Watch Doctor

(47 reviews)

I brought in 2 very delicate pieces of jewelry which needed repairs this past Saturday afternoon…read more One piece is a 10K gold antique Virgin Mary charm that I wore daily since 2012 and another piece is a tiny pearl earring that needed to be glued back to its post again. Both items were finished and in restored beautiful condition by Tuesday afternoon. Very pleased with the services I received These people can sodder back gold and take care of delicate antique jewelry.

I had my watch batteries replaced here for the first time ever! (I used to go to their Woodfield…read morelocation, but unfortunately, that location closed during or shortly after the COVID Pandemic.) Luckily, my new job is located just 15 minutes from this location and I was able come here during my late lunch hour and have them replace the batteries in my Rado Diastar Chronograph Watch and Philip Stein Chronograph Teslar Watch! What was great was that the Lifetime Batteries I bought for them from the Woodfield shop were still valid and so I was able to get them replaced for free without having to start over again! Very honorable business! I do plan on bringing my other watches in my 40-50-watch collection, even if I have to make the shlep up to Vernon Hills -- it is well worth it! This location is in a great mall, with a lot of great stores and restaurants all around it to tide me over while I wait for them to work on my watches. (For this visit, it only took 30 minutes for the awesome lady who helped me out, to replace the batteries.) Also: The Lifetime Battery deal they have is a great deal; glad I don't have to pay for a new battery every time it dies -- such a great value!

Chicago Clock Company

(39 reviews)

Always Professional and Knowledgeable!! I've been there…read moreseveral times, always satisfied with the service. K.T.

Unfriendly staff. Won't go back because of the negative attitude. It was my first time there and I…read morefelt like I was bothering the young man who waited on me.

Time & Time Again

4.0

(4 reviews)

This is the second time I've needed to go to Time & Time again... Both times were excellent service…read morefair value for the price and easy to deal with... I had a cheap clock that was my father's updated for my youngest child... And a more intricate wall clock that was restored and repaired both like new! If you're wondering whether or not to go here no more great service for sure

For some reason Yelp removed my previous review, I'll try to post it again…read more I usually not writing review, but I'm so glad I found this business and have to share it with others. I was looking for someone to fix my antique cuckoo clock for a long, long time but no one was able to fix it. Vladimir was able to get our clock working again, he is very knowledgeable person.

Burdeen's Jewelry

(130 reviews)

Everything went well, my first time there. They definitely…read moreoverachieved my expectations. Watches were great, excellent customer service. Professional and knowledgeable and friendly!! I will definitely go back for service. Kaytee!!!

Beautiful pieces that are fairly priced, Tracie was my salesperson and was kind and knowledgeable.read more

Bay Area Diamond Co - Mundelein

5.0

(3 reviews)

5 STARS IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH…read more First off the service from everyone is amazing. I've been going to this location since before Bay Area Diamond Company took over. The prior owners set a really high bar on customer service. I wasn't sure if the new owners would be able to meet the expectations the prior owners had set. I don't know how they do it, but they EXCEED the prior customer service even. I'm not one that is great with "Hallmark" holidays, but I know they are important to my wife. Bri from Bay Area Diamond Company ensured that I was able to surprise my wife with an amazing gift this y ear for Valentine's Day! My wife was in for her free inspection and jewelry cleaning in January. My wife was browsing and Bri secretly messaged me my wife's favorite selection. That alone was incredibly valuable, BUT Bri did even better. Bri helped encourage me to come in by providing very friendly reminders that Valentine's Day was fast approaching. I was swamped with work, so Bri continued to help further by offering to drop off the gift (along with the free dozen roses from their promo) at my work, so there were absolutely no excuses to not completely WOW my wife. Needless to say, my wife was blown away when she received the gift. She couldn't figure out how I knew her favorite selection. :) I had to reveal that Bri was my secret weapon. Thanks Bri for saving the day!

