Grumpy, unhelpful, and rarely open. I needed a watch repair so I called multiple times and they never returned my call. When I stopped in, I pulled out my watch and the man grumbled and pointed at the woman without saying anything. The woman said she "doesn't do watches anymore." When I asked for a recommendation, she said she didn't have any. I live nearby and often walk past the store; they rarely seem to be open, even during their listed hours. read more

Jack K. Seattle, WA Took my Beehive Seth Thomas Mantle Clock to the Ballard Time Shop. Donna, the woman working at the shop, said it needed to be cleaned and charged me $400. She also said that the former clock repairman had died, but she had a retired "engineer" that worked on the clocks, which right there was a red flag. I was told it would take two to three weeks to clean. It took five. When I tried winding it after I took it home, I found Donna had replaced my original brass key with a metal key made in India that didn't even fit my clock. Over the phone, Donna started arguing with me that she had given me the key I had brought in with my clock. When I returned to the shop with the clock and the metal key that didn't fit my clock, Donna tried claiming that the friend that was with me when I picked it up must have picked up the metal key from the counter. She would never answer directly what had happened to my key. She finally gave me the only key she said she had that would fit my clock. It wasn't my original one. As I was winding my clock three weeks later, a metal part dropped out of the the mechanism inside. Since then my clock doesn't chime properly. For example, it will chime four times when it is six, making a noise when skipping the other two chimes. At twelve, it doesn't chime at all. Supposedly my clock was only going to be cleaned. I suspect that Donna, or her "engineer" clock repairman, replaced the original mechanism with another. I plan to take my clock to another clock repair shop to see if I can get it fixed. I would never take it back to the Ballard Time Shop. read more

After leaving a message to see when they would actually be open, and getting no reply, I finally drove by when someone was there. Despite a proud sign that says "watch repair" the person told me she "doesn't do watches anymore ". If you don't do watches, maybe you shouldn't have a sign that says watch repair. Maybe you could return calls. May boasting that you've been around since 1925 doesn't mean anything if your not ever doing what you advertise. Maybe. read more

I have been two stainless glass clocks to be fixed. Every time he was clear as to whet needed to be done he has taken care of them in perfect condition. I took one four years ago and it is still in great condition. I just gave them a second one and did a great job. He didn't ask me to come back another time. He was even able to change the entire clock right in front of me. I will continue to Ballard Time Shop and suggest it!! read more

All clock/watch shops are quite interesting. They're almost always difficult to find due to their hidden location or lack of signage. The owners (since the shops are usually a one-man-show) are often not very outgoing or overtly friendly--think librarian. The shop interiors are usually something you would see on the TV show Hoarders. The sound of tick-tocks gets in your head leaving you unsure which clock it is coming from or where to look next causing some insanity. Perhaps this is what causes these folks to be how they are... There is never a set price, since it depends on the clock or watch brand being fixed. Yet, I always keep my price quote high to allow myself to feel like I won a prize. Ballard Time Shop fits all these qualities and expectations. I called ahead of time since the first shop I stopped at was not open, regardless of their hours. The owner answered the phone in a monotone voice and answered my two basic questions straight away. I arrived 5 minutes later and was told 10 minutes to replace my watch battery. They don't take exchanges so you hope they do a good job. Luckily, my watch's battery replacement only cost me $11 so I left one happy man...even in 7 minutes! read more

Ballard Time Shop - Hidden shop - Watch Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I've been here twice--once for a new battery for my girlfriend's watch and once to have the clasp looked at on my heirloom Ball watch. The battery was taken care of no problem. The gentleman working here was not able to fix the clasp on my watch, but spent time explaining to me that he could not, and even referred me to two places who he thought could. Please ignore (or at the very least take with a grain of salt) the bitchy entitled viewpoints of all the millenials slamming this place. It's quirky, but he's genuinely a nice man who does quality work. read more

I could have purchased 10 quartz wall clocks for the price of fixing my 1940s department store Regulator. Worth every penny spent! Also had the privilege of spending some talking time with them. I learned to never let the clock run down all the way -- I've been treating it wrong for 30 years! Love this place. read more

I brought my Fathers Family clock to a couple places they could not repair as the parts were worn. Ballard time shop brought the chimes back to life after 40 years. They did lovely work and the Owner was a charming caregiver to my Treasured time keep. Thank you Long lived Ballard business. read more

