I picked up a Hamilton Murph not long ago. It's basically new, but it has no warranty, no battery, and it runs a bit slow. Where's a good and cheap place to get this repaired? This afternoon I went to a shop near my place and they quoted me 200 right off the bat. I only paid 500 for this watch, and the original price was 1100. If it's not worth it, should I just wait until I go back to China to get it fixed?
Could you send me the model number on the back of the watch?
Two hundred dollars is definitely on the pricey side, but labor costs at American watch shops tend to be high across the board. The key is whether it's just a battery replacement or whether it needs an overhaul and recalibration—the former can be done for a few dozen bucks, while for the latter, this price might not be unreasonable.
Spending $200 to fix a watch you picked up for $500 doesn't really make sense financially. That said, you mentioned the original price was $1,100. If the watch doesn't mean much to you and you're just planning to flip it or wear it casually, waiting until you're back home and finding a reliable watchmaker could save you some money. But keep in mind: if the slow running is a movement issue, letting it drag on could turn a small problem into a major repair, and you'll end up paying more. So get it checked for free somewhere first, figure out what's actually wrong, and then decide whether it's worth the wait.
Don't put off timing issues—the longer you wait, the more it costs.
Getting a watch repaired in the US can cost wildly different amounts depending on the city, and the price gap between Chinese-speaking repair shops and department store service counters can be several times over. If there's a watchmaking school or jewelry repair course nearby, you can sometimes find student rates, but the quality of work varies a lot. Repairs back in China are definitely cheaper, but you need to watch out for warranty and parts compatibility issues—especially with less popular models, where you may end up waiting for parts.
Is your Hamilton Murph a quartz or mechanical model? If it's a mechanical watch, running slow might not just be a battery issue—it could also involve movement servicing or calibration. With a quartz model, running slow after a battery replacement is usually a sign of a movement fault. We need to confirm the exact model and movement type first before we can judge whether the $200 quote is reasonable. Also, when you received it, did the other party explain why it was running slow? That information is key to deciding where to get it repaired.