I brought in two pieces of jewelry to be repaired. One was a very delicate diamond cut gold…read morebracelet which broke about 2" from the clasp. The other was my diamond wedding ring set in 14k gold. They examined the ring & determined 2 prongs were broken off as well as 2 cracks in the gold band. They repaired the bracelet & the ring making them brand new again. The sparkle was blinding & I am forever grateful for their expertise & excellent customer service. Note: All repairs are done 'in house' so there is no chance of lost merchandise in the mail. Visit this jeweler & you won't be disappointed!

Rogers & Hollands Jewelers

3.9

(30 reviews)

•$$$$

I've purchased two rings from Rodgers and Hollands in Vernon Hills. The first time was a quick,…read moreeasy, experience for a promise ring. The second time I went in wanting to design an engagement ring from scratch. The manager, Stephanie, needs HUGE kudos. She was/is amazing. She sat me down and went over all of the aspects of designing a ring. She then explained the differences in diamonds; clarity, size, cut, color, symmetry, etc. She called 3-4 other stores for diamonds along the lines of what I wanted (a marquise), and even ordered a bunch of diamonds from one of their vendors. All for me to look at and compare. A week later they were in and she spent over two hours with me comparing the different diamonds and bands to hep me decide what I liked best. Not once was she pushy about selling anything, which I sincerely appreciated. All she wanted was for me to come up with something within (or under) my budget, that I would be happy with and that my soon-to-be fiancé would be happy with. Even to the point where she told me she did not like a slightly more expensive diamond, that I was looking for, with what I was wanting. The ring took about a week to make and the other staff were also fantastic. I will only ever be back to Rodgers and Hollands for all of my jewelry, and soon needed wedding bands, because of her and the experience I had!

had a very disappointing experience at Roger's & Hollands in Vernon Hills. I came in with my…read moreboyfriend's mother to look at engagement rings, which should have been an exciting and special moment. When I told the sales associate that I was looking for engagement rings for myself, she simply pointed to a section and said they were "over there." That section turned out to be entirely lab-grown diamonds. When I politely asked if they had any natural diamond rings to view, her attitude immediately changed. She responded in a dismissive tone saying you "get more for your money with lab-grown diamonds." I explained that I understood but still had a personal preference for a natural diamond. Instead of being helpful, she seemed irritated and said they could only show us the ring setting and then the diamond separately. We agreed to see them. My boyfriend's mother, who is elderly and speaks English as a second language, was trying her best to understand whether the diamonds were "real" or "fake." Rather than responding with patience or kindness, the associate became visibly annoyed and spoke to her in a condescending tone, saying, "This is a real diamond, it's just made differently than a natural diamond." The way she spoke to my boyfriend's mother was completely unacceptable. Jewelry shopping--especially for engagement rings--should feel welcoming and respectful, not uncomfortable or belittling. Between the dismissive attitude and lack of professionalism, we quickly realized this store did not value our business and chose to leave. I would not recommend this location if you're looking for respectful customer service or guidance during such an important purchase.

TDC Jewelry

(39 reviews)

The only place I will go for advice, cleaning, or purchasing of jewelry. My family has been going…read morehere for years. Jon is an expert who you can trust to give you the best advice as well as fair advice. I recently asked him to replace a diamond on my wedding band, and he told me all he needed to do was rotate the diamond. He could have easily told me it needed replacement, which would have cost me way more, and I would have had no idea. He is honest and dang good at his job.

I began researching jewelers in the area to resize my engagement ring and found TDC on Yelp. They…read morewere the first place I called because I saw Jon takes the time to thank reviews--I thought that was awesome. When I called, the first thing Jon did was talk me through the process of resizing a ring based on the metal type and style. He was very informative and kind. I called a couple of other places and immediately knew Jon was the go-to person. I took my ring in a few days later. The building did through me off (it's a big office building, when I expected a stand-alone store. Just FYI incase you think you're in the wrong place.) Inside of the store had a great atmosphere and Jon again was super helpful! The ring was ready in 4 days and when we picked it up, he also helped us look through some wedding band ideas for my fiancé. We may go back to get his band from TDC. If not, we know we have a jeweler we can trust for future needs. Thanks for a great experience, Jon!

