Carignan Watch Co. LLC.

Taking the time to do the job right - citizen.com: Business: belmont, watchmaker,

2012-02-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Taking the time to do the job right - citizen.com: Business: belmont, watchmaker,: BELMONT — Type the word “love” in a search engine for Bartlett’s
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Customer Testimonials

2011-09-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some testimonials we have recieved from customers

Denis, I want to thank you personally, as I feel that my family owes you a debt of gratitude. This watch has been laying at the bottom of drawers, largely forgotten for a century or more. Your skillful restoration, taking every care to preserve the antique dignity of this watch, while allowing it to take it's place among the prized family heirlooms is very deeply appreciated. You had every opportunity to charge me a LOT more money, as you and I both know that I would have paid almost any amount for this restoration, but your honesty, professionalism, and golden-rule virtues are traits that are so uncommon in today's greed-induced world. I would recommend you without reservation to anybody. My sincere thanks, friend....and God bless. I hope our paths cross again soon.

This watch has now been owned by 8 generations of my family. My father will be 91 on his next birthday, and is the oldest son of his father. My father remembers this watch, as a child, but has never seen it run. The history of George & Jonas Roush can be found on the internet, by searching for "The Shenandoah Valley Roushes". This watch is believed to have belonged to one of them, but we are uncertain of which. George Roush married Catherine Zerkle approx 1781, and had a son named John Roush. Jonas Roush married Barbara Fox approx 1785, and had a daughter named Regina. John Roush married Regina Roush, and had a son named Benjamin Roush, who married Sophia Altman in 1839. Benjamin and Sophia had a daughter named Sarah Elizabeth Roush, who married John Michael Kauff I 8/6/1865. Their oldest son was John Michael Kauff II, and the watch was designated to be passed to the oldest living John. It passed to my grandfather, John Preston, on John Michael II's death in 1947, and to my uncle John Richard, upon his father's death in 1973. My father was the eldest son, but was not named John, so I intend to modify the lineage of the watch slightly, having received the watch when my father's younger brother passed in 2005. It was a sad day when I received it, but my intent is to return it to my father to belong to his generation for as long as possible.

John Kauff

Denis,

Finally retrieved the watch from the Post Office. Took a while, but it was worth the wait!

It is truly beautiful! You have done such a wonderful job of renewing it in so many ways. The hands look great and really add sophistication and elegance. I was very surprised to see how dazzling and shiny the inner clockworks are now. They look like new. The new bezel on the keyhole looks far better than the plain opening – more finished and refined. And the silver case is beautifully polished. I’m attaching two photos of it in my 18th century watch hutch that I had build for it. It’s back in its home at last!

In today’s world it is hard to find a true craftsman. Someone who has mastered a skill to a level that it becomes an art form. Denis at Carignan Watch Company is one of the few people who I would put in that classification. My dream watch has always been an Omega Broad Arrow. Since my budget was limited I was forced to buy a used watch with some very noticeable cosmetic flaws. It was due for a service and serious spa session. My expectations were to see some improvement but ultimately having to live with the imperfections of a used watch. Much to my surprise the watch came back near perfect, I mean near perfect. His attention to detail and quest for perfection were beyond expectation. A $5000 watch to me is a once in a lifetime purchase so needless to say I am without words for the job that he has done. Some would take the typical route and send it to Omega but I guarantee that they would not have taken the time to care for this beautiful watch like he did and would have charged me a great deal more. Thank you for a job well done.

Jeff Nichols

Denis,

Thank you again for your excellent repair of my Non Magnetic Watch Co, repeating chronograph. I am very pleased with your efforts. To say I am satisfied is an understatement. You have effectively, as they say, taken "a sows ear and created a silk purse". The watch is beautiful and works as well as anyone could expect. When in future I have difficult repairs to be done I will request your services first. Thanks again.

J.S.Raugh

Denis,

I received my Clebar watch a couple weeks back and I have to say you did a perfect job restoring the case. The watch looks brand new. I will definitely be doing business with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Chad W. Maxey

Denis Carignan gave me back my favorite watch!!!!

