Finding someone to fix a watch is not something we often think about. We usually just throw a broken watch on top of a dresser or with some accessories and forget its ailment, leaving it to gather dust and remain unfixed. Like getting your shoes repaired, getting a watch repaired is like something from the old world, something from times past, when your watch was necessary as that was the only way to keep time. Now, it’s pretty easy to keep time. But, fixing a watch? Not as easy. Yesterday, we decided to get some watches fixed at Rush Hour Jewelry, a neat looking little watch store on Sunset.

The spot is one of the few places in our head that come to mind when we think “watch fixer.” It’s an old, mid-century spot that has an illuminated clock that hits itself when they turn on the exterior lights at night. We’ve been meaning to stop in there after a period that seems like forever as it looks cool and a few of our watches needed fixing. The spot along with Elsie’s in Thai Town are the only watch places that we know of and, for that reason, we had to go there versus any other place.

Rush Hour is a fantastic looking place on the outside as said but, unfortunately, the inside is as exciting as a doctor’s lobby combined with a Zale’s, the place full of stale jewelry and slightly cheesy watches. However, you could tell the the spot was dedicated to the craft, ticking heard through the small space and a large clock in the back room staring back at you. The place is ran by a man of an unspecified Eastern European ethnicity, which seems like the market for the store as both times we stopped in (to drop off and pick up watches) he was speaking in another language to customers.

Anyway, we had three watches that needed fixing, each requiring something different. We stopped into the store at 3PM and were told to come back at 4PM, no idea what to expect cost wise or what. The first broken watch had a band issue, a white Timex who had a latch that came apart. In my mind, it was unfixable unless you put on a new band. The watchman looked at it and had no qualms about mending it. As you can see, this was not an issue: it was fixed seemingly fast as it only cost five dollars to fix and appeared to be no big deal to him or the watch.

The next watch that needed help is a “gold” Seiko whose clasp would not stay clasped. This was probably something we could fix ourselves but when trying to mend it it would not budge. Thus, watch man! He did the same, “Sure. Yeah. Whatever.” with this watch and, as you can see, it clasped as tight as it did before through whatever magic he has. This, too, cost five dollars.

Now, here is the big curveball we threw at him: a super curious watch I once found in a Sherman Oaks Goodwill years ago that I’d been wanting to fix. It is a weird, Italian Giallo watch designed by Gian Matteo. It looked cool but the latch was broken and the watch didn’t work. When we handed it over, it didn’t look to be a problem and getting a new band didn’t seem like a problem either. When we returned to retrieve the watches, this is the one he went on and on about: the battery in there was at least 20 years old, the interior was super dry, and it took a lot of love and care to make it work–but he made it work! This cost $20–shockingly not expensive!!–but the band was $10, which is our only complaint because it’s some seemingly cheap plastic band (which we wish was red but, hey, we’ll fix that later).

Thus, all of our watches were fixed for the low price of $40 and in an hour. Bring cash for this as we had a little tax thrown on for using our card but, all in all, great experience, great building, great service, OK interior. Be sure to check them out or Elsie’s on Hollywood which, honestly, has a very sexy, mysterious, almost otherworldly interior of clocks despite the exterior looking like some schmaltzy jewelry shop.