In late July of 2025, I brought in to The Watch Hospital my Swiss Army Victorinox (which is no longer made), because it had stopped. The Battery-Replacing Person that Linda has at the desk opened my watch. He said he thought it needed a new battery and changed batteries but that didn't make the watch start. Then he said "THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING INSIDE YOUR WATCH so I'll put it in and see if that fixes it." The piece was metal and it did not make my watch work. I sent my watch to the Authorized Swiss Army Watch jeweler in Redwood City, Golden Time. *Opened *Fingerprints on Trainwheel, Bridge -Indicates there was pressure placed on Trainwheel -Restricts Trainwheel motion (jammed , unable to move at all) The Watch Hospital on Park Street in Alameda has refused for a year to pay me the $160 Golden Time charged to repair the damage. "Sue us." was the only reply I was given over the phone and in person at the store. Bad way to run a business. read more

Watch Hospital was great. I came in with a watch that was completely stuck and they took their time handling it carefully until they were able to fix it. They were patient, professional, and made sure everything was set properly before I left, including the time. I really appreciated the care and attention -- highly recommend if you need help with a watch issue. read more

I had my watch cleaned and got a new crystal installed. The owner even buffed the scratches out of the bracelet. It looks brand new now! read more

The Watch Hospital - Watch repaired - Watches Near Me - Alameda, California

I walked in 10 minutes before close expecting to drop off my watches for pick up next week, as has been my experience with jewelry stores in San Francisco ; instead I received immediate and very reasonably priced battery service on three watches ranging from fancy to cheap, all of them given the same white glove treatment. I recommend this small business to anyone with a timepiece that needs professional attention; this place is very much the sort of small business we are so lucky to have in Alameda. read more

The man said the battery needed to be replaced in my swiss army watch when it stopped running. the new battery did not cause the watch to start. Then the man said there was a piece missing inside my swiss army watch and he would put it in and forced it in but the watch did not stop running. i sent the watch to the authorized swiss army watch repair store Golden Time Jewelers in Redwood City who examined the watch and said that something had been forced into the mechanism and broken the watch. "Pressure was placed on Train Wheel; Restricts Train Wheel Motion (Jammed, unable to move at all). One Hundred Sixty ($160) to repair the watch (i ate the UPS to and from). I sent a letter demanding reimbursement. Awaiting reimbursement or .... When i called to see if i would get paid the man answered and said he doesn't know who owns the store and hung up on me twice. read more

I left my watch running to have the battery changed. When I returned to pick it up, the man, who claims to have 54 years of experience, went to adjust the time and broke the pin. I left it to be fixed. Four days later, I received a call saying they couldn't fix it. I went there to see what happened. The "man watch destroyer" said it had nothing to do with it, that the watch was already like that. So if you're thinking about taking your watch there for anything, think twice. They destroy watches. 54 years of destroying watches. Very disappointed. There is a minus star option in reviews? read more

Excellent and fast service for a battery replacement. Super friendly help. And special treats for our dog!

They did a magnificent job in repairing my automatic Hamilton timepiece which had sustained previous water damage during my recent travels in Greece. They repaired it to perfection and it runs great! read more

Got the job done and was open normal hours the day before Thanksgiving, which was appreciated. Walked in about 20 minutes before closing to have some links on one watch removed and the battery replaced in another. The gentleman who helped me was super fast and very nice. The sign on the counter says cash, checks, and "ATM" are accepted payment options, which I thought meant "debit card." Turns out that means they want you to use the ATM that's right next to the counter if you need cash. I didn't have enough cash on me and generally don't like using free standing ATMs like that (they tend to be targets for fraud and I've been burned by one before), but didn't have time to run out to another ATM to get out more cash and run back before they closed, so I bit the bullet and used it. But the sign on the counter should just be changed to say "cash and checks accepted." I was also a bit surprised at the grand total: $35 to replace a battery and take two links out of a watch band. San Leandro Clock Shop (the guy I've always gone to) is more reasonably priced in comparison, for the same work. The San Leandro Clock Shop owner also performs his work in front of you at his work station, not hidden behind a super tall partition the entire time like the man here at the Watch Hospital was, which I thought was odd. Nice guy, in and out in no more than ten minutes (if that), but strange pricing and unclear signage regarding accepted payments. I'll stick with San Leandro Clock Shop moving forward. read more

This is the only watch repair place in the East Bay that I trust. Recently took a watch that was messed up by another repair guy to the Hospital and they fixed it without fuss. Worth going out of your way for if you're in need of watch repair. read more

Been here several times for simple repairs, always great service, fast and fairly priced!! Never mind so many BS grudge reviews, part of a smear campaign!! read more

The Watch Hospital - Great service, fair prices, great local business serving for decades!! - Watches Near Me - Alameda, California

The gentleman who changed my battery on my watch was very helpful and informative. Thank you!!!