Why one only star? Because ZERO stars is not an option! What a horrible consumer experience. The man who runs this place is such a jerk. Rude, rude, RUDE is he! He's not interested in reparing or restoring any of my antique clocks. His answer for all of them: replace everything with modern parts and charge $595 (his favorite price). He just doesn't want to clean and reassemble. He did work on one of my clocks that is only about 25 years old, and it does run now, but I discovered that a more "green" repair would have been closer to $125 from another local clock shop. When I asked about the price, he retorted, "Hey, I got a business to run." Really? A business to run? I've walked in three times and each time I was not even greeted. I had to say "hello?" and wait before he called out from behind a counter, still not showing himself or making eye contact. You can't even greet a customer? He made me feel stupid when I went to pick up the clock because I couldn't remember the name of its manufacturer. He grilled me on the name, even though I had the paper claim ticket in my hand, the very same claim ticket that he wrote himself. He made a big deal about not losing the ticket when I dropped off the clock. When I handed the claim ticket to him, he refused to take it from me. Instead, he delighted in asking me many questions to ascertain the identity of my clock as he played a little guessing game, walking around the shop trying to find it. I couldn't wait to pay and get the hell out of there. He made no effort to be cordial or welcoming to me on any of my visits, nor did he make any effort to remember me. He didn't even say "thank you" when I paid. This man is an ASS! I'll never return. Worst customer service ever!!! P.S. The old lady who lurks in the back is also creepy. read more

Terrible service and rip-off pricing. Make sure you get a solid estimate for anything they do. I really wanted to like this place. Little old, funky shop, but both of the people I dealt with there were incredibly rude and creepy. I took 3 watches in to get batteries replaced and they charged me $62.00. Are you kidding? When I expressed surprise she bit my head off exclaiming that batteries have gone way up and one of them was hard to replace. I just got three other watch batteries changes in the watch repair shop in Lake City and it was around $20.00. This is a rip-off and I recommend staying away. read more

These folks have repaired a couple of antique clocks for me over the years. The work is always timely and well done and the clocks have run since (for years) without issues. It seems like this might be one of those fields that is slowly fading away, so I hope the Ballard Time Shop is around for years to come. Recommended without reservation or hesitation. read more

I love Ballard Time Shop and have been taking my timepieces there for many years. I learned today that they are no longer open Saturdays. Good for them. I'm glad they are taking more time for themselves after so many years of six-day work weeks. They are still open Monday-Friday. read more

Not sure who he was,but the old guy there was rude & completely unhelpful. I just needed him to take a bezel off a watch & his only response was "why do you want to do that" in a very rude manner & then just told me that it couldn't be done. He was so shakey I don't think I'd let him cut open a baked potato. Terrible shop. Should be zero stars. read more

Called Brian on a Saturday morning. Told him I needed a watch band resized. Visited his shop within 1 hour; had the watch band resized perfectly for me in less than 15 minutes. Very, very nice. Glad I visited - the work performed was just as I hoped. Thank you, Brian. read more

Been here twice for watch issues and battery changes. They've always been super nice and very helpful. Very knowledgeable and great location. Thank you for serving Ballard! read more

Quick, friendly service. I had walked by their shop for years. When I needed to get batteries replaced for three watches, I thought of them immediately. They replaced the batteries and re-attached a watch band in under an hour. As I was leaving, I got a great tip. If you're not going to use your watch for a while, pull the stem out and leave it out. The watch will stop but the battery will no longer be discharging. read more

I stopped by to get a watch battery changed. Although I never received a call when it was done, I had set a reminder in my phone to pick it up. The couple that owns the shop is so kinda and they really know their stuff! Looking forward to bringing other time keeping items here for repair in the future! read more

I had several watches needing new batteries that I've been carrying around with me for several months. Leaving work I think I don't want to drive all the way out to the mall in Friday afternoon traffic so I found a cute little shop called the Ballard Time Shop in my neighborhood on the way home. Google says the store closes at 4 but I called just in case and the owner happened to answer the phone, and tells me they're actually open till 5. This is a cute little hole-in-the-wall repair shop. While the husband and wife worked on my watch, I had fun checking out all the memorabilia, clock related and otherwise, then sat outside in the sun while I waited. Great experience, I think I'm going to dig out a few more old watches... read more