In 2001, I purchased, loved and wore to death a limited edition SPOON watch, made by Pulsar (Seiko). I wore that watch day and night for 7 years and got tons of compliments on it for its unique metallic blue oval face with a blue dot in the center. The watch has cool hands with a second hand, glows in the dark, shows the date, has a beautifully chunky bracelet, and always kept excellent time. However, the crystal ultimately became too scratched to be worn, so I retired the watch, hoping to replace it.

In 2008, I contacted Seiko/Pulsar and numerous watch dealers and retailers but could never found anything like it again and even tried earnestly to find a used SPOON on Ebay, etc. but never could. Knowing the watch was one-of-a-kind, I took it to numerous repair shops throughout the San Francisco Bay area where I live, but none could find the crystal. I even sent the watch to Seiko/Pulsar Watch Repair headquarters in NJ and after waiting 3 months, received the watch back with a note saying the crystal could not be replaced. In deep despair, and unable to discard the watch despite its unwearability, I wrapped it up and put it away in a drawer.

Two months ago, I discovered the watch in my drawer and decided I would try again. This time, I did an internet search for custom watch crystals and found Carignan Watch Company. I called, spoke with Denis Carignan and upon telling him my story he was very upbeat and optimistic that he could help me. He immediately started a search for the crystal and I sent him my watch the next day. His customer service was impeccable – he called me regularly to give me status updates and about 8 weeks later he called to tell me the watch was ready! I could not believe my ears. Denis was excited as I was! In addition to a beautiful new crystal, he steam cleaned the watch, rhodium-plated the areas that needed it, and replaced the battery – all for a very reasonable price. I was prepared to pay a lot of money for a custom crystal but he was able to do what no other watch repairer could.

I am forever indebted to Denis Carignan for giving me back my beautiful one-of-a-kind watch. Thank you, Denis!

Denise Garbinski
San Francisco, CA

Good morning, Denis!

My husband's Rolex arrived yesterday - running perfectly and looking
awesome!!

Thank you so much for your work and dedication.

Best regards,
Priscilla (Carignan) Underwood

Dear Denis, Thank you for overhauling my 1936 Rolex. Your hands, skill and workmanship turned a crippled old watch into a fabulous looking piece of jewelry. It is teriffic, and I'm so grateful for your kind attention to detail and courteous service. The quality of your restoration is remarkable and I'm forever grateful. You have my highest recommendations, period! Again, thank you for the wonderful and timely service. Respectfully, Andrew L. Snyder

Gentlemen,

It is not very often in this day and age that a business takes the time and effort to perform a truly extraordinary service. One such company is carignan Watch company. From the moment I first contacted Carignan watch company via email, I received prompt and curteous assistance. Upon my arrival at their store, i was greeted and made to feel welcome. Prior to contacting Carignan, I visited several watch dealers in the Portsmouth NH area. I was told that the watch I owned (Tag Hauer Aquaracer) would have to be sent out for repair that could take up to six weeks and cost upwards of $250 USD. Not only did Carignan immediately tend to my watch, but the cost was SIGNIFICANTLY less. Carignan also had the means to pressure test my watch which no other facility had. In short, if I were asked if I would refer them to another, the answer would be unequivocally absolutely.

I wish nothing but the absolute best of luck to Carignan Watch Company, and years of good fortune.

Denis & Jim --

Received my Tissot last week. Looks great, keeping good time.

Thank you for your help.

Mike

Denis,

I sent you my beat up Omega Mini Constellation watch for refurbishing and you did an excellent job with a very quick turnaround time. I couldn't be more pleased. The watch looks like it just came out of the jeweler's showcase.

Thanks so much for the fabulous job and the great customer service.

Best regards,

Susan Alexandratos

Gentlemen,
I received my TAG Chronograph the other day and it looks great. Keeps perfect time.
Thanks for getting this done in a timely manner.
Regards
Bob

Denis,

Thanks very much for the overhaul on my Rolex Date watch. Before overhaul, it was running very fast, and it's now running within one second each day. For anyone looking for excellent watch repair, Carignan is your company. Denis overhauled a 1960s manual-wind IWC Calatrava-style watch for me in 2003, and it literally stays on time to this day with no time gain or loss. He also did considerable case repair on that watch, as well as bracelet repair with the overhaul on the Rolex date. Denis makes a point to let the customer know how the repair is going during various stages, and I've learned a considerable amount about the watch functions from this level of customer service. I'll forever be a customer.