Rolland's Jewelers

(49 reviews)

Looking for diamond stud earrings and went to see Will because he's helped me before. He is…read moreextremely knowledgeable, very patient, and offers plenty of alternate suggestions to make sure I find the piece I love. Outstanding Customer service. So friendly and helpful!

Rolland's Jewelers staff are always professional and helpful. Ian ... helped us with finding an…read more50th Anniversary Gift ... Bracelet and Watch. Such a nice young man and very knowledgeable about Tag watches.

RK Watch Service

(77 reviews)

This place is great. Took my Rolex in to have the band adjusted, no issue. The adjustment was made…read morewhile I waited, made sure the fit was perfect! I am returning to have another Rolex band changed. Friendly, helpful people. Wouldn't hesitate to have any of my watches serviced here.

Quality work. Explained what was broken and how it was fixed. Good to have an expert watchmaker…read morein the area.

Lustig Jewelers

5.0

(34 reviews)

Best experience I've had with a jeweler. Customer service is A+ and I can't emphasize enough how…read morewelcoming they are the minute I walked in. Dan and Roman are the best! They are honest, knowledgeable, and absolutely know their craft! I brought in a vintage diamond and they helped me select the best mounting within my budget. It turned out simply beautiful! Thank you so much!

Absolutely excellent customer service that is very rare to find these days. They fixed a diamond…read morependant for my wife and rushed the repair so that she would have it back in time before she would deliver twins. I mistakenly came to the store 30 min late to pick up the item, and even though the staff was ready to leave, they still stayed a few min behind to get me the pendant. The finished repair looked amazing and the item looked even better than when it was brand new. Even though this was a tiny repair, they have earned my business for all future jewelry needs. Highly recommended and can't say enough good things about them.

Design Studio Jewelry

5.0

(1 review)

The best gold smith I know I wood not d Go to any body els I…read morewood recommend this shop to everyone I know

From the owner: Design Studio Jewelry can design any jewelry item to your precise specifications. What is even more…read moreexciting is that you can participate throughout the entire process, from concept design to finished one-of-a-kind custom jewelry. You become an active part of the creative process

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

15 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Kevin B.

7 years ago

I asked him to do a small repair on an automatic watch. He is competent, but don't expect him to win any congeniality awards. Besides demeaning the watch I brought in as cheap Chinese junk he also demeaned my previous watchmaker who he did not know because I did not mention that person's shop or name. That shop is in Pennsylvania. He then told me he could overhaul my Rolex at about 3 times the price of the competition. He pointed out it would be about half of what Rolex would charge. Problem is, he's not competing against Rolex but other independent watchmakers. It's too bad. I had read great reviews of his work and hoped to make him my go to guy for my watch collection. read more

Anne C.

7 years ago

Years ago, not wanting to go out of my way to an authorized shop to have my watch sent out for a battery replacement, I went to The Watch Doctor. When Vlad removed the old battery he commented about when he had changed the battery previously. The authorized shop sent my watch here and charged me 5 times as much! Needless to say, I have not gone anywhere else for my batteries or repairs nor do I need to. I have only experienced knowledgeable, thorough and prompt (most often while I wait) work from Vlad and his staff. When asked for recommendations The Watch Doctor is the only place I will offer. read more

Jess A.

14 years ago

I first visited when working @EXPO Design Center in Vernon Hills. He takes care of you IMMEDIATELY upon arrival, & of my 7 past visits~including last one removing links &battery replacements on FIVE watches, I've never been in there for more than 10-13minutes... He's super nice, HONEST &gives great pricing for excellent service. I will never go anywhere else for my watch repairs. When I recommend him to others, they already know of him &have positive feedback as well. Thanks Vlad! Jess Brady-Albarran B-) read more

Kevin B.

9 years ago

My strap broke on my Tag Link watch and I lost some parts. I found this shop on the internet and stopped by to see what I could do. I did not want to mail it anywhere as I had thought I lost some pieces. I stopped in, Vladimir fixed my watch in less than 5 minutes and polished up the strap which was scuffed up. I was out in less than 7 minutes with a brand new looking watch. Highly recommended. read more

Phil D.

