After years and years of having your trusted watch on your wrist, you have found that, for whatever reason, you now need a Citizen watch repair. As we all know, Citizen watches are by no means “cheap”. With the average price hovering around $400 per watch, there’s no way that you are going to buy a new watch. You should also think twice before rushing out to a generic Citizen watch repair shop, or attempting to fix it yourself.
Why Shouldn’t I Repair My Watch Myself?
The one obvious reason why you shouldn’t do your own Citizen watch repair is because there’s a good chance that you’ll have no idea what you’re doing. Do you know what tools you’ll need? Do you know what parts you may have to buy? Do you even know why your watch stopped working or needs repairing in the first place? These are questions to be answered before seeking Citizen watch repair.
Your watch is not only an important and expensive piece of your every day attire, but it’s also a piece of you. Our watches reflect our personality and become a part of us. You don’t want to risk further damaging your watch or waste countless hours mucking around with tiny parts, trying to put your watch back together. Not only that, but if you have a warranty for your watch, you attempting to repair it may void that warranty completely. That’s going to mean your Citizen watch repair now comes out of your pocket.
And yes, we know there are a lot of “do it yourself” guides out there that will “tell” you how to repair your own watch, but trust us. You’ll spend more money on tools and new parts doing it yourself than you will paying for a professional to simply do the Citizen watch band repair for you.
Citizen Watch Repair Locations
Finding the right Citizen watch repair shop is important, especially since not all repair shops, or jewelers who do repairs, are created equal. The first thing that we recommend is going to go any friends or family who may own a Citizen watch, and ask them if they have ever had to take it in for a repair. Ask them who they went to, and whether they were happy with the service they received. Getting any positive reviews from people you trust probably mean that the repair shop they went to is one that you can trust with your watch as well.
If you need to continue on further with your repair search, and if you live in the United States, the next best thing would be to visit a Torrance facility. Any Torrance facility is able to handle all of your Citizen watch repairs and inquiries, and you can find their repair centers located in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Georgia.
Should you not live in any of those four areas, there are still a number of great watch repair places available to you. A quick flip through any phone book or internet search query will bring up a ton of Citizen watch repair locations in your area and jewelers who may fit the bill.
But before you call up the first repair place and bring your watch in, you should ask them a few questions so you can get a good idea of just how well equipped they are in Citizen watch repair. Ask questions like:
- How long have you been in business?
- Are you familiar with Citizen watch repair?
- What kind of repairs have you done on Citizen watches before?
- Do you have any references or examples of Citizen repairs you’ve done?
- How long do you think the repair will take?
It’s also important, of course, to ask them for their diagnoses of the problem (if the problem is not obvious) and to get a price quote. Try calling up at least three Citizen watch repair shops or jewelers and compare their pricing.
Citizen Watch Repair Pricing
Before we get into prices that you can expect to see for a repair job, it’s important to note that all repair facilities and jewelers have different prices depending on the region you live in and the amount of repairs required. The prices we will be mentioning for Citizen watch repairs are just a general guideline to give you an idea of what you can possibly expect to pay.
A Citizen watch battery replacement is the most common type of Citizen watch repair. While almost every single Citizen watch is now resistant at 3ATM, regular maintenance of the battery will be required to keep it this way (i.e. you may need to replace the seals and gaskets from time to time). A new battery will generally set you back only $10, but if you need a battery and a reseal you can expect to pay four times the price, and if you require a reseal of the “divers” with depth sensors, you can expect to pay under $100 for a fix.
If your watch needs new crowns to be fitted, expect to pay anywhere between $10 and $40, and expect any acrylic glass fitting to set you back around $30. If you require either mineral or sapphire glasses to be fitted, you should expect to pay between $20 and $40 (this depends on whether you need a thicker mineral glass for diving, sapphire glass, or obsolete mineral glass shapes).
Cases, straps, bracelets and dials are all part of normal Citizen watch repair with varying prices in almost each of the categories. For example, if you require a case refurbishment, you can easily expect to pay a minimum of $40. Dial restoration will typically cost a minimum of $100. Straps for Citizen watches are usually reasonably priced, ranging from a minimum cost of $30 for a leather or rubber strap to over $80 for a stainless steel or two-tone bracelet.
Regular wear and tear is all part of owning a Citizen watch which, while they are robust and tough, will require maintenance from time to time. Keeping up with regular maintenance of your watch, such as replacing seals, gaskets and batteries, is what will prevent you from requiring a costly Citizen watch repair job.