Deciding where to send your valuable and sentimental watch is a big decision. Accordingly, we have come up with some criteria that might be helpful when making your decision.

Where does the business get their parts and are they genuine? This is one of the most important factors. Rafael Jewelers obtains the parts in almost every case DIRECTLY from manufacturer, including Omega, Tag Heuer, and Swiss Army to name a few. We do NOT repair fine watches with used parts or parts from other manufacturers. We use only Genuine Parts for your particular watch. What kind of equipment does the business use and has the manufacturer audited them? At Rafael Jewelers, we use only the most advanced equipment to service your fine watch. Several companies, including Omega and others, have audited our watch repair department and permit us to order directly from that manufacturer. What are the qualifications of the watchmaker? In Rafael Jeweler's case, our watchmaker, Suzie graduated from Swiss watchmaking school some 30 years ago, and during those 30 years has been the master watchmaker of Rafael Jewelers. With our very busy store, accommodating watch repair throughout the Bay Area and beyond, she services hundreds of fine watches a year. Additionally, Suzie stays on the top of the latest skills and techniques, and has taken master courses at Rolex during the last 2 years, as well attending international conferences with various watch companies on an annual basis. If you wish to speak to her, she is always available to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays. She personally calls each customer to discuss the estimate and answer any questions you may have. How large is the operation and is it open to the public? Being the largest company does not necessarily make one the best, but being sizable does matter. At Rafael Jewelers, our store has been in central Marin County for more than 70 years and is open to the public Tues.-Sat. When you come in to our store, you can see very quickly the large collections of watches and jewelry that make up our store. This means we don't work on a shoestring, we carry the necessary insurance and security to protect our customer's valuables. We believe security and proper insurance may come into question with watchmakers who appear to work out of their homes. What if the prices advertised for service are so low that they might be too good to be true? Then without question, they are! The internet is an amazing place to find services, but we believe it is also like the wild west. Anyone can say anything. On the internet, we find prices at various web site that are below our cost. How can that happen if we purchase our parts DIRECTLY from the manufacturer? The answer is that they couldn't be. These companies are not replacing parts, but simply cleaning the movement, without regard to the condition of the movement. At Rafael Jewelers, we thoroughly clean your watch AND replace parts where indicated. That's a big difference!