12 years ago

While trying to replace a battery in my mother-in-law's Movado I couold not get the battery hiold down bar and its very small screw back in place. After spending 1/2 hr. looking for, and eventually finding the screw, I took it into the Watch Doctor who was able to reset the watch back to normal orperation in five minutes at a very reasonable cost.. read more

Jack K.

9 years ago

Great service and very reasonable pricing. Walked in, went to the window and met the shop's owner, Vladimir, a 3rd generation watchmaker who really knows his business. Very cool that you can *watch* him working at his bench! I was in and out in about 5 minutes for a battery change. Very professional and highly recommended. read more

Colette B.

11 years ago

I highly recommend Watch Doctor! Great service, quality work with a smile and maybe even a laugh. Vlad is a nice man that takes pride in his work. I needed a battery and a clasp repair and the job was done in less than a few minutes. I left thankful I had discovered The Watch Doctor. I will be a repeat customer! read more

Scott D.

7 months ago

I have been here twice in the last week for different watches. I was greeted very kindly and they walked me through my options. They resolved the issue much faster than I anticipated. The costs were BEYOND reasonable. I will be bringing them all my future business. Outstanding service. read more

Ken G.

16 years ago

Awesome service!!! We were on a weekend away and found this place. Stopped in to get some advise for an Invicta watch that had a broken stem. He actually took the time to fix it on the spot! Excellent price too! I would go out of my way to return to him again! read more

Eric J.

16 years ago

I have taken literally all of my watches to this place for battery replacement and or band adjustment and they've been able to handle them all. Tissot, Rado, Pulsar, Klaus Kobek, Timex, Dakota...all of them. Great service and the price is right! read more

Ted A.

9 years ago

I've been twice in the last few weeks now and each time has been as good as anyone could expect. Extremely quick, kind, and efficient. Would recommend to all read more

Luba T.

7 years ago

The best experience ever ! Very friendly and professional staff. Work is done so quickly . I highly recommend this place. read more

Frances O.

4 years ago

I was very impressed with the service that I received. He was very competent. His shop was very comfortable.

Jack C.

13 years ago

They were quick and courteous. A fair price for a replacement battery for my watch. read more

Steve S.

13 years ago

Excellent Service provider at a reasonable price!

Watch Doctor - watch_repair - Updated July 2026

People found Watch Doctor by searching for…

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed Watch Doctor also viewed

Glezer-Kraus

3.6

(61 reviews)

I found out this place is the only authorized after service for Gucci watches for batteries and/or…read moreother maintenance in the Midwest. It is great that this is a local in the suburb of Chicago. The service was good!!

I would strongly caution anyone considering using Glezer-Kraus for watch repair…read more I entrusted two timepieces to them through an authorized repair process facilitated by Gucci. One watch was repaired, the second was returned unrepaired--both were shipped back together. The package arrived empty, and both watches were lost while in transit under their control. While they refunded the repair fee, they have refused to provide reimbursement for the loss of my property. Instead, they attempted to substitute a random replacement watch from their inventory, which I declined. My original items--one of which held significant sentimental value--were not interchangeable. More concerning is their handling of the claim: The shipment was insured for $600, which matched the verbal appraisal provided by their associate prior to authorizing the repair, yet they attempt to minimize the value after the fact I was informed by FedEx that their claim was denied, and they have not provided a clear explanation or supporting documentation Responsibility has been deflected rather than addressed, leaving me no choice but to pursue legal remedies At no point did I control the shipping, carrier, or insurance--this was entirely managed by their business, despite all shipping costs being passed on to the customer. The loss occurred while the watches were in their custody, yet they have not taken full accountability. Losing a customer's property is serious. Failing to resolve it fairly is unacceptable. Proceed with caution.