The best place to take your watch or clock for repair. They are always so helpful and honest and not afraid to tell you if your watch is not worth fixing. My family and I have been going their for the past 30 years and the watch lady is always so helpful and willing to do simple repairs for free. You will defiantly enjoy your experience at the Watch Hospital. read more

I came in here desperate to get my favorite watch a new battery... and use it the same day... bam! Done! The lady (didn't catch her name) said it'll be done within minutes... I was stoked! She took the watch... changed the battery and in less than 10 minutes I was out and about... cost me $10 + for everything. I'm thankful that I finally found a watch repair shop since the one in the Towne Center closed down. read more

We took my blind husband's talking watch in for a new battery for time . The voice was working fine. After he charged us 35.00 to put in new batteries the watch doesn't talk anymore which it worked fine when we took it in. And you can't set time date or day anymore. It is a piece of junk now. I know it wasn't an expensive watch but at least the voice worked. And I could set it for him. read more

I bought a new victorinox watch off amazon. Unfortunately it came to me broke. I thought it just needed a new battery. The lady working that day took it apart and did some troubleshooting. She said they couldn't fix it, and didn't charge me a cent. She said if they can't fix it they won't charge. I really appreciated that. read more

Usually if a business makes a mistake, it's taken in good faith. You can feel it. The watch hospital gave me such an uneasy, untrustworthy experience. It didn't sit right. I think they are scammers. So I came in for a battery change, like many innocent people here thinking how hard can it be? I've worn a watch for over 25 years and never had issues with that. I brought in my Victorinox watch that was still running with the battery low signal of the second hand moving every five seconds. The lady took my watch, then said it must not have been running for a while as it would not start. I said what, it was just running, put the original watch battery back and I can take it elsewhere. She said ok, I couldn't see what she was doing, but claimed my watch wouldn't start again and she could send it in for repairs. I told her I was uncomfortable with the situation and she said well, I can pay you $5000 but that wouldn't be feasible. I was puzzled and said no, the watch is worth $300, was working when I came in, so either get it to work again and I pay for the battery, or replace the watch for me. I wrote this up and asked her to sign it, she didn't even look, signed the paper and told me my watch was dirty (no visible dirt) and that debris must have fallen in. I'm puzzled she would place blame on me if this is a known problem. She and the guy at the business diligently called me a few days later telling me my watch was working again and locked in a safe. I came to pick it up, they told me to sign a piece of paper that I was satisfied even before giving me my watch back, then he guy was asking me where I changed the battery last. I told him I visited a reputed jeweler in the financial district. He said that guy must have dropped debris in my watch as they blew it with some air that got it working again. I'm again puzzled that the lady didn't blow air on it if it was such a simple fix. I think the place is a scam, they have some harmless looking folks who take your good faith that your watch is broken, then they 'fix' it at a hefty price. By then you probably want your watch back and would rather pay the price. The place doesn't add up and I'm ashamed this is part of lovely Alameda. read more

AVOID AVOID AVOID. My blood is boiling. Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere. It's not a coincidence that this place has almost ONLY ONE STAR REVIEWS for the past two years. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, DON'T WORK ON SOMEONES WATCH!!! I took my Armani Ceramica watch in for a battery replacement. Simple, right?? Well now I have two cracks in the glass. Now NONE of my choronograph hands line up to top dead center. And I am out $45.00 for THIS??? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. THESE PEOPLE ARE N.O.T. QUALIFIED TO BE WORKING ON DECENT WATCHES. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!! PLEASE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID. read more

