Watch repair in Hatton Garden.

About Hatton Garden

Hatton Garden is London’s jewellery quarter and the centre of the UK diamond trade. The name belongs both to a street and to the surrounding district, which sits between Holborn and Clerkenwell. At street level you will see jewellers’ windows one after another; above and behind them are dealers, setters, polishers, engravers and workshops, many of them small specialist businesses.

The area takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton, a courtier to Elizabeth I, whose house and garden once stood here. Its long history as a centre for the jewellery trade is told in more detail on Wikipedia’s Hatton Garden article. Today it remains a working district, busy on weekdays with trade, shoppers and office workers.

For watch owners, Hatton Garden makes sense as a place to have a watch looked at. It is easy to reach from much of London and beyond, and fine jewellery and watches have long been handled in its workshops.

A short walk around Hatton Garden

If you have time before or after your appointment, the streets around Hatton Garden are worth a look. Leather Lane, running parallel to it, is known for its weekday lunchtime street market. Just off the southern end is Ely Place, a quiet gated street that is home to St Etheldreda’s, a medieval church that was once the chapel of the Bishops of Ely. Holborn Circus marks the southern end of Hatton Garden itself, and the jewellers’ windows run north from there towards Clerkenwell.

Weekday lunchtimes are the busiest time in Hatton Garden, with shoppers, traders and office workers out on the street. A morning or mid-afternoon visit is usually calmer.

Getting to our Hatton Garden workshop

By Tube and rail

Two stations are a short walk away. Farringdon is served by the Elizabeth line, Thameslink and the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, so it connects directly with Heathrow, Canary Wharf and many commuter routes into London. Chancery Lane is on the Central line, which is handy if you are coming from the West End or Stratford.

By bus, bike or on foot

Buses run along Holborn, Clerkenwell Road and Farringdon Road, all close to Hatton Garden. From the West End, the City or King’s Cross, walking or cycling is often a pleasant alternative to a short Tube ride.

By car

Hatton Garden is inside central London’s Congestion Charge zone, and street parking is limited. If you do drive, check the charges before you travel and allow time to find a space. For most visitors, public transport is the simplest choice.

Visiting the workshop: what to expect

We are open Monday to Friday, 10:30 to 17:30, and closed at weekends. Booking ahead through our consultation page means time is set aside for your watch. If you have a question first, our contact page lists every way to reach us, or call 020 4531 5299 or message +44 7726 776776 on WhatsApp.

Bring the watch, along with any box, papers, receipts or service records you have. It helps to note what you have noticed, such as when it stopped, how much time it gains or loses, or whether it has had a knock. Tell us too about anything that matters to you: original parts, finishes, engravings, or keeping the watch’s collector value intact.

The watch is then assessed. A watchmaker explains the proposed work and gives you a quotation or an estimate, making clear whether the price is fixed or estimated. Work only starts once you have approved it, and the scope is recorded in the approved quotation. An estimated completion time is given after assessment, and you are told about any material delays. If parts need ordering before work can start, a deposit may be requested, and its amount and purpose are confirmed in writing.

What we do at our Hatton Garden workshop

The work carried out at our Hatton Garden workshop falls into three broad groups, each with its own page if you want more detail.

Keeping a watch running

Servicing and repairs cover mechanical and quartz watches, from a full service that dismantles, cleans, lubricates and regulates the movement to repairs of specific faults. Battery replacement includes a check of the seals. A watch health check measures timekeeping and water resistance when you want to know where a watch stands before committing to more.

Looking after the case, glass and bracelet

Refurbishment and polishing address wear to the case and bracelet, with laser repair as an option for some kinds of damage. Bracelet re-pinning deals with stretched or loose links and worn clasps, and a cracked or scratched glass can be replaced, with the seals renewed and the watch pressure tested where its design allows.

Older and collectable watches

Vintage watch restoration brings older watches back into use while respecting what makes them collectable. An authenticity check gives an independent professional opinion, inside and out, before you buy, sell or insure a watch. It is not a manufacturer certificate.

The workshop also has dedicated servicing pages for Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe watches. Alpha Group is an independent workshop and is not affiliated with or authorised by Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or any other brand.

Choosing an independent workshop in Hatton Garden

A manufacturer’s own service network works to that brand’s policies, which can include replacing certain parts as standard and following fixed procedures for every watch. An independent workshop works differently. It can look after watches from many makers under one roof, and it can talk through options with you, such as keeping original parts or finishes where that is practical, before anything is agreed.

There are times when going to the manufacturer is the better route. A watch that is still within its manufacturer’s warranty is a case in point, because independent work may affect that commercial warranty. If you need the brand itself to confirm something about the watch, only the brand can do that.

