Every WatchHas a Story.Read What HappensWhen It StartsTicking Again.
"I handed over my grandfather's 1962 Omega Seamaster in a state of despair — the mainspring had snapped, the crystal fogged beyond reading. Fourteen days later it came back running to within four seconds a day. I wept a little."
Meet the Artisans
Before you read the reviews, meet the people who earned them. Each horologist at Mainspring carries a specific depth of expertise — matched to your watch.
Eleanor Ashworth
Eleanor spent a decade at Patek Philippe's Geneva atelier before returning to London. Her hands have coaxed life from fusée chain movements that most repairers would decline to touch.
“Eleanor explained every step — photographing each removed component, replacing the worn click spring with a hand-cut part. The watch now runs to 8 seconds a day. Extraordinary.”
“I was warned by two other watchmakers that the mainspring barrel was irreparable. Eleanor sourced an NOS barrel from her parts archive and had it running within the fortnight.”
Thomas Vane
Trained at WOSTEP in Neuchâtel, Thomas holds a master-level qualification in Swiss lever escapement adjustment. He is the reason collectors in Mayfair trust Mainspring with their primary timepieces.
“The date wheel had stopped advancing at 3am. Thomas diagnosed a worn date-change lever within minutes. Full service, pressure test, regulation — returned running at +2 seconds/day.”
“Brought in with a shattered hesalite crystal and a rattling chronograph reset hammer. Thomas was meticulous — the case came back with the original surface finish intact.”
Miriam Kowalczyk
Miriam trained in horological conservation at the V&A before joining Mainspring. She understands the difference between restoring and preserving — and knows when not to touch a patina.
“The clock had not run in forty years. Miriam replaced the worn gut lines, re-bushed three worn pivot holes, and regulated the pendulum beat. It now chimes every quarter hour.”
“I was terrified they would over-polish the case and remove the aged character. Miriam understood immediately — she corrected the dings and scratches but left the honest wear.”
Every repair quoted before work begins.
No surprises.
Our rate card covers movement service grades, crystal types, case work, and vintage sourcing fees — itemised clearly so you decide with full information.
Reviews by Service Type
Scan by the repair category that matters to you — movement overhaul, crystal work, case restoration, or part sourcing. Every row is a real watch, a real person, a real result.
| Reviewer · Watch | Service | Before → After | Micro-Note | Rating | Turnaround | Artisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
James Thornton-Bell Victorian Fusée Pocket Watch, c.1878 | Movement Overhaul | Before: Non-running, worn click spring, clouded jewels After: Running to 8 sec/day, all jewels cleaned, new mainspring | “Hand-cut replacement click spring. Photographed every stage.” | 21 days | Eleanor Ashworth | |
David Okafor Rolex Datejust 16200 | Movement Overhaul | Before: Date wheel stuck at 3am, power reserve declining After: +2 sec/day, full water resistance restored, date advances correctly | “Worn date-change lever replaced. Full service + pressure test.” | 10 days | Thomas Vane | |
Alistair Drummond Scottish Grandfather Clock, c.1820 | Movement Overhaul | Before: Non-running for 40 years, worn pivot holes, broken gut lines After: Chimes every quarter hour, running within 2 min/week | “Gut lines replaced, three pivot holes re-bushed, pendulum regulated.” | 28 days | Miriam Kowalczyk | |
Satisfied with what you see? Our rate card is transparent and itemised. See Repair Rates | ||||||
Charlotte Pemberton Omega Speedmaster Professional | Crystal Replacement | Before: Shattered hesalite crystal, rattling internal component After: Original crystal profile, all chronograph functions operational | “Original hesalite profile matched. Chronograph reset hammer reseated.” | 14 days | Thomas Vane | |
Harriet Forsythe Breitling Navitimer, 1968 | Crystal Replacement | Before: Cracked acrylic crystal, loose bezel After: Period-correct plexi installed, bezel click restored | “Plexi crystal sourced from NOS stock. Slide rule bezel re-tensioned.” | 8 days | Thomas Vane | |
Fiona Blackwood Cartier Tank Must, 1985 | Case Restoration | Before: Multiple case dings, deep scratches on caseback After: Dings resolved, patina preserved, original surface character retained | “Dings corrected, honest wear preserved. No over-polishing.” | 9 days | Miriam Kowalczyk | |
Satisfied with what you see? Our rate card is transparent and itemised. See Repair Rates | ||||||
Sebastian Hartley Patek Philippe Calatrava 96, 1952 | Case Restoration | Before: Worn lug edges, scratched crystal, tarnished dial feet After: Lug profile restored, hallmarks intact, dial secured correctly | “Lugs re-profiled to original radius. No metal removed from hallmarks.” | 16 days | Eleanor Ashworth | |
Priya Mehta Longines 12.68Z, 1952 | Vintage Sourcing | Before: Irreparable mainspring barrel — declined by two other repairers After: Original NOS part installed, running correctly | “NOS mainspring barrel located from parts archive. No reproduction parts used.” | 12 days | Eleanor Ashworth | |
Rupert Calloway IWC Mark XI, RAF Issue, 1949 | Vintage Sourcing | Before: Non-original crown, worn winding stem After: Period-correct crown fitted, winding stem replaced, provenance maintained | “Period-correct crown sourced. Military-spec luminous re-application declined to preserve originality.” | 19 days | Eleanor Ashworth | |
“Hand-cut replacement click spring. Photographed every stage.”
“Worn date-change lever replaced. Full service + pressure test.”
“Gut lines replaced, three pivot holes re-bushed, pendulum regulated.”
See our transparent rate card
Rates“Original hesalite profile matched. Chronograph reset hammer reseated.”
“Plexi crystal sourced from NOS stock. Slide rule bezel re-tensioned.”
“Dings corrected, honest wear preserved. No over-polishing.”
See our transparent rate card
Rates“Lugs re-profiled to original radius. No metal removed from hallmarks.”
“NOS mainspring barrel located from parts archive. No reproduction parts used.”
“Period-correct crown sourced. Military-spec luminous re-application declined to preserve originality.”
“We believe the best advertisement for a watchmaker is a watch that runs correctly six months after it leaves the bench. Everything else is noise.”
Still deciding? Our reviews speak for themselves.