Hoot Albaugh

Arlington, Virginia

Dennis,

I received my Heuer Regatta countdown chrono watch this PM. and Immediately took it over to my uncle who is also my gunsmith.
The highest praise comes from another craftsman who has been at it for over 60 years.
"He is one of us" Great job, quality work, and it looks every bit how you described it.
I learned years ago never rush a pro and by taking our time the watch is beyond what I expected.
Thanks again and I will get some more units to send you as I do not need Rolex on 5th Ave in NYC anymore. All these years I described to my wife how the countdown went with the different colors. She saw it for the first time working and now knows why I loved this watch.

Thanks, Owen

Dear Denis:

I would like to thank you for the excellent work you did to restore my Grandfather's fusee watch! I am attaching a picture of him and my Grandmother that was taken on June 3rd, 1895, when he was about 25 years old and working as a conductor on the railroad in Scunthorpe, England.
Attached to his vest you can see his watch chain that leads to the watch in his pocket. I suspect that he inherited the watch from his Grandfather.

When the watch came to me after having been tossed into a box of things ready for disposal, I was concerned about its poor condition and thought that it would never run again. I kept it because it had belonged to my grandfather with whom I had a very special bond.

This morning when my wife and I opened the box containing the watch, which you had brought back to original condition with your tedious and caring workmanship, we were absolutely amazed at its beauty! Every time we look at it, we will remember the painstaking effort you put into it.
You have restored a family treasure that we plan to pass down to future generations.

Although we have never met, you seem like a good friend. We also give a hearty thanks to your wife Heidi and your secretary Elise, for supporting you as you obviously gave numerous hours to bring this timepiece back to life!

William L. Brown, PhD

William's Grandfather and Grandmother

William Brown's Pocketwatch pictures below

(Hen' Thompson, JUN #776, pair cased, Verge Fusee with black sea ray leather covered outer case from early to mid 1700s) We completely restored this watch from replacing missing and broken parts to even replacing the sea ray leather on the outer case. This watch was in very poor condition when we received it so we are very happy with how well it turned out, we only wish we had the "before" pictures still.

Perhaps, based on the “lot to lose theory”, I was unsure about having my watches serviced by the Carignan Watch Co Inc. My Rolex GMT Master is a 1970 model bought at the Royal Navy’s China Fleet Club in Hong Kong to replace a 1968 GMT “lost” in Saigon the same year. My Wife’s Rolex Lady DateJust is a 1979 model bought at Artland Watch in Hong Kong. The two Tag Heuers were also bought in Hong Kong on the occasion of our son’s and daughter’s graduation from High School. But the watches, particularly the Tags needed a service and having a home now in the Lakes Region in NH I thought I would at least go and visit the Carignan Watch Company. Our Rolexes have been serviced by Rolex in Hong Kong, New York, and several places in between. For some heretofore unsolvable reason, my wife’s watch has always run fast before and after each service. When I mentioned this to Denis during my visit he took my wife’s watch into the back, opened it and returned with a simple for him, but complex for me explanation, which seemed to make sense. After about 20 minutes of back and forth I agreed to leave the watches. They were serviced faster than anticipated, at the price quoted in the beginning (which was more than competitive with the price paid for a service a few years back in CA) and incredibly, as promised, my wife’s Rolex is keeping good time for the first time since it was purchased. I will be bringing other vintage watches to Carignan for service very soon.

Best regards,
DON SELLERS

Hi Dennis,

I received in today's mail the platform. It looks great.

I'll have the opportunity to get it installed on the movement this weekend to see if the rest of the repair is worthy of the job you did on the platform.

I'm sending a Chelsea platform to you. I know there is a problem with the pallet or one of the pallet jewels.
Jim DeRosier

My watch returned home today safely. I am amazed by how beautiful it turned out. Please thank Denis for his incredible artistry and technical skill in this project.