HIGH ALERT WARNING::::: I almost feel like I don't need to add my bad review to this place since there are so many people who have gone before me, and had similar experiences. Nevertheless, when a shop owner and the customer experience is so deplorable, it feels irresponsible to not warn future victims. I brought a family heirloom Omega watch to be repaired. I was told it would cost nearly four hundred dollars to repair, but it would be restored to its original condition and worth eight times that when done. My 11 year old son was with me and I thought that it would be a special heirloom to pass down to him, so I green lighted the repair. I was told it would take one month to repair. It took, seriously, OVER SIX MONTHS, and when I came to pick it up with my two children, we noticed that the face of the watch was cracked and it had a ding on it, as well. It was clearly dropped. When I pointed this out to the woman at the counter, she insisted that the damage was there when I had given them the watch. It wasn't. I reminded her that she had told me if the work she had recommended was done, that it would be in pristine and perfect order and quite valuable. I had already paid for the work up front... a mistake... and after going back and forth with her about the matter for five minutes, she ordered me to take the watch and get out of the store. I was honestly dumbfounded at her response and insistence that she was not going to fix what she had damaged. Is this any way to deal with a customer? She literally threaten me with calling the police if I did not leave. My two children, ages 11 and 12, said let's go Poppy, she's crazy. Sadly, I think this may be the case. Regardless, if you have a watch you care about and a desire for good service and craftsmanship with reasonable pricing. Run for your life. Surely there are great people out in the world doing this kind of work. THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS AS BAD AS IT GETS read more

We popped in to get 2 links removed from my watch....bad idea! I should have asked about the price before he took the watch behind his secret wall. After removing the links, he said, "Twenty." I couldn't believe it--triple or even quadruple the cost of anywhere else I've gone to have links adjusted. By gouging me on this one small thing, he's lost my patronage for life. I'll never step foot back in this shop again. I'd rather drive farther and go to a Rite-Aid than come back. read more

AVOID AVOID AVOID...they can't even do watch battery replacements correctly! I saw the bad reviews on Yelp, but I thought "Hey, it's a simple battery replacement, how can anyone screw that up? Especially at a place called Watch Hospital?" I could not have been more wrong, you would think ineptitude has its limits, but no...you'd be wrong. Took in a watch for a battery replacement yesterday (Saturday), an hour later, I noticed that the hands stopped moving (they were moving just fine before my visit, it was just the digital display that was dim, so I figured it was the battery)...then I try calling, and they are closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?!? I paid 28 dollars to have a non working watch...I didn't even bother going back...for a place that is called Watch Hospital, please get it done right the first time. Instead I went to Gold Spot Jewelers (see my review for them) down the street, and got it done CORRECTLY FOR HALF THE PRICE. They should consider renaming the place Watch Funeral Home...or Watch Me Rip You Off... read more

This shop stole my husband's watch! My husband bought himself the nicest gift he's ever gotten for himself from this store, a vintage watch that cost $1700. He had been eyeing it for years since we moved to Alameda. Shortly after he bought it, he realized it was not working properly. He sent it back for repairs....it was returned to him.....then it stopped working again so he had to take it back. When he called to try to get the watch back this time, he went back and forth with a man who said he couldn't find it. Today my husband spoke directly to the woman who sold it to him, who also happens to be the same woman who took the watch in for repairs. She claimed that the store could not locate the watch without a claim check. They did give my husband a claim ticket, but he can't find it.....but who would ever think you would need that as proof in a small local store, where you drop your watch off in good faith.... to the same person who sold it to you? (99 percent of stores you probably don't need to do this, but we now learned to always photograph your claim ticket just in case). The woman who he dropped his watch of to also logged his watch in to a ledger when he dropped it off for repairs, so he asked her to check the ledger to see that the watch was there, and she now claimed a ledger didn't exist and she does not log stuff in to a ledger. (I have personally seen her log stuff in to the ledger as I was there the first time he dropped off the watch so my jaw was hanging open when he told me this). I think he was shocked by this, and their conversation ended with her abruptly telling him to "take her to small claims court" We are both floored by this!!!!! How could a small, local shop that we felt so good about giving our business too be this dishonest? read more

Save yourself some grief and avoid this place. I always support local business first and try to be patient, but throw all that out the window for the so called hospital. I have been going here for several years for batteries and figured they were ok for other repairs. My seiko needed a new crystal and they said they could do it. After I picked it up and looked at it in the sunshine I noticed that there was gold plating missing on the inside and finger prints on the face. Went right back in and he said that it's typical when crystal is replaced that the plating can be damaged, upset enough I said just remove the finger print off the face. He was challenging me saying he did not see it! After a few minutes he said ok, pulled it apart and wiped it. Went back 2 weeks later and a different employee told me the only way to fix the gold plating damage was to send it back to Seiko. Chapter 2. Took my watch to AJR Watch repair in Marina Village and they looked at it and found out the problem was not that the gold was scratched, there was DUST under the crystal! A watch repair that leaves finger prints and dust inside a watch is beyond comprehension. read more

