 CHF
Chronograph, cam or column wheelfrom 650 CHF
Split-seconds chronograph, annual calendarfrom 900 CHF
Perpetual calendar, tourbillon, minute repeaterfrom 1'500 CHF
Restoration with the making of partsby quote

These are Standard service prices: complete disassembly, cleaning, replacement of wear parts, lubrication, reassembly, timing adjustment in 5 positions and a final check over 1 to 2 weeks. Parts to be replaced are priced separately in the quote, which is firm, free and issued within 7 days of receipt. The Gold and Platinum services add cosmetic restoration, the ORBIS certificate and the photo file. 12-month warranty, 24 months with Platinum.

Independent workshop or manufacturer

For a complicated watch, the question is a fair one. Our answer is simple: if the manufacturer's warranty is still running, go to them first. Otherwise, an independent workshop trained in complications applies the same methods, with one watchmaker following your piece from start to finish, a detailed quote before any work, a lead time of 6 weeks at most for most pieces, and the freedom to preserve original parts rather than replace them. We also say so when a piece has to go back to its manufacturer, for example for a component only they supply: you then leave with no diagnostic fee.

How it works

You describe the watch online and receive an immediate price range. You drop it off by appointment in Le Brassus, without appointment in Yverdon-les-Bains or at our partner Evergold in Lausanne, or you send it to us. Within 7 days, the watchmaker opens the watch and sends you a firm quote with the diagnosis; nothing is undertaken before your approval. You follow every step in your Client Area, with photos, and the watch comes back with its timing report.

Frequently asked questions

Do you repair complex, complicated watches and grand complications? +
Yes. Our workshop in Le Brassus, in the Vallée de Joux, was designed for exactly this: column-wheel and split-seconds chronographs, perpetual and annual calendars, tourbillons, minute and quarter repeaters, jumping hours, equation of time, automata. Our watchmakers were trained at the École technique de la Vallée de Joux and trained on these very calibres.
How much does it cost to service a complicated watch? +
A chronograph starts at 650 CHF, a moon-phase or complete-calendar watch at 450 CHF, a grand complication (perpetual calendar, tourbillon, minute repeater) from 1'500 CHF. The quote is firm, free and issued within 7 days of receipt; parts are priced separately.
How long does servicing a grand complication take? +
Up to 6 weeks after the quote is accepted for most pieces. A restoration involving the making of parts, or a striking mechanism to adjust, can take longer: the quote states the lead time. The final timing is checked in 5 positions over 1 to 2 weeks.
Do I have to go through the manufacturer for a complicated watch? +
Not necessarily. If the manufacturer's warranty is still running, check with them first. Otherwise, an independent workshop trained in complications works with the same methods, often faster, and guarantees its work for 12 months, 24 months with Platinum. We say so plainly when a piece has to go back to its manufacturer, for example for a component only they supply.
Do you repair antique and vintage complicated watches? +
Yes, it is the heart of our restoration work: Valjoux, Venus and Lemania chronographs, pocket calibres, split-seconds, early calendars. Making of parts, re-pivoting of arbors, preservation of the original finishes, complete photo file.
How do I entrust a very valuable watch to you? +
Drop-off by appointment in Le Brassus, without appointment in Yverdon-les-Bains or at our partner Evergold in Lausanne. An exceptional piece is best handed over in person; the return is insured and included within Switzerland. Above a value of 20'000 CHF, the quote is tailored.
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An immediate price range online. A firm, free quote within 7 days of receipt.

Our promise: an instant price range, a free quote within 7 days of receipt and repair within 6 weeks.