Best regards, Lewis

Hello Denis,

It is with deep gratitude that I express my personal "THANK YOU" to you, for performing another miracle on my 1850's Railway Timekeeper Fusee Pocket Watch, made by Watchmaker Leo Lesquereux & Sons. After unpacking it from its safe, cushioned cocoon that you had it tucked away in, it started ticking strongly before I even finished the very first wind with the key!

I captured a photo of myself, holding my fusee. You may view this photo at the following link:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=14386009&uid=5309554&members=1

If you wish to do so, you have my permission to use this photo, or any of the other photos of the Railway Timekeeper, as testimonial photos on your web site.

Denis, thank you very, very much for extending your liberal Warranty Repair Policy, and restoring my fusee back to working condition. I also appreciate very much, your taking time to remove the circular scratch from the underside of the crystal, and making the bow superbly snug!

I believe that no one else in the whole wide world could have "charmed" this fusee back to life - but you!

With Best Regards,

Jerry

Fellow “watch enthusiasts”, if you want a person who truly cares about customers and watches, Denis is your guy. I have a Patek Philippe watch that was in my family for 3 generations (with me being the third). It lay dormant in a safe deposit box ever since my dad gave it to me. When I took it out it was not running, and it seems like it has aged a lot from my earliest recollection of what it was suppose to look like.

After reading Denis’s website, I decided to give him a try. I must say, he was everything his testimonials said he would be, and more! He would perform a diagnosis and let you know what the problem is, talk to you about what needs to be done to fix the watch, and then provide insight on how it could have happened, and what can be done in the future to prevent it from happening again.

When he opened my Patek, he found corrosion everywhere. He painstakingly removed the corrosion and re-plated corroded areas to permanently stop the corrosion from potentially damaging the movement. The movement on this particular piece cannot be easily replaced, and if I had to the cost would be astronomical. He actually helped me save money!

He took the time to explain that the corrosion probably happened because some sort of corrosive liquid substance got into the watch. This particular model is especially susceptible to water damage. I would have never known that if he didn’t tell me. He spent the time to tell me how I can maximize its longevity and hence, my enjoyment. It was great!

There was a dent on the bezel which he told me he would not be able to remove completely, but will try his best. He also polished each link in my bracelet individually. When I received the watch back, my friends and family were amazed how well it turned out.
It looks almost brand new!

The long wait was definitely worth it. I’ve never thought the watch will look this good.

Here are some before and after pictures:

http://ryanjzi.winkflash.com/

Thank you Denis, you’re a class act. You’ll be hearing from me again very soon!

Regards,
Ryan Z.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Dear Dennis-Thank you so much for saving my Omega watch. As you know, this watch was given to my Father-in-Law by his father, both of whom were concentration camp survivors. I don't know the whole story at this point, but this watch was in terrible condition when you received it. Mainly, the gold back was in the worst shape. It was severely bent with cracks. Before it found its way to you, it went to a repair person in Philadelphia, his goldsmith colleagues, then to Switzerland-all with no success. To my amazement, you were able to repair and reshape the original back to the point where it actually snaps on to the case. Great work! I can't wait to show it to my Father-in-Law when he comes for a visit this summer. Thanks again, David Kieserman.

Denis,

I am so pleased with the wonderful job you did on my Dad's vintage gold Patek Philippe! It looks like new and runs to the second! I was told by several jewelers and a local watchmaker that it was a "basket case" and could not be repaired. You sounded very optimistic over the phone that anything could be repaired and told me to send it off to your company for an estimate so I did. I must say that I honestly figured that you would send it back to me in a couple of weeks with a note saying it couldn't be repaired just as the others had done but to my surprise you didn't! You called me immediately with an estimate and gave me several options like dial refinishing etc. and told me to "relax", I gave you the okay and the rest is history. I still must say that I was still a little skeptical but when I received the watch all my doubts vanished, I was and still am absolutely amazed with the quality of the work you did on my very precious family heirloom. You not only got it running again you made it look practically new even going so far as removing the dents, re-engraving the lines on the case lugs and polishing off all the scratches on the case. My only regret is that I didn't find your company sooner! Thank you very much, I will be spreading the word!