My husband inherited a clock that his grandpa built and needed to bring it in somewhere to make a quick repair. A long story short, the lady at the front and I guess the owner were rude and basically made my hubby feel that his sentimental time piece was a piece of crap! Rude. My husbands grandpa was a clock collector and my husband wanted to get the one that he built for sentimental reasons and you would think that a small clock repair business would appreciate something like that...no. It seems like they only care about high value clocks or else they are just rude to everyone who walks in the door. Instead they scoffed at the idea that my husband even came in there to fix the old thing. Not again! read more

I had just gotten a new watch and needed to get some links removed. For whatever reason I ended up at the Ballard Time Shop. To sum it up, the lady behind the counter hates her life and they charged me $22 to take out a couple of links. Unbelievable. read more

Seems like everyone is either giving this place a bad review because they are cranky sourpusses, or a great review because they liked the work they do. They absolutely do excellent work. My watch band broke for the second time recently, and in a fraction of the time it took the last place they had it fixed and looking better than it had before. Price was also extremely reasonable. The clocks, watches and other curios they sell are all genuinely interesting and in excellent condition, and while I'm not an expert by any means they also seem to be priced very fairly. So in terms of products and services, can't say I've ever encountered better. Personally, I think a little crankiness is to be expected in small item repair industries these days, particularly ones centered around a device going the way of the dodo. Haven't been to a watch repair shop where they didn't seem a little beyond careworn and a little short of personable. These two were particularly grouchy, especially the woman, so I did deduct a star for that. So, if you have clockwork that needs repair you are going to be in good hands. Just wear your extra-thick skin, as they take "family business" a little too literally and treat you like a distant relation they aren't especially fond of. read more

Talk about a family business! This place has been around for years, I think it opened up in the 20s. I read a couple other reviews complaining about prices, but clock and watch repair is such a specialized field and Brian really (and I emphasize the really) knows what he's doing. There are so few of his kind left that we're lucky to have him around. I also found out the reason for the move across the street was indeed for money reasons... cheaper rent and a better space. Win-win! My favorite aspect of the shop, though, is the kitties!! I love me an old-fashioned shop cat. I just miss the HUGE one they had years ago, he was such a funny sight in the window. read more

WAAAAAAAY OVERPRICED!! Had my pedometer battery replaced and it was $21. When I inquired about the price, the man replied "those a large batteries". I couldn't remember what it was last time so paid and left. After looking on line, I find the battery is all of $4.99 --quite a mark up for only 5 minutes work. Take the extra time and go to the guy in jewelery at Fred Meyer. Not much small talk but definitely FAIR PRICES. read more

I like this business a lot and have never had a bad experience. They used to clean my old wind up watch. Now all I need are battery replacements, and they do a fine job. It's lovely to walk in and get a sense of what Ballard used to be like because this is a family business that's been around awhile. read more

My German cuckoo clock was not cuckooing or keeping time because it had been sitting in my dad's attic for the past 5 years. To say the least it needed some work. I found Ballard Time Shop really friendly. The guy that works there gave me a few pointers since I'd never owned a cuckoo clock before. Overall, he was really enthusiastic about clocks and got excited when looking up how old and where the clock was built. The repair came with a 2 year warranty. It did cost more than I thought it would ($200), but in the end I'm really happy with my experience here. It made me feel good to entrust my clock to someone that seems to really love what he does. Also they are open Saturdays, which is nice. Good fact to know - they have parking on the side of the building stalls #5 & 6 read more

I'm visiting Seattle, need my watchband readjusted, waiting around in Ballard, found this place, stopped by, the woman at the shop readjusted my watchband while my kid admired the cat. No charge. Perfect! My wrist is much happier without a floppy watch! read more

A wonderful shop...Brian is as skilled a clock repair person as you're going to find anwhere. This family business has been in Ballard since the 20s and on 20th Avenue Northwest since 1946. They moved across the street about a year ago and their new location is much more pleasant than the old. They also have a nice selection of vintage clocks for sale, as well as two of the nicest shop kitties you've ever met. They can do anything from repair a 200-year old mantle clock to sell you a replacement battery for your Timex. A one-of-a-kind, very special place! read more

This guy is a real "clock whisperer." He completely rebuilt my grandfather's clock which is running great. He did not have as easy a time of it with my mom's 1890's vintage mantle clock--but he stood by his work and even drove to Olympia (where she lives) to get it running again. He stands by his work--even when dealing with persnickety old clocks. That said, I think he is more comfortable with clocks than people. Don't let his diffident manner put you off--he really knows what he's doing. read more

