Fine jewellery and luxury watches are built to last generations — but only if they're cared for properly. A diamond ring worn daily for twenty years accumulates micro-scratches that dull its brilliance. A gold chain develops weak links that eventually snap at the worst possible moment. A mechanical watch that hasn't been serviced in a decade runs slow, loses accuracy, and risks internal damage that a simple service would have prevented. These aren't signs of poor quality — they're the natural consequences of wearing something precious every day. And they're all fixable.
At Robert Gatward Jewellers, the same expertise that goes into selecting and creating exceptional pieces extends to maintaining and restoring them. The Jewellery Repair Services UK customers trust at Robert Gatward cover everything from simple battery replacements and ring resizing to full watch overhauls, pearl restringing, rhodium plating and bespoke design work — combining traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to keep your most treasured items looking and functioning beautifully for years to come.
Watch Servicing & Repairs – Keeping Your Timepiece Running Perfectly
A luxury watch is a precision instrument. Whether it's a mechanical movement with hundreds of components working in concert or a quartz calibre that depends on a battery and clean contacts, every watch needs periodic attention to maintain its accuracy, water resistance and appearance. Neglecting servicing doesn't just affect performance — it can lead to internal damage that's far more expensive to repair than the service itself.
Robert Gatward Jewellers' accredited in-house team specialises in watch servicing & repairs for leading Swiss brands, bringing authorised-level expertise to every timepiece that comes through the workshop.
Battery Replacement
The most common watch service — and one that should never be done by an unqualified hand. Incorrect battery replacement can damage the movement, compromise the caseback seal and void water resistance. Robert Gatward's technicians replace batteries using the correct tools, test the seal integrity afterward, and ensure the caseback is refitted to manufacturer specification.
Full Watch Servicing
Mechanical and automatic watches from brands like Rolex, OMEGA, TUDOR, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Longines and Tissot require periodic full servicing to maintain their precision and longevity. A full service typically involves complete disassembly of the movement, ultrasonic cleaning of all components, replacement of worn parts (gaskets, seals, springs), reassembly, lubrication, regulation and testing.
The recommended service interval varies by brand and movement — typically every five to ten years for modern calibres — but if your watch is losing or gaining time, the crown feels stiff, or you notice moisture inside the crystal, it's time to book it in regardless of the calendar.
Pressure Testing
Water resistance isn't permanent. The gaskets and seals that keep moisture out degrade over time and can be compromised by impacts, temperature changes or simply age. Robert Gatward offers pressure testing to verify your watch's water resistance rating — particularly important before holidays, diving or any situation where the watch will be exposed to water. If the seals have weakened, they can be replaced and the watch retested before it leaves the workshop.
Bracelet Adjustment and Repair
A watch bracelet that's too loose or too tight isn't just uncomfortable — it accelerates wear on the clasp, stretches the links and increases the risk of the watch falling off your wrist. The team adjusts metal bracelets to fit perfectly and repairs damaged links, clasps and pins to restore the bracelet to its original condition.
Crystal Replacement
A scratched or cracked crystal detracts from even the finest watch. Whether your timepiece has a mineral glass, sapphire crystal or acrylic front, the workshop can source and fit the correct replacement — restoring clarity and protecting the dial beneath.
Ring Resizing & Jewellery Maintenance – Preserving What Matters Most
Jewellery is personal in a way that few other possessions are. An engagement ring carries the memory of the moment it was given. A wedding ring represents a promise. An inherited necklace connects you to someone who's no longer here. When these pieces need attention, you want them in hands that understand their value — not just their material worth, but what they mean to you.
Ring resizing & jewellery maintenance at Robert Gatward Jewellers covers the full spectrum of care that fine jewellery requires over a lifetime of wear.
