Watches To Go

My husband’s vintage Skagen watch stopped a few days ago. He assumed it needed a new battery. He found a few places online and emailed them, one quote was for £32! I, of course, searched reviews on Unilocal and found this place. When I say found, I mean found. It took me awhile. It was underneath the sidewalk where I was standing (inside the Picadilly Circus station under Ripley’s Believe it Or Not) and I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t find it!
I arrived at 11:10 on a rainy Tuesday, hoping the line wouldn’t be as long as I read it might be. There were at least 10 people ahead of me but it only took about half an hour until I was next in line. The lady in front of me proceeded to pull out two old, stained books and she and the old guy at the window leafed through them leisurely (no mind to the line whatsoever). The two old chaps waiting behind me were repeat customers and kept heckling him while the woman at the window yapped on. My patience was starting to wane…
It was then my turn, and the old man carefully inspected the watch and tested the battery (which was fully charged). He made a couple of adjustments, set the time, then said «now, what shall we talk about, we have to talk because I need to see if this hand is going to move.» I asked him how long he had been at the window and he said 23 years. And asked where I was from, and he told me about the time his car got stranded in Kingman, Arizona in August and what I was doing in London. And then he looked at the watch and the hand had moved. The crystal needed replacing as well, and no sooner had I asked if it would be possible if… he had replaced it!
I pulled out my card to pay him and he said he didn’t take cards but he took vegetables (which the man behind me said that is the standard answer for «cash»). He didn’t hold the watch hostage but just told me to pay when I got back around to see him. Somehow I don’t think he’s ever lost a dime doing business this way. He passed me his business card with the amount I owed him which was very, VERY reasonable.
Sean, you have won me over completely. I will never, ever go anywhere else, believe it or not, even if the line goes all the way up the stairs to Ripley’s Believe it Or Not. And I will never, ever mind if you yap with every single person in line ahead of me, because I know as you’re yapping, you’re doing something you truly love doing.

Highly recommended, first class service, downside is you will have to wait in a line to see him but won’t find any where as cheap in Central London

I agree with the other reviews, Sean is a true eccentric and I wish there were more like him around. I’ve had watch repairs done and batteries changed by him and the work is always great and the banter even better. He is completely deadpan and constantly complains about being locked in his cupboard, but clearly loves what he does and is a real expert when it comes to watches. The queues are long and I suspect some people look forward to their watch batteries running out so they can go and listen to a few minutes of Sean in their lunchbreak!

Simple. Sean is a legend. My dad went 20 years ago, then now I go. The only annoying thing is that he never answers the phone and he’s a gooner. and because he’s so good the queues are getting bigger but it’s worth it. And he fixes ANY watch. 5 stars