They lost (or broke) my watch. Initially they tried to pass another watch off as mine. When I asked them to replace it, they said it was no longer available. They gave me what I paid for it 10+ years ago. http://www.pulsarwatchesusa.com/watch/pph429/ The same watch is available. read more

While they do a great job repairing watches and clocks, supplying watch batteries and a whole plethora of services related to any kind of timekeepers, the best reason to visit is the cat. A cat sleeping in the window and greeting customers is the friendliest marketing strategy I can think of. Good services, I look forward to my watch batteries running out, and a great cat! read more

Not to bad of service. Cleaned my watch and gave it a new battery. Charged me 22 dollars. Maybe a bit much for that but I don't get watch batteries much so I don't know. Interactions with the staff were straightforward and pleasant. Not a lot of small talk but then I just need a battery. read more

He does a good job, but isn't very communicative. He was able to replace a watch battery in a very old watch but didn't tell me ahead of time that he was doing it. Regardless, he did his job well and quickly. He also got my antique mantel clock working again in less than 10 minutes. He charges by the 15 min increment so well worth the time. read more

Called to ask about repairing a 100 year-old grandfather clock. The gentleman that answered the phone was rude and not helpful.

Brian & his wife were very pleasant to deal with. They came to my house to fix my grandfather clock. Brian was here to work on the same clock years ago. They repaired the clock in a minimum of time and price was extremely fair. Will be taking my mantel clock in for repairs. read more

After paying $380 to have my clock fixed, the clock was not repaired - and the problem was made worse! I returned the clock 12+ times and it still isn't fixed. This guy should be run out of business! I have found another clock repair shop on Aurora Avenue that (hopefully) will fix what the Ballard guy broke and ultimately fix the initial problem. read more

Had a 70+ year old clock repaired there. They repaired it and I am pleased that it's now working after 30 years. Did not get a call saying it was ready. Stopped by one day because I had not heard from them and discovered it had been ready for a while. The charge for the repair turned to be the value of the clock $750.00. This clock has been in the family since 1964. I wonder if others are charged the value of the clock to repair? After reading about others questioning the cost they charge to repair if I was to do this over I would have gotten another estimate to compare prices. read more

If you like cats, this might be a good place for you. It wasn't for me. I went in for the seemingly simple process of getting the battery on my watch replaced. When the lady who runs the store returned, I received my watch with a new battery and a bunch of new scratches on the back. Considering that no one sees the back, I didn't care. In retrospect, this should have been a quality indicator. Several weeks later I went swimming with the watch on (it's sufficiently waterproof) and it turns out that the back wasn't sealed tightly enough when the batter was replaces. I guess it's time to get a new watch AND a new watch repair store. Beware! read more

I have used this shop for years for repair of my beloved family antique clocks and watches. Trustworthy, excellent and knowledgeable. I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

Ballard Time Shop has repaired two of my mantle clocks, a 1982 Linden and a 1934 Ingraham. Both of these clocks had blown main springs. I asked Brian to replace the main springs in both and oil and or replace worn bushings as needed. In each case it took about two months for the work to be completed and cost was around $400 per clock. In terms of how long the repairs took, the clock had to be taken apart and replacement parts located, the repairs made, and then reassembled and tested. It takes two months to accomplish that because Ballard Time Shop is repairing an original clock works, not replacing the works with a new unit. In terms of cost I expected to pay $400 for each clock. New similar clocks cost between $600-$1300. Considering the labor and skill involved in repairing a clock, $400 seems like a bargain. Generally, old clocks have value because of the memories associated with them or simply because they are old. Understand up front, Brian will attempt to repair a clock that most clock repair shops will label as unrepairable. Ballard Time Shop is a repair shop that repairs old, valuable, clocks. Ballard Time Shop also sells some amazing wonderful refurbished clocks, the kind that aren't made anymore. Ballard Time Shop is a unique clock repair shop in a world of throw away time pieces. read more

I had my Seth Thomas top bell ships clock repaired there & I couldn't be happier. The price was what Brian quoted after a complete rebuild of what had been a real wreck of an old clock.It now keeps almost perfect time & the bells strike correctly. We really enjoy our old clock. Thank you Brian! read more