Avoid this place. I took a mechanical watch in for repair. They told me it would be ready in a couple of weeks. It took almost two months to be ready. When I picked it up, i found scratches / tool marks all over the screw down case back. I took the watch home. About a week later, I tried to set the time on my watch and found that it had not been repaired appropriately. Since they have no computerized data base, they could not find the records for my watch. Luckily, I found my receipt and they found the record. Another two weeks and my watch was repaired. I complained about the scratches to the back and they claimed they could not remove the back without scratching it. Never going there again. read more

I brought in a old Soviet watch that I thought just needed a new battery. But once getting it back and having it tick away for just a few hours, it started to tick backwards! I came back to the Watch Hospital hoping for an answer by the end of the week which they stated. It took 2 weeks. To get an solution to my my backwards watch, they stated that they would need to clean my watch and to maybe, just maybe replace a wheel... A total of 90$ even if the wheel wasn't the problem just the cleaning and the time would cost 90$. Wanting to get a second opinion I told them to go ahead and put it back together and I want to pick it up and was told a would receive a call when it's ready, about a week. A MONTH later, I finally got it back!! After calling in several times and being told it was not ready to walking in and being told they didn't have a key to the safe. I am extremely disappointed and will not return! The only pro is that they grantee their work, so I got a check back from when they replaced the battery. read more

Great place- new battery stopped after 3 days- no questions asked - put in another new battery, cleaned contacts to be sure- no charge. Very competent lady, friendly and interested in my Misfit fitness watch. The only place locally that has the right battery and takes the time to get it installed right! read more

I was about to run errands on a Saturday afternoon in Alameda and realized that my watch had died. I didn't really expect this place to be open, but it was, and the women behind the counter replaced the battery in about 3 minutes. I do think it's kind of strange that they have all kinds of dusty old costume jewelry for sale. Where does it come from? Do they buy out estates and then resell it ? A lot of it looks like it's been sitting there since the late 70's. Weird. It did give me something to look at while I waited for my watch to be fixed, though. read more

I have a Guess Watch with a metal strap that had a nail broken from it's strap. I've been to several watch shops around Oakland and Alameda, but none were able to fix my watch. I happened to have found this place on Yelp luckily and called in to the Watch Hospital to ask about my Guess watch and the kind owner, Dennis, said he would be able to fix it. Coming in ten minutes before closing, I rushed in apologetically and brought my watch to Dennis to see if he could find the right nail to fix my metal strap, and he was able to fix it within five minutes! He has the right tools for every watch and strap, and was super friendly and professional. If I ever have any watches that need fixing, I'll definitely come back! It cost $2 just to fix my strap so super worth the price! read more

The Watch Hospital - The Watch Hospital - Watches Near Me - Alameda, California

Such a sweet lady who helped me. I always prefer going to mom and pop stores. She quickly replaced batteries for multiple watches. Reasonable in price of repaired watch that's not made anymore. Lots of band options. Found a few hidden gems of collector pieces of gone with the wind. Dog was friendly and wanted to play. Won't go anywhere else in the future. read more

Went in there to have a new battery put in the watch I had made for my husband as a wedding gift. The gentleman behind the counter was friendly and service was seriously fast. So fast, actually, I didn't have enough time to peruse the beautiful jewelry he had. If I hadn't been on a lunch break I would have looked longer. I saw a few pieces I'm putting on my gift wish list, so my husband can go by (buy) for my next birthday, anniversary, whaatever... read more

I came here to remove links from my MK watch last week and was very pleased at the fact the man was so fast in doing so!!! He was so nice!! I forgot to get his name because I was in a rush..But I will definately be back for all my watch needs. read more

The Watch Hospital - Watches Near Me - Alameda, California

Only place in town that can replace my super difficult to install low-profile Frank Gehry(Fossil) watch bands. AJR(inside Longs) in Marina Village tried, and gave up after an hour. Been here at least twice because my dog seems to love chewing up my bands. Service prices are very reasonable and they're really quick, but the prices for the bands and watches they stock are out-of-this-world. read more

I've gone to this place a few times and dealt with different people each time. They are all friendly and helpful. Today I brought in a watchband to replace an old one I had on the watch. The man behind the counter changed it and didn't even charge me and wished me happy holidays. Who does that? Don't care what other people say about them, but I'll keep going back. read more

Got in got out, 2 battery replacements, 9.98 a piece after tax 22.00. My overall wait time was 10 minutes. I think the fee was a bit much but I was already there, so I guess I paid for the convenience. Starbucks is nearby as well as everything else, great location. read more