Ring Resizing
Fingers change size — through weight fluctuation, temperature, pregnancy, ageing or simply because the ring was sized slightly wrong to begin with. A ring that's too tight is uncomfortable and potentially dangerous if it can't be removed in an emergency. A ring that's too loose risks slipping off and being lost. Professional resizing adjusts the band precisely — making it larger or smaller — while preserving the integrity of the setting, the stones and the metal finish.
For platinum rings, gold rings and sterling silver rings, the technique varies by metal type, and the skill of the jeweller determines whether the resize is invisible or obvious. Robert Gatward's craftspeople have the experience to handle all metals and settings, including complex designs with channel-set or pavé diamonds where resizing requires particular care.
Chain and Bracelet Repair
A broken chain or bracelet doesn't mean the piece is finished — it means it needs a skilled repair. Soldering broken links, replacing worn clasps, reinforcing weak points and restoring damaged sections are all routine work for the Robert Gatward workshop. Gold bracelets, sterling silver bracelets, diamond bracelets and pearl bracelets all receive the same meticulous attention.
Pearl Restringing
Pearl necklaces and bracelets are traditionally strung on silk thread with knots between each pearl — a construction that protects against abrasion and prevents all the pearls scattering if the string breaks. Over time, the silk stretches, weakens and discolours. Professional restringing replaces the thread, retensions the knots and ensures the clasp is secure — a service that should be done every one to two years for regularly worn pieces.
Rhodium Plating
White gold jewellery — including many white gold engagement rings — is plated with rhodium to achieve its bright, silvery-white appearance. This plating wears away gradually with daily wear, revealing the warmer tone of the gold beneath. Rhodium replating restores the original brightness and provides a fresh protective layer, making the piece look as good as the day it was bought.
Stone Replacement and Resetting
Lost or damaged stones in diamond rings, earrings or necklaces can be sourced and reset to match the existing stones as closely as possible. The workshop also checks and tightens settings during routine maintenance — catching loose stones before they fall out and are lost.
Cleaning and Polishing
Daily wear dulls the surface of precious metals and allows dirt, soap and skin oils to build up around stone settings — reducing the sparkle and lustre that drew you to the piece in the first place. Professional ultrasonic cleaning and hand polishing restore brilliance, remove surface scratches and bring your jewellery back to its original condition.
Engraving
Whether it's adding a date to a wedding ring, a message inside a pendant or initials on a pair of cufflinks, Robert Gatward offers professional engraving that adds a personal, permanent touch to any piece.
Bespoke Design and Remodelling
Sometimes the best way to care for a piece of jewellery is to give it a new life. An inherited ring that's not to your taste can be redesigned using the original stones and metal. A dated setting can be modernised. Two pieces can be combined into one new design that carries the sentimental value of both.
Robert Gatward's bespoke design service works with you from concept to finished piece — whether you're starting from scratch or reimagining something that already holds meaning. The same craftsmanship that creates new engagement rings and eternity rings is applied to every remodelling project, ensuring the result is something you'll wear with pride.
Why Trust Robert Gatward with Your Repairs
The difference between a good repair and a bad one often isn't visible immediately — it's visible six months later when a poorly soldered chain breaks again or a carelessly resized ring cracks at the join. Quality repair work requires the same skill, the same materials and the same attention to detail as creating a piece from new. That's why entrusting your jewellery and watches to a jewellery repair services UK provider with the credentials of Robert Gatward matters.
As authorised retailers for Rolex, OMEGA, TUDOR, Breitling, TAG Heuer and more, the team has direct access to genuine parts, manufacturer training and the technical standards these brands demand. For jewellery, decades of experience in bespoke design and fine craftsmanship mean your pieces are handled by people who understand precious metals and gemstones at a professional level — not a high-street repair counter.
Contact Your Local Store
Whether you need watch servicing & repairs for a treasured timepiece, ring resizing & jewellery maintenance for a piece that needs attention, or a bespoke remodelling project that deserves expert hands — contact your nearest Robert Gatward Jewellers store to discuss your requirements and keep your cherished items in the care they deserve.