Forgotten Times

(23 reviews)

My daughter has two watches in need of repair. One the clasp needed to be fixed and other the glass…read morecasing. I relied on Yelp to help me find a watch repair place and was not disappointed. Walking in I felt I stepped back in time. There were so many watches and clocks from years ago. The gentlemen looked at the watches and honestly shared one watch would cost more to repair than it was worth and was able to fix the clasp and replace the battery in minutes. I definately will return the next time I need a watch repaired.

Joe was very knowledgeable about my vintage watch, He checked to make sure it was running properly…read moreand he installed a new band with a quick release connector that fit perfectly,I could not be happier with service I received, I would recommend him to repair any time piece that you have.

Chicago Clock Company

(39 reviews)

Always Professional and Knowledgeable!! I've been there…read moreseveral times, always satisfied with the service. K.T.

Unfriendly staff. Won't go back because of the negative attitude. It was my first time there and I…read morefelt like I was bothering the young man who waited on me.

Burdeen's Jewelry

(130 reviews)

Beautiful pieces that are fairly priced, Tracie was my salesperson and was kind and knowledgeable.read more

RK Watch Service

(77 reviews)

Quality work. Explained what was broken and how it was fixed. Good to have an expert watchmaker…read morein the area.

Virag Jewelers

(119 reviews)

•$

They are friendly, efficient and competent…read more They meet me at the door with a friendly smile, asked what i needed and solved the problem at low cost A great neighborhood resource.

They Are Trusted for decades by the city and its people…read more There is Street Parking. They are not open a few days a week, so be diligent. They do watches as well. I needed my watch clasp to be fixed. They did it for free, no charge.

Time & Time Again

4.0

(4 reviews)

MJ Watch Service

3.9

(85 reviews)

•$

The best. They fix things quickly and efficiently. The owner is a really nice guy. I brought a…read morewatch there and he was able to help me with it. My fiancé brings all her jewelry there and it always gets fixed perfectly.

if I could give zero stars I would... I brought in my…read moregrandfather's pocket watch which was over 100 years old. The day I came to drop it off I asked to see inside the pocket watch. It was gleaming gold and beautiful. Asked for them to clean it up and do any repairs necessary. 3 1/2 months later after calling and calling, they told me it was ready. I asked to see inside again and it was a dull chrome color. I was charged almost $300 for the service. They had completely gutted and taken out the and replaced it with garbage parts. They said it loses about 10 minutes a day. Do not take your vintage time pieces to this location. I had an heirloom pocket watch and they stole what was inside and replaced it with crap. They are thieves.

Timothy Grant Jewelry

3.8

(29 reviews)

What an amazing jeweler! I needed my mom's engagement ring resized so I could wear it again. I was…read moreworried that the band was too thin from over 50 years of wear and tear. They assured me it would be good as new! They were right! I am over the moon with how beautiful it turned out! Thank you for taking such good care of my most precious sentimental piece I own!!

Some time ago we brought our $10,000 + Piaget watch to Timothy Grant Jewelry in Lake Zurich, IL for…read morea simple battery replacement. Although we did not know it at the time, the person who helped us broke two of the four screws that hold the back of the watch on. The person then handed us a small plastic bag containing the parts that used to be the watch. She said we would have to send the watch somewhere to be fixed. We then wrote a review of the incident on Yelp. A representative of Timothy Grant Jewelry called and asked us to bring back the bag of watch parts for repair. We came back with the bag and Timothy Grant Jewelry "repaired" the watch and asked us to take down the Yelp review, which we did. We paid for the new battery and left the establishment. This month the watch needed a new battery. We took the watch to a reputable jeweler. When he opened the watch to replace the battery, he told us that 2 of the 4 screws that hold the back to the watch are broken and the heads of the screws were glued in to present the appearance that the watch is whole. We then attempted to communicate with Timothy Grant Jewelry to resolve our issue. There has to date been no response from Timothy Grant Jewelry. We have had three negative experiences, first he broke the screws that held our watch together and handed us a bag of parts that used to be our watch, second he claimed he fixed the watch but fooled us with a fake repair by gluing the heads of screws to the watch, third he would to respond to us in any way to resolve the issue.

Timekeepers