Do not ever go here for service. These people are greedy scam artists. Everything they do is over priced and they're not even good at fixing watches in the first place. A few year back my wife went to them to sell an old gold watch that she does not use anymore. They said they'll need to take it apart and weight the gold peices. Apparently, they're only interested in the gold since gold price is so high now. He took a couple minutes to disassemble the watch and weight the gold. Then he gave us a very lowball offer like we're idiots or something. We told him we couldn't possibly sell the watch for such a ridiculous offer. He wouldn't give us a fair price and told us to go somewhere else. We then asked him to put the watch back together. But he told us it'll cost $20 for him to do that. We were shocked! It only took him a couple min with the right tools to take it apart. There's no reason for him to charge us to put it back. Where's the professional courtessy? This place obviously tried to rip us off twice. We took the watch peices to another shop and they gladly put it back together at no charge. That's how you win loyal customers. We will never go to the Watch Hospital again and we'll warn our friends to stay away. read more

Beyond shady. I took a family heirloom stopwatch in for repair. It took them nine months. After I paid for the repair, and took it home, I realized it was running 2x speed. I took it back in, clearly within the warranty. It took me fifteen minutes to get a watch shop to understand that the stopwatch was running fast. They took my watch, the original repair ticket, and my receipt and said the watch expert would call me. He calls, and when it couldn't understand what I meant by the watch running double speed, I literally had to walk him through putting my stopwatch next to another one, and running them both for 30 seconds, for him to comprehend the problem. He says he will look into it. I never heard from them. Ever. But, because it took them nine months for the original repair I thought I would show some patience. I went in this week to ask in person about my watch. They have no record of it, and that is my fault, according to them. If you want to get ripped off, then by all means visit The Watch Hospital. It's where watches, and wallets, go to die. (It's a damn shame I have to give them at least one star to complete the review. One star is more than they deserve.) read more

Shop local, but not here! I wish I'd read the reviews below before setting foot in the Watch Hospital. It is the most customer-hostile place I've ever been in. The shop is seldom open and refuses to accept return calls or answering machine messages. Yes, my watch was repaired and there was a good selection of replacement bands to choose from. However, it was *even more expensive* than the pricey estimate I was given, the female owner was rude and unpleasant, and she actually had the gall to accuse me of trying to bounce a check when I objected to her recording my personal information. Unbelievable. UPDATE: They didn't even fix my watch correctly, as it turns out. Save your money and go elsewhere! read more

Over two years ago, I brought in my Concord watch (about 35 years old) for service. For the complete overhaul, I was quoted $750. and I left the watch for service. In the meantime, I paid the bill when I picked up the repaired watch. Over the next 60+ days, I brought it back 3 times because it did not work properly. Finally, supposedly, the watchmaker ordered a new mechanism from Concord in New York and the watch was working properly after that. Today, I took the watch to a Contra Costa jeweler because it had been running poorly and I thought I needed a battery. The jeweler showed me the inside. There was rust, epoxy and glue; the face had previously had prongs that it sat on inside the case. These were gone. The insides were a mess. So, I would advise NOT to do business with The Watch Hospital. Obviously, they are not professional. John read more

Suspecious and a rip off!! I brought in my watch for battery replacement and was charged $28 because it was a "high end" watch. The guy said it's a 1 yr battery and keep the receipt. My watch failed after 6 months. I returned to the store with the receipt and explained to the lady there that day. She took my watch, the receipt and said they'll call me after they checked it. I got a phone call the next day saying the battery works but the watch is very dirty and a coil bad. Do I want to fix it for $120? No thanks! Give me my watch back. I had to wait a few more days while they "put it back together". In any case, I got my Longines watch back with the "working" battery and they lost my receipt. I then took it to an authorized dealer at a mall who said the battery is dead and a new one is $25. No way! If you have a dead high end/nice watch, this is not the hospital for it. read more

Another bad experience at the watch hospital....went in there to have a link added to a watch & the cost was $28. The next month I was reviewing my VISA charges and saw that there was a charge for $115 for the Watch Hospital. I spoke to the owner and she seemed very reluctant to make an adjustment to the bill ...when I asked her to produce the Visa charge that I signed she wasn't able to "find it". After many phone calls she agreed to issue a check for $70...still leaving the charge to add a link at $45. Little high for about one minute of work in my estimation. At this point I was so put off by this woman that I decided not to pursue it any further..however, I was actually thinking about taking it to small claims court but my wife talked me out of it. read more