Pat Anderson, Lexington, KY

I have a Verge Fusee pocket-watch that has been in my family for several generations. When my Dad gave it to me, it did not work and to the best of my knowledge, did not work during the time that my Father had it. I do know that it was carried by my Great-Great Grandfather during the Civil War. I had the watch for several years before I decided to try to get it repaired, that's when it started getting hard. First I was concerned about sending it off to some stranger for fear of not getting it back and then there was the problem with finding someone that could even fix it. I searched for about a year on the internet trying to find someone when I came upon the web site for Carignan Watch Company, Inc. I searched Denis' web site on several different occasions and it seemed that if there was anyone that could repair the watch, he could. I finally made a call to Denis and spoke to him about my pocket-watch. Denis was very helpful with answering my questions and knew all the answers. After speaking to Denis a second time, I decided to send the pocket-watch to him.

Now let me tell you about the watch. The Movement from best we can tell was made in the mid to late 1700's. It is a pair cased sterling silver verge fusee pocket-watch. The watch was missing the crystal, the fusee chain was hanging out of the side, the hands were rusted, the watch couldn't be wound, the silver cases were badly tarnished, the outer case hinge was missing, and I'm sure that there were a lot of other items inside the movement that I couldn't see or know about being I don't know anything about watch repair.

Once Denis received it, he called me to let me know that he had it and that as soon as he had a chance to go through it, would call back and let me know what it would take to get it running. Denis was always very through in his conversations and seemed to always treat the watch as his own. He even called me one night about 9:30PM just to let me know that he had it running. Although it was not running correctly, it was running and that was a start. Denis repaired the watch as close to original as he could. Even though some of the needed parts couldn't be found, he did do his best to make it as original as possible as in the case of the crystal. Even though he couldn't find one to work that was 200+ years old, he did find a 100+ year old crystal for the watch. Some items needed for the repair could not be found at all and this is where Denis' knowledge and abilities excelled. He was able to make whatever he couldn't find for the watch. I'm sure this was very pain staking at times as in the case of the Hairspring. If I remember correctly, Denis had to do this twice because the first one either broke or didn't work the way Denis wanted it to.

Now to tell you a few things about having Denis repair your watch. You do have to be patient and I'm sure that Denis got a little irritated with my calling and sending emails, although if he did he never showed it. In speaking to Denis, he said that he wasn't a "master" watch repairer. Well, I tend to disagree with him. Once I received the watch back, it really surprised me. You would have thought that the watch was bought new and put up for all the years of it's existence. The watch looks as if it is practically brand new. The crystal, hands, and the rest of the watch are beautiful. And to look at it, you would think that it was the original watch that was purchased by my late great relative. Now it doesn't keep perfect time, but with all old fusee watches, I didn't expect it to, but it keeps time close enough for me to carry it. As I said before, Denis says that there is no such thing as a "Master Watch Maker", well if he isn't, he's the next best thing.

Thank you Denis for all of the hard work and dedication in making my watch whole again.

Dear Denis,

Thank you very much for the beautiful job you did with Fred's grandfather's watch. We received it late last week. We agree that the crystal is ok as is. The watch appears to be keeping time well and the plating is very nice! I can see why you were pleased with how it turned out.

Thank you again. It's wonderful to do business with someone who is so skilled and who takes pride in his work.

Sincerely,

Royann Stewart-Davis

Dennis,

Just wanted to let you know that the watch arrived safely and I can't stop staring at it. You did such a wonderful job restoring it. It looks brand new. The band is darker than the original Breitling leather band and, I think, much better suited to the watch. The bezel has the proper ratchet-like resistance and the crystal, face and hands all appear as new. This watch has great sentimental value. Because of your fine work, I am sure that I will have the pleasure of wearing it for many more years.

Thanks,

Bob

I've just spent a fascinating hour exploring the Technical Pages of your web site, and will certainly spend a great deal more time there. What an absolutely beautiful tribute to the craftsmanship that goes into precision timekeeping. I have always wondered at the intricacies of watches, and your pages have served both to demystify them for me and at the same time greatly compound my respect for watchmaking and watchmakers.

Thank you most kindly for making the substantial effort to share your knowledge with us in such painstaking detail. Your web site is the most unexpected and delightful surprise I have encountered on the World Wide Web.

