Monthly Archives: April 2016

This week in our workshop we have received a Rado 193.0324.3 for glass (crystal) replacement. This is an all ceramic watch under the Rado "Ceramica" family.

This is a popular model and has the unique feature of bearing the analog and digital time, therefore also sometimes referred to as a Rado Ana-Digi watch.

It is fortunate in this case that damage is mainly external, and there is no passageway for dust/water penetration into the movement. It is always advisable that if any damage has taken place to the casing/glass of a Rado watch this is repair as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the watch.

As a Rado certified service centre we are able to carry out these repairs in our London based workshop. If your watch has a similar problem, please contact us for a quote.

For years, Swatch has been the go-to brand for unique and unconventional timepieces. Here Babla’s Jewellers uncovers the history of Swatch.

Swiss-made watches have always had a reputation for excellence. Up until the 1980s, a Swiss watch was the archetypal timepiece — classic, traditional and painstakingly crafted. They were the prized possessions of many and often passed down through the generations.

However, while Switzerland was busy pouring over their signature timepieces, Asia was hard at work creating quartz watches that were both accurate and, above all, cheap to buy. This had a knock-on effect on the Swiss watchmakers and the industry more widely. Switzerland’s market share was reduced by more than 35%, while 65,000 jobs were lost.

The Swiss watchmaking industry was in turmoil — it had to change in order to survive. That’s when, in the 1980s, Nicholas G. Hayek recognised what was missing — personality. Believing that you shouldn’t have to stop at owning just one watch, he developed the idea of a ‘second watch’.

Unlike the classical timepieces of yonder, the watch was designed to convey a person’s individual style. In short, it was intend to be a talking point that triggered an emotion with both the wearer and onlookers — Swatch was born.

Only the beginning…

The 1.98mm Delirum Tremens was recognised as the thinnest watch in the world at the time. Developed by a group of engineers in Fontainemelon, this incredible feat was achieved by revolutionising the overall design of the watch. The typical three-part design of a bottom plate, case and frame was erad

Whether it’s a gift or a family heirloom, watches can carry a thousand sentiments. As treasured items, we hold them dear to our hearts. Unfortunately, the years aren’t always kind to our timepieces.

From seized buttons to a flat battery, the good news is that many common watch problems can be resolved using our expertise. Take a look at our watch troubleshooting guide to diagnose your problem and discover how our instore or postal repair service can assist you:

“My battery watch has stopped ticking”

There’s nothing more annoying that glancing at your watch only to find that it has stopped. However, rather than let your timepiece linger unused in a drawer, it can usually be easily repaired.

In most cases, your watch will stop when battery replacement is required. The average life of a battery is around two years, although some have an extended life of three or more years. Depending on the type of watch you have, this is usually a straightforward problem to rectify — all you’ll need is a replacement battery along with a pressure test if your watch is water resistant.

Trying to replace the battery yourself can damage the internal mechanism if sufficient care is not taken. To avoid causing unnecessary damage, you should always seek a watch repair specialist to change the battery and ensure the watch is still water resistant.

 “My second hand is skipping”

Another common problem is the second hand skipping several seconds. While this may seem like a major issue to the untrained eye, it is actually your watch telling you that the life of your battery is coming to an end. This is usually a feature of high-end watches with elect