For everything else, the advantage of a workshop in Hatton Garden is simple: you can bring the watch in, see who is going to work on it, and have a straightforward conversation about what it needs.

Kings & Queens Watches, in the same building

Our sister business, Kings & Queens Watches, is an independent pre-owned luxury watch dealer in the same Hatton Garden building. The two businesses are separate in what they do: Kings & Queens buys and sells pre-owned watches, while Alpha Group services, repairs and restores them. If you are visiting one, it is easy to call on the other.

Buying a watch in Hatton Garden

Many people come to Hatton Garden to buy as well as to have a watch repaired. If you are shopping for a pre-owned watch, from any seller, a few habits help you buy with confidence:

• Ask what is known about the watch’s service history, and whether any parts have been replaced.
• Check that the serial and reference numbers on any papers match those on the watch.
• Ask how the watch is running and whether it has been pressure tested recently, bearing in mind that a test only reflects the day it was done.
• If you are unsure about a private purchase, consider an independent authenticity check or a health check before you commit.

None of this is a criticism of any seller. It is simply how experienced buyers approach a significant purchase, in Hatton Garden or anywhere else.

Cannot get to Hatton Garden? Sending your watch

If a visit is not practical, you can send your watch instead. Contact us first so we know it is coming and what you would like done. Choose suitable packaging that stops the watch moving or being crushed, and use a carrier whose insurance covers the watch’s full value. The watch is assessed in the same way as one brought in by hand, and nothing is done until you approve the quotation. The cost of sending it back, and the insurance for that journey, are confirmed with you before it leaves the workshop.

Collecting your watch from Hatton Garden

When the work is finished, payment is due before collection or dispatch. Bring your invoice or booking receipt when you come to collect. Alpha Group sends a collection verification email and may ask for photo ID; both steps make sure the watch is handed to the right person.

If someone else is collecting for you, authorise them in advance by email. You are asked to collect the watch, or arrange return delivery, within 30 days of being told it is ready. Please plan collections for a weekday, as the workshop is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Warranty, water resistance and your rights

Any repair warranty is set out on the approved quotation, including how long it lasts and what it covers, and confirmed on the invoice or service record. Within it, defects in covered workmanship or parts are put right free of charge. It does not cover accidental damage, or water damage caused by misuse or by not following care instructions, and it is in addition to your statutory rights.

A pressure test checks a watch at the time of testing, and the pressure used may differ from the original rating. It does not guarantee permanent water resistance. Independent repair work may affect a manufacturer’s commercial warranty, and where a manufacturer requires an exchange part to be surrendered, this is explained before you approve the work. Consumers who book online, by phone or off-premises generally have 14 days to cancel a qualifying service contract. The full details are in our terms and conditions.

Hatton Garden watch repair FAQs

Is Hatton Garden only for jewellery?

Jewellery and diamonds are what the area is best known for, but watch specialists have long been part of the trade there too. Alongside jewellers you will find dealers in pre-owned watches and independent workshops such as Alpha Group.

Which station is closest to the workshop?

Farringdon and Chancery Lane are both a short walk from St Cross Street. Farringdon is the better choice if you are travelling on the Elizabeth line or Thameslink; Chancery Lane suits the Central line.

How should I bring a damaged watch to Hatton Garden?

Wrap it in a soft cloth or pouch and carry it in a bag rather than on your wrist. If the glass is cracked, a strip of clear tape helps hold the pieces in place. Put any parts that have come off, such as a link, pin or crown, in a small sealed bag and bring them with you.

Can I bring a watch in just for advice?

Yes. Every watch is assessed first, and you are told what it needs and the proposed cost before anything is done. You can then decide whether to go ahead, wait or take the watch home.

Do you repair quartz watches as well as mechanical ones?

Yes. The Hatton Garden workshop repairs both mechanical and quartz watches, from battery replacement with the seals checked to movement repairs.

Is there anywhere nearby to wait or meet someone?

Hatton Garden and the streets around it, including Leather Lane and Clerkenwell Road, have plenty of cafés and places to eat, which makes it easy to fit a visit into a working day or meet someone before or after your appointment.

Can someone else collect my watch?

Yes, if you authorise them in advance by email. They should bring the invoice or booking receipt, and photo ID may be requested.

What happens if I cannot collect straight away?

You are asked to collect your watch, or arrange return delivery, within 30 days of being told it is ready. If something gets in the way, contact the workshop to discuss it.

Can I post my watch instead of coming to Hatton Garden?

Yes. Get in touch first, pack the watch securely and use a carrier whose insurance covers its value. Return charges and insurance are confirmed before the watch is sent back.

Are you connected to Kings & Queens Watches?

Yes. Kings & Queens Watches is our sister business, a pre-owned luxury watch dealer in the same building in Hatton Garden. Alpha Group is the watchmaking workshop.