-George
Pittsburgh PA

RE: http://www.cwrnh.com/techpages/cwr_technical_pages.htm

Can I just say, I have always loved watches and I have now started 'doing a bit' and your web site has become an invaluable tool for me and I am sure people like me with a huge and fond interest of fixing watches.

Thanks you very much for taking the time to write and explain in plain English and pictures (which always help) what things are and how they work and keeping the trade alive.

Just well done.

PS. I never write emails like this, but in this case, I just must!!

Regards

Chris

Denis Carignan of Carignan Watch Co. did an excellent job on my 1950's Rolex semi-bubble-back. A Rolex specialist had informed me that It was irreparable but Denis found the necessary parts and got it working again. Thereafter I sent him my wife's 1970's Cartier Tank which had some water damage. He similarly found the parts and got it back into working order. I recommend his services highly.

Bryan Ghows

I had spoken previously with Dennis about a couple of watches I'd wanted refurbished and cleaned and got a really good feeling about his dedication to servicing his customers. When I needed a watch to present to my father upon his retirement, I contacted Dennis and relied entirely upon his recommendations. I bought what turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous Waltham automatic, sight unseen, for a wonderful price. The decision to purchase was truly short notice; Dennis dropped everything to work on my watch to ensure that he would have it done in time to overnight it for the ceremony. Dennis placed the watch in a beautiful mahogany box, gratis, to make a really fine presentation. Everyone was impressed, not the least of all me.

Nick Voegeli

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Thanks again, Dennis!

As a pilot, I need accuracy in my watch. I was ready to discard my Citizen Wingman but Denis got it in better shape than it had been in twenty years. Now I'm sending him another much more expensive watch, confident that it will be repaired correctly and at a reasonable price. Additionally, he must check his email twenty four hours a day. You never have to wait to get an answer to your questions. Truly top notch service.

Pete Fearon

WOW! Thanks Denis for making my ten year old Tag Heuer 2000 automatic chronograph look and operate better than new. I don't think this watch ever kept time this accurately. I'm afraid watchmakers with your level of proficiency may soon be extinct.

Best regards,

Howard Wexler

Denis:

Thanks for your excellent service on my 30 year old Rolex DateJust. After being refitted with a new Jubilee bracelet, the watch looks and is running like new. Also the Ladies Rolex President that you sold me, overhauled, and refitted with a Rolex diamond dial and 18kt yellow gold 1 ct diamond bead bezel is just stunning, and my wife loves it. You have been a pleasure to do business with, and I learned a great deal about watches in general and Rolex watches in particular during my several conversations with you. I highly recommend your expert services, and look forward to doing business with you again.

Tom Baroody Lakeland, FL

Denis,

The care and workmanship you lavished upon my Mother 's and Father's watches was amazing. Even though they were not high end watches they were precious family heirlooms. The quality with which they were restored was incredible. You went far beyond and above the call of duty with these timepieces. It is truly a pleasure to meet and deal with a craftsman such as yourself.

My deepest thanks

Dale Harris, Stony Point, NY

Words cannot really describe my gratitude to you, Denis. Although my 1968 Snoopy Watch is technically not worth anything, it holds tremendous sentimental value to me. I had it repaired locally more times than I could count. I shipped my watch from Ohio to your shop in NH and had it returned in running order!!!!! Your quick response and customer concern are exemplary!!!

Thank You!
Suzanne C.

As someone who helps people start small businesses I must complement you on both your website and how you have made it an integral part of your companies operation. I have also been impressed by the responsiveness and and focus on customer relations.

Sincerely,

Russ Smith

Denis fixed my 18K Piaget Polo to perfection. My entire band had to be rebuilt, and he did it. I was told by many jewelers it could not be done. He must have the patience of a saint and very gifted hands.

Their service was excellent I e-mailed them and they responded in less than an hour each time. They are the best watch repair on the internet.

Your web sight is very good and your service and expertise on repairing my Fathers watch was just wonderful. I have been trying for several years to find someone who takes a real interest in repairing classic watches. My look is finally over! thank you so much for putting something on my wrist that I can look at and remember my father, whom I lost at an early age.

