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Thread: Hamilton Ventura 500 Electric - recommdations for service

  1. #1
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    South West London
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    Hamilton Ventura 500 Electric - recommdations for service

    Hi all

    A mate has just uncovered his Hamilton Ventura, with the first electric movement (the 500) inside, a watch he bought in the 80’s in California. He is keen to try to resurrect it after decades of neglect - he says it is missing its crown.

    Does anyone know who might have the skills (and the parts) to take this on?

    Many thanks for any info
    TPT

  2. #2
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    7,722
    My first call would have been to SilverHawk (Paul) at Electric Watches. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...KZQwNKhL5GXitz

    Sadly, on checking his website, it seems he no longer works on the early 500 series Hamilton models. I'd guess parts are just getting to be obsolete now, nobody is producing replacement parts.

  3. #3
    Craftsman
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    Thanks Kev - that sounds worrying.

    Any other leads are gratefully received

  4. #4
    I do not unserstand why people recommend Paul at electric watches. The guy is permanently on holiday. If you look on the contact page of his website it currently states: "1st April 2022. Spring has arrived, so I’m now closed for 4 or 5 months." My experience is that after 4 or 5 months another message will appear telling you to check back in another six months or so.
    If you do manage to catch him during a rare period of working, he doesn't respond to email. My experience is that trying to make contact is an utter waste of time.

    So, having stated where not to go, Jarett Harkness at Unwind in Time is the man for these.
    Jarett is Stateside, so well placed to help your mate. Jarett fixed my 505 based Sealectric II. Despite the faff of having to send the watch abroad for repair, Jarett was a pleasure to deal with, and utterly professional. Can't recommend him more. He is not cheap, but there are not many options when it comes to servicing 500 series Hamiltons.


    Alternatively, I'd give your mate a few hundreds of dollars for it in a non working state. :) I've been lusting after a Ventura for years.

    EDIT:Just realised that you said your mate bought in California & I inferred that meant he lived there. If not, I still recommend Jarett.

  5. #5
    I should probably be clearer, I was unable to find anyone in the UK or Europe who will repair a broken 500 series Hamilton. Plenty of people will service a running one, or repair a broken one if you can get them parts, which of course don't exist.

  6. #6
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    7,722
    Quote Originally Posted by mikeveal View Post
    I do not unserstand why people recommend Paul at electric watches. The guy is permanently on holiday. If you look on the contact page of his website it currently states: "1st April 2022. Spring has arrived, so I’m now closed for 4 or 5 months." My experience is that after 4 or 5 months another message will appear telling you to check back in another six months or so.
    You've been very unlucky, Paul has sorted loads of my Omega watches over the past decade - although it's true of late he seems to have reached semi-retirement and works on a part time basis.
    A referral to a "maybe" repair in Texas seems a bit of a stretch, but if they are the only ones with parts I guess...

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by kevkojak View Post
    A referral to a "maybe" repair in Texas seems a bit of a stretch, but if they are the only ones with parts I guess...
    I don't think Jarett will do a 'maybe repair', in my experience if he says he will do it he does.

    OK I've only sent one watch. It had been to my watchmaker who diagnosed the problem as a worn balance shaft. There was slop in the balance and the electromagnet was touching the balance bridge and stopping. Neither of us could get parts. I did explain this to Jarett an dhe quoted for the repair. It turned out that Jarett either made a mistake when quoting, didn't bother to read my email, or just didn't believe me. He under quoted. Everyone makes mistakes, what sorts the superb from the average is what they do next. Jarett stuck to his original quote, his promised repair schedule and helped with getting the watch through UK customs.

    I don't recommend lightly, Jarett thoroughly deserves it.

    Paul at electric watches on the other hand consistently failed to reply to emails, three IIRC over the course of a couple of years. If you're lucky you get a window of a couple of weeks to make contact between Paul's multi-month 'holidays'. I'll accept, he may have been good once upon a time, but that is not my experience.


    But yeah, Texas. It's a pain in the backside to send the watch abroad for a repair.

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