Enjoyed doing business with you and find you to be an outstanding watch repair man at the highest levels of skills and knowledge in a day where the art of watch repair has become a lost skill. Your work on my vintage football decorated watch was outstanding. Your web site is very informative!

Paul Phelps- Football Memorabilia Collector Laconia, N.H.

Thank you for the excellent job you did on my Tag, it looks and works like new, I am very happy with your service.

Tim R

I live in Texas and summer in New Hampshire. I found Denis on the Internet and waited until I got to NH for him to work on my Tissot watch. His work was excellent. I would strongly recommend him if you have any watch or clock problems. Great work! Thank you!

Hi Denis, I just wanted to say again that I really like my clock. Your website is great. I'll be back down to look at some of the jewelry in your catalogs. Have a great night!

Carlene Roberts

Denis does quality work at a "fair" price. The old saying: "you get what you pay for" applies here............only you get more! The only "detriment" to this type of quality conscious watchmaker is......he tends to stay very busy! So stop looking, send him your watch, be patient, ....and enjoy the result when your prized watch is returned knowing everything that could be done to it has been. Complete disassembly, thorough cleaning, and hand oiling are part of the procedure. I just got back a vintage(cir.1955)Wittnauer "Professional" Chronograph utilizing a Valjoux cal.72 movement from Denis......and it never sounded so strong! Keeps great time (within chronometer specs, actually, though not rated as such!)....and it looks great. Now if he only lived in my hometown.........

Joseph Tousignant "Jewels"

ROTTERDAM SQUARE MALL

P.O.Box 6128 93 W.

New York 12307

(518) 347-2476

Thanks Denis for the quick turn around on my watch repair. I had taken the watch locally to get it repaired and they just scratched their head and suggested I send it back to the manufacturer. Your personal service is always preferred over a manufacturer.

Regards, Richard Watson

Denis is a great jewelry repair man!! He has sized many rings for me and has a done a great job on each and every one of them. A guy with a great personality and always looking for the best for his customers! Thanks again Denis.

Cindy

I am so pleased with the work done on my music box. The box was given to my son 36 years ago and now I can give it to him for his baby. The box has been cleaned, well repaired and works perfectly. The packing done by Carignan's insured a safe delivery of my item. I am so happy and would be glad to recommend this wonderful company to everyone. Charlotte Harrington

I am researching an image I want to make of a watchmakers bench and found your wonderful site. It is rare to find a site with so much freely given information with wonderful hand done drawings. I will undoubtedly return many times. Ed

I feel fortunate to have found your website. I look forward to finding out if you can repair my Seiko Auto Relay watch. Tom Newkirk c/o Pinkerton Investigations 1101 Kermit Drive - Suite 502 Nashville, TN 37217 Phone 615-777-3221

A well laid out Web page, full of good information for people like myself who only scratch the surface of knowing the workings of watches. Trevor Lace Cyprus

Carignan Thank you for all the information on your web site. You will be hearing from me. Sincerely Robert Bisbee

Excellent resource! I appreciate the technical papers. Hope to do business with you. Robert Lude

Quartz Watch Movement Parts Nomenclature.

2011-01-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

Basic Mechanical Watch Movement Parts Nomenclature.

2011-01-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

1. Train bridge
2. Third wheel
3. Upper third wheel pivot / hole jewel
4. Set lever screw (detent screw)
5. Transmission wheel (Crown wheel)
6. Ratchet wheel (Winding wheel)
7. Barrel bridge
8. Clutch wheel
9. Winding pinion
10. Set lever
11. Stem
12. Crown
13. Yoke spring
14. Setting lever spring ( set bridge )
15. Yoke
16. Upper forth wheel pivot / hole jewel
17. Set wheel
18. Lower barrel arbor pivot / hole
19. Minute wheel
20. Mainspring barrel
21. Center shaft and cannon pinion
22. Lower forth wheel pivot / hole jewel
23. Lower escape wheel pivot / cap jewel
24. Escapement inspection holes
25. Lower pallet arbor pivot / hole jewel
26. Lower balance pivot/ cap jewel
27. Click
28. Click spring
29. Upper center wheel pivot / hole jewel
30. Center wheel
31. Balance cock
32. Regulator
33. Upper balance pivot / cap jewel
34. Escapement inspection notch
35. Hairspring stud
36. Balance wheel
37. Pallet bridge
38. Hairspring
39. Upper pallet arbor pivot / hole jewel
40. Pallets
41. Escape wheel
42. Upper escape wheel pivot / cap jewel
43. Forth wheel
44. Hour wheel

Watch crown styles

2011-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

Pictured below are some of the more common watch crown styles

How to refinish watch and clock hands

2011-01-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

How to refinish watch and clock hands. Cleaning, Polishing, Painting and Refinishing luminous material.

To refinish watch hands:

1. Clean hands with detergent.

2. Remove any heavy corrosion using a glass scratch brush. To remove paint you can use acetone.

3. Polish hands on a leather buff stick with rouge to remove any scratches. Or even more conveniently you can purchase fingernail polishing sticks in various grits which work WONDERFULLY.

4. Polish hands on polishing cloth until a high luster is attained.

5. Clean hands with detergent and rinse well in water.

6. Electroplate hands with Rhodium, nickel or gold.

7. Clean and rinse.

8. Put hour hand on hand tack pointing left and put minute hand on hand tack pointing right.

9. Using a large clock oiler pick up some paint and quickly apply it to the underside of the hand starting at the base draw the paint to the end with one smooth motion. If you need more paint than can be picked up using a clock oiler, try a toothpick. The problem with using wood is sometimes pieces get into the paint and the wood also absorbs the paint quickly.

To refinish (Steel) blued hands follow above steps 1 through 5, then place hands on a plate of steel or brass, (You can also set the hands on a pile of brass shavings or pumice powder) hold the plate with a pair of pliers and heat bottom with alcohol lamp or torch just until hands start to change blue dump them into a can of water. This is the basic idea. I also often use pumice powder, brass filings, caustic bluing and a few others, You need to try different things until you find what works well for you. I have good results with these methods. Extra fine pumice powder works very well for very fine hands. Be sure hands are completely polished and extremely clean before bluing.

You can also sometimes try using gun bluing touch-up pens or permanent marker, but I only would suggest this as a last resort.

I sometimes use lacquer-based model paint to refill paint-filled hands but good water based paint works well to refill hands due to its elasticity. This paint also works well on sweep second hands when it is thinned properly. Lacquer works better when painting the surface of hands.

I have used Bergeon luminous paint and sometimes Newall tritium to refill luminous hands but super luminova type by far is the best. When using the Super-Luminova you can mix the paint powder(pigment), binder(glue), and thinner in many different proportions so as to get exactly the consistency needed. First I put a tiny amount of the glue in a clean oiling cup, then I add the luminous powder until opaque then I thin the mixture until it has the desired consistency for the job at hand. I use it fairly thick when painting hands and thin when re-finishing markers but this also depends on size and shape of the item to be painted.

Most of the time a good cleaning and a quick polish on a polish cloth is all it takes to make hands look great again.

This and MANY more articles are also located on my website www.cwrnh.com

Thank you!!!

2011-01-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

We want to thank all of our customers for giving us another incredible year!! 2010 was our best ever. We are very grateful that all of you chose to trust us with the repair of your precious watches, clocks and jewelry. We look forward to 2011 with hopes that we will continue to meet or exceed all your expectations for us.

Come in to our store for a watch battery and get your jewelry cleaned and checked for free

2011-01-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

If you purchase a watch battery at our store we will clean and inspect your jewelry while you wait for free.

Most watch batteries are 6.00 or less INSTALLED!!

Welcome!

2010-10-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new "Carignan Watch Repair" blog.

Carignan Watch Company was officially started in January 1996. However, long before that, Denis was repairing watches as a hobby. Over the years we have repaired and restored thousands of timepieces. We specialize in repairing the timepieces that others give up on.

Denis has always been extremely interested in complicated mechanisms and amazingly talented when it comes to repairing tiny machines and handmade items. He has restored many antique items such as guns, pens, lamps, music boxes, cars and trucks, motorcycles, knives, fishing reels and rods, and obviously thousands of watches and clocks. Denis is also a machinist as well as a skilled gold and silversmith. He loves bringing mechanical items back to their former glory, the more complicated and challenging the better.